The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1858-05-27
life Without Food.

The extraordinary case OF woman
who has lived for some years, in New
York State, without food, has already
been referred to in our columns. The
following letter in regard to is is from
the Christian Advocates:
MRS. Hayes is not yet dead. | have
seen her several times. And after read
ing all that has appeared in the Advo-
cate in regard to her, venture to CON-
muuicate few thoughts upon her case.
Before she passed into this peculiar and
afflicted condition, her health was for
some length of time extremely poor. She
ate but little, aud that little occasioned
considerable amount of sufferipg.--
Sometimes it threw her into spasms. For
uearly year before she ceased to take
refreshments altogether, she lived wholly
or nearly SO, upon tho juice Of dsied ra.p-
berries, until that became o soaTce Of
su ffering. Then, for time, she took oc~
casionally small quantity of cold water;
aud it is now nearly year since shs
swallowed any liquid to the knowledgs
of any one. Indeed, have no doubs
that teaspoonful of liquid put into her
mouth would be the occasion of her death,
unless the spasmodic action Of her throat
should ezpel it. Any person TO see her
ten minutes must be satisfied that there
is no deception in her case. Her head
and shoulders, one or the other, are iir
perpetual motion. She is frequently
thrown forward until she is nearly doub-
led together, and then the head thrown
back, and her neck literally doubled, and
the body forced back, and the whole face,
chin and all, entirely buried in the pillow.
This is done several times successfully in
less time than take in writing it, The
last time in the series the face will re-
main nearly buried in the pillow, and she
does not breathe for ten or fifteen min
utes Once she remained sixty-two min
utes without breathing. When this is o.
yer, and the spasm passes off, she strug-
giles for breath, and her bead Is rolled
from side to side almost with the velocity
Of lightning for a moment or two; the
face becomes red with the rush Of blood
to the head, and the skin quite moist with
perspiratior Then the spasn subsidies
into gentle IL otion of the jaw and shoul-
der, keeping time as one would think with
the actirn of the heart. Her skin about
the chest, neck, head ane arm, though
exceedingly delicate, are quite regular
Her hair does not grow, nor is it worn off
her head, as one would naturally supI ose,
except little just upon the crown. The
action OF the liver is entirely suspended
of course. The action aud state of tho
lungs are perfectly healthy. They have
been thoroughly examined By skilful ply
sicisns With the aid of stetho,cope, and
ar, supposed to be perfect. Her nour-
ishment is wholly from the atmosphere.
! The last nutrimeDt, indeed the last swsl.
low of water she was known to take, was
in the last of June, 1857. The last tune
she was known to be conscious was last
Deccnber. When she comes out of these
long spasms she seems to cry for mo.
i meBt, like an infant in distress. AT such
, times her husband thinks she may be con-
scious. 1t is most distressing to hear il.
She is not atoee the ordinary laws Of
disease She bas recently had thorough
case of the mnmps, precisely as others
have them. Her nails upon her fingers,
like her hair, do not grow at ALL