Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-04-17
WITHOUT FooD OR DRINK.
Some Curious Cases of Long Abs
stfnences

\
some Curious Cases of Long Al
stfnence.
The pending investigation concernin
! the death of the Welsh fasting girl n
| minds the Pail Mall Gazette OF sewers
curious instances of long abstinence froI
food in the sixteenth century. 1t says
| Gin 1854 there was a case of girl
| Heidelberg, which caused so much Won
der that the Count Palatine appointed
| commission of five matT0ns to5watch hel
and they reported her abstinence bot
from food and drink was complete, an
in an account published in Frankfort il
1851, there is an advertisement to the ct
| feet that the girl remained in the sam'
state.
"a few years after, Jane Balon, tn
daughter of locksmith in a village nea
Poictiers, became celebrated under th
title of the Maid of COMEDIANS, or o
Poitou.' In her eleventh year, after
violent attack of vomiting, she remained
speeches. for nearly month, and thence
forth, though she recovered all her facul
ties except the complete use of one hip
she could take neither meat nor drink, anC
even declined the sucking of sweetmeats
which the English narrator truly tells u
are agreeable to such young years. Al
the time he tells the story she had TASTED
nearly three years, but in all other re
spects had returned to her ordinary occu
pations-sleeping, spinning and marketing,
and making herself in no way in Object
of comparison, although sometimes from
her eyes issued few tears
'tBut fuller and more interesting &C
count is that of boy named Godean,
given by Simeon de Provencheres, Med
decin du Roy of which we have before
us the fourth edition, printed at Sens in
1916. 1t consists of five discourses, going
very deliberately into all the physical con-
ditions of the case, including the autopsy
of the youthful prodigy. We will not re-
produce the scientific productions of the
worthy Doctor, inasmuch as very few of
his premises will stand the test of modern
discovery; but the facts respecting his
patient are stated with simplicity, without
any apparent credulity, and with no ap-
plication to any especial theory. The
state of abstinence from food and drink
lasted four years and eleven months. The
first essay was written before the child
was taken to Fontainebleau, to be shown
to the King and Queen, and had returned
home much exhausted with the journey.
AT that time the doctor had only
known the case by credible testimony,
but he was then determined to judge for
himself. Godean was brought into his
house by his parents, apparently without
any difficulty, and fully examined to his
satisfaction. A short time after he per-
suaded the father to leave the child alone
with him for some days, and he gives the
most complete details of its demeanor and
condition. He was pleasant, handsome
little fellow, rather fdrOuche at first, but
soon adapting himself to a new life. He
slept comfortably alone, said his prayers
devoutly, was easily amused, and full of
activity. The subject of food or drink
was never mentioned, as it seemed to an
nOy him, but he made no difficulty in sit
ting at table with those who were eating,
and would even say grace.
''The visit was repeated on two other
occasions, and at last the Doctor found
him stronger and firmer ON his legs, but
not grown in height from the time he first
saw him. AT this time his tongue was
red, his breath pure, and his teeth clean.
About the end of the second year of his
fast he lost the use of his legs, and was
confined to his bed for three months,
having before usually slept OIL a paillasse
with his clothes on; at the end of that
time he suddenly recovered his strength,
and went about as before. A short time
after he was attacked with smallpox,
which he took lightly, and the postules
soon disappeared, without injury to the
skin. His usual occupation was that of
watching the fields, and he was very
adroit in sharing and netting birds. One
day, having returned from Sens, and COM
planning of the heat, he asked his father
to go and see a surgeon who had promised
him gun, and during his absence fell
into high fever.
SIN this condition he put pitcher of
water to his lips, and wetted them, but
would not swallow drop, though evil
IDENTIFY enjoying the GOODNESS on his face
and hands. His father returning without
the gun, he seemed vexed, but soon said &:
1T would do me no good now, and after
two days Inconsistencies, expired. The
dissection showed that the child died OF
inflammation of the lungs. The upper
portion of the o,sophagus was found to
be tightly compressed, but the lower part
open and full of thick phlegm There
were several dead worms in the body. NJ.
dc ProvenchGres' theories on this prodigy
excited much controversy and objection,
but there does not seem to have arisen il
any quarter any suspicion of impOsture o.
collision. In another account of the SAINT
child it is mentioned that Monsieur Shy
another doctor, going to see him, could
not get him to take his hand from his
| face, which the mother explained by hi
terror lest food should be presented tOhin
| by any one. Instances are not wanting
of these strange affections among th,
higher classes of society.
"a certain Marquis de Pizany, al
| Italian diplOmatist, was never know t
| drink; and on visit of the King anC
Queen of France to Blois, in 1913, a gen
tleman from Provence was presented Il
| them who had the peculiarly of Twin!
without food or drink, with the exception
| of sometimes rinsing his mouth with su
| CARED water. He was apparently mai
| of condition, and was attended by twu
servants of fine person, lively converse
ton, and good manners. Under the pre-
| tence of not knowing where he came iron
but no doubt for the purpose of testin!
his physical singularities, the magistrate
kept him under arrest for fortnight, bu
they could detect no fraud, and after haV
ing borne his Imprisonment with nue.
| good humOr, he was conducted back t
his hotel, which he left to return home.
Snow, allowing every scope for ex
aggeration, and every probability of oc
casiOnal deception, these stories assured.
indicate most singular physical state o
the human body in relation to its Ordinar.
aliment. 1t would be well if the cas-
under investigation at this moment coul
be so thoroughly eXami ned that it COul
| be known on how little nOurishment thi
Welsh girl really subsisted, and what wer
the nervous conditions under which tn
abstinence became, as her mother eX
pressed it, 'her only pleasure The cas-
of the Dcrbyshire maiden, Martha TaylO
-Mirable Pecci'-which was presente
to the Royal Society, toward the end o
this same century, deserves a separat
notice"
s.THE CROCK OF G0LD."