The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-04-14
LYING WITHOUT FooD OR DRINK
,severa, Curious Examples.

Tho ncnainr Investigation concerning the
,eath of the Welsh fasting girl reminds the Pal!
Mali Gazette Of several curious instances OF long
ahs,;nence from food in the sixteenth century. 1t
says:
In ,ssA there was case OF a girl at Heidelberg
which caused so much wonder that the Count
Palatine appointed a commission OF nVe maIIons
to watch her. and they reported tnat ner apsN-
nence both from food and drink was eoiapis.e, 1ae
there is an advertisement to the erect tnat 'he
girl still remained in the same staSe. ,., :,
A few years after, Jane Balon, the daugnter oi
locEsmith in o village near Polctiers, oeSatne 1u
celebrated under the title Of the maid Of COMO
lansn or Of "Poitou." In her eleventh year, ailsr
a violent attack of vomiting, she remained speecI
legs for nearly month, and thencelorti, thoush
she recovered all her faculties except tne coia
nlete Ise of one hip she could take neither meat
nor drink and even declined the sucking OF sweet
meats, which the English narrator truly teils S US
time ne tells the story, she had tasted near three
wears, but In all other respects mad ieturnea 10
her ordinary occupations-s!eeping,s spinning anu
marketing, and making herself IN no way an
object Of Compassion, although sometimes from
her eyes issued few tears" +.
Bus fuller and more interesting account Is
that OF boy named GOdean, given by simeon
de Provencheres, Medecn du Roy" OF which we
have before us the fourth edition, printed at sens
In 1916 1t consists OF five discOurScs, gong very
elaboratey into all the physical conditions or the
ioy' We viii not reproduce the scientific de-
dIctions OF the worthy doctor, lnasmuch as very
few OF his premises will stand the test OF moGern
discovery; but the facts respecting MS patlen!
are stated with simplicity, without any apparent
credulity and with no application TO any eSpe.
cial theory The state OF abstinence from 1ood
and drink lasted four years and eleven months.
The first essay was written before tne cnaa ' Was
taken to FOntaInebleau, to be Shown TO the King
and Queen, and had returned nome much e&naus'
ted with the journey. .,,o
case by credible testimony, but he was then de-
termined to judge for himself. Godean was
brought to his house by his parents, apparently
without any diflculty, and fully examined to ms
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 q pleasant
handsome little fellow, rather Jaroce at first, but
Soon adapting himself TO q new life. lie slept
comfortably alone, said his prayers devoutly, was
easily amused, and full OF activity. The subject
OF food or drink was never mentioned, as II
seemed to annoy him; but he made TO difficulty
in sitting at table with those who were eating,
and would even say grace.
The visit was repeated on two other occasions,
and ct the last the doctor found him stronger anu
hrmer on his legs. but not grown in height from
The time he first saw him. All this time MS
tongue was red his breath pure, and MS teeth
clean. About the end Of the second year OF ms
fast he ltst the use Of his legs, ard was cohunS0
TO bis bed for three months, having 6ei6fe usually
slept on palasse with his clothes on; at the end
OF that time he suddenly recovered his strength,
and went about as before. short time after ne
was attacked with smallpox, which he took light
", and the pustules soon.lisappeared, without In
Jury to the skin. His usual occupation was That
Of watching in the fields, aud he was very adroit
In snaring and netting birds. One day having
returned from Sens, and complaing OF the heat,
he asked his father 10 go and see surgeon VINO
had promised him gun, and during his absence
fell into high fever.
In this condition he put o pitcher OF wafer 10
HAL lIy,, n ttol swallow
8 drop, though evidently enjoying tile cooineSs
on his face and hands. His father returning with
out the gun, he seemed veXed. but soon sald III
would do me no good now,n and MT. r TWO days
unconsciousuess, expired. The dissection showed
that the child died Of Inflammation OF thc lungs.
The upper portion OF the esoptasns was 1o9na a 10
and full OF think phlegm. There were several
dead worms in the body. NJ. de Provencneres
theories on this prodigy excited much controver-
BY and objection but there does not seem 70 iase
arisen in any quarter any suspicion OF lmposture
or collision. In another account OF the same
chHd. It Is mentioned that Monsieur Siby, anotler
doctor, gcing TO see him, could Hot Set nun w
take his hands from his face. which, the mother
explained by his terror, lest food should De pre-
scented to him by any one. Instances arc not
wanting OF three strange allectlons among Tue
higher classes OF society. ,,,
1natst, was never known TO drink; ana on VS. viSlt
of the King and Queen OF France 10 blolS III iolo,
a gentleman from Provence was presenten 10
them who had the pecuiarity o. living WITHOUT
food or drink. with the exception OF sometimes
rinsng his mouth with little sngared w, water, er
He was apparently man OF conu1lohi l;,.al anu a.
tended hy two servants OF fine person, lively con-
vers alton aud good manners. Under the pre-
tcnce or not knowing where he came from, but
no doubt for the purpose OF testing MS fnysicai
s!ngularitics, the magistrates kept him urder ar
rest for a fortnight. but they could detect no
fraud, and after having borne his imprisonment
with much good humor, he was conducted Oack
10 his hostel which he soon left to return nome:
Now, allowing every scope for eXaseration. aud
every probability Of occasional deception, these
stories assnrcdlv Indicate most singular plysl'
cal state OF the human body IN reiatinn 10 us Or
dinory alimcnt IL would be we'll If the case undc.
investigation at this moment could be so thoronsh
ly examined that it could be known on how little
what we're file nervous conditions under which
the abstinence became. as her mother expressed
it, 'ther only pleasure" The case Of the Derby
shire maiden, Martha Taylor-Mirablie pecci.
the end OF this same century, deserves separate