The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1879-10-16
Remarkable Case Of selrstarratiOn.

The strange fastingof Miss Sarah Root,
aged twenty-eight, of Reading, Pa, Is
attracting unusual attention. She is a
tall young lady, with dark hair and dark
eyes, and of excellent character. A few
years ago Miss Root was an acknOwl-
edged belle. She dressed in exceeding
good taste and always made very fash
ionable appearance. Suddenly she be-
came very devout and pious. Her at
tendance at Rev. DR.. Schowacken's st.
James Lutheran Congregation was al
most constant. She became deeply in
| terested in Sunday-school affairs, and up
to the last Fourth of July was in good
health She then discontinued eating
and commenced long period of fasting.
From July 4th to the 11th she ate but a
few times. Then she stopped eating al
| together.
On the 18th of July DR.. T. R.
Schmucker was called in. Miss Root
turned her back, and said she was not in
need of his professional attention. She
persistently refused to take any nourish-
ment, and throughout all the hot spell
she drank no water. Finally she was
threatened that food would be admins
tered to her by force. She was growing
pale, thin and emaciated. Her former
rosy cheeks had faded, the sparkle had
left her eyes, and she became moody,
thoughtful and silent. She became
frightened at the Doctors threat, and
taking an ordinary cracker she held it
under the hydrant and thoroughly
washed it. On the 18th of July she ate
that cracker, but took no other nourish-
ment.
DR.. Schmucker undertook to convince
hor 41,sA - hoy ra1ioriprrc In fv 70
and not kill herself; that instead of it
being her religious duty to fast, she was
slowly committing the great crime of
suicide. She paid no attention to this.
Basin after basin of water was used in
bathing her hands. First she filled q
basin of pure water and washed her
hands; then she would empty it, get
another basinful and again wash her
hands. She would continue this wash
ing for half hour.
She has been known to have spent five
hours on her knees reading the Bible
and praying. She had a dream to ''fast
forty days and forty nights, the same as
Christ did in the wilderness" she said.
All the efforts of her mother and sister
failed to induce her TO eat and drink.
Finally, DR.. Schmucker says, he stopped
calling on her, because he could do moth
ing for her. DR.. Martin Luther was next
called in. Miss Root was very weak, but
still able to be about. She persistently
refused to eat or drink, and her people
thought she was dying. 1t was finally
resolved to resort to force in the matter,
and a spoon was inserted in her mouth
between her teeth Nothing could be
done, because she would not swallow.
When her nostrils were held shut, she
breathed through the interstices of her
teeth, but would not swallow. Finally
DR.. Luther inserted silver tube through
her nostrils and injected Cruel and milk
into the gullet, and thence into the
stomach. Only a small quantity was in
jected The membranous lining of the
stomach was greatly inhamed, and too
much food administered would have
killed her instantly.
The young woman Is now being kept
alive by forcing food through her nos
trils into her stomach. She is laboring
under a religious hallucination, and
fears are entertained that she cannot
live long. She is said to be quite intel
ligent, and she has no fears, saying that
she guesses it will end all right. To-daj
she made no resistance to the tube being
inserted in her nose, but she positively
refused to take any food or water.