Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-07-23
THE FASTING DOCTOR.


ing experiment. His case is attracting
great attention in Europe and the English
people are as much interested in the daily
Geographic reports, which are bulletined
by the London papers, as the Americans
are. A New York paper says:
A young lady friend of one of the
watchers has promised to furnish the wa
termelon on which DIR. Tanners fast is to
be broken on Monday. August 7. She says
that she will bring the largest and finest
melon in the city, and the faster has warn
ed her that she must have it on hand
punctually, for the moment his time ex-
pires he will 60 for the melon that is near
est him.
FIFTY-THREE DAYS WAITING FOR AN
APPETITE.
The Albany argus" prints well-an
thenticated case IN which a post mertem
examination showed death from starva-
tion after fast of fifty three days. Reu-
ben Kelsey on July 2, 1929. refused to eat,
saying that when it was the will of the
Almigh ty that he should eat he would
be furnished with an appetite. For the
first six weeks he went regularly to the
well in the morning and washed his
head and face, and took a bowlful of
sionally rinsed his mouth and drank some
of it. His parents were Of the opinion
that he did not drink more than pint of
water in tWenty-fOur hours. Compulsory
means to make him take food were found
unaYailing. On one occasion he went
three days without taking even water,
but on the fourth morning he was OBJ
served to go to the well and drink copi-
ously and greedilY. On the eleventh
day of his fast he stated to his friend
that he had not felt so we'll nor so strong
in two years as at that moment, and con
sequently denied the necessity of taking
food. He walked out every day, and
sometimes spent the greater part Of the
day in the woods. His voice towards the
last became feeble and low, but continued
distinct. Towards the close Ct his life he
did not go into the fields, but still LIE was
able to sit up and go about in bis room.
During the first three weeks of his abSli-
nence he fell away very rapidly, but after
| wards he did not seem to waste so sensi-
bly,. His color was blue, and towards
the last blackish. His general appearance
was so CHASTITY that children were fright
ened at the sight of him. He died on the
oath of August. At the time of his death.
Mr.. Kelsey was twenty-seven years OF age
MAN WHO TASTED FORTY DAYS.
In the life of Rev. Freedom Garrettson.
by Rey. Nathaniel Banga, d. D.. PIP. 216
217, there is an account OF a man referred
to as 'sa Mr.. Or who tasted forty days,
during which time ''he did not eat 4
mouJhful of victuals, and only drank wa
ter, and few times little small beer''
ssHe likewise told me that nothing went
through his body for forty days" He
continued to labor, as was also attested by
his brother, and s'frOm the tenth to the
nineteenth day of his fast he seemed some
what feeble, but after that he grew strong,
and looked nearly as fresh and well as he
ever did, After the forty days were
ended he ate as hearty as usual, and found
no injury from it, though bis physicians
warned him that in SO doing he risked his
life" The above is from the journal of
Mr.. Garrettson, and was dated at Far
mington, Connecticut, July ed, 1889. Mr..
Garrettson, was born III 3 fillmore county,
Maryland. in 1852, and was of highly re-
spectacle and wealthy parentage. Like
all Methodist ministers of that early day,
he was an itineraut in the proper sense Of
the word. and Travelled extensively from
North Carolina to New England In 1893
he was united in marriage to Miss Calhe-
rlne Livingston, daughter Of Judge Liv
ingston, of Clermont. Manor Of Living
ston, New York. He died in 1927, aged
rs years.
LIVING WITHOUT FOOD FOR SO DAYS.
A well-autEenticated case is reported
from Washington county, Pa, as follows:
In Paris, Washington county, in 1910,
young man named Thomas Ford, aged %
years, lived without food or wat, + for SO
days. Ford was taken i'll, and was unable
to swallow either solids OF liquids. All
to afford even the Sigh st relief. The
young man continued in the same .cond-
ton for SO days, suffering all the pangs of
hunger and thirst. On the evening of the
39th day he took his sisters hand in his
and remarked that she would not have to
watch with him much longer. When she
Inquirer whether he felt worse. he answer
ed that he felt no worse than he had for
several days past. but that no man had
ever tasted forty days but cur Saviour, and
no man ever would. He died that evening
leaving request that there be post-mor-
tenn held for the benefit Of science, as he
did not want others to suffer as he had
done. The examination was mad, and
the physicians found the entrance to the
stomach closed up completely by fungous
growth, and that it would have been i'm
possible torelieve him by an operation.
A CASE OF DECEPTION AND MANsLAUGH-
TER.
One of the saddest cases on record, as
well as one of. the most interesting, as
showing that deception can be practiced
almost beyond the possibility of detection,
is that of little Sarah Jacobs, better known
as the "Welsh Fasting Girl Sarah was
born May 12 1857. In her early years she
was bright, intelligent giil, and strongly
inclined to religious studies. On the 10th
af foha of Of CT 11
which began in the preceding February, it
was announced by her parents that she had
ceased to take any food whatever. and the
fame of the fasting girl soon spread
throughout the world. She was watched
closely by clergymen and other parties, but
but so skilful was the deception played
that she was not detected. Notwrthstand
ing her alleged fasting, she continued to
improve in health, and her parents decked |
her out with gay ribbons as she lay in the |
bed, and exhibited her to thousands of pill |
grims who visited their farm house at |
Lletaernwadd, near Newtown, Wales. A |
public meeting was called, and commit |
tee appointed to watch the child. They |
watched her two weeks, and reported that |
during that time she received no food
After this report the crowds visiting the |
girl increased, and the parents were rapid
ly making fortune, when DOUBTS again |
were raised as to the genuineness of the |
manifestations, and it was decided to have
another investigation by committee of |
trained nurses from Guys Hospital, Lon
dod. During this watch the parents were
not allowed to approach the girl without |
being previously searched, and the nurses |
had the sole management of preparing the |
room, bed and patient at all times. On the |
9th of December, 1869, the watch began,
and on the 10th, seven days after, little |
Sarah Jacobs was out of her mind and dy