Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-07-22
CIIASTINE COX EXECUTED
The Mulatto Murderer of Mrs.
Hull Hanged in New York.
GORED TO DEATH BY A BULL {!
Gar6eId's Surrender to Conkling and
Cameron--Mrs, Brewers Murder
The rs EIection-An-
other Political Straw.
FOUR PLANETS IN PERIHELlON
AWARNING For TANNER.

HOW n maryland uiu Succceueu HI
Fasting 10 Days, but Died After All.
Baltimore American.
About the 18th of July, 1870, John
French, son of George French, ESQ, of
Hagerstown, Md, induced by religious
monomania, began fast of 40 days and
40 nights, abstaining from food of all
kinds, but drinking freely of water and
occasionally indulging in smoke. He
completed the fast on August 2lst,Ht which
time he was reduced to skeleton. DR..
Fred Dorsey was then called in, but in
spite of the most careful attention
he died 10 days later-on the 1st of Sep.
tember. From the files of the american
of that date the following details of the
case are reproduced "ro such an extent
did be become absorbed in some of the
mysticism and sophistries of these
quacks in theology that his mind
gave way and reason-at least, upon
religious subjects-took flight; and
while laboring under the misfortune,
became impressed with the idea that he
had some special religious task to perform
which could only be accomplished after
he had tasted 40 days and nights, which
feat he began nearly two moaths ago, and
actually finished two weeks since Every
thott Iuhuo uuIiIB tuut tiHt W lnuuCe uiul
to eat utterly failed, and those who were
in close contact with him all the time say
that not mouthful of food passed his
lips. Strategy, after persuasion had
exhausted itself, was resorted to- Tempt
ing fruit and other things were placed in
his way, and in such manner as to leave
the impression that their presence was un-
known to all but himself, yet he refrained
nf in
course, during this time he became very
much reduced, looking more like skele-
ton than living human being. Nature at
length could stand the strain no longer,
and few days before the expiration OF
the 40 days he was compelled to take his
bed, and although everything that could
be done for him was done, he at last gave
way, and his spirit sought the sphere
where the great mystery finds solution.
After the 40 days he was fed with great
care, but his Rystem had sunk too deeply
to recuperate. There are very few who do
not believe that French did what he pro-
fessed to undertake, namely. with the
exception of drinking freely of water and
smoking considerably, to actually liqe 40
days and nights without tasting food.
A letter to the Boston Tran
script of recent date gives the fol-
lowing interesting account of the fasting
experience of q former inmate of Henld's
Hygeian Homo in this city.
In view Of the experiment of DR..
Tanner of New York, in his attempts to
fast forty days, case which | heard OF in
1872, while a patient of DIR. Pusey Heald.
in his Hygeian Home at Wilmington, Del, ,
may be of interest to your readers A
Mrs. H., small lady, with dark COM
plexion, who was u visitor at the above
health institute, accompanied by a
daughter, vino was received as patient
informed me that 20 years before she was
hopeless dyspeptic, suffering all the
terrors that the term applies, and given
up TO die by her physicians, when new
physician, health reformer, who in
those days, as class, We're noted for
their" "heroic treatment" undertook the
treatment Of her case, if she would follow
implicitly his'instructions, encouraging her
with his firm opinion that she would be
cured as a result.
Believing that she must die in any event
which shows that her will power was
about exhausted-she consented to his
terms, which were, in brief, to abstain
from fooG until he should order otherwise.
The second and third days of her fast she
suffered excessively from hunger, after
which she felt no desire for food Her
tongue soon began to swell, and gather a
slimy coating, which continued for 90
days, during which time she exercised
daily, as her strength would permit. On
the twenty-irst day the coating came of
Of her tongue In mass leaving it in a
comparatively nornnl conditions her ply.
ipta rh L,.r ,,na
aud by degrees she reached a generous
diet, aud found to her great Joy that all
her old dyspeptic symptoms mad dsap-
peared, and that her enjoyment of foot
was as intense and natural as she coulG
desire. She stated, however, that evei
since her recovery she had been obliged IL
exercise care in her diet, rs her stomach
had not recovered its original tone aut
elasticity, which could hardly be expected
In conclusion, have always considered
this remarkable case, and fully believ,
in its truthfulnesH, rs does DIR. Head, anC
there are undoubtedly others here il
Boston who know of it, as it bappene,
here; and it seems TO me that if siel
woman, weak and emaciated from
dyspepsia, can live twenty-one days with
out food, it ought to DO possible for a maj
endowed with good health and a librrn
allowance of adipose material, backed b,
strong will, to refrain for forty days
though perhaps this reasoning il no
altogether logical.
A fittsburg dispatch says:
The "starve-as- you.please race" of Dr.
Tanner against time has called up q REM
niscence from Paris, Washington county
this State, which is well authenticated. l
1910 Thomas Ford, aged about % years
lived without food or water for 80 day.
He was taken i'll and WIS unable to sws
low either solids or liquids. All the phs
sicians in the country round were unabl
to afford even the slightest relief. On th
evening of the 39.h day he took his si
ter's hand in his and remarked thi
she would not have to watch with hii
much longer, that he felt no worse tina
he had for several days past, but that Il
man had ever tasted forty days but o,
Saviour and n man ever would. He die
that evening, leaving request that
post-mortem be held for the benefit
science, as he did not want others
suffer rs he had done. The examinatic
was made, and the physicians found IL
entrance 10 the stomach closed up by
fungus growth, and it would have be,
impossible to relieve him by an operatio