The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1881-06-30
KEPT ALIVE BY ABSORPTION,
A Woman who has taken neither Food
nor Water for Eight Months.

A Woman who has taken neither Foot
nor Water for Eight Months.
BATTLE CREEK, Mich, June 25
Mention has been made 10 the
newspapers at various times of the
case of Mrs. Nellie Ingram, who
since last October, has been 10 bed
unable to take food or water. Mrs.
Ingram is now 36 years old, and has
been twice married, her present hus
band being Henry Ingram, a team
ster. In girlhood, as Miss Nellie
Dunn, she was hearty and robust, q
specimen of blooming health, and
had more than ordinary fine con-
stitution, which she retained as she
advanced in years. On October i
1880, she stepped into Doctor N.
! Merritt's office to have a tooth ex-
tracted. She was then in the most
perfect health, and she weighed not
far from $50 pounds. The tooth
was a double one, far back in the
jaw, firm and fast, and very trouble
some from a cavity. Undoubtedly
the pain aud annoyance she had ex
perienced from it had excited her
nervous system to that degree
that it took but very little to
produce decided shock. The
tooth was extracted with much
difficulty, and produced intense pain.
Mr.. Ingram became greatly excited,
which eliminated in a nervous shock
A hack was called, and abe was ta-
ken to her home in a Frustrated con
dition, and was Immediately after
ward seized with a severe pain in
the bowels, which has continued
nigh. and day ever since, accompa>
MED by sickness and nausea. She
repe atedly attempted to eat food to
sustain life, but it only produced
loathing and Ndeashly sickness, and
was at length given up. Thess
spasms occur, however, whether sh
is given food Or not.
As soon as it became certain to
her physician that all attempts to
keep her alive by introducing food
into her stomach were useless, he
began giving her injections. thereby
sustaining life by process of absorp
ton by the walls of the intestines -
Life has also been sustained by boths
Of beef tea, milk, and such highly
nutritious liquids, with an occasional
bath of alcohol to keep the pores
open. She has lived for the past
eight months ia this way, not NOR
~~.a-sae~~-i', Is--;~e -oaasad her lips, -
Her weight has been reduced from
$50 to less than 50 pounds; but al
though her body is so much reduced,
her face still preserves a quite heals
thy appearance, and would not strike
one as belonging to person who has
been obliged to go without food, and
who has suffered such excruciating
pains. Her nerves are at such a
high tension that she is unable to
sleep more than two hours 10 twenty
four. This short rest is generally
taken toward morning, when the
vitality of her body is very low. -
With returning activity of the sen
SOS she begins the reschings, which
spasmodic efforts of nature continue
through the day until her system is
completeln exhausted and she falls
into the unsatisfactory sleep des
cribed. Within the last few days,
owing to the strain on her throat by
the frequent contortions of the mus,
clos during retchiug, she has snb.
stantially iost her voice and is unable
to speak above low whisper. A
constant fever attends her, accom-
panied by4an inordinate thirst, bat
shs Cannot drink any more than eat.
The case has excited uncommon
interest in the medical fraternity
throughout the state, and many have
come to see her. 1t is curious to
sec hunger appeased and thir
quenched by outward applications.