Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-01-14

practice was cautiously, Out perseVer-
ingly continued until the wild train of
Oriental imaginations was broken up in
his brain, and he became again sound in
intellect, mingling with his fellows as
before 'clothed and in his right mind. "
He is yet living, and laughs as heartily
as any one can at the delusion OF which
he once, to use legal phrase, "stood
seized and possessed. y
Another instance was that of recent
occurrence in an interior town of Penn
sylvania A respectable citizen, by
trade cooper, residing in one OF those
picturesque and beautiful suburbs of
Philadelphia, after q course of deep re-
Election on metaphysical subjects, was
found at last to be affected during his
slumbers with kind of tremor, in
dicating an unhealthy action of the
mind. By day, however, he was appar-
emily well, conversed nationally and at
tended to his employments with the
usual promptitude. By degrees he be-
gan to evince on one subject trivial
alienation of intellect. He contended
seriously and with the greatest earnest
ness that man could bring himself,
by solemn meditation and com
munion with his Maker, to condition
in which, even on earth, his physical
wants might be forgone and the ordi-
nary nourishment Of mortal life be dis
pensed with altogether. This delusion
increased in his fancy until he an
nounced one morning at breakfast that
he was then taking his last meal for the
space of the following fifty-two days---a
number corresponding with the amount
of weeks in year. At first his family
were utterly incredulous as to his inten-
ton; but they soon found to their sor-
row that his purpose was too deeply
fixed to be shaken or frustrated. He de-
clared with great soberness that God
appeared to him in dream, command
ing him to abstain from all earthly food
for the space above mentioned, promis-
ing to sustain him under his self denial
with heavenly mama, and declaring
that when his probation expired he
should be translated to glory, like the
prophet of old, without the taste Of
death. This revelation he most potent
| ly believed, and acted accordingly. For
few days he was able to attend to his
mechanical avocations, but he grew
feeble by fasting, and having taken
nothing save water since entering upon
the fVlfllment of his resolution he was
compelled to take to his bed. There he
would give directions to his workmen
touching their employments, and con,
versed cheerfully and nationally with al
who approached him. The usual cir.
cumstance of man gradually
wasting away his life by volun-
tary starvation soon became extern
sively bruited through the place, and the
monomaniac had, consequently, no laci
of visitors. Growing daily weaker HI
yet kept open house for his friends, ant
no one who called went away withou
the refreshment afforded by creature
comforts nor, strange to say, without ;
full belief of his sanity. On the TWEEN
tieth day the deluded martyr became 81
feeble as to be scarcely capable of speak
ing. He was implored to abandon hi
foolish resolve, and reference was mad
to his increasing weakness and an ar
gument showing the mental deception
under which he suffered. But he per
sisted against all entreaty, and woulc
have persisted in a few days had not
physician advised that the water whicl
he drank should be filtered through
vessel containing little rice and SOM
grains of gum-arabic. This PARTIAL,
sustained him, and the regimen, un
known to himself, was continued.
Between forty and fifty days had nov
elapsed since he began his furnishing
practice. He shrank not jot from hi
purpose, although his flesh had fallel
away, his hands become long and bony
flecked with shriveled blue veins, an
his cheeks hollow and haggard. His ey
still retained its cheerfulness, and h
would say in o faltering voice as he SUI
veyed his attenuated limbs: "God ha
done this. No SuperStitious i
his cell, with beads and cross
wearing his knees in genuflexions an
decorating his back with stripes, wa
, ever more demented than this simpl
; mechanic in his lofty determination
, Every word he uttered when he could b
prevailed upon reluctantly to speak {
, himself or his condition was full Qfhop,
determination and confidence. He care
very little about conversing on the sui
, iect of the extraordinary abstinence, di
, not seem to consider the presence of s
, many friends as an unusual occurren(
D and was evidently more fond of speal
ing on any other theme than on that
| his singular delusion. Seven days
5 last remained of his painful trial. L
{ became more buoyant in spirit as Il
S time of his appointment drew near to
close; vet he seemed far less anxiol
t about his exit from the world than Wi
: respect to the state in which he shou
e leave his temporal affairs. When fol
q days were left him he was reduced to
E mere skeleton, but his mind remain,
e firm, and his hallucination waxed stror
= within him. Ignorant of the occu
means by which he had been kept aliv
!. he attributed everything to supernatur
: agencies. At this time, contrary to {
k expectations, he began to be melanchol
/. There was an ebb to the high tide
O hopeawith which his mighty effort hi
i hitherto been sustained. No one cou
= rightly account for the singul,
d depression of his spirits when
|. near the goal of his desires, with Il
+ bright prospect of its speedy attai
v ment. Three days now remained 4
/ the completion of our subjects fastil
e ordeal, when he became so infirm as
V lose his power of utterance. Drea
C fully alarmed, his friends determined
II avert his seemingly impending death
o stratagem. Gentle narcotics we
a mingled with the water he drank, al
p forty-eight hours of almost unintC
a rupted slumber fell upon him. On t
: morning of the last day he awol
IS Preparations had been made by
a family to inform him, when his stunt
: was broken, that he had survived
o time, and also to place food by his b.
ID side. When told that he had slept