The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-01-13

"'i'N oiuapie haDlt OF Sieepl1
through the entire forenoon. TIL
practice was cautiously, but perseve
lngly continued until the wild train {
oriental imaginations was broken I'D i
his brain, and he became again sound i
intellect, mingling with his fellows :
before clothed and in his right mind
de IS yet living, and laughs as hearth
as any one can at the delusion of whic
he once to use legal phrase, "stoo
seized and possessed.
Another instance was that of a recen
occurrence in an interior town of Penn
I sylvanla. A respectable citizen. b
trade a cooper, residing in one of thos
picturesque and beautiful suburbs @
Philadelphia, after a course of deep re
lection on metaphysical subjects, wa
found at last to be affected during hi
slumbers with kind of tremor, in
olcatlng an unhealthy action of tn
mind. By day, however, he was appar
entity well, conversed nationally and at
tended to his employments with th
usual promptitude. By degrees he be
gan to evince on one subject trivia
alienation of intellect. He commended
seriously and with the greatest earnest
ness that man could bring himself
by solemn meditation and com
munion with his Maker, to a condition
IN which, even on earth, his physical
wants might be forgone and the ordi.
nary nourishment of sortal 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 watersSDHea entering upon
the fultillment 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 all
who approached him. The usual cir
cumstance of man gradually
wasting away his life by volun-
tary starvation soon became extern
sivefy bruited through the place, and the
had, consequently, no lack
OF visitors. Growing daily weaker he
yet kept open house for his friends. and
no one who called went away without
the refreshment afforded by creature
comforts nor, strange to say, without a
full belief of his sanity: On the twen-
.leth day the deluded martyr became so
feeble as to be scarcely capable ofspeak-
ng. He was implored to abandon his
oolish resolve, and reference was made
o his increasing weakness and an ar
,ument showing the mental deception
lnder which he suffered But he per-
listed against all entreaty, and would
AVE persisted in few days had not a
MUSICIAN advised that the water which
e drank should be filtered through a
essel containing little rice and some
rains OF gum-arabic This partially
him, and the regimen, un-
noWn to himself. was continued.
Between forty and fifty days had now
|apsed since he began his furnishing
ractice. He shrank not lot from his
urpose, although his flesh had fallen
way, his hands become long and bonv,
ecked with shriveled blue veins. and
IS cheeks hollow and haggard. His eye
ill retained its cheerfulness, and he
ould say in Il faltering voice as he sur
eyed his attenuated limbs: "God has ]
'ne this. y No SuperstHious in
$ cell, with beads and cross.
caring his knees in genufexions and
cerating his back with stripes, was
er more demented than this simple
echanic in his lofty determination. /
very word he uttered when he could be !
evalled upon reluctantly to speak of /
mself or his condition was full of hope,
termination and confidence. He cared =
rf little about conversing on the sub :
ct t the extraordinary abstinence, did Il
It . EN- to consider the presence of SO S
any friends as an unusual occurrence a
q Was evidently more fond of speak a
g on any other theme than on that of +,
SIT salar delusion. Seven days at r.
It ren aimed of his painful trial. He 81
came more buoyant in spirit as the =,
ne OF lis appointment drew near to a s,
'se; Ut he seemed far less anxious h
out h exit from the world than with f.
pect t the state in which he should a,
We hi, temporal affairs. When four n,
Us wei left him he was reduced to #
re skeleton, but his mind remained n,
II, and his hallucination waxed strong r.
hin him. Ignorant of the occult cr
ans by which he had been kept alive, fr
attributed everything to supernatural cl
'neles. AT this time, contrary to all w
'eetat'ons, he began to be melancholy. ca
ere " rs an ebb to the high tide of or
&c vs., which his mi hty effort had on u
4erio been sustained. No one could Va
Fly account for the singular be
"ass1n OF his spirits when so ia,
goal of his desires, with the in,
tospect of its speedy attain re;
hree days now remained for nj.
s!etion of our subjects fasting to
hen he became so infirm as to In
power of utterance. Dread