West Virginia daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1894-1902, 1898-10-29
HOW STARVATION KILLS.
a Doctor Describes tho Horrors OF Being
Without Nourishment.

without Nourishmcnt.
DIR. William G. CSScry says that the first
objective symptom of starvation is n loss
of weight and flesh. This is produced by
tho absorption and destruction of fat.
which is deposited thruughout tho body,
The length of time required to produce
great cmaCiatiOn and death will of course
depend upon the coGpulcIcy OF tho indi.
Nidual. In the average person ate q few
days or u week the checks hCCo,nC hollow,
the a"lus and legs soft and flanhy, lines
and wrinkles appear and Il general shrink
ing is manifest. Prominent among these
symptoms arc tho Sunkrn cycballs and
staring pupils. Behind every eye is IA soft
protective cushion of fat which is tho last
TO be absorbed. AS this disappears tho
cyCballs rCtract, tho pupils dilatc, dark
shadows appear around thom the check
bones stand out prominently with their
covering of wrinkled skin, tho lips rctracN
from the teeth, and tho corners of tho
mouth droop, all of which goes to mako
up horrible, unmistakable picture OF
death by slow starvation.
All this time similar changes aro going
on In the internal organs. They, too, arc
supplied with surplus fuel in the shape of
fat. Hanging over the intcstines is an
enormous apron of pure fat. In fact, the
lntCStincS themselves are held in place by
m0orlngS which arc nothing mGre than
ribbonSof fat. Tho kidneys are always
surrounded by moro or less fatty tissue,
whilc tho various other organs have n
varying amount of tho samo material
After this surplus has been burned tho
destruction Of the actual tissues and or
gans begins. From now on tho process is
rapid, as the loss of fuel there is tho great
er becomes the demand for sustcnancc
lnSt fnt TO, Il t. 81,
the base of the hCarD. This supply oncc
destroyed, the heart muscle rapidly dcgcn-
crates, and death follows from exhaustion.
1t cannot he said that any part iCular func.
ton or organ is tho direct cause of death
If, in addition to the withdrawal Of
food, water is aDstaincd from, tho suffer.
ingS and rapidity Of cmaciation arc great
ly intensified. Tho tissues arc literally
parChCd or dried, and, like well seasoned
wood, burn all the moro rapidly The 40
tual physical discomfort produced by
thirst is probably the greatest torment a
human being can undergo. When we con-
slider that about 20 per cent of the body
consists of water and that each individual
cell of tho milliards which compose the
whole joins in the cry for moisture, the
intense mechanical drying effect upon the
eyes, tongue, nose and throat, tho actual
pulVCrization OF the internal membranes
together with the demand for food, we
can begin to conceive the awful torment
which follows.
There is no reason why n man should
starvc voluntarily. Physical force can be
used to steady his head, when it is Il sim.
pie matter 10 Introduce tube through his
nose and into his stomach. Through this
tube condensed and nourishing food can
be conveyed. BY no muscular power or
t,fF
this procedure once his head is held i'm
movable. This method of feeding is often
rCSOCtCi 20 In cases of lock jaw or other dis
eases in which there is an inability to Open
tho mouth.
Muuth gags or openers and stomach
tubes arC regular equipments of every asy.
lum for tho insane This method some
times fails because of u failure of the gag
to stay in position III these cases it 10
usual to introduce u tube through tho
nose. rho only drawback is that a small
er tube must DO used, which, of course,
prolODGS the operation.
II Is difficult to say ut Just what Doint
in Il case of starvation feeding may be com,
mcnCcd and life saved. Like that vague,
Indefinite boundary between health and
disease, daylight and darkness virtue and
vice, or any extremes, there are no well
marked indications. We believe that most
physicians agree as to the methods of pro-
ccduro when feeding is resumed. 1t should
be in small quantities and at frequent in
tcrvals. A stomach-in fact, the entiro
systcm-whcn deprived Of food at once
tries to adjust itself to do without it. Ma
turc does all things lavishly and grossly.
To repair an insignificant scratch she will
send thousandfOld moro material than is
utilized. SO with any process. What she
can { get she tries to so adaDt the pconO,nv
rs 10 do without. y sudden supply of food
70 such Il stomach would act as an irritant
and produce immediate nausea and vonl-
ltinC