Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-07-16
HOW STARVATION KILLS.
A Doctor Desrribes the Horrors OF Being
without Nourishment.

without Nourfshment.
DR.. William C. Ussery says that the first
objective symptom of starvation is q loss
of weight and flesh. This is produced by
the absorption and destruction of fat,
which is deposited throughout the body.
The length of time required to produce
great emaciation and death will of course
depend upon the corpulency of the indi-
vidual. In the average person after few
days or week the checks become hollow,
the arms and legs soft and flabby, lines
and wrinkles appear and general shrink
ing is manifest. Prominent among these
symptoms are the sunken eycballs and
staring pupils Behind every eye is a soft
protective cushion of fat, which is the last
to be absorbed. As this disappears the
eyeballs rctract, the pupils dilate, dark
shadows appear around them, the cheek
bones stand out prominently with their
covering of wrinkled skin, the lips retract
from the teeth, ard the corners of the
mouth droop, all of which goes to make
up q horrible, unmistakable picture of
death by slow starvation
All this time similar changes are going
on in the internal organs. They, too, are
supplied with surplus fuel in the shape Of
fat. Hanging over the intestines is an
enormous apron of pure fat. In fact, the
intestines themselves are held in place by
moorings which are nothing more than
ribbons Of fat. The kidneys are always
surrounded by more or less fatty tissue,
while the various other organs have a
varying amount of the same material.
After this surplus has been burned the
destruction of the actual tissues and or
gans begins. From now on the process is
rapid as the less of fuel there is the great
er becomes the demand fer sustcnance.
The last fat to disappear is that around
| the base of the heart. This supply once
| destroyed, the heart muscle rapidly degen
crates, and Death follows from exhaustion.
| 1t cannot be said that any particular func-
| ton or organ is the direct cause of death.
IT, in addition to the withdrawal of
| food, water is abstaincd from, the suffer-
| ings and rapidity of emaciation are great
| ly intensified. Tho tissues are literally
| parchcd or dried, and like well seasoned
| wood, burn ali the more rapidly. The ac-
| tual physical discomfort produced by
thirst is probably the greatest torment a
| human being can undergo. When VIC con-
slider that about 20 per cent of the body
| consists of water and that each individual
cell of the milliards which compose the
| whole joins in the cry for moisture, the
intense mechanical drying effect upon the
| eyes, tongue, rose and throat, the actual
| pulverization 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 a man should
starve voluntarily. Physical force can be
used to steady his head, when it is a sim.
pie matter to introduce tube through his
nose and into his stomach. Through this
tube condensed and nourishing food can
DC conveyed. BY no muscular power Oh
voluntary effort can an individual prevent
this procedure once his head is held i'm
movable This method of feeding is Otter
resortcd to in cases of lock jaw or other dis
eases in which there is an inability to oper
| the mouth.
| Mouth gags or openers and stomach
tubes arc regular equipments of every asy
lum for the insane. This method some
times fails because of failure of the gag
to stay in position. In these cases it il
usual to introduce tube through tn,
nose. The only drawback is that small
err tube must be used which, of course
prolongs the operation.
1t is difficult to say at just what poin
in case of starvation feeding may be com
menced and life saved. Like that vague
indefinite boundary between health ant
disease, daylight and darkness, virtue an,
vice, or any extremes, there are no wei
marked indications. We believe that mos
physicians agree rs to the methods of pro
cedure when feeding is resumed. 1t SHOULD
be in small quantities and at frequent in
tcrvals. \ stomach-in fact, the entir
system-when deprived of food at one
tries to adjust itself to do without it. Ma
turc does all things lavishly and grossly
To repair an insignificant scratch she will
send a thousandfold more material than
utilized. So with any process. What sh
can't get she tries to so adapt the cconom
as to do without. A sudden supply of foo
to such stomach would act as an irritan
and produce immediate nausea and WON
iting.