The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-29
LONG FAST CURES INSANITY.
Patient Never Felt Hungry Until Re-
cord Time Had Passed.
rom the New York Press


Philadelphia. Dec. AUTHORITATIVE days
without a particle of food and complete
recovery from a mental arrangement are
the strange and unpre cedented experience
of Philadelphia girl. Taken from an
insane asylum and out of the care of ply
sicians, this girl literally was starved that
her mind might be restored and her nerves
strengthened. Hers is not only the long
est fast on record, but it is the first in
stance of starvation used as a cure for
insanity. The young woman is Stella
Heating.
This remarkable case has a tinge of ro-
nance about it. The young man under
whose direction and al whose solicitation
Miss Heating took the heroic treatment is
Henry Ritter of No. 633 Montgomery ave
nue. The two met when both were stu
dents in Drexel Institute. They became
fast friends and the opinion in the neigh
borhood of The Ritter home is that the
bond which binds them now is stronger
than friendship.
When Miss Keatings health first gave
way, just one year ago, Ritter was much
disturbed. Ii was at his suggestion that
she was placed In the Frankfort Hospital
for the Insane last spring. He visited her
here three or four times a week. 1t was
Ritter who urged her parents to remove
travel. On many of these trips Ritter was
in the party.
Then when Miss Heating did not inn
prove. Ritter proposed the unusual rem
edy of starvation. but this time the girls
parents were not consulted II was not
until the cure had been effected that the
secret was told
The story of the starvation and the feel
ing she experienced were told by Miss
Heating yesterday afternoon. She was in
the Ritter home for Christmas dinner.
and she had just eaten hearty meal
Il don't care to pose as a martyr or
as a heroine" she said, but II my ex-
perienee is of any aid TO science and
will be of any benefit to the world /
think l ought not to keep Ii secret. II Is
absolutely true that for forty-hve days I
did not taste food Of any kind. l did
not get hungry until that time, and then
/ ate something.
"on Oct. 3 / began to fast. did no,
think at first / would go more than four
or five days without eating. but / did
not get hungry, and so l just kept on. /
drank hot water the first two weeks. Ny
system had been used to food. and at frs,
il made me weak and had to go to bed.
Soon | began to get stronger and sat up
and moved about Inc house.
For twenty-five days l was not out of
the house Then Mr. Ritter and began
to take short walks. l grew stronger
every day and began feeling better NY
melancholy began 10 leave me and l want
ed to live. | knew / could eat II |
wanted 90. but l had no desire whatever
for food
ION the afternoon of Dec Is I expert
enced my first sensation of hunger II
came as a sort of numb feeling in my
stomach, and so | ate a plate of orange
ice. 1t quieted the feelings a little, but IL
came back again. When / went home
in the evening l decided that, If the feel
ing continued all night. l would eat some
breakfast. So / ate a poached egg and
two slices of toast. I did not suffer any
III effects from what / ate
THE next morning / felt hungry again.
and so / ate some more. Since then I
nave eaten only when hungry, and very
little. / now eat two meals a day-dln-
ner and supper. I feel healthier and
stronger than ever before In my life, and
know that / am entirely cured"