The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-08-15
FAMOUS FASTERS.
-Esezs of People Who Have Gone
Without Food For Months.

Eow long is it possible for man
: Sc 1aintain life without food Of any
:Eesz-::otion, liquid or solid? At
naX moment OF writing Vienna
dkaz1:plon faster is trying thc expert
ne1r 7or three weeks; but this period
:fzns 50 far short Of existing records
e3rz1 the feat scarcely reaches the
dignity of a fast At the Aquarium
:two hunger artists" Signor Succl
arg NJ. Alexandra Jacques, some
-sesrs ago tried for premier honors
90 England by abstaining from food
fo5 Torty-two days; and in the Sc > a
7naz2 named Merlatti maintained
sezj,2 and spirits for fifty days on
a .Sna-tan diet limited to sips of wa
~-sg.
Hui. even such feats as these are
@me1< pauses between meals compared
With some of the feats Of past genera
eGc-ss. Il we are to believe contempo-
'zazy records. Thus we learn that a
young French girl, Christina Niche
bot, alter an attack of fever, was utter
Iy Unable to swallow any form of
food, and from November, 1851, to
July, 1855, swallowed nothing at all
:-ncTe sustaining than water. Re-
-:-ue7?szble to say, after nearly four
years OF this starvation diet she
gradually recovered her health and
lived long in the land. For year
and three quarters katherine Nc
Leod actually lived without partak-
;2g .; any form OF sustenance. Once
curing this period an attempt was
olade 20 force food down her throat,
but the woman narrowly escaped
-su57ocation and The attempt had to
re absndoned.
4 Harrogate girl OF II. one Ann
Walsh, lived for eighteen months on
Z daily glass Of wine and water-a
, dietary on which she somehow man
aged % preserve health and good
looks: Monica Mutcheria, a Swabian,
spent whole year without swallow
ing either food or drink, and for
three years she never slept; while
+D1- William, an eighteenth century
<phyScian, had among his patients
: monomaniac who for siNty-ore days
refused to touch food Of any descrip-
Eioa About the same time, too, we
are informed that a French peasant
bow q Chateauroux was never known
70 pa7take of food during twelve
2nonths. and yet was able to do good
T. days work on his fathers farm.
Dr.. Plot. in his Natural History
81 Staffordafire. tells remarkable
~sro--v 4ei woman, one Mary Wasugh-
>lo-. or Wigginton, who appears to
nave reduced the problem OF living
% rs lowest material limits. Thus.
saws cer historian. she does not eat
- { dsv l. piece above the size OF
rsi1 :. CROWN in bread and butter. or.
); rr.cs; not above the quantity OF
T,:oeo;?'> ego al most" while her only
:.,1ers-aye was a spoonful OF milk and
wa7e1 daily And yet. although this
was Aiarys modest fare year after
gear she IS described as "a maiden
.: :resr .>.omplexion and healthy
c.norcr7s Another Staffordshire
nv Of the eighteenth century, one
r.crr. Adams. lived for thirty years,
- : said. on daily crust OF bread
:arS2 Z, glass OF water. and yet was
;arcze for his muscular strength and
his ploughing performances. Untor-
,.-,,,,,.ielr. we do not know what John
xir when nobody was looking.
II the two cases which follow we
.re. o. 20 more reliable ground. since
-Ee sacts described are little more
remarkable than those OF our own
:3rne. IN 1z71 a Stamford man made
: wager Of 10 pounds that he would
-orch neither food nor drink for
tiftv-onc days. and he won the bet
handsomely. The records, however,
z-z silent as to the price he afterwards
,a,d for his defiance Of nature.