Year: 1879

A YOUNG woMANs RELIGIOUS MaNIA-DETER-


MINED TO ABSTAIN FROM FOOD FOR FORTY


DAYs-SovEL MEDICAL TREATMENT.


READING. Pa. August Z. 1879.


Miss Saliie Roots attempted fast of forty days and
her absolute refusal to partake of any food
has attracted universal attention in this section Of
Pennsylvania aud the most reputable physicians Of
this city pronounce it certainly Of the most
traordinary record.


RELIGIOUS FERvoR.


Miss Root is about twenty-eight years of age
and resides with her widowed mother at No.
3l4 South Sixth street. Reading. Her two
sisters fashionable nantua makers, and
Miss Sallie at times was employed at their
establishment She was very pretty girl with
good common school education. She always dressed
IN very stylish manner; her appearance on the
street was noticeable for nestness aud good taste
and her character was above reproach. She had
wide circle of friends and admirers. AS a general
thing she in the enjoy ment of excellent health
and came from we'll regulated and respectable fam
lily. Her father and mother were of sound mind and
of excellent standing and. until the present
ing state of affairs nothing of ever occurred
in their household.


NOTICEABLE CHANGE.


About year ago it was observed that the nature
OF Miss Root had undergone considerable change
She had lost her buoyancy and much Of her cheer
fulness Her step not elastic and her car
rage not erect as 1t had been before she suddenly
became very devout. She had at ali times been an
attendant ut church and Sunday school. but never
manifested moro than ordinary interest in religi-
Lutheran congregation. worshipping i'll Of
the leading churches OF Reading. and Rev.
Dr.. Dr. Sehmaeker snl was = her pastor. pastor. Miss
and took u deep interest in the Sunday school. She
not only attended her own church. but went where
she could hear preaching when her own church
devotional
her bedchamber and became very industrious and
assiduous reader of tho Bible. Her remarkable
change was noticed by her mother but it was deemed
advisable not to interfere with what the young lady
considered her religious duty. She became more
and more imbued with the teachings OF the Bible,
and SHE spent most OF her spare hours reading the
scriptures. She kept herself away from society and
associated very little with friends acquaintance
PROTECTED FAST


About the 5th OF last month the idea took possess
sion OF her to fast Tor forty days. She became
deeply Interested III the subject fasting and she
read OF Chrsts fast OF forty days in the wilderness
with considerable interest She then became pos
sessed with the idea that to become like Christ
she must fast for the same length of time. The


first after the 4h Of July she ate nothing but
few berries and cracker or two. The week follow
ing her mother informed the family physician
that Miss Sallie had eaten absolutely nothing
and that she had not swallowed drop OF
water. Mrs. Root and her other daughters became
alarmed endeavored to persuade Sallie TO cease
her imitation ''of the fast OF our blessed LORD" ="
She paid heed whatever TO their protests.
Throughout all the heated term they positively
that she drank no water ut ALL The bright sparkle
-.
She became pale and thin and she remained in doors
entirely.


FREQUENT ABLUr1oNs.


Her ablutions We're Very frequent As many as
dozen basins OF water would be used by her in
simply bathing her hands. FIRST she would ill
basin with pure water and wash her hands;
and then she would empty the basin and I'LL it again
and wash her hands As before. This she continued
Often ten twelve times IN succession. It
her belief that she must do this to clean and
pure. Her bathing OF the body was also quite ire
quent. On the 18th OF July her condition became
al lar SIX In
psrched and dry and her flesh fast wasting away.
MEDICAL AID SUMMONED.


DR.. Schmucker. the family physician. was called
|, in tor the first time. when Miss Root became
very indignant and said she had no need
her room, but walked slowly about the
lower part of the house. She turned her back upon
was not of character that required worldly medi-
cine Despitea great deal OF entrcaty she still re-
She was then told that food would have to be
forced into her stomach if she did not take it in
natural manner. Her breath was becoming sicken-
ing, and the membranous lining Of her stomach
becoming infamed. On July lS she u cracker, in
order avert having food injected. The very small
quantity food just sufficient to keep her
from actual starvation. DR.. Schumacher ceased pay
ing visits because he thought nothing was to-be
complished. DR.. Martin Luther. one Of the leading
physicians of the town. then called in. He
told that Miss Root was eating nothing ut all She
was weak pale. einacated ana verging on to actual
starvation. She positively refused to eat anything
drink anything. Her assuming an
alarming phase. she was known to have been
her Knees uve nOurS at reading Bible ana
praying. Her devotional exercises almost
slant. Nearly all her strength was being consumed
by this.


STRONG MEASURES ADOPTED.


DIR. Luther immediately ordered this to DO stopped.
Miss Root w4s dying slowly for the want of nour-
ishment She refused to obey DR.. Luthcrs order to
to eat drink, saying that eating and drinking
not necessary. The physician reasoned with
her aud demonstrated the folly of her attempted
fortyday fast and told her explicitly that she was
slowly killing herself; but she paid heed to him.
An attendant Was then summoned to hold her hands
aud spoon forced between her teeth. but Miss
Root refused to swallow the food. A tube then
inserted in her nostril and very small quantity of
Cruel forced into her stomach It
was necessary to hold her hands dur
ing this operation. Finally Miss Root told
DR.. Luther she would make resistance
to him. and that he need not hold her hands down
any more. Her doctor entreated her to take the
food in the regular manner. but she firmly refused
A small quantity Of Cruel and milk was again in
jected through the nostr into tho gulet and thence
into the stomach. Miss Root made resistance.
but refused to eat drink in q natural way. Only
small quantities of food given to her, and her
lite is being prolonged by injecting the fluid mat
ter through her nostrils. She Is quite obstinate,
despite her weakness, and 1t is impossible to
lecture how long her lite can be prolonged.