anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第100部分

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his　catastrophe；　and　these　three　women；　together　with　a　child　of　two；　were　sheltered　in　a　stable　over　which　the　snow　lodged　42　feet　deep。　They　were　in　a　manger　20　inches　broad　and　upheld　by　a　strong　arch。　Their　enforced　position　was　with　their　backs　to　the　wall　and　their　knees　to　their　faces。　One　woman　had　15　chestnuts；　and；　fortunately；　there　were　two　goats　near　by；　and　within　reach　some　hay；　sufficient　to　feed　them　for　a　short　time。　By　milking　one　of　the　goats　which　had　a　kid；　they　obtained　about　two　pints　daily；　upon　which　they　subsisted　for　a　time。　They　quenched　their　thirst　with　melted　snow　liquefied　by　the　heat　of　their　hands。　Their　sufferings　were　greatly　increased　by　the　filth；　extreme　cold；　and　their　uncomfortable　positions；　their　clothes　had　rotted。　When　they　were　taken　out　their　eyes　were　unable　to　endure　the　light　and　their　stomachs　at　first　rejected　all　food。

While　returning　from　Cambridge；　February　2；　1799；　Elizabeth　Woodcock　dismounted　from　her　horse；　which　ran　away；　leaving　her　in　a　violent　snowstorm。　She　was　soon　overwhelmed　by　an　enormous　drift　six　feet　high。　The　sensation　of　hunger　ceased　after　the　first　day　and　that　of　thirst　predominated；　which　she　quenched　by　sucking　snow。　She　was　discovered　on　the　10th　of　February；　and　although　suffering　from　extensive　gangrene　of　the　toes；　she　recovered。　Hamilton　says　that　at　a　barracks　near　Oppido；　celebrated　for　its　earthquakes；　there　were　rescued　two　girls；　one　sixteen　and　the　other　eleven；　the　former　had　remained　under　the　ruins　without　food　for　eleven　days。　This　poor　creature　had　counted　the　days　by　a　light　coming　through　a　small　opening。　The　other　girl　remained　six　days　under　the　ruin　in　a　confined　and　distressing　posture；　her　hands　pressing　her　cheek　until　they　had　almost　made　a　hole　in　it。　Two　persons　were　buried　under　earthquake　ruins　at　Messina　for　twenty…three　and　twenty…two　days　each。

Thomas　Creaser　gives　the　history　of　Joseph　Lockier　of　Bath；　who；　while　going　through　a　woods　between　6　and　7　P。M。；　on　the　18th　of　August；　was　struck　insensible　by　a　violent　thunderbolt。　His　senses　gradually　returned　and　he　felt　excessively　cold。　His　clothes　were　wet；　and　his　feet　so　swollen　that　the　power　of　the　lower　extremities　was　totally　gone　and　that　of　the　arms　was　much　impaired。　For　a　long　time　he　was　unable　to　articulate　or　to　summon　assistance。　Early　in　September　he　heard　some　persons　in　the　wood　and；　having　managed　to　summon　them　in　a　feeble　voice；　told　them　his　story。　They　declared　him　to　be　an　impostor　and　left　him。　On　the　evening　of　the　same　day　his　late　master　came　to　his　assistance　and　removed　him　to　Swan　Inn。　He　affirmed　that　during　his　exposure　in　the　woods　he　had　nothing　to　eat；　though　distressing　at　first；　hunger　soon　subsided　and　yielded　to　thirst；　which　he　appeased　by　chewing　grass　having　beads　of　water　thereon。　He　slept　during　the　warmth　of　the　day；　but　the　cold　kept　him　awake　at　night。　During　his　sleep　he　dreamt　of　eating　and　drinking。　On　November　17；　1806；　several　surgeons　of　Bath　made　an　affidavit；　in　which　they　stated　that　this　man　was　admitted　to　the　Bath　City　Dispensary　on　September　15th；　almost　a　month　after　his　reputed　stroke；　in　an　extremely　emaciated　condition；　with　his　legs　and　thighs　shriveled　as　well　as　motionless。　There　were　several　livid　spots　on　his　legs　and　one　toe　was　gangrenous。　After　some　time　they　amputated　the　toe。　The　power　in　the　lower　extremities　soon　returned。

In　relating　his　travels　in　the　Levant；　Hasselquist　mentions　1000　Abyssinians　who　became　destitute　of　provisions　while　en　route　to　Cairo；　and　who　lived　two　months　on　gum　arabic　alone；　arriving　at　their　destination　without　any　unusual　sickness　or　mortality。　Dr。　Franklin　lived　on　bread　and　water　for　a　fortnight；　at　the　rate　of　ten　pounds　per　week；　and　maintained　himself　stout　and　healthy。　Sir　John　Pringle　knew　a　lady　of　ninety　who　lived　on　pure　fat　meat。　Glower　of　Chelmsford　had　a　patient　who　lived　ten　years　on　a　pint　of　tea　daily；　only　now　or　then　chewing　a　half　dozen　raisins　or　almonds；　but　not　swallowing　them。　Once　in　long　intervals　she　took　a　little　bread。

Brassavolus　describes　a　younger　daughter　of　Frederick　King　of　Naples　who　lived　entirely　without　meat；　and　could　not　endure　even　the　taste　of　it；　as　often　as　she　put　any　in　her　mouth　she　fell　fainting。　The　monks　of　Monte　Santo　（Mount　Athos）　never　touched　animal　food；　but　lived　on　vegetables；　olives；　end　cheese。　In　1806　one　of　them　at　the　age　of　one　hundred　and　twenty　was　healthy。

Sometimes　in　the　older　writings　we　find　records　of　incredible　abstinence。　Jonston　speaks　of　a　man　in　1460　who；　after　an　unfortunate　matrimonial　experience；　lived　alone　for　fifteen　years；　taking　neither　food　nor　drink。　Petrus　Aponensis　cites　the　instance　of　a　girl　fasting　for　eight　years。　According　to　Jonston；　Hermolus　lived　forty　years　on　air　alone。　This　same　author　has　also　collected　cases　of　abstinence　lasting　eleven；　twenty…two；　and　thirty　years　and　cites　Aristotle　as　an　authority　in　substantiating　his　instances　of　fasting　girls。

Wadd；　the　celebrated　authority　on　corpulence；　quotes　Pennant　in　mentioning　a　woman　in　Rosshire　who　lived　one　and　three…quarters　years　without　meat　or　drink。　Granger　had　under　observation　a　woman　by　the　name　of　Ann　Moore；　fifty…eight　years　of　age；　who　fasted　for　two　years。　Fabricius　Hildanus　relates　of　Apollonia　Schreiera　that　she　lived　three　years　without　meat　or　drink。　He　also　tells　of　Eva　Flegen；　who　began　to　fast　in　1596；　and　from　that　time　on　for　sixteen　years；　lived　without　meat　or　drink。　According　to　the　Rev。　Thos。　Steill；　Janet　Young　fasted　sixteen　years　and　partially　prolonged　her　abstinence　for　fifty　years。　The　Edinburgh　Medical　and　Surgical　Journal；　which　contains　a　mention　of　the　foregoing　case；　also　describes　the　case　of　Janet　Macleod；　who　fasted　for　four　years；　showing　no　signs　of　emaciation。　Benjamin　Rush　speaks　of　a　case　mentioned　in　a　letter　to　St。　George　Tucker；　from　J。　A。　Stuart；　of　a　man　who；　after　receiving　no　benefit　from　a　year's　treatment　for　hemiplegia；　resolved　to　starve　himself　to　death。　He　totally　abstained　from　food　for　sixty　days；　living　on　water　and　chewing　apples；　but　spitting　out　the　pulp；　at　the　expiration　of　this　time　he　died。　Eccles　relates　the　history　of　a　beautiful　young　woman　of　sixteen；　who　upon　the　death　of　a　most　indulgent　father　refused　food　for　thirty…four　days；　and　soon　afterward　for　fifty…four　days；　losing　all　her　senses　but　that　of　touch。

There　is　an　account　of　a　French　adventurer；　the　Chevalier　de　Saint…Lubin；　who　had　a　loathing　for　food　and　abstained　from　every　kind　of　meat　and　drink　for　fifty…eight　days。　Saint…Sauver；　at　that　time　Lieutenant　of　the　Bastille；　put　a　close　watch　on　this　man　and　certified　to　the　verity　of　the　fast。　The　European　Magazine　in　1783　contained　an　account　of　the　Calabria　earthquake；　at　which　time　a　girl　of　eighteen　was　buried　under　ruins　for　six　days。　The　edge　of　a　barrel　fell　on　her　ankle　and　partly　separated　it；　the　dust　and　mortar　effectually　stopping　the　hemorrhage。　The　foot　dropped　off　and　the　wound　healed　without　medical　assistance；　the　girl　making　a　complete　recovery。　There　is　an　account　taken　from　a　document　in　the　Vatican　of　a　man　living　in　1306；　in　the　reign　of　Pope　Clement　V；　who　fasted　for　two　years。　McNaughton　mentions　Rubin　Kelsey；　a　medical　student　afflicted　with　melancholia；　who　voluntarily　fasted　for　fifty…three　days；　drinking　copiously　and　greedily　of　water。　For　the　first　six　weeks　he　walked　about；　and　was　strong　to　the　day　of　his　death。

Hammond　has　proved　many　of　the　reports　of　〃fasting　girls〃　to　have　been　untrustworthy。　The　case　of　Miss　Faucher　of　Brooklyn；　who　was　supposed　to　have　taken　no　food　for　fourteen　years；　was　fraudulent。　He　says　that　Ann　Moore　was　fed　by　her　daughter　in　several　ways；　when　washing　her　mother's　face　she　used　towels　wet　with　gravy；　milk；　or　strong　arrow…root　meal。　She　also　conveyed　food　to　her　mother　by　means　of　kisses。　One　of　the　〃fasting　girls；〃　Margaret　Weiss；　although　only　ten　years　old；　had　such　powers　of　deception　that　after　being　watched　by　the　priest　of　the　parish；　Dr。　Bucoldianus；　she　was　considered　free　from　juggling；　and；　to　everybody's　astonishment；　she　grew；　walked；　and　talked　like　other　children　of　her　age；　still　maintaining　that　she　used　neither　food　nor　drink。　In　several　other　cases　reported　all　attempts　to　discover　imposture　failed。　As　we　approach　more　modern　times　the　detection　is　more　frequent。　Sarah　Jacobs；　the　Welsh　fasting　girl　who　attained　such　celebrity　among　the　laity；　was　taken　to　Guy's　Hospital　on　December　9；　1869；　and　after　being　watched　by　eight　experienced　nurses　for　eight　days　she　died　of　starvation。　A　postmortem　examination　of　Anna　Garbero　of　Racconis；　in　Piedmont；　who　died　on　May　19；　1828；　after　having　endured　a　supposed　fast　of　two　years；　eight　months；　and　eleven　days；　revealed　remarkable　intestinal　changes。　The　serous　membranes　were　all　callous　and　thickened；　and　the　canal　of　the　sigmoid　flexure　was　totally　obliterated。　The　mucous　membranes　were　all　soft　and　friable；　and　presented　the　appearance　of　incipient　gangrene。

Modern　Cases。Turning　now　to　modern　literature；　we　have　cases　of　marvelous　abstinence　well　substantiated　by　authoritative　evidence。　Dickson　describes　a　man　of　sixty…two；　suffering　from　monomania；　who　refused　food　for　four　months；　but　made　a　successful　recovery。　Richardson　mentions　a　case；　happening　in　1848；　of　a　man　of　thirty…three　who　voluntarily　fasted　for　fifty…five　days。　His　reason　for　fasting；　which　it　was　impossible　to　combat；　was　that　he　had　no　gastric　juice　and　that　it　was　utterly　useless　for　him　to　take　any　nutrition；　as　he　had　no　means　of　digesting　it。　He　lived　on　water　until　the　day　of　his　death。　Richardson　gives　an　interesting　account　of　the　changes　noticed　at　the　necropsy。　There　is　an　account　of　a　religious　mendicant　of　the　Jain　caste　who　as　a　means　of　penance　fasted　for　ninety…one　days。　The　previous　year　he　had　fasted　eighty…six　days。　He　had　spent　his　life　in　strict　asceticism；　and　during　his　fasting　he　was　always　engrossed　in　prayer。

Collins　describes　a　maiden　lady　of　eighty；　always　a　moderate　eater；　who　was　attacked　by　bronchitis；　during　which　she　took　food　as　usual。　Two　days　after　her　recovery；　without　any　known　cause；　she　refused　all　food　and　continued　to　do　so　for　thirty…three　days；　when　she　died。　She　was　delirious　throughout