Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 289, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 December 1910 — Refusal of Water May Cost His Life [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Refusal of Water May Cost His Life

Philadelphia, pa.— Lying in the Garretson hospital in a critical condition from a badl y lacerated scaln which he sustained when hit by a street car. Albert Maxwell, fiftyone years of age, steadfastly refuses to drink water in any form because he doesn’t like it. He declares he has been a total abstainer from nature’s beverage tor the last thirty years, and is willing to take a chance of giving up his life rather than touch water again. When Maxwell was taken to the hospital be was placed on the oper sting table while the physicians sewed

up his scalp, which had been almost completely torn off the skull. Maxwell stood the operation well. As he straightened up reagy to be assigned a bed Doctors Ross and Silk offeredhim a glass of water. “I never use it,” was Maxwell’s response to the proffered drink. The physicians and the nurses regarded the statement as a joke. Next morning the nurse offered Maxwell medicine In the form of pills. A glass of water was offered him to take with the medicine, but Maxwell refused it. He swallowed the pills without water. The white of an egg was prescribed in the evening, but after. Inspecting the food Maxwell declared he thought there was water in it and refused to take IL Hospital attaches are ln r a quandary as to what to feed the man. Mrs. Maxwell says It is useless to coax her husband to drink water.