Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 February 1877 — A Young Lady Goes Six Months With out Food, and Still Lives. [ARTICLE]

A Young Lady Goes Six Months With out Food, and Still Lives.

The patient in this case is a young lady, of fine form and great beauty of face, whose home Is In the vicinity of Greensbnrg. Her story is of such an extraordinary character as to appear incredible, were it not vouched for by professional gentlemen of unimpeachable veracity. Dr. Oote, of Penn avenne, above Ninth street, was the first physician here whose attention was directed to the case. For obvious reasons the name of the young lady cannot be mentioned. She is, however, described as being about twenty-two years of age, the picture of health, and weighing about 150 pounds. The exceptionable character of this veritable description will be appreciated when it has been said that for three months before the time that an opportunity was presented to describe her she had not eaten a morsel of food. This startling abstinence seemed to have no external effect The girl’s complexion was bright and clear, ana her splendid physique carried with it the irresistible impression that no insidious disease could have a lodgment in that fair tenement But the fair - external was a terrible illusion. She was so weak that it was a work of the most painful character for her to drag her weary limbs after her. Her story wa3 calculated to intensify, rather than to clear away, the mystery of her rare affliction. (She did not have the slightest idea of a probable cause for her Buffering. She was not sick. She had neither pains nor aches. She did not suffer from hunger. She had not the slightest desire to eat. The cessation of appetite had been sudden and absolute. No premonitory symptoms of disease were manifested before the strange ail. ment seized her. It was in July last that she first passed a whole day without eating. The day before her appetite, so far as she could remember, was as usual. She did not eat for a week, and her family became alarmed. All known specifics to provoke an appetite were tried without effect, and so the second week passed. In this early stage of the disease, the yonng lady lost little of her vitality, and this fact seemed to reassure her anxious friends. But when the weeks extended into months, and there was no apparent change in the young girl’s condition except that she daily grew weaker, the most serious apErehensions were aroused. As may well e conceived, things were not permitted to get to this pass without attracting the attention of a physician to the case. Extreme measures were not resorted to until the girl had been a month without et ting. Without intending to cast the slightest reflection upon the skill of the practitioner who up to that date had charge of the case it may be said it was quite beyond his grasp. Experiments, almost without number, were unavailingly resorted to, and, as a sort of forlorn hope, electricity was called into service. While all these experiments were useless for good, they were productive of much suffering to the despairing patient. Finally she refused to longer submit herself to torture, and resigned herself to her fate. A change ot scene was recommended/ and a short trip to the home of a relative at Irwin Station was projected. Thus it was that she came to pass through tnis city. She was on her way home again when her relatives took her to see Dr. Cote. Her experience with physicians bad aroused a feeling of distrust and aversion of the profession, and she was very loath to again put herself under treatment. At that time —it was in September last—she had not eaten anything but a few morsels of candy since the July before. Her case excited the doctor’s greatest interest. He at once made a diagnosis, and, after much persuasion, induced her to agree to remain in the city, under his care, for a few weeks, so that he might, have an opportunity of fairlybeginning the work of restoration. This she agreed to do, and that was the last tbe physician ever saw of her. When he called at the house where she had been stopping, on the following day, the family had gone. Reasoning from the examination that he had time to make, Dr. Cote has arrived at the conclusion that the seat of the girl’s troubles is in her nervous system. The diagnosis was sufficiently thorough to convince him of that, though tbe particular cause of the derangement of the nerves he did not have an opportunity to determine. Her existence for so long a period, despite the suspension of the vital functions of her nature, was of course a matter demanding careful investigation, and the sudden departure of the girl was a source of painful disappointment to the physician. The popular impression that a person, to situated, existed upon his or her fatty tissue, the doctor said, was a mistaken one. Life was preserved by absorption through the cellular tissues. It has transpired that after leaving this city the girl put herself in care of Dr. Martin, of Philadelphia, bnt it is said that there has been little improvement in her condition. Now, here is the most astounding fact in the whole case: Tho girl is still alive, and her appetite has not been restored. Her external appearance has undergone little perceptible change, but Bhe has become so weak as to be confined to her house. —Pittsburgh (Pa.) Telegraph, Jan. 26. “ Well, old fellow, what’s the news?” “ Nothing, only lam about to be married.” ‘‘But why so gloomy about it?” “ Because I want 10,000 francs. The contract is to be signed to-day, and on my aide I have to snow 20,000 francs. I’m 10,000 francs short. You might lend them to me—only till this evening.” “God forbid! But I’ll tell you how to manage it. Of course there is a mantelpiece in the room, with a mirror behind it. Pile your 10,000 francs up there; the glass will repeat them, and at a little distance the illusion Will be perfect.” “I have thought of that; but” “But what?” “The 10,000 francs i have got are the 10,000 in the glass.”— French neteepaver. . " Tue very latest and most ridiculous case of the •“ insanity plea” has occurred in San Francisco, where a member of a gang of professional bondsmen, inflicted and tried for furnishing “s raw bad,” pleaded insanity as a reason ; Or signing aS' *’•••> f'"tl and swearing trat hd was worth $6,000. -