ONE HUNDRED DAYS WITHOUT FOOD

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1546, 30 April 1887, Page 3

ONE HUNDRED DAYS WITHOUT FOOD

(" >an FrancißOO Chro icle,") In a remote section of White Oou ty lives Mary Baker, who, by Hying 100 d> 78 wilhont food, or water, or nourishment of any kind, has eclipsed all records, Rid oompktely baffled members of the medical fratn nlty, who have exaraiued the living wonder Misa Baker ia eighteen ye.va old, and a lady of remarkable beauty of

face and figure. Her parents are well-to-do farmers. Some time i» January, 1886, Miss Baker was taken Bick with a Beve c attaok of Jung fever, from which ahe did not fully recover, though during the summer months the patient was ccurele cant. One day durng the lati»r part of October, a iittle sister of the oiok girl brought her a bottle of medicine a re'ponee to tho request of ( ; .e patient, and Miss Biker took a liberal dose, ai<d almost immediately fell into a deep stup r, from which it was impoe ble to awake 1 her for five dayß, and from then to ihe present time the patitnt ha-- *aten nothi* g, and h.»s found it even imp saible to ret> m water upvn her stomach. If the fluid be swallowed It is almost immediately expelled from the stomach, which begets a spar medic action that continues for a minute or more, and the p tient is aeiz d with violent crampings all over the body, causing her to draw up the lower limbi and throw her arms up even with b.< r ihouldera, with tbe hands lightly clenched and resting againßt her breast, while tho head is thrown forward and from one slrle toanolher. All the while the patient >s undergoing the moat exoru iating Bgony. Relief from these spells of anguish is obtained by thoroughly rubbing the limbs of the patient wiih ctaßh towels, Tlie first indication of cramping, except «a shown by the action of ihe stomach, appears m the mußcles of the eyes and eara.

The Bpasma come on very frequently, and are often produced by other cansi s owina; to the abnormally sensitive condition of the patient's sense of Bmell. The room m which ehe lies Is Kept conatant'y darkened. When it ia necessary to replenish the wood fire m the room one of the nuraeß takes the faster m his arms while she ia m a recumbert position, and hold* her very closely. At a given eigml the Btove door is opened and the wood thrown m when the door is instantly shut, but even the quick p.otion invariable brings on the spasms noted above, It is impossible for the sufferer to see thq atove or hear the noise make m replenishing the fire, for her he, s ia.ao enveloped m pillows that all eound is shut out but iha spasms always begin the instant the s ove door 1b opened. Mlbb Baker deolar a that the sensation produced by the spaima 1b similar to smothering Hypodermic injections of morphine m the arms and legs at intervals of from two to five hours secure partial relief from the Bj;aßms, and tand to alleviate the pain The temperature of the patient's body above the knees is normal, but the feet and ankles are cold constantly. Her pulse averages seventy-five bsata to the minute.

While m normal condition Misa Baker wasa healthy robust girl, weighing nearly 1401 b. Her disposition is remarkably aweer, and though «ufferiug ihe mvrt interns agonies ehe haß rever been beaid to make a single complaint I ecauae of Jig..unnappy lot and the certainty of deal.li m thj near futaro.

Repeated attempts hare V^een mnde to give tbo patient food by injection, but this has Invariably «nded m failure. The Buffev :r 1b always conaoious, but is unable to tak. Her conversation m carried en by Bigns, and faint whieper*, which ace audible to the nurae.

It Is necessary for one of the attendant b to eit constantly by the pati.nt'a ride, and presa the left side of the body, which aoh< a continually, and ia only relieved by the pressing. No other part of the body is Hffected m this manner. The fanter h i no desire for food, but her aenae of eme'l is bo aoute that she can tell the different difshes being prepared for he family meal m a diblant room. The rdo ir of Bulphnr from a burning match m any part of tbe houie is almost certain to reach her, and ia very obnoxioua, Her sense of hearing >a nearly as acute.

A number of woll-known phynloianß have visited this maryelof endurance, bit all have gone away completely myatifit d The fasting girl has long i inco passed tbe oommoDly adopted perl d of poealbili y m the matter of life without auitename, and what ehe has fed upon to retain the vital spark ia an enigma for ■olentlils. There are no very mark' d symptoms of emaciation, though It mpc sible that the outward appearance is veiy decept're, and that the patient is really a mere okeletou. The phyafcian, Dr T. J. Fred, of Monon, atated to the " Ohroolcle " correspondent tha<. there In no queation of tho gennln.neas of the fact, ond the nuraei, who are perfectly reliable, confirm this statement. The fact that the patient's stomach and boweia have all along refused food or I water confirm* thlp.