388 
tion in all her limbs, and seems to 
‘be in danger of fainting. She is 
mot dropsical; she even enjoys a 
pretty good state of health; she 
voids naturally all the water she 
drinks; but her urine is extraordi- 
narily fortid. She lives at the Ho- 
tel des Arts, Fauxbourg Saint Mar- 
tin. 
(Signed) 
** BESSEJON DE LA CHASSAGNE, 
«* Pretre de Saint Laurent.” 
The facts related by M. de la 
Chassagne seemed, if they might be 
relied on, to afford an instance of 
an affection, at any rate extremely 
rare, if not altogether without ex- 
ample; but their value, like that of 
every other fact, depended on their 
authenticity. There was a possibi- 
lity that the writer of the account, 
without any intention of stating 
more than was true, might, have 
been deceived by the patient or 
her friends ; and that the story in 
question might, on further inquiry, 
like too many other extraordinary 
assertions, be found to be greatly 
exaggerated, or even to have its 
origin in ignorance or imposture. 
A narrative so remarkable seemed, 
however, to be deserving of investi- 
gation; and accordingly the Editor 
of this work ventured to direct the 
attention of some of his medical 
friends at Paris to the case, and to 
solicit their assistance in ascertaining 
the degree of confidence it might 
merit. 
The first communication he was 
favoured with on this subject was 
from M. Tenon, Professor of Ana- 
tomy, and Member of the Royal 
Academies of Sciences and Surgery 
at Paris; who, in a leiter, dated 
Paris, September 7th, 1790, says, 
*¢ This woman, Fery, at the Hotel 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1792. 
des Arts, Fauxbourg St. Martin, is 
now thirty-nine years old, and preg-. 
nant of her tenth child. According 
to her own account, from the age 
of four or five years, to that of six- 
teen or eighteen, she drank one of 
our pailfuls of water, that is to sav, 
ten quarts (or Paris pints) each 
weighing two pounds of sixteen’ 
ounces, daily. Since that period 
she has constantly drank twenty 
quarts, and sometimes thirty, in the 
space of twenty-four hours. Every 
time she drinks she swallows rather 
more than a quart. Her health 
does not appear to be affected, on- 
ly she experiences a little heat in 
her under lip, whieh at the same 
time hardens it. When she is in 
the least indisposed, her thirst dimi- 
nishes. 
‘* She has reared only two children: 
the eldest is not more than eight 
or ten years old. Neither of them 
partake of their mother’s com- 
plaint. 
“This woman is of a middle sta- 
ture, lean, and of a fair complexion, 
inclining to red. 
** | have employed a person, on 
whom I can depend, to procure for 
me these particulars, and he has 
them from the patient herself; but 
I cannot be sure that she has not 
imposed on him.” 
The next account the Editor re- 
ceived of this case was from Mr. 
William Maiden, of Stroud, in 
Kent, an ingenious student of phy- 
sic, who went lately from London 
to Paris, and who, at his request, 
visited this woman in August, 1791. 
Mr. Maiden found her rather thin 
in the face, but seemingly in good 
general health, without any swell- 
ing of the legs or preternatural en- 
largement of the belly ; and she re- 
lated to him nearly the same cir- 
cumstances 
a 
