Br. Perdval on the Effe^ of Famine, i^c, 4^1 



ty the changes and the hurry which he under- 

 went. \ 



In famine, life may be protraf^ed with lefs 

 pain and mifery, by a moderate allowance of 

 water. For the acrimony and putrefadion of 

 the humours are obviated by fuch dilution, the 

 frnall veficis are kept permeable, and the lungs 

 are furni(hed with that moifture, which is eflcn- 

 tial to the performance of their funftions. Fan- 

 tonus, a writer of refpeclablr authority, in the 

 f ftimation of Morgay,ni, rciates the hiftory of a 

 woman, who obllinaiely refufed to take any 

 fuflenance, except twice, duung the fpace of 

 fifty days, at the end of which period fhe died. * 

 But he adds, that Ihe ufcd water, by way of 

 drink, though in fmall quantity. Redi, who 

 made many experiments, (cruel and unjuftifiable 

 in my opfnionj to afcertain the effefls of fading 

 on fowls, obferved, that none were able to fup- 

 port life beyond the ninth day, to whom drink 

 was denied ; whereas one, indulged with v/ater, 

 lived more than twenty days. 



Hippocrates has obferved, that children are 

 more affeded by abftinence than young perfons j 

 thefe, more than the middle aged j and the 

 middle aged, more than old men. Agreeably 

 to this aphorifm, Dante is faid, by his country- 

 rnan Morgagni, to have framed the incidents it; 



f Morgagni de Sedjbus ^t Caufis Morborumj Epift. 27. 



;he 



