Dr. Percival on the Effe£f-s of Famine, &c.- 493 



by a young phyfician from Geneva, that, when 

 he was a ftudent at Montpelier, he falted three 

 nights and four days, with no other refreHimenc 

 than a pint of water daily. His hunger was 

 keen, but never painful, during the firft and 

 fecond days of his abftinence; and the two 

 following days, he perceived only a fainfnefs 

 when he attempted either bodily or mental 

 exertion : A fenfe of coldnefs was diffufed over 

 his whole frame, but more particularly afFeded 

 the extremities. His mind was in a very un- 

 ufual ftate of pufillanimity j and he experienced 

 a great tendency to tears, whenever he recol- 

 leded the circumftance, which had been the 

 occafion of his fading. During the whole period, 

 the alvine excretions were fuppreflcd, but not 

 thofe by the kidney. And at the clofe of ft, his 

 ilcin became tinged with a fhade of yellow. The 

 firft food he took was veal broth, which had 

 fomething of an intoxicating effecfb, producing a 

 glow of warmth, and raifing his fpirits, fo as 

 to render him afhamed of his defpondency. Per- 

 haps in the cafe of tjextius Baculus, as recorded 

 in the Commentaries of Casfar, * the extraordinary 

 courage and prowefs v/hich he fuddenly exerted 

 might be aided by the exhilarating effeft of fuf- 

 Cenance, which, under fuch circumftances, it is 

 probable he would no longer decline. The fa6t 

 however evinces, that neither his ficknefs nor the 



• De Bello Gallico, lib. VI. 



fenfations 



