136 THIRTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE EAST. 



firmly closed that it was impossible to open his mouth ;: 

 the physicians were consequently obliged to extract some 

 of his teeth, in order to administer some remedies and brotb, 

 to preserve life ; he nevertheless at last recovered. 



In the Philosophical Transactions for 1705 ( Nov. and 

 Dec, Vol. XVII., p. 2r77 ), the history of a case is related, 

 which supports what has been previously mentioned : — " A 

 man of about twenty-five years of age, living in the 

 neighbourhood of Bath, fell suddenly asleep, and continued 

 for nearly a month in that state. Two years afterwards,. 

 he was again in a similar condition : his jaw-bones closed 

 themselves ; he was unable to eat, but fell asleep, and con- 

 tinued to be deprived of sensation for seventeen weeks. 

 This occurred at the time when barley was being sown, and 

 when he again awoke it was quite ripe. In the month of 

 August he again fell asleep. He was bled ; stimulating 

 remedies were employed ; and every means of restoration 

 were used which the medical skill of the period could suggest, 

 but in vain ; be did not awake until the month of 

 November." In Plott's Natural History of Oxfordshire 

 ( c. 8., sec. II, p. 196, published in 1677 ), a case is alluded 

 to, which, not being generally known, I will quote here, 

 it being another evidence of the length of time during which 

 a person may exist without nourishment. 



" Rebekah Smith, the servant maid of one Thomas White, 

 of Minster Lovel, being above fifty years of age, and of a 

 robust constitution, though she seldom ate flesh ( it scarcely 

 agreeing with her ), after she came from the communion 

 on Palm-Sunday, April 16, 1671, was taken with such a 

 dryness in her throat, that she could not swallow her 

 spittle, nor anything else to supply the demands of nature • 

 and in this state she continued, without eating or drinking, 

 to the amazement of all, for about ten weeks, viz., to the 

 29th of June, being both St. Peter's and Witney fair day ; by 

 which time, being brought very low, her master made inquiry, 

 and found out a person who gave him an amulet ( for it was 

 supposed she was bewitched ) against this evil ; after the 

 application of this amulet, within two or three days' time 



