124 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1777- 



opening her eyelids Dr. M. found the eye-balls turned up under the edge of the 

 OS frontis, her countenance gliastly, her complexion pale, her skin shrivelled 

 and dry, and her whole person rather emaciated ; her pulse with the utmost 

 difficulty to be felt. She seemed sensible and tractable in every thing, except in 

 taking food ; for, at his request, she went through her different exercises, 

 spinning on the distaff, and crawling about on her hams ; by the wall of the 

 house, with the help of her hands ; but when desired to eat, she showed the 

 greatest reluctance, and indeed cried before she yielded ; and this was no more 

 than, as he had said, to take a few crumbs as to feed a bird, and to suck half 

 a spoonful of milk from the palm of her hand. On the whole, her existence 

 was little less wonderful at this time than when he first saw her, when she had 

 not swallowed the smallest particle of food for years together. He attributed 

 her thinness and wan complexion, the great change of her looks from what he 

 had first seen when fixed to her bed, to her exhausting too much of the saliva 

 by spinning fiax on the distaff, and therefore recommended her being totally 

 confined to spinning wool : this she did with equal dexterity. The above was 

 her situation in October 1772 ; and in March 1/73, Dr. M. was told by a neigh- 

 bour of her father's, that she had still continued in the same way, without any 

 addition to her support, and without any additional ailment. 



At Croick, the 1 5th day of June, 1773. — " To authenticate the histoiy set fortli in the preceding 

 pages, Donald M'Leod, of Granics, Esq., sheritF depute of Rosshire, George Munro, Esq., of 

 Cuteain, Simon Ross^ Esq., of Gladfield, Captain George Sutljerland, of Elphin, all justices of 

 the peace ; Messrs. William Smith, preacher of the gospel, John Barclay, writer, in Tain, Hugh 

 Ross, student of divinity, and Alexander M'Leod, came to tliis place, accompanied by the above 

 Dr. Alexander Mackenzie, physician at New Tarbat, and after explaining die purport and meaning 

 of tlie above history to Donald M'Leod, father to Janet M'Leod abovementioned, and to David 

 Ross, elder in tlie parish of Kincardin, who was one of the doctor's original interpreters ; they, to 

 our full satisfaction, after a minute examination, authenticated all the facts set fbrtli in the above 

 account : and, for our further satisfaction, we had Janet M'Leod brought out before us to the open 

 air, when the doctor discovered a very great improvement in her looks and health since tlie period 

 of his having seen her last, as now she walked tolerably upright, with a little hold by the wall. 

 And notwithstanding her age, which on inquiry we found to be exactly as set fortli in the above 

 account, her countenance and looks would have denoted her not to be above 20 years of age at 

 most. At present, the quantity of food she uses is not above w hat would be necessary for tlie 

 sustenance of an infant of 'Z years of age. And we do report, from our knowledge of the above 

 men, and the circumstances of the case, tliat full faith and credit is to be given to every article of 

 the above history. 



William Smith. Alexander M'Leod. Simon Ross, J. P. 



John Barclay, N. P. D. M'Leod, Sh. Dep. Geo. Sutherland, J. P." 



Hugh Ross. Geo. Munro, J. P. 



I J. On the Uxcjulness of flashing and Rubbing the Stems of Trees, to promote 

 their Annual Increase. In an Extract of a Letter from Mr. Marsham to the 

 Lord Bishop of Bath and JVells. p. 12. 



