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Art. XII. An Account of a Man who lived on Water for fifty- 

 three Days. By James M'Naughton, M. B. Professor of 

 Anatomy and Physiology in the University of the State of 

 New- York. 



The subject of the following narrative lived in the town of 

 Fairfield, Herkimer county, in this state. His father is a re- 

 spectable farmer, to whom', and to his wife and daughter, I am 

 indebted for the particulars I am about to relate. 



Reuben Kelsey, the individual referred to, was, until three years 

 ago, considered a young man of great promise— remarkable for the 

 correctness of his conduct, and his diligence in the prosecution of 

 his studies. After having received the ordinary advantages at the 

 academy at Fairfield, he entered on the study of medicine, and 

 read in the office of Dr. Johnson. In the year 1825 he attended 

 the lectures at the College or Physicians and Surgeons of the 

 Western District. 



Although among so many, it is not always possible to know what 

 proficiency each makes ; yet, from all I can gather, he must have 

 at least equalled his companions in the progress he made in his 

 studies. His health seemed good, and there was nothing very pe- 

 culiar in the operations of his mind. But in the course of the 

 summer, after the close of the session of the college, his health be- 

 gan to decline, and his mind seemed to have undergone a change. 

 His spirits, which were never very buoyant, became more sedate, 

 and his thoughts seemed habitually to dwell on the subject of re- 

 ligion. He quitted Dr. Johnson's office and went home. From 

 that time until his death, he never left his father's house, even for 

 a day. For the three years immediately preceding his death, he 

 almost constantly kept his room, apparently engaged in medita- 

 tion. His only companion was his bible. He read nothing else, 

 and his whole thoughts seemed to be fixed upon another world. 

 He shunned society, even that of the pious ; but he seemed hap- 

 py and full of hopes. To his family he was kind and attached ; 

 and, with the exception of the deep cast of his devotional feelings, 

 the equilibrium of his intellect did not seem, to his friends at least, 

 to be materially disturbed. 



Considering the little exercise he took, bis general health, dur- 

 ing the period, was as good as could have been expected. H« 

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