115 



My more than he could persist in, as on the 4th morning he was 

 observed to go to the well, and to drink copiously and greedily. 



On the 11th day of his fast, he replied to the expostulations of his 

 friends, that he had not felt so well, nor so strong, in two years, as 

 at that moment, and consequently denied the necessity of taking 

 food. For the first six weeks he walked out every day, and some- 

 times spent a great part of the day in the woods. His walk was 

 steady and firm, and his friends even remarked that his step had an 

 unusual" elasticity. He shaved himself until about a week before 

 his death, and was able to sit up in bed to the last day. 



His mental faculties did not seem to become impaired as his 

 general strength declined ; but on the contrary, his mind was calm 

 and collected to the end. His voice, as might have been expect- 

 ed, towards the last, became feeble and low, but continued, nev- 

 ertheless, distinct. Towards the close of his life, he did not go 

 into the fields, nor during the last week even to the well ; but still, 

 fee was able to sit up and go about his room. During the first three 

 weeks of his abstinence, he fell away very fast, but afterwards he 

 did not seem to waste so sensibly. His colour was blue, and to- 

 wards the last, blackish. His skin was cold and he complained 

 of chilliness. His general appearance was so ghastly that chil- 

 dren were frightened at the sight of him. Of this he seemed him- 

 self to be aware ; for it was not uncommon to observe him covering 

 his face when strangers were passing by. 



Professor Willoughby visited him a few days before he died. 

 He found his skin very cold, the respiration feeble and slow, but 

 otherwise natural ; but the effluvia from the breath, and perhaps 

 the skin, were extremely offensive. During the greater part of the 

 latter weeks of his life, the parents say, that there was a consid- 

 erable discharge of a foul, reddish matter, from the lungs. To 

 this, perhaps, the offensive smell referred to, may be chiefly attri- 

 buted. The pulse was regular, but slow, and feeble, and what 

 struck Professor Willoughby as most remarkable, was, the dimin- 

 ished size of the radial artery. Owing to the emaciation, it could 

 be very distinctly felt. It seemed to be as small as a stout thread, 

 and much firmer than natural. The artery had contracted to ac- 

 commodate itself to the diminished quantity of blood it had to con- 

 vey, and its greater hardness may be attributed partly to this con- 

 traction, and partly to the absorption of some of its elements, and 

 the almost total suspension of nutrition. 



