ABSTINENCE FROM FOOD. 
527 
asked her mother whether she had given her any thing the day before, 
for she found herself very hungry. Meat was brought to her, but so 
far from being able to take any thing solid, she could scarcely swallow 
a spoonful of thin whey. From this time she continued seven years and 
a half without any food or liquid, excepting sufficient of the latter to 
moisten her lips. At the end of this period she again found herself 
hungry, and desired an egg, of which she got down to the quantity 
of a nut-kernel. About this time she requested to receive the sacra- 
ment ; which she did, by having a crumb of bread steeped in the 
wine. She at this time, for her daily subsistence, eats a bit of bread 
weighing about two pennyweights seven grains, and drinks a wine 
glass of water, sometimes a spoonful of wine; but frequently abstains 
whole days from food and liquids. She sleeps very indifferently ; the 
ordinary functions of nature are very small, and very seldom per- 
formed. Her attendant told me, that her disposition of mind was 
mild, her temper even; that she was very religious, and very fer- 
vent in prayer — the natural effect of the state of her body, long 
unembarrassed with the grossness of food, and a constant alienation 
of thought from all worldly affairs ,” — Journey to JSnoivden, vol, ii. 
p. 105—107. 
“ Gilbert Jackson, of Carse-Grange, Scotland, about fifteen years 
of age, in February 1716 was seized with a violent fever, which 
returned in April for three weeks, and again on June 10 ; he then 
lost his speech, his appetite, and the use of his limbs, and could not 
be persuaded to eat or drink any thing. May 26, 1717, his fever left 
him, but he was still deprived of speech and the use of his limbs, 
and took no food whatever. June 30, he was seized with a fever 
again, and the next day recovered his speech, but without eating or 
drinking, or the use of his limbs. On October 11, he recovered his 
health, with the use of one of his legs, but neither ate nor drank, only 
sometimes washed his mouth with water. On June 18, 1718, the 
fever returned, and lasted till September ; he then recovered, and con- 
tinued in pretty good health, and was fresh-coloured, but took no 
kind of meat or drink. On June 6, 1719, he was again seized with 
a very severe fever. On the 10th, at night, his father prevailed on 
him to take a spoonful of milk boiled with oatmeal ; it stuck so long 
in his throat, that his friends feared he had been choked ; but ever 
since that time he took food, though so little that a halfpenny loaf 
served him for eight days. All the time he fasted, he had no'evacua- 
tion ; and it was fourteen days after he began to eat, before he had 
any, he still continuing in pretty good health.” 
“ In the year 1724, John Ferguson, of Kilmelfoord, in Argyleshire, 
overheated himself in the pursuit of cattle on the mountains ; then 
drank largely of cold water, and fell asleep. He slept for four-and- 
twenty hours, and waked in a high fever ; ever since, his stomach loathed 
food, and could retain no kind of aliment but water. A neighbour- 
ing gentleman, Mr. Campbell, to whom his father was tenant, locked 
him up for twenty days, supplying him daily with water, and taking 
care that he should have no other food, but it made no difference 
either in his look or strength ; at the age of thirty-six, when the 
account was sent to the Philosophical Society, he was of a fresh com- 
