ART. XII. An Account of a Man who lived on Water for fiftythree Days. By JAMES M'NAUGHTON, M. D. Professor of Anatomy and Physiology in the University of the State of New-York.

Read June 7, 1830.

The subject of the following narrative lived in the town of Fairfield, Herkimer county, in this state. His father is a respectable 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 of 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 peculiar in the operations of his mind. But in the course of the summer, after the close of the session of the college, his health began 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 religion. He quitted Dr. Johnson's office and went home. From that time until his death, he never left his father's house, even for

day. For the three years immediately preceding his death, he almost constantly kept his room, apparently engaged in meditation. 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 happy 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, his general health, during the period, was as good as could have been expected. He

came to the table at every meal, when called-and seemed not deficient in appetite. The only sickness of any consequence he experienced during his seclusion was an attack of cholera morbus, in the summer of 1828, from which he soon recovered, and seemed to enjoy his wonted health, until the latter end of May, 1829. At this time, his friends began to notice that his appetite was failing. It continued to decline more and more, until about the beginning of July, when it seemed entirely to have disappeared. For some weeks he had eaten very little; but on the 2d of July, he declined eating altogether-assigning as a reason, that when it was the will of the Almighty that he should eat, he would be furnished with an appetite.

It is not correct as has been stated in the newspapers, that he refrained from eating, in consequence of a vision, warning him to do so, nor that he commenced his fast, in imitation of our Saviour in the wilderness. It does not appear that he had set any definite time for his fast, nor very distinctly assigned his motive for fasting at all. Indeed, it is more than probable, that the great motive in the first instance, was, that he felt no inclination to eat, and that after all desire for food had left him, he became convinced that there was more merit in abstinence than in eating. Towards the close of his life, he told his sister that he had not experienced the least hunger except on the second day of his fast. For the first six weeks he went regularly to the well, in the morning, and washed his head and face, and took a bowlful of water with him into the house. With this he used occasionally to wash his mouth—he also used it for drink. His parents think, that the quantity of water he took in 24 hours, did not exceed, if it equalled, a pint. When he had fasted about a week, his parents became alarmed, and sent for medical aid.

The physicians, fearing that death would speedily ensue if nothing were done, advised his friends to insist on his taking food, and if necessary, to make use of compulsory measures, to induce him to comply with their wishes. Attempts were accordingly made, to force him to take nourishment, and about a table spoonful of water gruel, was, in consequence, swallowed. But it was found in vain to struggle with him, as neither fear nor entreaty would avail. From that time until his dissolution, he was allowed to follow his inclination, without control or constraint. On one occasion he went three days without taking even water; but this was proba

bly 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 sometimes 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 expected, towards the last, became feeble and low, but continued, nevertheless, 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, he 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 towards the last, blackish. His skin was cold and he complained of chilliness. His general appearance was so ghastly that children were frightened at the sight of him. Of this he seemed himself 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 considerable discharge of a foul, reddish matter, from the lungs. To this, perhaps, the offensive smell referred to, may be chiefly attributed. The pulse was regular, but slow, and feeble, and what struck Professor Willoughby as most remarkable, was, the diminished 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 accommodate itself to the diminished quantity of blood it had to convey, and its greater hardness may be attributed partly to this contraction, and partly to the absorption of some of its elements, and the almost total suspension of nutrition.

Alvine evacuations were rare.

His mother thinks he passed

several weeks without any-but the secretion of urine seemed more regular. The voiding of this secretion was one of the last acts of his life.

After a lapse of fifty-three days, or nearly eight weeks, nature became exhausted, and his spirit fled. His hopes continued bright to the last, and he departed this life in the full expectation of a glorious immortality. And it is not unreasonable to suppose, from his unblemished life, and ardent piety, while in the possession of his faculties, however erroneous some of his later opinions may be considered, that, in his last hope, he has not been disappointed.

The body was examined by Dr. Johnson, the day after death. The viscera did not exhibit any very striking mark of disease. The stomach was not contracted as might have been expected-but was loose and flabby. The gall bladder was distended with a dark, muddy looking bile. The mesentery, stomach, and intestines, were excessively thin and transparent—and there was no fat in the omentum. It looked somewhat like the arachnoid membrane of the brain. At the time of death Mr. Kelsey was 27 years of age.

Such are the principal facts I have been able to gather respecting the case of this excellent young man. I may however observe, in conclusion, that, from a consideration of all the circumstances of the case, from the known honesty of all the parties particularly mentioned, and the concurring testimony of friends and neighbours, there is not the smallest reason to suspect, that, in the case, the least deception has been attempted, either by the unfortunate individual himself, or by any one connected with him.

A very interesting question presents itself in regard to this case. How could life have been so long protracted under such circumstances? It is not perhaps possible in 'the present state of our knowledge to answer this question in a satisfactory manner. It is not usually supposed that water alone affords any nourishment, at least to the higher animals; but this opinion is incorrect. Water is an ingredient in almost every one of the animal tissues, and a supply of it is as essentially necessary for the preservation of life as that of solid aliment. Plants, it is well known, require little more than air and water to live and grow, to a large size; the same is the case with many kinds of fish. It is therefore likely that air and water contribute materially towards nutrition, even in the human species. But these are not sufficient of themselves, to support life for any great length of time, when all the functions are vigorously performed. But when they are feebly performed, the wheels of

life are not so much worn out, consequently they require less repair. In such cases, water and air, together with what can be absorbed from the system itself, may be sufficient to preserve life for a considerable period. In the case above related, life must have been supported by means of water and air, together with what was furnished by one part of his own system, to repair other parts more essential to his being.

It is well known that in the most perfect health, many fluids after having been secreted by the arteries, are again resumed by the absorbents, and carried into the venous system to be again, in all probability, used for the nutrition of some particular organs for which, from their nature, they may be well adapted. This is true not only in respect to lymph, serum, mucus, saliva, &c. which are considered recrementitious, but also in respect to the urine, and the alimentary mass, after the separation of the chyle. The urine, if long retained in the bladder, becomes darker in its colour, and more highly charged with saline matter, than when it is early expelled. This arises from the absorption of its more watery parts. The fæces also become indurated in consequence of the absorption of the fluid parts, and the breath and cutaneous transpiration become tainted with the effluvia. It is not improbable that the general mass of fluids is much more frequently contaminated in that manner than in the present age is usually allowed.

With a knowledge of these facts, it ought not to be considered unreasonable, were we to conclude, that the system may, for a time, be sustained by its own resources-that is, that some of its less essential constituents may be absorbed and used for the nourishment of organs concerned in the nobler functions, upon which the continuance of life depends. I am inclined to the opinion that such is the ordinary course in the most perfect health-namely, that a portion of matter which is no longer fit for sustaining one organ, may yet be fit for the nutrition of some others; and that in this manner it may serve to nourish several tissues before it becomes utterly effete, and is absolutely required to be expelled from the system. It is also probable that in some extraordinary states of the system, such as in the case mentioned, matter is longer retained than in the ordinary condition of the body, when the functions are all well performed, and an adequate supply of food regularly taken ;-just as happens in ordinary repairs, when good materials are wanting, such as can