s a state
of muscular inaction present particularly favorable to retardation of
the destructive changes in the body which abstinence produces. It may be
asserted that in ordinary cases absolute deprivation of food and drink
cannot be endured by a healthy adult longer than ten days, and death
generally ensues before the end of the eighth day. It is said that women
sustain abstinence better than men. Young persons and the aged certainly
resist with less power than those of the middle period of life. Dante
was aware of this fact when he made the children of Ugolino die before
their father, the youngest first, the oldest last.

Even though there be a total deprivation of what may strictly be called
food, some of the cases already cited show that if water be taken life
is preserved for a much longer period than would otherwise be the case.
Thus a negro woman, according to Dr. J. W. Francis,[23] believing
herself to be bewitched, abstained from food for three weeks, but during
this period took two small cups of water, to which a very little wine
had been added.

In a case reported by Dr. McNaughton[24] a longer resistance was
maintained.

"The subject of this case was a young man, aged twenty-seven, who for
three years immediately preceding his death almost constantly kept his
room, apparently engaged in meditation, a Bible his only companion. At
the latter end of May, 1829, his appetite began to fail; he ate very
little, and on the 2d of July he declined eating altogether. For the
first six weeks of his fast he went regularly to the well, washed
himself, and took a bowl full of water with him into the house. With
this he occasionally washed his mouth and drank a little; the quantity
taken during the twenty-four hours did not exceed a pint. On one
occasion he went three days without taking water, but on the fourth
morning he was observed to go to the well and drink copiously and
greedily. For the first six weeks he walked out every day, and sometimes
spent the greater part of the day in the woods. He retained his strength
until a short time before his death. During the first three weeks he
emaciated rapidly; afterwards he did not seem to waste so sensibly.
Prof. Willoughby visited him a few days before he died. He found the
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 week of hi