1st.

JANUARY.

THE

HE following extraordinary case of abstinence from food, is extracted from the Monthly Magazine for January of this year.

Ann Moor, aged 58, a poor woman of Tutbury, in the county of Stafford, has lived twenty months without food. However, not being (like many others) perfectly satisfified with the common report in the neighbourhood respecting her case, I took an opportunity of visiting her personally, in order to ascertain the exact particulars of her case; when I had, by her own statement, the following account of her miserable condition:-That in the year 1804 she was attacked with a very severe illness, which, I concluded (from her account), must have been an inflammation of some of the viscera of the abdomen. From this she gradually recovered (by the assistance of the surgeon in the place), after thirteen weeks confinement. After this she had (the same year,) at intervals (I believe regular), violent fits, accompanied with a spasmodic affection of the stomach. The succeeding year, 1805, she was again attacked with a second inflammaVOL. LI.

tion of some part of the abdominal viscera, which was not quite so violent as the former; which, after she was perfectly recovered from this inflammatory disease, being gradual, after eleven weeks confinement, she found it had materially mitigated the spasms and fits which she had been accustomed to support the preceding year. But what must have been a still greater affliction to her, was, that her appetite and digestive powers of the stomach were considerably impaired, particularly the latter, so that, from the irritability of that organ, every thing was rejected that she took, except that mild aliment, tea, milk, puddings, or vegetables; and of these she took such a small proportion, that it was believed, by all her attendants, she would soon fall a victim for the want of that nourishment which the system requires to supply the wastes of nature. In this state she continued until the spring of 1806, when she undertook to superintend the daily dressing of a fistula wound of a poor boy's back, from the offensive nature of which, (and the boy's inability to procure the attendance of a surgeon), every one declined lending their assistance, except this poor X

woman,

woman, who said it was a charity which the poor boy's case demanded: she now, with unremitting care and attention, applied herself to the daily dressing of the wounds, with those detergent applications which she alone had procured for the purpose. It was not until the warm months of August and September that this disagreeable engagement appeared to affect her, when she found it impossible to divest herself of the idea that the offensive matter which issued from the wounds was present to her organs of taste and smell; which, from the sympathy existing between the stomach and those parts, made her aversion to take food become still greater, and for several days she was observed to be incapable of supporting herself in the presence of any thing that was offered her in the form of food. In the month of October, the boy fell a sacrifice to his misfortunes; yet the poor woman still continued (though released from her unpleasant office) to exist until the 24th of February, 1807, only taking one penny-loaf, with tea, without either cream or sugar, which trifling allowance of bread generally served her fourteen days: she then (February 24th) declined taking any kind of solid food whatever, her only beverage becoming that of water and tea, which she generally took upon feeling any nausea at her stomach. After this time she had regular discharges, by vomit, every twenty days, of yellow water from the stomach, which appeared to consist of the common secretion (gastric juice) of the stomach, intermixed with a small proportion of bile. From the woman's testimony being always discredited,

she did not draw the attention of any of the faculty until she had lived fourteen months without food, when several surgeons wished to have her removed to a neighbour's house to be watched, which she without hesitation consented to, that they might be satisfied of her real case.

After this change, proper per-. sons were appointed to watch her day and night; besides three surgeons regularly visited her two or three times a day, during which time she did not even drink the smallest quantity of water. Washing her mouth with water was, and is, the only thing she continues to do. She voids about four ounces of urine every six days, but has no other evacuation whatever, nor has she had any these six months, which leaves us no doubt to believe that she must live by absorption, as the greater part of all her muscles and soft parts are already removed by that process; though it is a known law of nature, that when one class of absorbent vessels (the lacteals) are deprived, by accident or disease, of their regular supplies of chyle, which is a milky production from the food, the other class (lymphatics), which are distributed ail over the body, is called into action, to remove and convert (by means of their glands) such a quantity of the soft parts of the body as is required to supply and keep up the regular quantity of blood in the system. This theory is admitted to be established on such a scientific basis, by the late Mr. Hunter, that to deny its truth and validity, would betray a total ignorance of the structure and economy of the human frame. Then, according to

this principle, why should not any other person live for the same length of time, upon being deprived of food, remains a question to be explained by the enlightened part of the profession.

Your's, &c.

WM. ROBINSON, V.S. Tamworth, Nov. 28, 1808.

The following subjects are proposed at Oxford for the chancellor's prizes, for the year ensuing, viz.-For Latin verses-" Corinthus."--For an English Essay"The love of our country."-The vice-chancellor has received a donation of 201. which will be given to the author of the best composition in English verse, on the following subject-"John the Baptist." The first and last of the above subjects are intended for those gentlemen of the University who have not exceeded four years from the tine of their matriculation; and the others for such as have exceeded four, but not completed seven years.

A person engaged in digging near the entrenchments which surround the castle at Bourn, lately discovered a small urn, containing upwards of sixty Roman coins. One of them is an aureus of Nero; the others are denarii and sestertii of Constantine, Augustus, and Maximilian.

Buonaparte, by a recent ordinance, has imposed a monthly tax on every woman of the town in Paris, rigidly enforcing the registry of their several directions with the Prefect of Police; and with a view to prevent evasion of this impost, he has appointed a penalty of 100 francs for any woman pursuing the vocation of the sisterhood without a licence. How depraved must be

the morals of a government, which seeks support from the vices of the people!

New Theatre.--The ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the New Theatre in Covent-Garden, yesterday, attracted a prodigious number of spectators to the spot. No labour or expense had been spared to accommodate the Masonic Order, the subscribers, and the friends of the proprietors, performers, &c. The avenue for admission was at the Piazza door. Large bodies of civil and military officers were properly stationed, in order to prevent confusion and disorder. A brass box, as usual on similar occasions, filled with coins of the present reign, and a record of the event, were deposited in the stone. A silver trowel, of beautiful workmanship, was presented to the Prince of Wales.

At half past twelve the Duke of Bedford, Earl Moira, and other distinguished members of the Society of Free-Masons, proceeded in grand procession from the FreeMasons Tavern to the scite of the new Theatre.-They were here received by his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, as Grand Master, and some of his Royal brothers.-Every preparation, requisite both for grandeur and convenience, had been made. The area was surrounded with scaffolding, on which temporary seats had been raised for spectators.--The terrace upon which the Prince descended from his carriage was an erection of wood, matted and covered with green baize.--An awning was raised over his head; and his Royal Highness led the way at the head of the procession to the north-east corner

On the other side is engraved :

'Robert Smirke, Architect.' There were deposited also, gold, silver, and copper British coins of the latest coinage. The cement being then prepared, he adjusted the same with his trowel, and the stone was let down whilst a martial air was played.

The G. M. then tried the works by the plumb, the level, and the square, which were severally presented to him by the J. W. the S. W. and deputy G. M. and having found it correct, he laid the stone by giving three knocks with his mallet.

The corn, wine, and oil, were then presented to the G. M. he scattered and poured them on the stone, and immediately afterwards delivered to the architect the plan of the building, desiring him to complete the structure according to that plan; wishing success and prosperity to the work and the general object of it.

A feu de joie was then fired, and his Royal Highness retired.

The brothers returned to the hall in procession, and the Grand Lodge was closed.