In some persons, an extraordinary great appetite seems to be
constitutional.
_Charles Domery_, aged 21 years, when a prisoner of war, at Liverpool,
consumed in one day
4lbs. of Raw Cow’s Udder.
10lbs. Raw Beef.
2lbs. Tallow Candles.
------
Total 16lbs.
and five bottles of porter; and although allowed the daily rations of
ten men, he was not satisfied.
Another extraordinary instance has been recorded by Baron Percy:--A
soldier of the name of _Tarare_, who, at the age of 17, could devour in
the course of 24 hours, a leg of beef weighing 24lbs. and thought
nothing of swallowing the dinner dressed for fifteen German peasants.
But those men were remarkable not only for the quantity of food they
consumed, but also for its quality, giving a preference to raw meat, and
even living flesh and blood.
_Domery_, in one year, eat 174 cats, dead and alive; and _Tarare_ was
strongly suspected of having eaten an infant.
Man can sustain the privation of food for several days, more or fewer in
number, according to circumstances--the old better than the young, and
the fat better than the lean. The absolute want of drink can be suffered
only a short time, they have been strikingly described by Mungo Park and
Ali Bey, as experienced in their own persons.
The narratives of ship-wrecked mariners also prove, with how very little
food life may be supported for a considerable length of time; and the
history of those impostors who pretend to live altogether without food
or drink, display this adaptation of the wants of the body to its means
of supply in a still more striking manner; for, even after the
deception, in such cases as that of Ann Moore, is exposed, it will be
found that the quantity of aliment actually taken was incredibly small.
Captain Woodard has added to his interesting narrative many instances of
the power of the human body to resist the effects of severe abstinence.
He himself and his five companions rowed their boat for seven days
without any sustenance but a bottle of brandy, and then wandered about
the shores of Celebes six more, without any other food than a little
water and a few berries. Robert Scotney lived seventy-five days alone in
a boat with three pounds and a half of meat, three pounds of flour, two
hogsheads of water, some whale oil, and a small quantity of salt. He
also used an amazing quantity of tobacco. Six soldiers deserted from St.
Helena in a boat, on the 10th of June 1799, with twenty-five pounds of
bread and about thirteen gallons of water. On the 18th, they reduced
their allowance to one ounce of bread and two mouthfuls of water, on
which they subsisted till the 26th, when their store was expended.
Captain Inglefield, with eleven others, after five days of scanty diet,
were obliged to restrict it to a biscuit divided into twelve morsels for
breakfast, and the same for dinner, with an ounce or two of water daily.
In ten days, a very stout man died, unable to swallow, and delirious.
Lieutenant Bligh and his crew lived forty-two days upon five day’s
provisions.
In the tenth volume of Hufland’s _Journal_, is related a very
remarkable, and well-authenticated case of voluntary starvation. A
recruit, to avoid serving, had cut off the fore-finger of his right
hand. When in hospital for the cure of the wound, dreading the
punishment which awaited him, he resolved to starve himself; and on the
2nd of August began obstinately to refuse all food or drink, and
persisted in this resolution to the 24th of August. During these
twenty-two days he had absolutely taken neither food, drink, nor
medicine, and had no evacuation from his bowels. He had now become very
much emaciated, his belly somewhat distended, he had a violent pain in
his loins, his thirst was excessive, and his febrile heat burning. His
behaviour had also become timid. Having been promised his discharge,
unpunished, he was prevailed upon to take some sustenance, but could
not, at first, bear even weak soup and luke-warm drinks. Under proper
treatment, he continued to mend for eight days, and his strength was
returning, when, on the 1st of September, he again refused food and got
a wild look. He took a little barley-water every four or five days to
the 8th; from that day to the 11th, he took a little biscuit with wine;
but again from the 11th September to the 9th October, a period of
twenty-eight days, he neither took food, drink, nor had any natural
evacuation. From the 9th to the 11th he again took a little nourishment,
and began to recruit; but, on the 11th, he finally renewed his
resolution to starve himself, and persevered until his death, which
took place on the 21st November, after a total abstinence of 42 days.