A new and curious treatise of the nature and effects of simple earth, water, and air, when applied to the human body: how to live for many weeks, months, or years, without eating anything whatever / [James Graham].

  • Graham, James, 1745-1794
Date:
1793
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A new and curious treatise of the nature and effects of simple earth, water, and air, when applied to the human body: how to live for many weeks, months, or years, without eating anything whatever / [James Graham]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    reader the fentiments of the famous Theophraftus Paraeelfus, the re¬ nowned German Philofopher, Phyfician, Chemift, and Alchemift. In the firft book of his Archidoxis, he faith, that diftribution is made in the body unto all the members of it out of fuch things as are prefenred unto it, either from without or from within. In that diftribution is made a mutation, whereby the things are fo changed, that one part ferves for the nature or complexion of the heart—another to that of the feminal principle—another part is accommodated to the nature cf the brain—and fo on with all the reft. Now t e body attradls nourifhment to itfelf, two manner of ways—viz. internally and externally. Internally, it attracts what¬ ever is taken in by the mouth, &c.—Externally it attradleth the air, earth, water, and fire. On thofe things that are taken inwardly, it is not fo necefiary fo write : but, outwardly, you are to underftand it thus—that the body doth attract through the whole fkin from the four external elements, what is necefiary for its fupport and well¬ being ; wfyich, if it ihould not do, the internal nutriment would by no means fuffice fora man’s fupport; and becaufe that moisture is fo very necefiary and exiftentinthe body, the body eafily extracts it out of the element of water even when externally applied ; and hence it comes to pafs, that fo long as one {hall fit or ftand. in water, either fait or frefti, or keep very wet clothes attached to him, he will need no other quenching of his third:;—yea, he will never be thirfty, nor die for want of drinking. , Now this proceeds not from the waters extinguishing the heat as it quencheth fire—but the internal heat and drynefs aurafl the external moifture, and drink it juft as if it was taken inwardly by the mouth and ftomach : hence it is, that the cows are able to abide in the Alps without drink a whole fummer, for the air is as drink to them, and fupplies the place and office thereof;—and the fame may be concluded of as to man, were he to live more on frefh vegetable matter, aqd in the open air. Moreover, the nature of a man may be fuftained alfo without food, if he be fet or planted with his feet and legs in the earth. So have we feen a man that lived fix months without food, and was fuftained only by wearing a piece or clod of frefh earth upon his ftomach, the which being dry, he now and then took a frefh clod and applied it; and he affirmed that during all that time he never was hungry. So likewife have I leen a man, faith Paracelfus, that fuftained himfelf for many years by a medicine, viz. the quinteftence of gold, and he fcarce took ten grains thereof each day. Hence, likewife, or after this manner, there have been fome men who have not eaten anv thing for many years, viz. for twenty years; and fuch I remember to have feen in my time. Some attribute this * kind of living to the goodnefs and piety of the perfons, and fome to the miraculous goodnefs of God towards them—the which I do not defire in the leaft to gainfay or judge of. Nor is food pr drink fo necefiarily ordained and appointed for our exiftence, ' , but