WCP1795

Letter (WCP1795.1683)

[1]

9. St. Mark's Crescent, Regent's Park. N.W.

Jan. 1st. 1870

Dear Dr. Norris,

I make no doubt you are interested in the case of the Welsh fasting girl1. Will you answer me one or two questions about the post mortem examination.

1st. Does not the fact that no solid excrement was passed during the time of watching prove that some days of previous fasting, — and if so how many?

2nd. Is not the facts of her body being "plump" and having — "a fine layer of fat half an inch to an inch thick" all through the incision down the body — a proof that she did not die of starvation?

3rd. When persons die of starvation are the rectum and colon, as well as the small intestines, always empty, and how long do you suppose solid matter might remain in the rectum if life could be supported without food?

[2]

4. Are any cases on record in Medical Works of persons who certainly died of starvation being plump and fat.

It seems astonishing to me that none of these difficulties are alluded to in any one of the papers who have written on the subject. I have written to the "Standard" & "Telegraph" calling attention to them but they will not insert my letters. I want to try the "Spectator", — and should like to quote your authority on the medical points, — not using your name however if you have the least objection.

We are not doing very much in Spiritualism this winter, but the Dialectical Society2 are getting on tolerably & I [3] hope will produce a good report.

If [you are] not too busy please let me have a few lines by return. Wishing you a happy new year

I remain | Yours very faithfully | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

Dr. R. Norris.

Jacob, Sarah (1857-1869). Welsh "fasting girl" thought to be able to live without food.
The London Dialectical Society. Founded in 1867 to investigate the claims of Spiritualism. Wikipedia. London Dialectical Society. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Dialectical_Society> [accessed 7 May 2019].

Please cite as “WCP1795,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 29 March 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP1795