Emily Chan
During the 19th century, primarily in Europe and North America, some women and girls claimed they could survive for long periods of time without food. They were known as “the fasting girls.” Their cases were often associated with religious and spiritual beliefs.
The young women were usually poor and from humble backgrounds. They lived in rural areas, such as in Scotland or Wales. They would say they had stopped eating for a few months. In more extreme cases, they might have stopped eating several years ago.
Many of the girls gained attention and even became minor celebrities for their prolonged fasting. Sometimes, large crowds gathered to see the miracle for themselves.
Members of the medical community were skeptical, though. The fasting girls were described as miraculous, and it was suggested that divine intervention was what allowed them to survive on so little.
However, their hunger strikes were actually the result of traumatic accidents or medical issues. Later, the fasting was found to be from a mental illness called anorexia nervosa, which was not yet fully understood at the time.
One of the most famous examples was that of Sarah Jacob. She was a Welsh girl who supposedly began her fast in 1867, a few months after suffering a series of seizures.
She fell into a coma for a month, and when she awoke, she was bedridden and refused to eat or drink. In 1869, news of her condition spread, as the girl had somehow lived without sustenance for sixteen months.
For two weeks, seven doctors and four nurses were asked to observe Sarah. Her parents reportedly instructed them not to give her any food.
Sadly, she died while under medical supervision on December 17, 1869. Sarah’s parents were later charged and convicted of manslaughter.
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