On the Administration of Food to Fasting Patients,

Extract

The personal of some interesting remarks in the last number of the Asylum Journal, by Dr. Manley, on prolonged fasting and the refusal of food by insane patients, in which he advocates the introduction of food through the fauces “by means of any ordinary funnel,” rather than by the stomach pomp, leads me to offer the following observations upon this subject, as well for the purpose of describing the instrument I have for many years been in the habit of using in this asylum, as of urging upon those engaged in the treatment of the insane the great importance in certain cases of introducing into the stomach larger quantities of nutriment and stimulants than are usually taken when this is left to the voluntary efforts of the patient, or administered by any of the usual processes of feeding.