or FASTING, in general, denotes the abstinence from food; but is more particularly used for such abstinence on a religious account.

Religious fasting has been practised by most nations from the remotest antiquity. Some divines even pretend its origin in the earthly paradise, where our first parents were forbidden to eat of the tree of knowledge. But though this seems carrying the matter too far, it is certain, that the Jewish church has observed fasts ever since its first institution. Nor were the neighbouring heathens, viz. the Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Assyrians, without their fasts. The Egyptians, according to Herodotus, sacrificed a cow to Isis, after having prepared themselves by fasting and prayer: a custom which he likewise attributes to the women of Cyrene. Porphyry affirms, that the Egyptians, before their slated sacrifices, always fasted a great many days, sometimes for six weeks; and that the least behoved to be for seven days: during all which time the priests and devotees not only abstained from flesh, fish, wine, and oil; but even from bread, and some kinds of pulse. These austerities were communicated by them to the Greeks, who observed their fasts much in the same manner. The Athenians had the eleusinian and theomorphian fasts, the observation of which was very rigorous, especially among the women, who spent one whole day sitting on the ground in a mournful dress, without taking any nourishment. In the island of Crete, the priests of Jupiter were obliged to abstain all their lives from fish, flesh, and baked meats. Apuleius informs us, that whoever had a mind to be initiated in the mysteries of Cybele were obliged to prepare themselves by fasting ten days; and, in short, all the pagan deities, whether male or female, required this duty of those that desired to be initiated into their mysteries, of their priests and priestesses that gave the oracles, and of those that came to consult them.

Among the heathens fasting was also practised before some of their military enterprises. Aristotle informs us, that the Lacedemonians having resolved to succour a city of the allies, ordained a fast throughout the whole extent of their dominions, without excepting even the domestic animals: and this they did for two ends; one to spare provisions in favour of the besieged; the other, to draw down the blessing of heaven upon their enterprise. The inhabitants of Tarentum, when besieged by the Romans, demanded succours from their neighbours of Rhegium, who immediately commanded a fast throughout their whole territories. Their enterprise having had good success by their throwing a supply of provisions into the town, the Romans were obliged to raise the siege; and the Tarentines, in memory of this deliverance, instituted a perpetual fast.

Fasting has always been reckoned a particular duty among philosophers and religious people, some of whom have carried their abstinence to an incredible length. At Rome it was practised by kings and emperors themselves. Numa Pompilius, Julius Cesar, Augustus, Vespasian, and others, we are told, had their stated fast-days: and Julian the apostate was so exact in this observance as to outdo the priests themselves; and even the most rigid philosophers. The Pythagoreans kept a continual fast; but with this difference, that they believed the use of fish to be equally unlawful with that of flesh. Besides their constant temperance, they also frequently fasted rigidly for a very long time. In this respect, however, they were all outdone by their master Pythagoras, who continued his fasts for no less than 40 days together. Even Apollonius Tyaneus, one of his most famous disciples, could never come up to him in the length of his fasts, though they greatly exceeded those of the ordinary Pythagoreans. The gymnosophists, or brahmans of the east, are also very remarkable for their severe fastings; and the Chinese, according to Father le Comte, have also their slated fasts, with forms of prayer for preserving them from barrenness, inundations, earthquakes, &c. The Mahometans too, who possess so large a part of Asia, are very remarkable for the strict observance of their fasts; and the exactness of their derivites in this respect is extraordinary.

Fasting was often used by the heathens for superstitious purposes; sometimes to procure the interpretations of dreams; at others, to be an antidote against their pernicious consequences. A piece of superstition prevails to this day among the Jews; who, tho' expressly forbid to fast on Sabbath-days, think themselves at liberty to dispense with this duty when they happen to have frightful and unlucky dreams the night preceding, that threatened them with great misfortunes. On these occasions they observe a formal fast the whole day; and at night the patient, having invited three of his friends, addresses himself to them seven times in a very solemn manner, saying, "May the dream I have had prove a lucky one!" And his friends answer as many times, "Amen, may it be lucky, and God make it so!" After which, in order to encourage him, they conclude the ceremony with these words of Ecclesiastes, "Go eat thy bread with joy;" and then sit themselves down to table. They have also added several fasts not commanded in the law of Moses, particularly three, in memory of sore distresses their nation has suffered at different times; and some among them have kept an anniversary fast in memory of the translation of the Septuagint, in order to expiate the base compliance of their doctors for a foreign prince, and the outrage offered to the dignity of their law, which in their opinion was only given to the Jewish nation. The abstinence of the ancient Jews commonly lasted 27 or 28 hours at a time; beginning before sunset, and not ending till some hours after sunset next day. On these days they were obliged to wear white white robes in token of grief and repentance; to cover themselves with sackcloth, or their worst cloths; to lie on ashes; to sprinkle them on their head, &c. Some spent the whole night and day following in the temple or synagogues, in prayers and other devotions, barefooted, with a scourge in their hands, of which they sometimes made a good use in order to raise their zeal. Lastly, in order to complete their abstinence, at night they were to eat nothing but a little bread dipped in water with some salt for seasoning; except they chose to add to their repast some bitter herbs and pulse.

The ancients, both Jews and Pagans, had also their fasts for purifying the body, particularly the priests and such as were any way employed at the altars; for when nocturnal disorders happened to these, it was unlawful for them to approach all the next day, which they were bound to employ in purifying themselves. On this account, at great festivals, where their ministry could not be dispensed with, it was usual for them, on the eve thereof, not only to fast, but also to abstain from sleep, for the greater certainty. For this purpose the high-priest had under-officers to wake him, if overtaken with sleep; against which other preservatives were also made use of.

Many wonderful stories have been told of extraordinary fasts kept by religious people; great numbers of which, undoubtedly, must be false. Others, however, we have on very good authority, of which some are mentioned under the article Abstinence. Another we have in the

Fasting Woman. Of the many instances of extraordinary fasting mentioned by different authors, this seems to be one of the best authenticated. A full account of this very uncommon case is given in the Phil. Transl. Vol. LXVII. Part I. The substance of which follows. The woman, whose name was Janet MacLeod, an inhabitant in the parish of Kincardine in Ross-shire, continued healthy till she was 15 years of age, when she had a pretty severe epileptic fit; after this she had an interval of health for four years, and then another epileptic fit which continued a whole day and a night. A few days afterwards she was seized with a fever, which continued with violence several weeks, and from which she did not perfectly recover for some months. At this time she lost the use of her eyelids; so that she was under a necessity of keeping them open with the fingers of one hand, whenever she wanted to look about her. In other respects she continued in pretty good health; only she never had any appearance of menes, but periodically spit up blood in pretty large quantities, and at the same time it flowed from the nose. This discharge continued several years; but at last it ceased; and soon after she had a third epileptic fit, and after that a fever from which she recovered very slowly. Six weeks after the crisis, she stole out of the house unknown to her parents, who were busied in their harvest-work, and bound the sheaves of a ridge before she was observed. In the evening she took to her bed, complaining much of her heart, (most probably her stomack, according to the phraseology of that country) and her head. From that time she never rose for five years, but was occasionally lifted out of bed. She seldom spoke a word, and took so little food that it seemed scarce sufficient to support a sucking infant.

Even this small quantity was taken by compulsion; and at last, about Whitmonday 1763, she totally refused every kind of food or drink. Her jaw now became so fast locked, that it was with the greatest difficulty her father was able to open her teeth a little, in order to admit a small quantity of gruel or whey; but of this so much generally run out at the corners of her mouth, that they could not be sensible any had been swallowed. About this time they got some water from a noted medicinal spring in Brae-Mar, some of which they attempted to make her swallow, but without effect. They continued their trials, however, for three mornings; rubbing her throat with the water, which ran out at the corners of her mouth. On the third morning during the operation, she cried out "Give me more water;" and swallowed with ease all that remained in the bottle. She spoke no more intelligibly for a year; though she continued to mutter some words which her parents only understood, for 14 days. She continued to reject all kinds of food and drink till July 1765. At this time her sister thought, by some signs she made, that she wanted her jaws opened; and this being done, not without violence, she called intelligibly for a drink, and drank with ease about an English pint of water. Her father then asked her why she would not make some signs when she wanted a drink; to which she answered, why should she, when she had no desire. It was now supposed that she had regained the faculty of speech; and her jaws were kept open for about three weeks, by means of a wedge. But in four or five days she became totally silent, and the wedge was removed because it made her lips sore. She still, however, continued sensible; and when her eyelids were opened, knew every body, as could be guessed from the signs she made.

By continuing their attempts to force open her jaws, two of the under foreteeth were driven out; and of this opening her parents endeavoured to avail themselves by putting some thin nourishing drink into her mouth; but without effect, as it always returned by the corners. Sometimes they thought of thrusting a little dough of oatmeal through this gap of the teeth, which she would retain a few seconds, and then return with something like a straining to vomit, without one particle going down. Nor were the family sensible of anything like swallowing for four years, excepting the small draught of Brae-Mar water, and the English pint of common water. For the last three years she had not any evacuation by stool or urine, except that once or twice a-week she passed a few drops of urine, about as much, to the expression of her parents, as would wet the surface of a halfpenny. In this situation she was visited by Dr Mackenzie, who communicated the account of her case to the royal society. He found her not at all emaciated; her knees were bent, and the hamstrings tight, so that her heels almost touched her buttocks. She slept much, and was very quiet; but when awake, kept a constant whimpering like a newborn weakly infant. She never could remain a moment on her back, but always fell to one side or another; and her chin was clapped close to her breast, nor could it by any force be moved backwards.

The doctor paid his first visit in the month of October; and five years afterwards, viz. in October 1772, was induced to pay her a second visit, by hearing that she was recovering, and had begun to eat and drink. The account given him was most extraordinary. Her parents one day returning from their country-labours (having left their daughter fixed to her bed-as-usual), were greatly surprised to find her sitting upon her knees, on the side of the house opposite to her bed-place, spinning with her mother's distaff. All the food she took at that time was only to crumble a little oat or barley cake in the palm of her hand, as if to feed a chicken. She put little crumbs of this into the gap of her teeth; rolled them about for some time in her mouth; and then sucked out of the palm of her hand a little water, whey, or milk; and this only once or twice a day, and even that by compulsion. She never attempted to speak; her jaws were fast locked, and her eyes shut. On opening her eye-lids, the balls were found to be turned up under the edge of the osfrontis; her countenance was ghastly; her complexion pale, and her whole person emaciated. She seemed sensible and tractable in every thing except in taking food. This she did with the utmost reluctance, and even cried before she yielded; and at last only took a few crumbs as if to feed a bird, and sucked half a spoonful of milk from the palm of her hand. The great change of her looks, Doctor MacKenzie attributed to her spinning flax on the distaff, which exhausted too much of the saliva; and therefore he recommended to her parents to confine her totally to the spinning of wool.—In 1775 she was visited again, and found to be greatly improved in her looks, as well as strength; her food was also considerably increased in quantity, though even then she did not take more than would be sufficient to sustain an infant of two years of age.