The Republican

HAS NOT EATEN IN SEVEN YEARS
This Youth Has Been Fed Through His Stomach During About Half of His Life.

Charles Kelly, 14 years of age, who lives with his parents in Fairmont, W. Va., has been unable for seven years to swallow any solid foods. He weighs about 30 pounds, and consequent upon his lack of nourishment, has no muscular development.

This pitiable condition was brought about when the little patient was a strong and healthy youngster 7 years old. One day by mistake he drank a diluted solution of lye, or caustic potash, which is used in making soap.

The corrosive power of lye, as a rule, brings about fatal results, in this case, however, the solution was greatly diluted and remedies were applied at once. Probably irritated by the poison and the emetics hurriedly used, the little fellow's throat contracted, cutting off all communication with the digestive organs. A number of operations proved unsuccessful, the patient wasting away to a mere shadow. At last the plan of feeding him with a silver spoon through an incision in the stomach was adopted. This and his ability to breathe have kept him alive.

Occasionally he can swallow a little water.

Last week his father placed him under the treatment of Prof. Melville Daniel, who hopes to bring the throat back to normal conditions by means of the massage treatment. The little boy is in full possession of his mental faculties and is said to be bright and cheerful under his affliction. Professor Daniel is sanguine that his method of treatment will succeed. He is a Christian Science healer who recently succeeded in curing a case of persistent hiccoughs from which the patient was slowly dying.