Jane Balan, the “French Fasting Girl of Confolens”
One of the earliest written records of a “fasting girl” came from France in the 1600’s. Jane Balan, also known as the “French Fasting Girl of Confolens”. She claimed to have gone three years without eating or drinking. Just like a story in a fairy tale, there were people who believed that she received her “wicked power” when she was given an apple from an old woman who was secretly a witch in disguise. At the time, there was a medical belief in “humorism”. So one doctor claimed that this condition was due to Jane’s living drying up due to poor humors. When she was under medical observation, Jane came down with a fever, and started vomiting. She stopped talking, and became delirious,fearful, and “void of good sense”. They tried to force her to eat, but she refused all food and drink.