Ann Moore Received Food Through Kisses
In one famous case, a woman named Ann Moore claimed to be a “fasting girl” out of pure desperation. After her husband left her, Ann worked as a housekeeper, and became pregnant by her employer. She was incredibly poor, and barely ate enough food to keep herself alive. When she was 45, it was known in her community that she apparently had no desire to eat at all. In 1807, she apparently tried to eat a piece of biscuit, and then immediately vomited up blood. In 1808, doctors decided to monitor her for 16 days. They declared that she was, in fact, a medical marvel. For the next few years, Ann Moore became famous. People visited her from all over, and they gave her money to live on. It was later discovered that her daughter was helping her eat by passing food through their mouths when she kissed her.