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THE 59 Key on board the frigate "Surprise" in the course of the bombardment of Fort McHenry, Md., by the British fleet in 1814. The words on Key's suggestion were sung to the tune of "Anacreon in Heaven," which is supposed to have been composed by John Stafford Smith about 1773. The anthem, as soon as it became known, attained great popularity and the first public singing is said to have taken place in a tavern near the Holiday Street Theater, Baltimore, the singer being Ferdinand Durang. The moving character, both of the sentiments most thrilling of the national hymns of and the melody, has placed it among the any country. "The Star-Spangled Banner" (Washington, 1914), by O. G. T. Sonneck describes the evolution of the anthem, and contains different versions of the text and music.

STARVATION or INANITION, the physical effect produced by the total want of food and water. The symptoms of starvation in man are: an increasing loss of weight, severe pain in the stomach, loss of strength, sleeplessness, great thirst, in some cases stupor, and in other cases nervous excitement with convulsions. Death occurs in about eight days. With a good supply of water, however, life may be prolonged, in the absence of solid food, for a period of two or three weeks, and cases have been known of persons surviving for two months and more. Gradual starvation may result from continued low percentage of nutritive elements in the daily diet.