The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-07-24 00:00:00

A FASTING EXPERIMENT IN NEW
YORK

The Philadelphia Correspondent of The Times, under date
July 15th, says :

The chief American sensation just now is Dr.
Tanner's fast in New York. Dr. Tanner, who comes
from Minnesota, announced his disbelief in the
medical theories about starvation, declaring that he
could live forty days without food. He began his
self-imposed fast at noon on the 28th of June. Com-
mittees of physicians have been steadily watching
him. The daily reports are causing such an interest
that Dr. Tanner is now anxiously discussed by the
whole country. To-day at noon closed the 16th day
of his fast. He then had lost 25Pb. in weightt, his
pulse was 95, and his temperature 98. He is cheerful,
but weak and nervous. He drinks water now,
though heretofore abstaining whenever possible.

Writing again" on the 18th The Times' Correspondent
says :

Dr. Tanner's fast in New York is still absorbing
public attention. The 20th day of his self-imposed
task began at noon on Saturday, when his pulse was
76, his temperature 98405, and respiration 16. He
drinks water copiously, and also takes long rides,
claiming that water and air will effectually nourish
him. His weight had decreased by 271 b., leaving his
actual weight 1321 b. on Tuesday. Since then he has
been gaining, his weight on Friday being 1361 b. Dr.
Tanner is cheerful, and is confident of completing his
forty days' fast.

The New York, Tribune of the Bth inst. states: An
admission fee of twenty-five cents is now charged for a
sight of the fasting doctor. This was necessary as
a measure of self-defence, as Dr. Tanner has been
exceedingly annoyed by visitors who had disturbed
him.—The following additional particulars are
also given :—From midnight, Tuesday, till 7 a.m.
Wednesday, Dr. Tanner spent mest of his time
sleeping on his cot, which was placed in the window,
with his head outside. "The stirring air is so re-
freshing," he said. His night was rather a rest-
less one. As a rule, however, he sleeps quietly,
and seldom seems to be disturbed by bad dreams.
At 3.30 a.m. he complained of cold, and was
covered with a rubber blanket. About half-past
five he rose and dressed, his clothing and bedding, as
usual being searched. He washed his face, head, and
hands, and the physicians noticed during his toilet
that " his bones were still well covered with fat."
At 7.23 he walked nine laps round the hall, when his
pulse went up to 116, and was free but weak. About
nine o'clock he received a piece of rare roast beef by
mail, which he declined with thanks. He read the
morning papers and appeared calm and rational.
Dropping off to sleep for a few moments, he seemed
restless, and cried out. Some letters were read to him,
and after a nap he remarked that he no longer had any
desire to swallow water, and that his natural cravings
seemed blunted. At eleven his pulse was 96, and his
temperature 98 3-10 deg, About 1.15 p.m. a Miss
Manser began playing the piano. The doctor exclaimed,
"Let's have some music,' and, leaping from the cot to
a chair, he jumped to the floor and ran into the large
hall. He thanked the performer, and expressed his
sincere enjoyment of the music. Dr. Tanner's time
was passed in short naps, bathing his head, rinsing his
mouth, and talking to the attending doctors. He seemed
strong and confident. Lying down about then, he Was
very restless, and suddenly pitched his rubber pillow
out into the middle of the floor. He then
quietly fanned himself with a huge palmleaf. About
five a young woman began to play. "Go on," ex-
claimeci the doctor. "You can't play too much."
Afterwards she sang, and he applauded by clapping
his hands. Throughout the day he called for wates
oftener than previously, and he caused wet cloths
to be placed upon his head and hands. Towards
six he seemed restless, and twisted himself into
all sorts of ungainly attitudes as he lay upon his
littie cot placed in the hall window. Whenever
a new physician was introduced Dr. Tanner
said, courteously "I am in your hands. You
do your part, and I'll do mine. Just stick to me and
I'll be all right." At 6.15 his temperature was
97i deg., and his pulse 80 deg. He walked once
round the ring in the hall; then went back to
the front window for fresh air. Noticing that a
crowd was collected in the street watching him,
he said, "It reminds me of a reed shaken by the
wind." About seven he took a toy marble into his
mouth to excite the salivary glands. He was plea-
sant and even inclined to joke. Freshly-wetted
towels were applied to his head as he lay quietly on
the cot for some time. About 8.20 he walked into
the ante-room, followed by his watchers, picked up a
comb and brush and made a hasty toilet, standing
before the.glass. He then returned to the cot in the
large hall. A number of people had entered by this
time, and they were silently grouped about the railing.
Some interesting experiments were made by his
watchers about nine o'clock to determine whether or
not his sensibility was diminished. The Eesthe-
siometer was employed, an instrument consisting
of two sharp points which are arranged at right
angles to a graduated scale upon which they can
be moved backward ancriofward. This was applied
to Dr. Tanner's feet, legs, hands, and arms. He
was almost invariably able to tell whether one point
or two had been applied, even when they were very
near together. He distinguished distances as small
as three-eighths of an inch, and the opinion of the phy-
sicians was that his sensibility was not diminished.
These proceedings were watched with bated breath by
the curious crowd outside the railings. While doctors
were pinching Dr. Tanner's legs one man whispered
"See, they are taking his temperatuie." Another
man came out of the hall, and meeting a companion,
exclaimed, "You ought to have seen what they did to
the doctor. They took sharp knives and pierced his
hands and feet. Oh, 'twas a terrible examination
they put him to, and they pronounced him all right."
At last Dr. Tanner became weary of the crowd,
and motioned them back to seats along the walls.
As an additional security against interference,
ropes have been stretched from side to side of the
railing enclosing Dr. Tanner's bed, table, and chair.
The doctor says that ff he dies he is willing to have
his body used for scientific purposes by the physicians.
His watchers yesterday were Drs. Danielson, Allen,
Griswold, W. C. Jarvis, W. L. Tuttle, William
Rogers, A. G. Reid, M. M. Miths, Perley, H. B.
Kent, G. M. Eddy, Gunn, and Wash.

_ .
Another account issued on the 7th inst. states :
Dr. 'I anner claims that the crisis is past. No severe
craving for food was experienced this morning. Should
none make itself felt the test will hereafter devolve
entirely upon the ability of the vital organs to mai&
thin their functions without food. Ong physician ex-
presses the opinion that Dr. Tanner will suddenly be-
come delirious after the twelfth or thirteenth day.
Following that event he may die at any moment from
lockjaw or convulsions of the muscles. He might be
resuscitated if his condition were discovered in time,
but the chances would be against him, owing to his
excessive weakened condition. The principal change
to-day in his condition is a decline in temperature, it
being 98 25 at six p.m. If it falls five degrees more
the result will be fatal. The doctor is still resolute
and hopeful,

The following are extracts from the New York Times
of the 10th inst. :

The fasting doctor from Minnesota, who came 1,600 miles
to prove to the physicians of this city that a man can live 40
days and 40 nights, without partaking of solid or liquid
food, entered on the twelfth day of his self-imposed task at
noon yesterday, expressing himself as confident of success. A
close study of Dr. Tanner, as he appears in Clarendon Hall,
Is all that is necessary to convince the observer that he
is suffering intensely from the unnatural strain to which
he has subjected himself in the interests of science, and the
strong will-power of the man which enables him to endure
it without flinching is a phenomenon of human nature.
He is a marvel to the doctors, and their medical theories as
to body tissue and the food necessary to sustain it are trem-
bling in the balance, and may be said to depend on the
success or failure of Dr. Tanner's experiment. The regular
physicians of the city have now taken the experiment in
hand in earnest, and a committee has been formed, one of
whom, at least, is continually present at the starving man's
side. This committee keeps a regular record of its own,
independent of that kept by the eclectic and other "irre-
gular " physicians, who also continue their watches; and
with both these opposing elements jealously watching the
patient and each other, the chances of Dr. Tanner surrepti-
tiously smuggling food into his craving stomach are cer-
tainly reduced to a minimum. If he succeeds in evading
the Argus eyes which surround him, he will accomplish
almost as difficult a feat as a successful fast of forty days
would be.

The Doctor has passed through a woful change in appear-
ance since the beginning of the week, and he now presents
symptoms of starving, which even Dr. Hammond could not
gainsay. His face, which was full and pleasant-featured at
the beginning of his fast, is now emaciated and haggard.
His eyes are sunk deep in their sockets, and added to their
sleepy depression is a bright glitter, which is terrible to look
at. The man is not delirious, and no symptoms of insanity
have yet been noticed by the physicians, but a timid person
would hardly care to be shut up alone with thlit glittering
eye for company. His walks are less frequent day by day, and
when on his feet, though he does not sta.,,,ger, his step shows
a lack of firmness which all his skill and pains cannot con-
ceal. His tremendous will-power enables him to make exhi-
bition spurts at times, and he runs up the stairs leading to
the balcony at a pace which astonishes his visitors, but these
spurts are forced, and he lies down on his narrow cot com-
pletely exhausted after them. Unless all signs fail, he will
very soon, if he lives, be unable to walk at all, and this will
aid him in his task,.as every unnecessary motion which he
makes is an unnecessary waste of force, which increases the
consumption of tissue, and thus shortens the time which
he can hold out. The doctor, however, cannot be brought
to take this view of the case. He has a theory that exercise
does him good, and that he possesses some power which he
does not himself understand which retards the consumption of
his body. He makes no claim that there is anything super-
natural about this power. He says that it is a natural force
which preserves vitality, and that all men are endowed with
it to a greater or less extent. Dr. Tanner's mouth is parched
and dry, and he is obliged to use water to rinse it now
oftener than at the beginning of his fast ; but the peculiar
"starvation odour," which precedes dissolution from want
of food, has not yet been detected in his breath. This is
wonderful, considering that he has now passed nearly twelve
days of abstinence, so far as is known, and the doctors are,
at a loss to account for the phenomenon. The "regulars,'
however, and many of the "irregulars," predict that the
fatal odour will soon manifest itself, and they say that when
It does, the end is not far off. He must be treated for star-
vation then, or die a martyr to hie peculiar theories.

The gentlemen having the Doctor in charge, and those
who have given their closest attention to this remarkable
experiment, are now firmly convinced that Dr. Tanner is
honestly carrying out his programme, and that no food has
passed his lips since he began the fast. He has converted
the " regular " physicians who are studying the experiment,
as well as the doubters among thp "irregulars." Dr.
Maurice N. Miller, of the University of New York Medical
College, whose reputation as a close observer and scientific
practitioner stands high among the regular school of physi-
cians, of which he is a member, said to the Times' reporter
last Tuesday night, after his first watch: "No regular
physician; after seeing Dr. Tanner, could be made to believe
that he has been without food three days." Last evening he
said to the same reporter, in answer to the question what he
thought of Tanner's. honesty, "I am compelled by actual
demonstration, which is to my mind conclusive, to do Dr.
Tanner the justice of saying that I believe he is honestly
fulfilling the terms of his remarkable experiment. I do
not believe he has taken any food since he began his
fast. I can only speak of my own knowledge for the
last three days, and I know that during that time he
has had nothing but fPur ounces of water, which he
drank early yesterday morning. I am convincedTa the
honesty of his experiment by many powerful reasons.
He is emaciated Wow, and shows every symptom of a
starving man, with the exception of the starvation odour.
In addition to this there is enough physiolog cal evidence
to prove to the mind of any unprejudiced man that the
doctor has eaten nothing. I have made experiments since I
began to watch which have proved to me beyond doubt that
the man is subsisting without food, and these experiments
Iwill prove of great value to the medical profession.—" How
much loiter, doctor, do you think this man can live aud)
take nothing to sustain hiral"4-" Well, that's a 'difficult
question to answer at this stage of the experiment. Hb Ira

already lived a long time, and, to far as I can see, ha is per-
fectly rational, though very nervous and irritable at times.
He is failing, though, very rapidly; and if it were not
for the water he is taking, I would not give him three
days. He drinks nothing, it is true ; but he is constantly
using water. He rinses his mouth frequently, bathes, ap-
plies wet towels to his head, and holds wet sponges in his
hands. Prom all these sources water, which is a greater
sustainer of life than ordinary people imagine, is introduced
Into his system by absorption, and this is aiding him in the
struggle through which he is passing. But even with this in
his favour, I do not believe that the man can live live days
longer without food of some kind. He complained of nausea
to-night when I had the thermometer in his mouth to
measure his temperature. That is a very bad symptom, and
to my mind shows that the end is approaching very steadily.
He told me that he had experienced this feeling off and on
Since the beginning of his fast. I don't know how that
may be, but he certainly has never complained of it before.'
Dr. G. N. Weeks, another " regular " physician, corrobo-
rated Dr. Miller in his views as to the honesty of Dr.
Tanner. " I thoroughly believe," he said, "that the man
has not tasted a morsel of food since he began his fast. Ms
waste of tissue and decrease of weight since the beginning is
very good evidence that he is fasting precisely as he proposed
to do. Ile has already accomplished the greatest fast of
which we have any authentic record."—"Suppose the man
suddenly collapses," said the reporter, "will there be any
chance of saving his life?" "We don't intend to let him
commit suicide under our eyes," was the answer. "As soon
as he shows serious symptoms of a collapse we shall warn
him of his danger. If he refuses to take the necessary
stimulants then I, for one, shall be in favour of forcing them
down him, just as I would force the knife from a man whom
I found trying to cut his throat. It might be dangerous to
attempt this on a man so weakened from long abstinence,
hut it will be the only possible way to save his life if he
proves obstinently bent on self-destruction." .z...„
In order to secure for their patient as much freedom from
annoyance as possible, the physicians having him in charge
have settled on certain hours when visitors may see him.
These hours are from ten to eleven in the morning, three to
four in the afternoon, and eight to nine in the evening. No
person except his watchers will be allowed to approach him
hereafter except at these times.

Under date July 20, the Correspondent of The Times,
telegraphs :

Dr. Tanner began the 23rd of his fast at noon to-
day. His weight is now 1341 b., his pulse 72, tempera-
ture 99, and respiration 15. He was restless last
night, but otherwise cheerful.

Dr. Tanner is fasting in the Clarendon Hall, New
York. The entirance is in Thirteenth-street, a few
stone steps kading the visitor to the levelof the second
floor. Thence by a passage way under the southern
gallery the main floor is reached. Tanner's cot is close
by an open window, and is almost on a level with the
sill, and he sleeps most all the time with his head and
arms on the sill, apparently with a view of getting
fresh air. The floor above the faster's fort is occupied
by the United States Colslege of Physicians, as is the
floor beneath it, as dissecting rooms and other pur-
poses of the college. The gentlemen who are the
medical watchers are graduates of this special school
of medicine.