Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1877-12-07
A Wonderful Fast.
Paul Nina Pioneer Press.l

ST. Paul Nina Pioneer Press,l
We're II not that physicians are pro-
verbally exact 10 ell statements Of
cases under treatment or brought with.
In the range Of their professional
knowledge, the extraordinary narrative
recorded below might be peremptoFily
consigned 10 the realm Of ahshy yarns.S
But surrounded as It is by personal
knowledge and professional ~Veracity,
the reporter is disposed to accept Ii
without question, and leave the reader
TO settle bic or her own mind upon the
mere Incredible points involved In the
case, and which are substantially em.
braced In the accompanying cOndensa-
ton Of the statement Of Dr.. Amenzo
Meyer, whose Office may be found at
No. 254 Hennepin avenue.
According 10 DR.. Meyers statement.
40 prepared for the Medical Times, he
had occasion to ask the advice Of an.
other professional friend, named DR..
Tanner, during the latter part Of the
Summer. Drs. Meyer and Tanner call
ed on . patient In the night time, and
upon their return to the office, on Hen
nepin Avenue, DR.. Tanner complained
Of illness, and retired 10 the sleeping
apartment connected with DR.. Meyers
Office. Here he remained for len days,
and during the entire time r~esolutely
declined oil profEered nOurIshment, and
limited himself 10 cold water exclu.
sively.
At the end Of ten days DR.. Tanner
considered himself sufficiently recover
ed to indulge In exercise in the open air,
but concluded 10 continue the fasting
test, In order to see how long human
life may DO prolonged without the use
Of any nourlshment whatever. He re.
NAMED in DR.. Meyers Office, and wal
so continuously under the observation
Of Meyer, that the latter 10 positively
convinced that he did not take food
surreptitlously. During the latter part
Of the test DR.. Tanner was daily ex.
amined BY his friend and associate, and
exact records OF hls symptoms were jot-
ted down. DR.. Tanner remained with
out food for just fOrty.twO days, and
the only things used during the time In
the shape Of nourishment or stimulAnl
were q daily walk in the open air and
Q swallow Of water whenever inCllna.
ton pTOmpted-a sufficiently light diet
for any purpose. Toward the latter
portion Of the test unusual physical
symptoms were discovered. While
DR.. Tanner did not show any material
reduction In tissue or strength, the &C
ton Of the heart was visibly weaken
cd, and not the faintest trace Of pulsa'
ton could be discovered at the wrist
With the appearance of this symptom
Of q moribund condition, DIR. Tanner
returned to his feed" In precisely for
ty-tWO days after engaging in bic ex'
tTaordinary experiment. DR.. MOyeI
says that he etc sparingly OF first, bu
soon developed an enormous appetite
such as would prove an immedlat
ruin 10 any we'll regulated church fee
tival or clearinghouse Of limited car
ital. Gradually, however, normal hat
its were resumed, and the "patient"
now In his usual health, ready for som
other man to begin the experIenC
where he left OF.
There arc those who will call thi
story "lction," but witnesses Of lie We
racity may be found in Minneapoll
during Office hours, and the reporter
in justification Of lie reproduction II
this form, a only add that-llke tn
experiment recorded-it had been un
dertaken purely din tho interest Of sci
ence."