The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-01-03
Fasting Forty.twO DAYS.

Fasting F0rty-tWO Days..
A Minneapolis letter to the New York
World says: DIR. III. S. Tanner, the
hero of "The SIX Weeks Fast has
published a, very long letter on the sub
ject, the main point of which is The Of
fer contained at the close. That such a
feat as he claims to have done is not an
impossibility, he contends, from the
cases of the Saviour, whom, however,
he admits to have been more than hui
man, and of the wife of DIR. Smith, of
this city, who is said to have lived 81
days with no other nourishment than a
little gum-Arabic water He also cites
the instances of Kane, Fremont, and
other explorers, who have preserved
their vitality under prolonged fasting
and hardship; then goes on to argue
that in ,s' hibernations of coldsblooded
reptiles and certain superior f6rms of
animated nature we have abundant ev-
idenee to support the assumption that
total abstinence from food for MANY
months does not involve the total ex-
tinction of the vital principle. - Hi
bernating animals, DIR. Tanner says,
snow no loss of flesh after passing a
winter without food-which, indeed, is
not usually the case; all through the
parental period the embryo child exists
without air or food, and there are innu-
merable well authenticated cases of
catalepsy or trance in which persons,
from a variety of causes, have sunk
into morbid state which has been mis-
taken for death. In these cases, as in
alternating animals, the involuntary
forces were suspended, the lungs and
heart no longer heaved and puisated,
the blood ceased to circulate, and the
limbs grew stiff and cold. Thousands
in this condition have been prematurely
buried; come to life, turned over in their
coffihs, and persisted. The Doctor con-
tends that this condition of suspended
animation Is identically the same as that
found in animals during the winter re-
pose, and that there is nothing to show
why it should not exist for an indefinite
period, as the same law that sustains
the lower animals through the long,
tedious winter months in a condition of
suspended animation is simply sufficient
to sustain and keep alive the vital spark
in the higher forms of animated nature,
when conditions are favorable. When
the voluntary powers of our bodies are
exhausted they fall asleep at night, and
in the morning we wake up refreshed
But when the involuntary powers are
entirely exhausted by pain or fevers, or
sickness in general, they fall asleep.
This sleep we call death. If not entire
ly exhausted, but closely approximating
TO it, then we get the condition above
described. Hence at death, could the
laws of chemistry that decompose our
bodies be suspended, and could the en-
tire system, blood and all, be kept in en-
tirely the same condition as when we ex-
pired, we should wake up after few
days in perfect health. Says DIR. Tan
ner:
"It was with desire to know more
about this change, to probe its mystic
ries, that l voluntarily undertook the
discomforting task of exhausting the in
voluntary forces of my system by forty
two days of total abstinence from food, |
and by daily exercises | so far succeeded |
as to be brought to the very portals of
the tomb. l could almost see over to
the other shore;' the hearts action was
well night suspended; for number of
days there was no percepuble circula- |
ton in the eXtremities. In consequence |
of my own imprudence in drinking cold |
water to excess and. unduly exercising |
on the thirty-eighth day of my fast,
which induced persistent retching and
vomiting, with intervals of severe hic- |
cough, the experiment was not pushed |
to the extent desired and intended.
do not hesitate to declare it as my firm |
belief that it is not impossible for hui
man beings, peculiarly constituted and
under favorable conditions, to remain |
for months in a condition of suspended |
animation QIke the lower animals), de-
prived of air, food, and water, and |
buried six feet under ground, withal. 1t
is awell established fact that alternating |
animals do exist for months in a condi- |
ton of suspended animation. Who, in
the face of these facts, dare affirm that
man, the browning glory of all animal |
creations, is incapable of such expert
ence?" e --.-
By way of final argument is adduced |
the familiar case of the Sikh fakir, who |
could retain life during period of ten
months when buried under the ground |
in sealed box.
The Doctor then announces his will
lingness to repeat his fast under strict
tests, but he does not wish to do so to
obtain notoriety, to crafty idle curiosi-
ty, or to make money. This, however,
he will do: He will repeat the expert
ment, under the strictest surveillance,
for 5000, the amount to be raised and |
deposited in any trustworthy bank in
Minneapolis or st. Paul. If he succeeds |
in totally abstaining from food for forty
days 1000 shall be subject to his order
at the expiration of the time allotted to
the experiment; the remaining $1,000
shall be subject to the order of the Ma
tron of the Heuse of Refuge at Mime
apolis, to aid her in her noble endeavors
to reclaim the unfortunate. Ii he fails
in totally abstaining from food for the
time specified, then all claim on the
money shall be forfeited, but in such
event the amount shall constitute poor
fund to be distributed for charitable
purposes as properly selected commit
tees shall direct.