New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-08

PFCUIIARIrIE, OF THIS FAST
One OF he remarkable features OF Dr.. tanners
fast is hat there has been practically no lall IN tho
temperatnre of the body. In animals, Chossat
noticed that torpor preceded death but no ndica-
tons OF approaching torpor or derirm have been
noticeable III Or. Tanners case. About the twenty
savcnfh dav ne exhibited ono or two lapsa 8 % mem
orvmOre through lrrtabity and w,akncss appar-
entity than any disturbance of the BRAN.
4 woll-knOwn materialist said Yesterday " his
fast has done moro to shake my belief In material
ism than anything that have ever known Of We
materalists believe mind TO be simply function
of the brain. and that at every thought certain
brain cells are destroyed. II the brain DE affected
its fnncfon-thought-ls impaired. But DR.. Tan
ner has undergone terrible nervous strain, a.
shown by the large waste of the phosphatcs sun
despite this drain upon the brain. ms ild has re-
manned clear and active. cannot reconcile this
with my belief"
Another feature of the fast has been the effect Of
water upon Or. Tanner. Ii has added force ana
volume to his llagGlng pulse, sent color TO ms
cheeks and revived him rs II II were veritahle
stimulant. After RETAINING from water, as he did
his thirsty tissues absorbed II like sponge ana the
result was the surprising gains ~ weight noticeable
from the sixteenth to tae nineteenth day.
WHAT WAS EXPECTED.
What most physicians expected would happen to
Dr. Tanner is told by DR.. Carpenter one of the most
renowned authorities on physiology.
"The most prominent symptoms Of starvation
said DR.. CARPENTER as they have beer noted in tho
severe pain IN the region over the stomach which is
relieved on pressure; this subsidies after day or
two. but Is succeeded by feeling oil weakness ana
sinking in the same region. An lnsatIaDle thfSJ
supefyenes which, ii water be Withheld honce1orth
becomes the most distressing symptom. The c0un-
tenauce becomes pale and cddayerOus; the eyes ac-
quro n peculiarly wild and glistcnng stare
general evacuation soon manifests itself The BODY
then exhales a peculiar fetOr, and the skin Is COW
cred with a brOWnlsh and offensive secretion. Inc
bodily strength rapidly declines the sufferer tor
l. /. l,..... raul 81 he ~
Incapable OF me least eAeI'loh' nc aeiid. po"eio
exhibit n similar pro-tiation. A. first there Is
usually state of stupidity, which gradually IN
cTeases to lnbeclilty so lha II Is diIuCut 10 huuCc
the sufferer to make any effort for his own Dement,
And then state of manacai dellrlum frequently
supervenes. Life terminates either calmly nv
gradually increasing tOrpldity, or, a. occasionally
happens, suddenly, in a cOnynlslye parOXysm.'
DE-. Tanner has lived upon nOunshmcnt derived
whether II be recardc as food or a5 having a
purely mechanical junction but the force that he
has daily expended has come from the consumption
Of his own tissues. One granme Io'I2Z grams, %.
tat oXidz d in the body eXcrts force that Will MT
PITTS pounds a foot; and one gTainne OF ledh
Muscular fibre viii furnish force sufficient to raise
Ia SOB pou.ds foot. Tn 10 s claimed II where
DR.. 1anucr has derived has force for walking ana
cxcrtiug himself els hc has. The tat was oNldHed
rather rapidly ~ first, ana The more sohd mus
cuar tissues later and more slowly.
The loss of water from DIR. tanners lungs and
SKIN has proved 10 be much Jess IMAM t4e minimum
loss usually gwen by psychologists MS SuHeIlle'
when not drinking water nave SHOWN 'h',' "'ter IS
necessary for the preservation Oh me- ana MS great
reduction IN weight and general distress indicate
fine aisurdfy of stories of painless abstinence iIon
food for "a long period. But the most lemaIhaDle
fe,ur4 of INNS fast is the display of VIII power that
has been seen. Sick exhausted hs attendants lear
ing his death. aud tine doctor himself II0uaoA 'e-
crctlv acknowledging It's possibility, tne faster ha,
yet preserved bold irOnt ana mahlully peiseF elou
IN ms terrible ordeal
GETTING READY TO srARyr.
DR.. Tanner breakfl-tod on q quart of milk on the
day of beginning his fast and drank the same guam
ititv NJ quarter of H. Ills weight, with clothing
was 1J7I2 pounds, temperature 800. pulse varying
from 81 10 90 average puse 80, and respiration Is
He WAS strippcd. and was found 10 be of good mus
cular development lie was carefully searched
GIVING Up WATER.
# was on the second day of the fast that Dr.. Tan
per resolved To abstain from wafer because lie had
heard that Dr. Hammond declared 1t to be food, and
be therefore, eschowed &c at once. But be soon be-
gan TO suffer from thirst. lie grew feversh and
restless. and constantly bathcd his head and gar
Qlcd his throat IN order TO absorb as much water as
possible lie walked or drove ont nearly every DAY.
The observation, were not taken NJ the same tlme
each day, and the weighing was clrelessy con-
ducted. On the tenth day Dr. Bradley saw sus-
tirIous mOvcmcuts.' and Che consequent excitement
md nervous worry exhausted Dr. Tanner more than
n weeks fast. He drank four ounces OF water I'M
mediatcly after tins disturbance. Then he reIained
again from water until the sixteenth day. us sur
trrjuos from want of water were intense, and lie eN-
Unified wonderful seil-denlaL The normal guam
of wafer a healthy ADMIT Is SAtF OF seventy
ounces aud fifteen or twenty ounces IN the IOou'
DR.. Tanner retained about two dTacnnS, or one
ou9rtrT Cf an ounce, daily, of the water used IN gar
cling his throat and absorbed PROBABLY from I'VE 10
len ouucos from the spoDgeS and towels. But tins
mclpre allowance was insufficient, a. IN, appearance
speedily testified. lie lost weight rapidly, grew
restless nervous and irritable and exhibited signs
of an approaching collapse. Forced by MS own
weakness he began drinking water again on the SIX
teenth day and for the next four days drank avery
large quantity, the effect OF which was shown IN
| cain in his weight. Inc doc or revived aItef
dTiuking this water, seeming better and stronger
lie took his one or TWO drives day prOmenaded Ill
| fine hail and conyerscd with visitors.
! Nothing especial occurred until about the twenty
Gffh day when the faster began 10 be &hected with
! nausea. He thought that the water he had Deon
drinking was harniul 10 hluli anu ne ilhIne"'Hl5
! cut down his allowance and began din&lhg hOJ
! water 10 relieve his gastric diSiur0ances' rms
! seemed to benefit him somewhat, nut niue IlIer
! the nausea increased and vomiting set IN. FOR
about the last two weeks OF the fast Dr. Tanner was
troubled with this persistent and eXnaustng Yomlt-
| ING and in consequence steadily grew weaker. Ills
| stomach had Income SO irritable that water was M
! stantly rejected, and he suffered terribly from
thirst without being able to obtain relef. Cr0tOn,
well, spring. purified Croton, two or thIee KINDS
| of mineral waters and carbOnIc acid water, We're
all tried, IN addition TO Dor water; he ,Sppar-
| emily preferred the carbOnc acid water. during
the last week. the faster grew weaker rapidly, ana
was kept quiet as possible ms condition BONG re-
| qardcd as very precarOus. But his wonderful re-
cuperatlon Yesterday astOnished every one ana IOr
| a time dispellcd all fears.
Dr. Tanner has recently been watched by, Drs
Osborne, GOODWIN BaUndIl, OllltLtlt ''ui4If'iH
Miller, Ioober, Cooper and BedelI; of the regulars
| and Drs. Gum, Perley, Nark. huntze Grlsw)ld
valiant Plunkett Egan, Danielson Wilson, Brush
| Black. Price and Dewey, of the new school
SOME STATISTICS.
The following table gives accurately the obser-
yatons taken during the fast The highest and
| lowest pulse are given where there was an ex-
tensiye variation on the same day. and the highest
temperature As Will be seen. on some OF the days
| tLe observations were not complete. A striking
feature of the table IS the uniformity of the tenn
| peratures which show few and slight variations
heioyv the normal point $3.50, when marked fall
| wonld naturally be expected. The high pulses on
! some days were occasioned by exercise or excite
nent lust before the observations were taken.
$gsg ! i !. g a :i: :: :.s !. pound.