, 1880-08-08

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TANNERS TRIUMPH.
DR.. Tanner has at last finished his long
fast, and the country is free to devote 1tsen
to more Important issues than the mere AIM
less curiosity 10 see how long this particular
individual can 60 without eating and not die,
Whatever else may be said of DR.. Tanner, he
must be credited With extraordinary will
power and equally extraordinary tcnacity,
persistence, and endurance. Physically he
is hero. Indian savages at their su1s-
dances have suspended themselves on hooks
in the flesh of their backs and swung in air
until the hooks tore themselves out, without
a groan being uttered BY the stolid sasages.
Martyrs have given up their lives at the
stake for their faith without faltertng or re-
cantation. There have been innumerablo
cases Of torture, self-imposed and imposed
by others; but not one OF them cal1 be coH.-
pared with the forty days famine tnrtnra
which DR.. Tanner has cheertnlly and volun-
tarity endured. It was I courageous defiance
of every one of the functions of Nature as
we'll as of the dogmas Of Science. Most people
suffer great discomfort in losing o,e meal.
" udL luuaL uAV9 DEEH uob OIlS ZIG ulSSuaA-
fort, but the horrible tortures Of man who
has lost 10 consecutive meals, moi Of ne
cessity, but upon his own motion, with the
knowledge that the food which his system
crayed and for which 1t was crying out was
all about him and could be had at any
minute. Every method Of Nature was re-
yersed. Every organ was arr. stcd In its
natural funtt tIons and set to dong strange
work until It WIS brought to the verge Of
collapse. Stripped OF its natural nutrition
the body was living upon Itself day after day.
It was like kindling slow consuming fire
in his vitals whose burning produced excr,l-
ciating pain. Every force Of Nature that is
exerted to Sustain Life and nourish it was
suspended in its operations except his
indonitableir iron will, which grew stronger as
the body was consumed to clnder, and kept
it under subjection, and defled and desplsed
pain. From this point Of view Dr.. Tanner
is hero.
Bunow that the self-imposed forty days
fast is accomplished, what OF 1t? What
really usefu! purpose has it Subserved? 1t
will not induce people to fast because they
know DR.. Tanner has lived six weeks with
out eating. 1t is not going to induce people
to eat less. There are big eaters and there
are little CATERS and gluttons have been g|ut-
tons from time immeuorial, and will continue
to be to the end Of time. If 1t could induce
people to eat less and eat plain food, and not
to overload their stomachs, it would be well;
but temperance has been preached since the
days of Paul. and Is illustrated with an in
creasing list every year OF victims of dyspep-
sia, apopIexy, and the diseases Of disordered
stonachs. 1t proves nothing, because the
medical books contain numerous Instances
OF fasts quite as remarkable as his. But it
is said, if DR.. Tanner succeeds in his forty
days. fast, it will encourage the Involuntary
victims OF fast-by shipwreck, for instance,
or other disasters-to know that they may
live forty days without eating. But fast
ing on an inhospitabie island or float
ing on the sea, exposed to the hot sun and to
the vicissitudes of Nature. without friendsin
sight, with the knowledge that no food is
near, with no help near by In case of
emergency, with no admission-fee to witness
the spectacle, or pleasant drives to get the
air and change, is different thing from
Tanners fasting in 4 comfortable hotel, with
plenty Of friends around, with doctors we'll
supplied with medicines, batteries, and all
the appliances for restoration, with the
knowledge that he could have food any in
slant that his vii! grew weak and he wanted
to quit with every preparation made for his
comfort with plenty Of attendants to give
him baths, rub him, and minister to his
slightest wants, with some women sending
him their sympathy in bouquets, and others
expressing it still more strongly by insisting
upon marrying him, with handsome daily re-
ceipts for his pocketb0ok, and the prospect
that when the fast Is over he can lecture to
the American people. and that the American
people, always on the search for sensations,
will flock to his lectures and give him hand
some remuneration. These advantages the
poor devils floating for days on the sea, or
washed upon the shores Of foodlcss islands,
do not have. Unquestlonably they keep up
courage as long as they can,-for no man in
health Is very dcsirous to die; but how much
would the knowledge that Dr.. Tanner went
without eating forty days in his comfortable
hotel quarters help them? Place Dr.. Tan
ncr himself in All open boat and set him
adrift without hope Of food or sight of hui
man being, would be endure longer than
other men?
There is one view of this matter which is
sad one. We shall now have shoals Of
monntebanks and bumbugs who will seek to
make money out of the excitement attending
Dr. Tanners experiment by getting up
fasts OF every possible description. Mr.. Ter
ence McGuG may exaggerate little
when be writes to the New York Truth:
=" As another step in the same direction, lam
willing to live three days and three nights In
a whales belly If the T. II. G. 4. will pro-
vide suitable whale and have it comfortably |
furnished" With all Terence's desire to
establish Divine truths, his proposition is not t
much more ridiculous than the entertain
lnents in the way OF fasting which will be
speedily offered to the American people |
The mania will have its little day, so little, |
however, that landlords and land}adies need !
not fear any din,inutIon Of their extEaor- |
iinary profts,-al,d then some other folly !
will take its place.
II the order Of precedence in the matter Of !
meeting the approaching necessity, the |
:entral water-works must be regarded as pre-
eminent. The business Of supplying the |