Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-09-13
DR.. Tanners Lecture,

Dr., Tanners Lecture.
Dr.. Robert A. Gum introduced DR.. Tanner
in Booths Theatre, New York, last Thursday.
The house was not half filled. DR.. Tanner be-
gan his lecture by iustancing the historical and
other fasts since tho times Of Moses and Elijah,
and then said that his fast of forty days was
undertaken to silerc, those physicians who had
set up the cry of fraud" whenever they had
spoken of modern cases of fasting aud to vindi-
cate himself, whom they had denounced as a
preteuder. Ia his early practice of medicine
be discovered 10 fasting euro for many dis
esses-for example, dyspepsia aud inhauma.
tion OF tho stomach and otaer diseases. He
tasted for forty Two days 10 Minneapolis in
1877, but the medical faculty denied that ho
bad done so. A case of long fasiog-that OF
Mollie Fsncher. of Brooklyu-having been rs-
ported, Dr.. VIM A. Hammond, of this city,
had declared it fraud, and ohalIeoged any
person to abstain from f,od for forty days, and
this was DR.. Tanners opportunity to vndicatp
himself
DR.. Tanner said that even DR.. Hammond
had agreed with tho general opirion that tho
fast was honestly conducted. There was not 60
much unauimity, however, about the value of
the forty days fast 10 science. Not only the
fast. but the rapid recovery after it, was en-.
nently successful in upsetting the prevalent
theories of physicians. He wlu|d use the evil
dence that the fast was honestly conducted as
weapon against tho established views Of medical
experts on the subi:c of both fasting and re.
coVsry from the etf.cs of fasting. lis claimed
that it established tho truth Of ono belief he
had held for many years. that the sanative or
healing priuc pie, is 10 tho man. and not in tho
medicine. .-...
In all fuuc:ioual or organic arrangements OF
his owa body, he had implicitly relied upon this
self healing prIucipla 20 restore tho equilibrium
withou. the use OF drugs. Ho had uabcurdsd
faith in the potency Of this God implanted p1ia-
ciple, and it WAS tha. faith that n.blod him to
abstain from fJ0d Tho same faith eusbled him
10 partske OF liberal diet at the end of bis
fast in the face of tho 8aroipg ct nearly
the entire medical profession that By so d iog
he would mset with speedy dsath. The tact
was that the vigorous sc ion of tho stomach
prevented the disastrous results that wers pro-
dicted. He kneW what he was about when he
partook 80 plentifully of food. and tho result
was he said:
II did not die as you see. l gaioel thirty
pounds in nine hours. My cxperieuoa shows
the impotence of drugs, the uieIeSs0ess OF mer.
curry and arsenic" ,.
DR.. Tanner quoted Dr.. Carpenters desc:ip-
ton of fstsrVa!ion. and claimed to have di5prov,d
its accuracy, because, ho said, he did nos show.
while fasting or afterwards, tn, oadavarousosss,
the secretions on the skin. tue tetld breath, the
tottering walk or Lbe dsciY OF tha N :nal paw
ers predicted by DR.. Carpenter. He gas con-
Vlnoed that the prevalent idea of medical *
perts that rest AID inactivity we're nc, 'ss4ry
proopg life duriog issiog We're dI-proved.
He thought he had demonstrated thit &C
tivty ia necessary during fasting to throw oft
the impure matter that would othergiso make
| the fasting fatal Hs Was also satlsh ID that his
| experiment would eliminate from future fasting
| trials the palsyiDg effect Of fear. He quoted
/ imaginary Injuries. HecIaimed TO have proved
| beyond question that reople generally eat too
maoh, and he estimated that most persous can
live on abeut quarter of the food they cow
consume. Much force is expended 10 getting
rid of superhuuus food. That fogos might be
turned into physical or mental labor.
| DR.. Tanner specially commended ab5Ioe5co
from food as cure for DYSPEPSIA aud rheuma.
tism. He said that after fasting for medical
purposes there will be natural call for food,
! which may then b, taken 10 sufficient qusnt!ty.
He quoted letter from Dr.. q. A. Wood Of
Montreal, who had published his approval OF
the plan Of treating disorders Of tho digestive
functions by fasting. He said that dpspesla is
our nstioual disease, and the best way to get rid
of it is to adopt the advice of Shakespeare ard
"Throw phYsio to the dogs"
Finally Dr.. Tanner argued that his tHo trlum.
phsut fastings lad proved the in mortality Of
the soul. Although constantly eliminating
larpe quantities Of phosphorus 10 hls talks. dis
a AZ ssions and other mental exercises, be Claimed
4 thet bis brain Was not irl ured By the fast be
= had undergone. This. he said, disproVed tho
4 materiaIis,ic theory of tho construction ct the
\ mind, and proved beyond question the power or
the us;nd over matter. Ho had been able to
4 overcome the keenest papg5 CT hunger by a
nero effort of the will. lis will was eouStsrtly
aslrspgthered to enable him to 60 on With bis
sbstioerca, He claimed to have demonstrated
That there ia sn intelligent something indepen
] dent of matter. He claimed also to have de-
monstrated that va depend upon electric lntu
| epess 10 the atmosphere for much OF our
4 strength. This electric power, be asserted
helps change the vauous blood into arteria
blood. lie further claimed TO have proved thai
there ia life sustaining force 10 personal mag
/ uetism, or animal magnetism. He trusted tha
| the doctors would be led By his experiments e
iuvessigata further the laws Of life, 80 that Ia
! stead Of dealing out drugs they would become
, she teachers Of the nation.
ARVEST TOOLS at SO King, corner o
jh Royal street. Alexandria, va.-On hanc
ard FL, ssIo wholessle and retail, Genuine Eng