The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-07-28

twenty-three layers of cartilage between the
twenty-four bones comprising the vertebral
| column is undoubtedly the cause of DR.. Tan
ner's decrease of two inches in height within
three weeks. When he began fasting he
measured feet 81 inches in height. To-day
he measures just feet 81 inches as he stood
up by the measuring rod. The fasting mans
weight remains the same as yesterday. He
mas not been in quite as good humor to-day.
The usual tests have been applied and they
show that his general condition is not
materially changed.
THE DOCTORS MAIL.
New York Fun.
DR.. Tanner received a telegram from
Jolick u Blaisdell, Of Chicago, offering him
81 600 per week to deliver 100 lectures after
he has finished his forty days fast. No an
swer TO the offer has yet been made.
NOTABLE INSTANCE OF WOMAN FASTING.
Boston Transcript
In view Of the experiment of DR.. Tanner,
Of New York, in his attempt TO fast forty
days, case which heard of in 1872, whilea
patient of Dr. Pussy Heard, in his Hygiene
Home at Wilmington, Del, may be Of inter-
est to your readers; A Mrs H., small lady
with dark complexion, who was visitor at
the above health institute, accompanied BY q
daughter, who was received as patient, in
formed me that twenty years before she was
a hopeless dyspetic, suffering all the terrors
that the term implies and given up to die by
her physicians, when new physician, q
health.reformer, who In those days, as class I,
were noted for their "heroic treatment" un-
dertoek the treatment of her case, If she
would follow implicitly his instructions, en-
couraging her with his firm opinion that abe
would be cured as a result. Believing that
she must die In any event which shows that
her will power was about exhausted
consented to his terms which we're
in brief, TO abstain from
food until he should order otherwise. The
second and third day of her fast she suffered
excessively from hunger, after which she felt
no desire for food. Her tongue soon began
to swell and gather Shiny coating which
continued for twenty days, during which
time she exercised more or less daily, as her
strength would permit On the twenty-frst
day the coating came off her tongue in q
mass, leaving II in q comparatively normal
condition; her physician then ordered her
little rice water, and by degrees she reached
generous diet, and found to her great Joy
that all her old dyspeptic symptoms had dis
appeared, and that her enjoyment of food
was as intense and natural as che could de-
sire. She stated, however, that ever since
her recovery she had been obliged to exer-
else care in her diet as her stomach had not
recovered its original tone and elasticity,
which could hardly be expected. In conclu-
sion, have always considered this remark
able case, and fully believe in It's truthful
ness, as does DR.. Heard and there are ln-
doubtedly others here in Boston who know
Of it, as II hsppened here; and it seems TO
me that If sick woman, weak and emacia-
ted from dyspepsia, can live twenty-one days
without food, II ought TO be possible for
man endowed with good health and q liberal
allowance Of adipose material, backed by Q
strong will, to refrain for forty days, though
perhaps this reasoningis not altogether logi-
cal. A. w. d.
SENSATIONS OF STARVING.
Commenting on the Tanner exploit, the
Baltimore Sun remarks: "There are cases on
record of men having tasted forty days or
more, though none very well established, 1t Is
believed, Of sane men having succeeded in
doing without food for just that period.
Many years ago there was well known Ger
man music teacher here in Baltimore, who,
when youth, acting under strong religious
impulie, attempted to fast forty days. The
result in his case was paraly sis Of the facial
muscles and permanent loss of health. There
are cases Of lunatcs who have lived fifty
or sixty days without other food than water.
The Journal Of political convict who
starved himself to death, living nineteen
days, and who kept an accurate record of his
sensations up TO the seventeenth day, has
been preserved. It is chronicle of bodily
misery and mental horrors which is simply
shocking to read. Starvation, in fact, like
any other disease, is attended with pain, dis
tress, loss of functions and destruction of It's
sue. II is marked by debility and an exag-
geration of the weaknesses Of poor hui
mainly. When maniacal delirium does
not supervene there is almost sure TO be
suspicion, mistrust and melancholy. Acute
diseases are engendered, such as scurvy diar-
rhea and dysentery, with alterations, desqua-
nations and calculations of the skin and dis
gushing odors. In fact, the body feeds upon
itself, and in so doing goes through a process
which is partially decomposition. The organs
arc reduced in bulk, and their functions are
suppressed. The mucous surfaces and Innings
are consumed. All the fats in the body are
burnt up In the effort to maintain the neces-
sary degree of animal heat. The blood loses
three. fourths of its volume and force; the
spleen is reduced 10 per cent, the pancreas
GA per cent, the liver 81 per cent, tho heart
"A per cent, the intestines AZ per cent, and
the voluntary muscles AZ per cent. The vocal
organs are almost paralyzed, the voice be-
coming low, hoarse and harsh; the gait feeble
and tottering where locomotion is possible at
all, while the eye glares with a wild metallic
glitter that is as painful to witness as the stare
of the Chinese opium smoker Frequently
the extremities slough away or are attacked
by gangrene, and the eyesight is often de-
stroyed. If Tanners experiment goes on
and is not actually vitiated by fraud, this Is
the spectacle which the good people Of New
York are invited to go to see-admission 25
cents, children half price.
A Fusion I'm Maine.
Augusta, Me-, July 27.-Both Democratic