The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-09-11
DIR, VIM, II, AUSTIN,

Times OF Tue loln july; Our reporter called
on
Dir. VIM. II. AUSTIN,
United States marine. hospital surgeon, wlo
WAS found at his office in the custom house.
He was asked his opinion OF tho Tanner
fast.
"Well," remarked the surgeon, 81 don't
think he can succeed in his undertaking 1t
is an impoSsibility."
"The system must have nourishment to sus.
tain IL, and when the nourishment is with
drawn the system must give way. He may
succeed in fasting twenty one or twenty-five
days, but doubt very much ii he can hold
out any longer. 1t is II great undertaking,
will admit, but you cannot live without cat
ing, any more than steam engine can be
made TO run without steam"
"Ye,, but how do you account for Tanners
picking up hesh'" asked the doubling re-
porter.
"Oh, WELL that is singular, true, but then
you must remember that when he gained
three and half pounds in one LAY that he
drank nearly four pounds Of water the same
day. Ii is no use, to live you mus, cat. 1t
is like the Dutchman's horse just when no
nearly succeeded III making it exist without
food, the animal died.
"Suprosing, for argument sake, he does
accomplish the forty days fast, what will be
tho effect of the long continuous fast upon
his SYSTEM
at will be ruined, irreparably ruined He
will never enjoy a days good health.
doubt very much that even now, if no hasn't
ruined himself for life
DIR, VANCE.
the assistant United States marine hospital
surgeon, was asked what no thought ofthe
attempt.
ut will result ina failure. JIo will die
under the attempt believe. A fast ike the
one Tanner proposes is out of all reason and
beyond common sense, much less physical
impossibility."
"Then no won't worry through? ?"
al do not think he can. | should not be
surprised to hear, at any time, of his death"
PROFESSOR or ANATOMY AND CLINICAL SUR
gerry, or THE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY or
LOUISIANA.
In answer to a question put to him, he
answered:
"rhere Is no doubt in the world but what
Tanner will fail. lie Is losing hesh At the
rate of two pounds day, and how is life to
/ be sustained when what it feeds upon is dis.
appearing so rRpidlyi Nature has provided
a machinery for the sustensnce of life. and
this machinery has to be kept in operation
by food.
"Now, lie can be prolonged for certain
time without now supply of this food fuel,
because it can feed upon the fatty substances
that have been slowed away in different parts
of the body at various periods, but when this
extra supply is exhausted life must become
extinct"
DIR. STANFORD +. CHAILLE,
tho eminent professor of physiology and pa.
biological anatomy, was next visited at his
dwelling, Tho reporter was shown up to
the doctors room and requested 10 be seated
by its occupant,
"rhe Times would like to publish your
views on DR.. Tanners feat ~
with pleasure" answered the doctor. ITO
begin at the beginning then, experiments
have proved that healthy man deprived of
both solids and fluids dies within period of
from six to ten days; how long he can live
without solids, but with full quantity of
water is undetermined. There arc reports
that lead us to believe that life may be pro,
longed for six weeks under such circum-
stances.
DIR, JOSEPH JONES.
" What do you think about the chances of
DR.. Tanners pulling through" Queried the
reporter of DR.. Jones, the president of the
board of health.
4" can't see why he should not accom-.
pish his feat, so long Us he is allowed water
There are number of instances on record,
well authenticated, ofpersons living long
time wi hout eating"
Have you ever met with such cases during
your practice rs physician ?"
Yes; remember being called in to SEQ
agirl, who was then in.Nashville, who was in
tlicted with somnia. She would wake up
about twice every twenty -four hours, for
few minutes each time, and during these
waking spells would take but the slightest
morsels Of food"