The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-08-05

SAtNA cANNNAg WY go w. --NAN 49,
believing, and claim that q man can
not live and enjoy the health enjoyed
by Tanner and follow his course.
The idea of the discovery OF nutri-
ment in water. more than was ever
known before. is absurd. Any per-
son knows that water is simply
hydrogen and oxygen in combination,
elements that are as thoroughly IN
derstood, and their properties as fully
known ss any can be. Water simply
makes fluid, and it is necessary to the
body only SIS S fluid and not as nutri-
ment ss the term ia universally
understood. It is the combination OF
carbon with these elements. in its
various forms that makes thu tissues
and gives strength. II DR.. Tanner ie
receiving nutriment from any source
it certainly Is not from pure, spring
water, and the claim that the present
fast has made any new discovery in
regard to the qualities or properties
in water is q manifest absurdity. By
many it is claimed the popular idea,
that persons can only live nine days
without food, will by this trial be
proven incorrect; but such an idea
had exploded long before Dr.. Tanner
thought of exploding it. In many
respects the trial now exciting so
much interest to all is ridiculous;
there can be no benefit derived from
it in any way; it will add nothing to
medical information that will prove
valuable for the treatment OF cases in
future; in fact, it will prove abso-
lutely nothing, except that one man
can live forty days without food while
another man can live but twenty; Just
the same as some men can walk 600
miles in q week, while it would
kill others, and just the same as
one horse has more endurance than
another. It might serve to show that
some people eat more than they
needed, a thing that can be attestsd
in many other and less dangerous
ways; but physicians state that they
can point out five persons who eat
too little for one who eats too much
especially in this weather. II may
possibly aid in the treatment of dye
pepsis, but even this is a question,
In what manner DR.. Tanner vii
have assisted in any way in adding to
the knowledge Of his profession is q
very serious conjecture among bis
colaborers. In fact, he is gaining
glory among all but physicians. and
il is but reasonable to presume that
they would hail with delight, as they
have always done, any discovery that
tends to clear away the mystery of
diseases, and would hold in reverence
the memory of any person who
knowingly offers up his life q a sac
rifice to the great cause of guarding
the health of human beings. Instead
of these there is sn impression that
he is practising q fraud, though the
evidence is wanting. While be may
fast the forty days, and still be
alive, his greatest trial will be
when he begins to take food into his
system, and this, it is stated boldly,
will result in his death; and for the
sake of comfort and ease it would now
be better for him to continue to stsrve
until be dies. II his fast has been
genuine at the end of forty days the
digestive organs will have lain mac
tive for such a great length of time
that they will refuse to perform theil
accustomed functions. It hardly
seems probable, however, that a man
would willingly endauger his life
unless possessed Of the strongest con-
yietion that he can survive. or tina!
his death, il it comes 10 such a pass
will be of value to his race. It il
possible, and even probable, ss the
doctor has the benefit of gate receipt;
from visitors, that be is little sharper
than the rest OF mankind, has devised
means by which he can obtain sus
tenance, and will make money easily
and at the same time gain little
cheap notoriety. Certain it is, the
whole affair is difficult OF solution;
perhaps new light may be thrown or
the vexed question at the end OF the
forty days.