The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-07-16

DIR. TANNER STILL MAINTAINS LIFE on AIR
AND WATER.

DR.. TANNER STILL MAINTAINS LIFE on AIR
AND WATER.
New York, July 15.--The Herald Of to-
day says that the more closely DIR. Tanner
Is watched the more the confidence Of the
watchers In bis Integrity and good faith In
creases. Incredibly In the Qenuineness OF
his experiment has almost disappeared
among those who have been his most per-
sistent Watchers. and this for the simple
reason that they see the great changes
which have taken place In the man since be
commenced his seIf-imposed task, and that
he Is surely breaking down under 1t. Thst
he will hold out for forty days no one OF
the corps OF observers believes, or that be
would be alive at the end OF that period
II he persisted in refusing food. At the
rate he Is sinking now Il would seem that
about thirty days would be enough to end
life and fasting altogether. The watchers
generally concur In the opinion that about
next Sunday or Monday the man will be In
q condition TO make 1t q serious question
whether IL would be safe TO allow him to
continue bis fast, even supposing be Is
willing. It Is significant that the attending
doctors have become anxious about having
restoratyes and stimuIsnts on hand, and
much dissatisfaction was expressed at the
neglect to supply these. AT the same time
DR.. Tanner has already so upset alb calcula-
tons as to the limit OF human endurance
that IL is felt to be unsafe to indulge in pre-
dictions OF how long he will or will
not last. These calculations have been
based on cases OF involuntary starva-
ton, which involve not only depriya-
ton OF food, but a severe mental and
nervous strain. When an enthusiast, who
Is himself medical man, comes forward
and offers himself a. an experiment in sup
port OF certain theory, the conditions are
necessarily very largely changed. "lf you
put a man n cage" said one OF the doc
tors, " and tel him he is TO be starved TO
death he Is dead IN six days from nervous
exhaustion. But this man is fasting TO
prove his own theory. and in the knowl.
edge that he has only TO ask for food at any
moment and it Is ready 10 his hand. We
have never had anything like this before"
The effect of his privation sbowsitself quite
as much in DR.. Tanners mental condition as
in lis physical. He has become so irritable
and petulant that 1t Is not particularly plea
SAINT task to attend upon him. Throwing his
sponge at the attendant as hint that he
wants 1t wetted again, and abusing the doc
tors IL there Is momenlary delay In at
tending to his wants, are triflng matters
which indicate that the faster Is not in the
most equable state OF mind. About
midnight OF Tuesday he was specially
irritable at times, his ride during the
evening seeming to have quite eX-
bausted him. On one occasion be woke
up TO ask for water. The doctors were a
little long in measuring ii, when he eX-
claimed; "Oh. you're lot OF old fogies,
quibbling over a drop OF water while Pm
almost dead" He drank something over an
ounce OF water, and several times after he
called for more with which to rinse his
mouth. He also sucked pieces OF ice. Ex-
cept for these Interruptions he slept sound
~ from II O'Clock on Tuesday evening till
- yesterday morning. The only watchers
from midnight to that hour were DR.. &. ;.
Allen (ecIectlc) and the Herald reporters.
The Neurological Society has not, as is CON-
monty supposed, any regular watch. That
was broken up with the Bradley affair, aud
DR.. HARDWOOD, OF that Society, has been un-
able TO re0rglniZe the watch since. The
-" regular" doctors only cone in as o2sery-
ers, one OF the most faithful CT these being
DR.. Maurice Miller.
[By Associated Press.I
New YORK, July 15.-Entering on the
eighteenth day OF his fast, DR.. Tanner eX-
hibits marked improvement In his physical
condition. From 9 O'Clock last night until
noon to-day be has swallowed between thir-
ty and forty ounces Of water. His weight
this morning was 1879 pounds. Allowing
one pound for his coat, he has gained four
pounds since the figures were taken We'd
nesday. lie took drive to Central Park
early this morning. He forced the dynO-
meter to-day upto Isl against 80 yesterday.
His pulse when last taken was so, tempera-
ture 9S 5, and respiration iG.