The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-07-29
Complete and Partial Starvation.

DIR. Tanners fast is commonly sup
posed to have demonstrated that life can
be sustained in the absence of all nutri-
ment for a much longer period than has
hitherto been supposed to be possible.
This is an error. 1t has demonstrated
that there is a greater sustaining power
in mere water than was before definitely
known to medical science. DR.. Tanner
may be said to have proved Dr. Ham
mond's assertions and his own as we'll.
The former, speaking from all previous
experience, declared that the duration of
human life when totally deprived of nu.
triment, which included water, varies
from nine to twelve days, and he ex-
pressed grave doubt whether it could be
longer sustained under this condition,
however favorable the surroundings
should be. Dr.. Tanners flst has proved
as certainly as any event can be proved
which has not happened that this view
was correct. It has shown that under
favorable conditions, involving but slight
nervous waste, a man cannot be expected
to hold out over the twelfth day in cir
cumstances of complete starvation; and
that even with the free use of water ex-
ternally, and the frequent drinking of
very small quantities, about sixteen days
will produce so alarming loss of vitality
as to make a fatal termination of the
fast near probability.
When DR.. Tanner asserted his ability
to fast for forty days he contemplated q
free drinking of water. Nevertheless,
when he began his task, he determined
to abstain from drinking, merely using
water externally and to rinse his mouth,
on which occasions he usually absorbed
about drachm. He adhered to his res
olution for sixteen days, except that be
once, after great nervous excitement,
drank four ounces. During this period
he grew more and more into the condi-
tion of fever patient. His craving for
water became incessant and of growing
intensity. Night and day he rinsed his
mouth at intervals, which steadily be-
came shorter; he kept his head wet with
towesl he saturated his pillow he
sponged his neck and face constantly /;
he kept a wet sponge in his hand always ;
his sleep became short, broken and rest
less; his mind was so affected that he
grew morose, silent and feverishly irri
table to a degree that made attendance
upon him severe trial of patience and
temper. "NYater, water!" was his cry
night and day. Yet no amount of mouth
rinsing nor of external application suf-
feed to satisfy the burning thirst which
seemed to be consuming his whole sys-
tenn. At last, on the sixteenth day. the
chief physician in attendance, seeing
that the man must break down utterly
in two or three days, urged him to drink.
Others, who were also closely watching
the changes taking place, agreed with
DR.. Gum that the end was near at hand.
DR.. Tanner could hold out no longer.
He began to drink, and to drink freely.
On the day named he drank forty-four
ounces, or two pounds and three-quarters
of water, and it was then that he was
found to weigh a pound and q half
heavier at night than he had weighed in
the morning. But the increasein weight
is the least surprising of the changes
which the water drinking has affected in
the man. 1t has operated as stimulant
of wonderful energy both to mind and
body. Very soon the moroseness and
irrilability disappeared, and the Doctor
has become cheerful and almost joyial {;
his heavy languor has gone; he again
enjoys chat with those about him his
daily rides give him keen pleasure; he
has discarded sponges and wet towels /;
his sleep is profound and restful. In
fact, with the free drinking of water he
became changed man.
How long the stimulating effect of this
will last the attending physicians do not
pretend to guess at. The turn will be
seen when the fasting man again begins
to lose in weight. Whether he will last
the forty days is doubtful. His suffer.
ings during the first sixteen must have
seriously wasted his vital energy. Had
he been cut off from the use of water in
any form from the first day not man of
those who have been most close in their
attendance upon him believes that he
would have been alive or sane at the end
of twelve days. That he could have
gone twenty days using water externally
and only very small quantities internally
is considered improbable by many, and
those whose opinions are most entitled to
weight. But with freely drinking all the
water he feels inclined to, he may per-
baps complete his self-imposed task. He
will, in that event, have demonstrated
that there is a great and hitherto un.
known degree of nutriment in water, but
not that life can be sustained under con-
ditions of complete starvation for q
longer period than previous experience
has shown to be possible.-NeD YORK
heraM.