The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-08-07
STEADFASTLY STARVING.
Tanner Clad I'm the ArmOr OF his VIII
and Resolved 30 Conquer.
COMPELLING sYMPATBY-DR. HAMMOND GROWS
CoNCILIATORY AND INDIrES AN ANTCABLE
EPIsTLE-RECORD OF THE FAST.

COMPELLING sYMPATnY-DR. HAMMOND GROWS
CoNCILIATORY AND INDIrEs AN ANTCABLE
EPIsTLE-RECORD OF TIE FAST.
NEW YORK, August 5.-The sensation OF
DR.. Tanners starvation Sednce to-day was
the reception Of letter from DR.. William
A. Hammond acknowledging that the
watching had been "honestly conducted"
and that he believed DR.. Tanner had faith.
fully abstained from all food "but water"
DR.. Hoeber, on "old-school" physician
and friend OF DR.. Hammond,
brought the letter too the hall about
O'Clock, and proceeded at once TO
inform the faster OF the sceptic's change
OF heart. Tanner was lying partially dou.
bled up in a large easy chair, thougbtfully
yet mechanically looking with glazed and
hali-fiXed eyes at the tbrong of richly
dressed ladies who were crowding into the
main ball below. He greeted DR.. Hoeher
with faint nOd OF recognition, and allowed
him 10 speak to him about the letter, but
he was unmOved by a recital OF its con.
tents, and moment later. when he had
had time to recall the taunts and slurs that
had been heaped upon him by unbelieving
" "allOpaths," his contempt gave way 10
anger, and he exclaimed in loud
voice, Il don't want TO hear any
more about DR.. Hammond. | don't
want his name mentioned in this hall
again." But" explained bystander,
.'the letter is in your favor. 1t is friend.
ly TO you. 1t vindcates you. 1t will do
you good. You come out ahead. You are
at the top OF the heap. The chief of the aris-
tocratic cabal which has sneered at you now
acknow ledges that he was wrong and that
lr .tnl,a for lf-t
eued with stony indifference, and allowed his
face TO relax enough to assume smile eX-
pressiYe of pain and irony as he saw score
of people crowd around Or. Hoeber, who
was reading the Hammond letter TO a bevy
of amazed doctors. The remarkable docu.
ment ran as follows:
No. 43 WEST FIFTY-F0URTH STREET.
NEW YORK, August 4, 1880.
Dear Doctor,--In answer TO your request
for an expression OF my opinion to you
relative to some OF the circumstances OF DR..
Tanners fast, have to say:
/. That l think the watching has been
honestly conducted, although at times, as
have understood, it may have been negli.
gent.
>. | believe that DR.. Tanner has faithfully
abstained from all food but water.
2. That he has succeeded far better than
| thought he would.
4. That though there have been other al
legged fasts OF long duration, and some even
longer, his is better authenticated than any
other Of similar period.
3. That he has not succeeded in showing
that his organism is differently constituted
from tany other, for he has suffered as
others would have suffered under like de-
priyation.
6. That he has shown that those alleged
instances of fasting month or more with
out the symptoms of iDanition being pro-
dUced are fraudulent or otherwise decep-
tive. This is the most important result pro-
badly OF his trial.
7. That he has shown the inability Of the
human race TO 90 for any considerable
period without water, confirming, there
fore, our knowledge on the subject.
s. That he has shown great pluck, deter
mination, and endurance, and that these
qualities in him command my sincere ad-
miration.
0. That think he ought to stop at once
and occupy the remainder OF the forty days
in trying to put his stomach in suitable con-
dition TO receive that watermelon on Sat
urday.
10. That further perseverance, in the face
OF the serious dangers that now menace
him would, to my mind, be due to false pride.
| am certainly willing to concede that he
can 90 forty days without other food than
| water.
| IL. In letter which / received from him
| few days before he entered on his present
fast he informed me that il he succeeded he
would In the fall accept my proposition to
90 thirty days without any food, water in.
Guided. My offer is still open to him, but
hope for his own sake that he will not ac
cept it. His present victory ought to satisfy
him. Still, OF that he must be the Judge.
am ready for the test.
y. That think the investigations made
OF DR.. Tanner during his fast have been su,
perfcial and restricted. The amount and
character Of the exhalati0ns from the skin
and lungs ought especially to have been an
alyzed. The weighing seems to have been
iniperiectly performed.
IL. That therefore the scientific results
are not what they should have been, but
that nevertheless enough has been shown
10 cause us to modify our views in regard Ia
the effects OF nanition on the human body
Very sincerely yours,
WILLIAM II. HAMMOND.
To DR.. 4. w. H0eber.
DR.. SIMS PRONoUNCEs THE CABLE AEsSAGt
AUTHENTIC.
LONDON, August 5.-The Herald cor
respondent had an interview this morn
ing with DIR. j. Marion Sims at the Lang
ham Hotel. asked him whether he had
sent a cable dispatch to DIR. Tanner OF an
encouraging character. He replied al once
that be had, and moreover that he had
thought OF doing so several days before be
sent the message in question, as he thought
Or. Tanner deserved encouragement in hi:
experiment. There was. he said, no forgery
| In The matter az all. The dispatch, the aii
tbenticity OF which has been called In ques
ton, is entirely genuine.
.e lBy Associated Press.l
NEW YoBK, August 6.-Dr. Tanner en-
tered upon tlle last day Of his fast at noon.
His PAIN Is intense, and ever since last nigh
every move be makes either Induces emesi
or causes eructaiiobs OF gas from the slom
acb. A chemical analysis OF the huld iron
his stomach, 1t Is claimed, shows that th'
fast has been honestly conducted. Ever.
hour be walks around the enclosure with
out assistance, that the spectators may Sc
him. .rs9t,l, !.
ALA. NJ, he was quite sick, and I'll
teen minutes later be was lying on bis co
with his knees drawn up 10 bis stomach
| He asked the watchers 10 notice bis breath
ing without giving hls reasons therefor
| His respiration was found to be fourteen
| tho ,niauta and nafuPal He Tell aslee