Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-08-18
DIR, Tanners Folly.

aug. q euutu Tue lOuH INST
For forty days "Dr. Tanners Condition"
has been in large type heading an item in
all the daily papers of this country. proba-
bly, of Europe also. His weight, pulse.
temperature, strength. walks. rides, talks.
baths, sleep. drinking and vomiting have
been constantly chroniclsd. In fact DR..
Tanner has been the midsummer sensation
of 1880.
We call DIR. Tanner the champion fool
of the times. His undertaking was con-
summate folly, 1t was not possible to dis
cover any new and great truth. neither
science nor morality or religion had any
thing to gain by such an undertaking.
Though one man in a multitude may,
under circumstances, endure such a strain,
the fact accomplished adds nothing to the
sun of our useful knowledge. As well
try human powers of endurance in other
senseless and uncalled for conditions. For
instance, how long could man possibly
live in an ice house. or in an oven heated
to 1909 or 140', how long endure con-
strained wakefulness, how long stand on
his head, or how many pounds of blood
could a man lose in agiven time etc., etcP
The utter uselessness of his fast made it
sheer folly. The harm to himself almost
certain to occur made it wicked as we'll as
foolish. His good health was not to be
improved, but its impairment was alto
gether probable at the outset. Nature re-
fuses TO compromise with such OVERRIDING
and overstraining. Years of suffering or an
abbreviated life may result. Very long
fasts may benefit some invalids but such
medicine is fatal as poison to well folks.
The will power in selfdenial, in carry
ing out a purpose, exhibited by DIR. Tan
ner, is remarkable. But in that chief feat
ure of his success(O DIR. T. was largely
indebted to the public interest in his feat
The public gaze inspires all great en-
beavers. Even trained race horses will
do their best when crowds of interested,
cheering spectators are on the grounds.
Great walkers keep on their feet hours if
not days. because of crowds that gather
toward the close of their self-imposed
crueltes. No man would or could walk
alone and unseen so long and so far as
some do under wagers and in public. 1t
is not at all probable, it certainly is not
shown by this feat, that even DR.. Tanner
could have foregone food for forty days
under less inspiring or constraining cir
cumstances. Publicity doubtless prolonged
his fast. AS a comparison with sleeping
and sick iasters DR.. Tanner avails nothing.
A fast enjoined by nature has no impor-
tant likeness to this voluntary and self
enforced fast.
And what is proved at all Simply
this, that DR.. Tanner could endure absti-
hence from food forty days. That he had
no nourishment cannot be claimed. Be-
sides the forty pounds of water that he
took he was often bathed, not only cold
and hot water baths and vapor baths, but
we read of spirit baths. The system does
absorb nourishment from such external
applications.
Our Holy Scriptures mention Moses,
Elijah and Jesus Christ, fasting, each forty
days. Does DR.. Tanners feat rank him
with them or does it abate aught of the
miracle feature of their prolonged fast
ings,
As for Moses we have his own testimony
(Deut. 9: and 1S) a abode in the mount
forty days and forty nights; neither did
eat bread nor drink water" "And l fell
down before the LoId, rs at the first, forty
days and forty nights; did neither eat
bread nor drink water" Here are tWo
fasts of forty days each, and probably no
long interval between them. And no
Water!! These fasts were seasons of ex-
allied communion of soul with God. 1t is
probable that he felt no sense of hunger
or thirst in all the time. 1t was no con-
strained fasting. will power was not tested,
but his soul SO dwelt with God in the
mount that his body felt no want or need
AS for Elijah we read in 1. Kings 10; 5-e
how he was fed miraculously, not only
once but twice, and "went in the strength
of that meat forty days and forty nights
unto Horeb, the mount of God" The
miraculous preparation for his fast ant
his long journey performed during his
fast put the prophet in class that DR.
Tanner has no relation to.
Concerning Jesus it is written (Matt
4:2), When He had tasted forty day.
and forty nights He was aflerward an hun
gered." These last two words suffice t.
mark the Savior's fasting as above com
parison with anything Or. Tanner ha.
achieved.
The Scriptures nowhere affirm or init
mate that man cannot abstain from fooc
forty days. And DR.. Tanner has no
proved that any man can so fast as did the
three who met on the Mount of Transfig
uration.
This man has done what no other mar
ever did-what few fools ever attempted
to do. But it has been forty days folly
No man is the better for it, no man can b,
the wiser for it.
Perhaps DR.. Tanner believes that al
people eat too often and too much. Coult
he demonstrate this he would lay substan
tial foundations for an eating reform. TIL,
demonstration should be attempted on ,
scale of some magnitude. The operatives
of factory or the men of mine or quar-
ry-a few hundred of lhem-might b,
persuaded to serve as experimenters. Lei
one half eat and drink rs usual and The
other shall eat and drink only two-third:
as often and but half as much for 81,
months. At the expiration of the tim.
let the tive sets be compared in health
weight, strength and in quality and amount
of work done. Nothing less than such M
experiment will convince ordinary work.
ing people that they eat too much.
Judge Morrison, Col. O'Beirne anG
Gen. Burke addressed largely attended
Irish meeting at Rutland, Saturday night
A number of democrats were present and