New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-01

man when the doctor was taken sick. She exhib-
tied symptoms Of fainting, but was p,onPty
recalled to herself by vigorous pinch from her nus
band.
:" He's looking pretty bad" said one man "much
worse han when saw him last" an
Isn't he wondertuIF exclaimed another he
looks better every time see him." m g..
"Well Pm betting that the old man will last IL
through" was the comment of third.
At an early hour the visitors were dismissed anu
the DOCTOR after carefully irving TO find the place
where tine most air was stirring, retired.
OPINIONS OF THE WATCHERS AND OTHERS.
DR.. Miller who has been decidedly skeptcal, said
that although Dr. Tanner somewb hat weaker
he would venture no further predictions. Dr.
Hoeber is especially emphatic in his declarations
that there is not the slightest danger of sudden
collapse.
Dr. Tanner himself calmly disdaining any posi-
billty of failure looks beyond the watermelon thar
is supposed to form the goal of his DESIRES TO long
vista of lectures ut 800 "A night.
From the very beginning of the fast DIR. Tanners
hostility to Dr. Hammond has steadily in
creased. and he now seems to feel that
the chief satisfaction 10 be derived rom
successful termination of his task VIII be
what IS spOken of as a trumDh over Hammond
Bnt an examination Of DR.. Hamm0nd's writings
shows that he has distinctly stated his beilef that
person could exist an indefinitely long tlInc witnont
food At the same time DR.. Hammond showed the
paucIty Of well authenticated accounts OF such
fasts. -.
yesterday by a TRIBUNE reporter.
DIR. Hammond have YOU ever stated yonr aus
belief in a PERSONS existing more than Il week OF
ten days witnOut food p was asked
NO not at all" replied tho doctor. " hayc re-
peatedly said that believe it to be nm known now nov,
long person can Exist without ioou, pl"ninrd oIrd
of long abstinence from food when persons nave beeh
buried in mines or i'll some way shut IN from any
pGssiDle food supply. Then there ~ an interesting
case though not really fast, of some people who
were buried under an avalanche and lived on tea
spoonful of milk day for thirty-bye days -
y" Then Dr. tanners fast, if successful, VIII DIS
prove nothing that you have saldW u
u" Nothing whatever and, moreover. it will prove
nothing. These eases have spoken OF are as vel
authenticated as Tanners. or better Now, believe
in Tanners honesty. and, taking the fact for granted
what is there gained BY II but notolety lhe OBJ
servatlOns taken for scientific purposes nave oVi-
IDENTIFY been ineXact, so lar as can iearn
from the papers for of course | haven't
been nj the hall They began weighing him in
lager beer saloon and they have changed the scales
two or three times since Then he has been weighed
with his clothes on. Now. everybody knows that
clothing absOrbs moisture ON a damp day Then
the pulse and temperature have been taken ltIegu-
larlv, at different times each day. mp to the last
week or two. Moreover the watch has apparently
been conductei, this fast will not be accepted as
demonstrating scientific fact"
"Will yOu say anything as to Your belief in the
fastg
rather think Tanner is honest. although food
is n great temptation to Il starving man but can
not and no scientist can accept anything aS absO-
lutely proven by the fast
Has not tins subject oil lnanltIOn Deeh studleu
scientifically ("
Certainly it has by experiments on animals
ChosSnt and BrOwn-ScquaId have made the most
careful observations rabbits. dogs and other
ANIMALS Through their experiments the amount
of daily loss the muscular and nervous waste, and
tbe influence of lack of food up0n the secretion,
circulation and temperature have been thoroughly
studied"
But an exactly conducted fast would result in
come scientific benefir, would II not 4
Some, yes. But 1t would establish no rule
What one might do thousand others would be un-
able to carry out at all. However mau putting
himself under proper conditions and submitting TO
be the subject OF a rigid exact, scientific export
ment would he interesting object of study, and
there would undoubtedly be something to learn"
SOME STATISTICS OF THE FAST.
DR.. Westcott, who has been endeavoring to ascer-
tain the physiological teachings of the fast from
the data at his disposal, gave the following table
last night, which shows the comparatively small
amount of water drunk by DIR. Tanner, from the
twentv-ffth to the thrty-frst day, or while his
stomach was most seriously troubling him