Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-09-27
WONDER-WORKERS.
ALIVE IN THE CRAVE.
Csrfeus Stories Concernins the Indian Fakir's
Trade Of Bsiaa Barred for Months.


New York Mail and Express.I
Much has been written of late about
the capacity of frogs to live for years
in rocks. Of much greater interest.
however, is the fact that human beings
can lie for months buried underground
and then be brought to life again.
Such phenomenal beings are not, Of
course, found on this continent or in
Europe, but in India, that veritable
realm Of wonder-workipg. A German
writer, DR.. Du Prel, has recently writ
ten very interesting essay on the ca
pacity. often proved, Of Indian fakirs
to allow themselves to be buried for
longer or shorter periods aud to come to
life again, smiling after the ordeal. Ina
Persian work The Dabistan) on the re-
lieious sects Of India the statement was
made that there were individuals who
possessed tie power to separate the
soul from the body and to bring them
together again at will, and that such
persons could exist without breathing
for weeks at time. European scientists
refused for long time to believe this,
but actual experiments have proved the
marvel. DR.. Du Prel, in his curious
essay. says:
1.-The first trustworthy information
received in Europe about the Indian
fskirs was from DR.. Johann Martin
Honigberger, who spent many years as
q court physician at various Indian
capitals, and who wrote a book cnti-
tied Fruchte aus dem Morgenlande,
published in Vienna in 1851. DIR. Honig-
berger, after paying flying visit to
Germany, returned to Lahore in COM
psny with General Ventura, who told
him what had happened with the Fakir
Hsridas during his absence. An In
dian prince had heard that this
fakir possessed the miraculous power
Of allowing himself to sink into
apparent death, to be buried and
to be kept in his grave a num-
Der Of months before being exhumed
and again brought to life. The Maha-
rsjsh summoned the celebrated fakir TO
his court and babe him make the ex-
pertinent. The fakir did not hesitate.
He sank into condition resembling
death. and his body, in the presence Of
the prince and grandees, was wrapped
in linen and placed in box, on which
the prince himself hung the lock. The
box was then buried in the garden Of
one Of the ministers, outside the city.
Over the grave barley was sown round
about it high wall was built, and sem
tinels, who were relieved every few
hours, were placed on watch. Forty
days sfterward the prince, accompanied
by his Ministers of State, General
Ventura, an EDglishman, and a
physician, went to the garden. The
box was exhumed, and in it lay the
fakir, cold and stiff. BY the applica-
ton of warmth to the head, the blow
ing Of air through the mouth and ener-
getic rubbing Of the body. the man was
quickly resuscitsted. One of the min
listers then said that he had known the
same fakir to have been buried for four
months. On the day of the burial the
chin had been smoothly shsven, and on
the day of the exhumation it was found
to he perfectly smooth. The Calcutta
Journal Of Medicine 1885 reported
that the same fakir had frequently
been subjected to similar experiments
by EngliSbmen, though with them
he had always insisted on hav-
ing the box hung up in
the air instead of buried, as
be feared the ravages Of ants. DR.. HO-
nigberger says that the way the fakirs
go to work to produce this peculiar
condition is to have tho little ligature
under the tongue cut, whereby they are
enabled to stretch this organ out to a
great length. Then they turn it back,
inserting the end in the throat, and
closing up at the same time the inner
nasal apertures. The external aper-
lures Of the nose and the ears, he says,
are closed with wax, and the eyes
covered to exclude the light. Long
preliminary practice is, however, needed
in holding the breath, and long course
of fasting before burial. There are
stories current Of fakirs who have eI-
isted, not for months, but for years, in
a comatose state"
Other Indian travellers have reported
maryels about the fakirs. Braid, the
discoverer of hypnotism, reports two
cases communicated to him, the one by
a diplomatic agent at the Court of
Lahore, the other by an English major
who lived long time in India. The
first case refers to Haridas, mentioned
by DR.. Honigbergcr. and Sir Claude
Wade is given as one of the witnesses
of the disinterment and reyivification.
The second case is taken from book
of travels by an English officer entitled,
REPORT of Journey in Rajwarra in
1885" In this the story is
told Of fakir who wandered
about and allowed himself to be
subjected to interment whenever
he was well paid, arranging the
length Of time according to the
amount Of his reward. He was buried
within the four walls of a small house,
the dsor of which was then walled up
and a guard placed. Four weeks after
wards the body was taken up and found
in the same position as when placed.
The teeth were SO firmly pressed to-
gether, however, that an iron instru-
ment had to be used before the mouth
could be opened and water trickled into
the throat. Consciousness returned
slowly, the fakir began to speak in a
low voice, and after awhile grew so
lively that he expressed his readiness to
submit to burial for year longer if
only the prince should so command
him.
In another case a fakir was buried
without first being placed in box.
The experiment was made at military
station, and the officer in charge be-
came so frightened that he ordered the
disinterment after only few days.
Though the process Of reyiyiticatlon oc-
cupied more than hour, it was sue
cessful. Professor Preyer, in his work,
Erforschung DIES Lebens, says that q
number Of cases Of this kind have been