New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-04-12
THE FASTING GIRL PROBLEM

The modern fasting girl is the opprObrium OF
science The latter insists that she cannot live
without eating and drinking. She as stub
bornly persists in living without eating and
drinking. When DR.. Tanner made his expert
ment science was staggered, but that little
episode was trifle to the feat of Kate Smul-
sey, who is said to have lived thirteen months
without eating, and most Of the time without
drinking either. In cases of this kind the
usual and much the easiest method of explana-
ton is by Hat denial of the alleged facts, and
this is facilitated by making sundry important
assumptions, as that such and such a thing is
opposed to natural laws and therefore could
not be. Thus it is an axiom of medical science
that life cannot be sustained beyond few
days without Authorization, and certainly
if physiology alone is concerned in the matter
the soundness of this view must be admitted.
ID is true that there are few wellattested
cases in which life was sustained without the
possibility of Authorization, the most notable
being that of the Indian fakir who was walled
I'D in a vault at Lahore, and who two weeks
afterward was disinterred and found alive. In
that case however, there was minimum of
waste of vitality, the subject being in trance.
Kate Smulscy was not eDtranced, and during
the greater part of her feat her body was In
ncessant motion. according to the reports, so
that there must have been an abnormal expend-
iture of vital energy.
The physicians who attended her differed
widely as TO the nature of her complaint, but
we believe they agreed that she really did not
eat or drink. Her parents and friends main
tain most earnestly that deception in the
case was impossible. This assertion will
not prevent contrary statements being made,
but when there is a consensus of belief in GER
tain facts among a number of intelligent and
reputable people. and when these have taken
pains TO substantiate their belief, and to ex-
clude error, it is difficult to regard the usual
denial of the facts as an adequate explanation.
If the laws of physiology were as fully and
minutely understood as might be inferred from
the dogmatism of many men OF science, there
would be no excuse for the teeming fail
ures of medicine. The veritication of one
such case as that of Kate Smusey, how
eyer, would ncccsstate the admission of
psychologist hypothesis in such cases. since
il is evident that physiology does not furnish
the solution of them. Considering tho extent
TO which the study of mental conditions, and
their influence upon physical processes, IL Oelng
carried at present, moreover, the broadening OF
the scope of inquiry here suggested should not
seem either inadmissble or irrational In
practice, every successful physician acts upon
this view, and there can be no sound thtra-
peutics without recognition of the interaction
of mind and body.
In the fasting girl cases the old-fashioned
Alexandrian fashion OF severIng the GOrdian
knot is falling into disfayor, because 1t is felt
to be an EVASION, and not determination. In
effect the indications are that some venerable
theories regarding the conditions of vital ac-
ton may have TO be discarded. The facts APP
pear too stubborn to be dealt with otherwise
than scientifically. in short. and when this is
realized it is quite possible that medical science
may find itself upon the threshold of new and
important discoveries.