The Hazlehurst signal., 1885-11-05
ALIVE IN THE GRAVE.

eA<@ - 49, ~
Some Stories Concerning tho IN
dian Fakir's Trado.
Much has been written OF late about
the capacity Of frogs to live for years
in rocks. OF much greater interest.
however. i the fac, that human beings
can also lie for MONTH. btricd under
ground and ,hrn BE- brought TO life
again. Such phenomenal beings are
not. of course. found on this continent
or in Europe. but in India, that verita-
BILE realm Of wonder-working A Grr-
man writer, DR. du Prcl. has recently
written very Interesting essay on the
capacity. often proved. Of Indian fakirs
10 allow themselves to be- buried for
longer or shorter periods, and to come
TO life again smiling after the ordeal.
In q Persian work, the 'Dabistan," on
the religious sect. OF India, the state
mcnt was made that there were indi-
vlduals who possessed the 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 a time Euro
pean scientists refused for a long time
to believe this. but actual experiments
have proved the marvel. Dr. du Prel,
ia his curious essay, says:
1.-The tirst trustworthy information
received in Europe about :hc Indian
iakirs was from DR. Johann Martin
Honigbcrger. who spent many years as
cour, physician at various Indian capi-
tails, and who wrote n book entitled
'Fruchtc aus dem Morgenlandc.' pub
lished In Vienna In 1851. DR. Honig-
berger. after paying flying visit to
Germany. returned to Lahore in com.
papy with General Ventura. who told
him what had happened with the Fasir
Haridas during his absence. An Indian
Prince had heard that this fakir pos
scssed the miraculous power OF allow
lns himself to sink into apparent death,
10 be buried. and to be kept in his grave
number Of months before being cx.
humcd and again brought to life. The
Maharaiah summoned the celebrated
fakir TO his court and babe him make
the experiment. The fakir did no. hes
ltatc. lie sank into condition re'cm-
bling death, and his body, in the pres.
ence Of the Prince and grandces, was
wrapped ir linen and placed in n box,
on which the Prince himself hung tho
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 Il high wall was
built. and scntinels, who were relieved
every fcw hours, were placed on watch.
Forty days aftcrward the Prince. ac'
compan;cd by his Ministers of State,
General Ventura, an Englishman, and
physician, went 10 the garden. The
box was exhumed. and in it lay the
iakir. cold and stiff. BY the applica-
ton OF warmth to the head, the blow
ing in of mir through the mouth and en-.
ergetic rubbing Of the body, the man
was quickly yesuscitated. One OF the
Ministers then said that he had known
the same fakir to have been buried for
four months. The day Of the burial
Me chin had been smoothly shaved, and
the day of the cxhumation it was found
to be perfectly smooth. The Calcutta
Journal of Medicine (lS35) reported
that the same fakir had frequently been
subjected to similar experiments by En-
lishmcn. though. with them. he had al
ways insisted in having the box hung
up in the air instead Of buried, as he
feared the ravages Of ants. DIR. Honig-
berger says that the ways the fakirs 60
to work to produce this peculiar condi-
ton Is to have the little ligature under
the tongue cut. whereby they are en-
nabled 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 aperturcs
of the nose and the ears, no 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 existed. not for
months, but for years in q comatosC
state"
Other Indian travellers have reported
marvels about the fakirs. Braid, the
discoverer of hypnotism. reports two
cases communicated to him. the one
by diplomatic agent at the court oi
Lahore. the other by an English major
who lived long time in India The
first case refers to Haridas, mentioned
by Dr. Honigberger; and Sir Claude
Wade is given as one of the wiinesse:
of the disinterment and reviviication.