The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-15
TO FAST FIFTY DAYS.
stefano Merlatti's Attempt in Paris and %
Talk with Him.

CL0lanO MerlaCCIS Attempt IdrlS anu u
Talk with Him.
Paris Dispatch in London News
The medical committee appointed to watch
over Stefano Meratti, the new fasting man. dur
ing the fifty days he intends to remain without
food met on Tuesday, at the Voltaire Offices.
They had previously examined Merlatti, and
found him to be sound and in perfect health and
decided to let him enter upon his fast without
delay. He took his last meal on Tuesday night,
before midnight and trusts to be able to hold
out until Dec. To- at midnight. Will Succi give
up his visit to Parisl Merlatti, according to his
previous story. is likely to utterly out-do the
Milanese faster. The new hero of the day pro-
fesses great disdain for Succi and speaks of
the secret of the liquor in the most contemptu-
ous terms. He Is staying at the Hotel des
Etrangers, in the Rue Trouchet, near the Ma
deieine, where have had An interview with him.
Stefano Merlatri is young man of twenty-five
years of age, or thereabouts. He is short and
perhaps on the whole slender, but well knit and
healthy looking. He has swarthy complexion.
Jet black hair, glistening eyes, protrudlng cheek
bohes, and prominent jaws. His physiognomy
shows much self-possession and is extremely
raobile. Merlatti who is an artist, has just come
from eight months stay in Italy. He began
TO train himself in fasting at the age of eleven.
One day. after severe fogging from the priest
who kept the village school, he ran away, but,
fearing his fathers anger, he wandered
through the country for eleven days All
that time he felt no need for food, but
passed the days birdnestng and playing with
the shepherd boys. and only now and then drank
some water to quench his thirst. His capture
bv his parents put end to this singular mode
OF living. he had become thin, but was not
ysflsssvise irconvenienceds Since then, when he
was minded, he remainded without food for a
week or ten days, but he never trained himself
regularly before entering the Turin Academy of
Fine Arts. There, at the suggestion of his fell
low-studen.s, he underwent long preparatory
course of fasting. He was able to do without
food for eighteen days, during which he regularly
attended lectures and pastimes; but his best per-
formance, he says, was in London, where, for
small wager with brother artist he undertook
to remain thirty-sx days fasting. This feat took
place last year, but kept private. During
this fast he lost about twenty two pounds of flesh,
being IN other respects In sound condRlon. AS
regards his new attempt, he told me that he
would not lay down his paint brush. He would
walk out as usual, 60 to the theate-, receive
friends and smoke cigarettes with them. His
moral and nervous energies would he was con-
fident, remain unimpaired About the fifth week
he might possibly be liable to moods of detection
and all but irresistible desire to eat at dinner
time. The action of the heart should be watched
by the doctors, as it will toward the end become
sluggish, Merlatti, who weighs about 130
pounds, reckons that he will lose in flesh about
tniCIy pounuS. 1He OOcGoFS say H0 HllgHL Ueaf a
loss of fifty pounds Hence he thinks he might
protract the fast for twenty days, taking nothing
but pure or mineral water Throughout this ex-
pertinent he will be in charge of eight doctors.
Every morning he will be weighed. His mus
cular strength will be tested by dynamon-
eter. The water he drinks will be measured.
In fact everything that scientific ingenuity
can devise will be used to ascertain the phases of
his fast. Merlatti is allowed to remain in his
own room, under the eye of of the eight
members of the committee of surveillance. This
arrangement appears to me unsatisfactory. mas
much as it relies exclusively upon Merlatti and
his warder. l asked him whether he had made
any bets on his success. He said he had not.
He simply wished to show what extraordinary
powers trained stomach could acquire He did
not want any money. asked him whether he
contemplated repeating his experiment in Lon
don. He could not say. All would depend on
the issue of this experiment and the advice of
the committee l only give this conversation as
an instance of Merlattis wonderful buoyancy of
spirits. We might have long continued chatting
in the same strain, only at this moment mem
ber of the committee of surveillance came in to
relieve the outgoing doctor. So took my leave,
Meratti accompanying me to the door.