Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-08-13
HOW TO BECOME THIN.

HOW TO BECOME THIN.
Hot Water and Animal Food Used for Sew
cnteen Weeks.
from the New York Times.l
One of the most eminent of our civil
engineers has sent us the following ac-
count of the remarkable success with
which he has experimental upon him
self. A diet exclusively composed of
meat and hot water is not tempting to
the ordinary man. But the results in
his case are extraordinary:
II I'm sanguine, from your courtesy
TO me on previous occasions, that you
will allow me to tell my story in your
columns, because / believe it may be
the means Of bringing relief to many
who are now helpless sufferers. My
case was 8 comparatively mild example
of q class of ailments which I have since
learned to be large indeed, and [ can
state it quite shortly. On the first day
of 1854 I had a very painful attack of
what turned out to be renal calculus
This was repeated several times in the
same week, and then at intervals of
about two months until the September
following. I am nearer fifty than forty,
have always lived plainly and regu-
larly, and been nearly q total abstainer.
1 am five feet eleven inches in height,
and ut the time of the first seizure I
weighed sixteen stone four pounds in
my clothes, or about sixteen stone five
pounds net, and measured fofty-four
and a half inches round the waist. I
had been too stout for my height for
twenty years, but rarely suffered IRON
anything but indigestion, evidenced
by very frequent attacks of heartburn.
On the real trouble appearing, my
family doctor, for. whom I entertain
the very highest respect, Immediately
stopped my eating beef, restricting me
to fish, fowls, vegetables, and occa-
sionally a little well-hung mutton, and
prescribed lithia water for drink. By
his advice I went in August, 1884, to
take the sulphur baths and drink the
water at Strathpetfer, in Ross-shire.
Up to that time this lowering diet had
created no improvement, and as an at
tack l had on the LIST of July was
the very worst Of all, the course at
Strathpeffer did me no good. At the
end of August 1 was fortunately asked
to go to America on a matter of pro-
fessional business, and while there I
had a somewhat milder attack on the
18th of September. In New York 1
met an old friend, who, after learning
the state Of my health, advised me
to consult a DIR. Butler, who had
treated him, his daughter, and a
great many other people ne knew, in
what appeared a very extraordinary
fashion, but with the most gratifying
success. I did as I was advised, duly
received certain instructions, and, hav-
ing satisfied myself that 40 harm had
ever been known to result from the
treatment, started a course as soon as
[ could after my arrival home. This
course consisted in drinking nothing
but hot water and eating practically
nothing but animal food for seventeen
weeks. The water was taken in four
doses per day, at q temperature of from
100 degrees to $50 degrees Fahrenheit,
on an empty stomach, and at least one
hour before a meal. The first I took
at Z a. NJ, second at noon, third at 5 p.
NJ, fourth at 10 p. NJ, and a pint to a
pint and a quarter each time. Lean
beefsteak, freed from fat, skin, anil
connective tissues, was recommended
as the model food, and this formed sew
enty-five per cent. of all l ate during
the 121 days, the remainder being plain
boiled Goldfish, and occasionally q few
sticks of celery. During the whole
time I did not have a bit Of bread, po-
tato, or any other vegetable, except a
little pepper, mustard, and horserad-
ish, as condiments. / was advised that
1 must eat at least four pounds of beet
per day, and as nearly as | can estimate
my daily average Of solid food through
the course was five pounds.
"The results in my own case are
simply these: On the 18th Of October,
1854, having then been somewhat re-
duced by the starvation treatment my
own doctor advised, I weighed two
hundred pounds net. By the 21st OF
December 1 had lost th;rty-nine
pounds, bringing me to one hundred
and sixty-one pounds. This was the
irreducible minimum, for, although I
continued the same course untilthe Sth
of February, l got no lighter. At the
latter date I began to eat a little rice
with my beef, and gradually worked as
directed into a regular diet Of two
parts of animal and one of vegetable
food. and this [ have as nearly as pos
sible maintained ever since, continuing
also the early morning and noon dose
Of water every day. L have not had
the slightest touch of heartburn since l
began, fifteen months ago, and, SO fa1
as I a judge, the kidney trouble has
disappeared. AS I am instruct.
ed, the drastic four months course
broke down and removed the degener-
ated tissues resulting from the long.
continued eating of an undue quantity
of vegetable food, and built it up anew,
and the normal two-to-one method OF
living is conserving my system in good
running order. The hot water has
secured out of the blood and the organs
the crystalline deposits introduced by
the imperfect digestion and assimila.
ton of the Improper food, and a steady
perseverance on the present lines, I fee
confident, will keep me right. Encour.
aged by my experience, an engineer in