The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-02-23
EXTRAORDINARY FEAT.
EXHIBITION OF HYPOTlSM BY A
FAklR IN INDIA.
nix Weeks of Self-Inhumation, Followed
by a Complete Resuscitation-Prs-
pairing for the Trial-Re-
stored to Life.

The most extraordinary feat performed
by the fakirs of India is, undoubtedly, that
of being buried alive, an account of which
was published recently in Vienna paper
by DR.. Honigberger, former court physician
to the rajah of Lahore, and corroborated by
Sir Claudius Wade, English envoy resident
of Lahore. This feat of physical endurance
throws the forty days fasting of DIR. Tanner
completely into the shade. The preparations
made by these fakirs when about to subject
themselves to the dangers of inhumation,
are thus described by the doctor:
THE first duty consists in the construction
of a tomb or cave from which the air and
light can be wholly excluded, to be entered
by small door, which is walled up with
clay as soon as the fakir enters. This cave
is provided with a soft bed formed of sheep
skins and cotton. In order to accustom him
self to this abode, the experimental begins
by remaining here at first but few hours
every day, increasing the time to several
days, or until he can almost wholly exist
without air. During this preliminary in
habitation of his tomb, he passes his time in
meditation upon the power of divinity,
chanting his prayers, and counting the Bra
hamic chaplet until he is able to pronounce
5000 words in less than twelve hours. He
also accustoms himself to positions in which
the feet are elevated in the air and the head
hanging down near to the earth, or the limbs
bent doubled, and twisted into all sorts Of
contortions.
IN TRAINING FOR THE TRIAL.
After this practice with the hinges of the
body comes the training of the respiratory
organs. Beginning by holding his breath
for five minutes, he soon succeeds in holding
it twenty, He also practices the feat of in
hating his lungs allowing the air to escape
by degrees, until the power he acquires in
this direction is something marvellous. Then
. follows tine weekly incisions of the under
muscles of the tongue, twenty-four of which
are made, when this organ becomes sus-
ceptible of being curved so as to completely
close the opening of the larynx. To ac-
ceerate this object the tongue is frequently
treated with astringent oils, and rolled back
and manipulated by the fingers for hours.
In addition to these special preparations. the
fallir observes the rules of his caste, notably
that of abstaining from all animal food.
| After having eaten, to remove all particles
adhering to the coatiags of the stomach, he
swallows, at regular intervals, narrow
strip of linen, which he soon withdraws from
| the mouth again. After the accomplishment
| of this severe course of training, which re-
| quires several months, The fal1ir is ready to
| undertake the trial of inhumation.
The most noted of the fakirs who had
passed through this ceremony was Harides,
whose burial was witnessed by DR.. Honig-
| berger, and whose portrait is now in his pos
| session
On the dag appointed, in the presence of
| of the court and large concourse of peo-
| pie, Harides appeared in their midst, and,
| seating himself upon a white shroud, crossed
| his legs aud turned his face toward the east.
| His countenance was serene and his ex-
preston exalted Centering his eyes upon
the extremity of his nose, in short space of
time the magnetic catalepsy was produced.
| The eyes gradually closed, and the limbs
| became rigid The servant of the fakir-
| Harides being an ascetic of the highest order
hurried forward to close his eyes and plug
the appertures Of his nose with linen sat
urated with melted wax Wrapping the
body in its shroud he closed it over the ia
| kris mead, tying the ends firmly, after which
the body presented the appearance of filled
sack This knot was sealed with the seal of
the raiah, and the body, now inclossd in a
wooden box, sealed in like manner, was
| placed iu the cave, the door of which was
| closed, sealed, and walled in with clay. This
tomb was guarded day and night, and thou
| sands of pious Hindoos remained about the
spot, clarifying the saint who was believed
now to be enjoying the special favor Of
| Brahma. 1t was q time of great religious
| exatation
REUSED FROM HIS LONG SLEEP.
When the day agreed upon for Harides'
| elimination arrived the "a jah and his court
| appeared at the tomb. Ordering the dried
clay to be removed, and examining the seals
of the door and finding them intact, he
caused the cave to I've opened Nothing had
| been disturbed everything remained as
when the fakir entered upon his long sleep.
The doctor upon touching the shroud
| found it covered with moisture. Upon the
servants removing the body from the box he
allowed it to stand upright against the cover
| for some moments while he proceeded to
| pour warm water over the top of the sack
| Upon the removal of the sack the doctor re-
quested to be allowed to examine the body
before any attempt was made at resuscita-
ton. He found the legs and arms wrinkled
and stiff, the head resting upon the right
shoulder; no pulsation in the arms or legs
was discernible, nor i'll the region of the
heart The whole body was cold with the
exception of the head, upon which the warm
water had been poured. The servant was
now hurriedly occupied in bathing the body,
| after which he vigorously rubbed the limbs,
arms, and body with coarse linen cloths.
| Applications of warm cataplasms were made
| upon the head, to be repeated as soon as
cooad The linen plugs were removed from
| the nostrils and the mouth opened, but the
| fakr still remained inanimate, and the doc
tor began to doubt the possibility of his re-
sllscitation, although repeatedly assured that
such would be the case, Harides having sew
eral times before passed some time in state
| of suspended animation.
| A knife was now brought, and the tongue
unrolled and placed in its normal position
| 1t would not stay, and the servant was
obliged to use force for a time to hold it in
place The eyelids were rubbed with oil,
and the servant raised them The eyes ap-
| peared CLASSY and staring After several
| applications OF the warm cataplasms upon
the Uranium the body was noticed to tremble
slightly, the nostrils to dilate, the pulse to
| feebly move, and the limbs to become more
| pliable. Upon covering the tongue with oil
or butter again, it was seen to move per-
ceptibly, and the eyes to partially recover
their brightness The fakir was. indeed, re-
turning to life. For some moments he APP
| peared engaged in collecting his wandering
thoughts, which, when accomplished, be
turned to the rajah and calmly inquired:
| "Do you believe in me now~
The whole process of resuscitation had &C.
cupied somewhat more than an hours time
Although weak and partially dazed in his
conceptions the fakir was carried to the res
idence of the rajah, where he was seated at
the head of the royal table, clothed with a
robe of honor, a chain Of pearls placed about
his neck, and gold bracelets encircling his
wrists. For six weeks he had lain in his
grave, and the feast was ordered in honor Of
| bis raturu to life otfa,.