Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-10-06
DIR. TANNERS IDEAS.
he TALKS OF PREMATURE BURIAL
AND SUSPENDED ANIMATION.

The Dead in This Country Arc buried In
Criminal unstc--Thc sabtlc Principle of
IAfe--Thc Doctor Convinced That Man
Can Hibernate.
Eight years have gone since Dr. II. s.
Tanner performed his wonderful feat OF
fasting forty days and nights In Clarendon
hall, In New York city. For sixteen days
he touched neither water nor food. After
the sixteenth day he began to drink water.
and subsistod ON this alone during the re.
naming twenty-four days of his fast
The public has not heard much of the
plucky little doctor for the last few years.
but not long ago hc turned up In Chicago,
bright and chipper, q splendid specimen
of q man In perfect health, and with
rotundity Of form indicative rather Of the
bon vivant than of man who cats only
two meals a day in summer and only one
In winter.
Where havo you been keeping your
self. doctori' asked q reporter, after
friendly greetings had been exchanged.
II have just returned from New Mex.
leo. where | have been for nearly four
years, pursuing certain Investigations of
scientific nature, | am much interested
In the subject of suspended animation or
counterfeit death. am convinced that
far greater percentage Of people are
buried alive than even those who have
ever given the matter much thought
would be willing 60 believe. In no Icoun.
try In tho world are the dead buried with
such criminal haste, may say, Us In the
United States. have been looking into
this subject more or less for the last
twenty five years, and the evidence havo
accumulated is startling. ! tell you, 1t Ia
murder, horrible murder, and IL is high
time some agitation was started for the
purpose Of securing needed legislation on
the subject Of the burial of the dead
THE MOVEMENT IN EUROPE.
"The principle of lifo is so subtle" con.
tinued the doctor, that man with all his
science knows nothing about To- and tho
only safeguard against the awful crime
of burying alive those we love lies in the
precautions that are taken against com.
mitting their bodies to the tomb before
decomposition has set in. That Ia tho
only unmistakable sign that death has
finally taken place. Tho people Of Hol.
land were among tho first TO awaken to
tho Importance Of this subject, and in
1894 q society was organized in Amster.
dam for the purpose Of looking into cases
where death seemed counterfoit rather
than real. In less than four years they
alive--no less than 100 persons. In 1868
the authorities at Milan and Venice, and
those at Hamburg, followed tho example
set by Holland, and little later similar
societies were, formed at London, Pnris
and Glasgow. AZ q result of the work and
Investigations Of these societies, among
the members of which were some Of the
foremost scientists Of the times, IL has
been proved that In q great number Of
cases where every known test had been
applied and preparations made for the
burial tho subjects had recovered. These
experiences led Professor Morine, Of the
University Of Rome, TO offer O prizo of
] 900 francs for the best essay on appar.
ent death; and tho Marquis d'Ouche left
10000 francs to be used In discovering tho
best means that could be applied in de.
tecting tho counterfeit Of death. And go
in oil countries statistics collated on this
subject are startling. as revealing tho
danger of premature burial"
Now don't you think" asked tho
doctor, "that this is subject that peo.
| pie should discuss, should be walked up
| aboutY'
"What remedy have you to offer,
| doctorf"
"Smply this: l hold--and It certainly
cannot be successfully contradictcd--tbat
tho setting in Of decomposition is tho
only certain sign Of death. In the ab
sence of this burial should bo DELAYED
weeks and months, II necessary, for SC
long as thero is no decay life may hang by
IL feeble thread, and. by that subtleness
Of which have already spoken, the re
covery bc spontaneous.
THE DOCTOR WILL HIBERNATE.
2 Another discovery that have made
said tho doctor, sis that alternating ami
mails do not use their lungs during thu
period Of Information. For several year
thave been studying the habits Of thil
class of animals, and, do you know,
am about convinced that man can hiber
nato"---.--
Hero tho reporter must have looked tn
incredulity no felt, for the doctor hastenet
to explain; "Take the bear for example
its organs Of respiration arc tho Same q
mans, and it hibernates for months with
out food or drink. | havo also beel
studying tho philosophy Of tho adept
who used TO be able TO 60 into tho dealt
trance at will Their preparation for thi
was long fasting. and the trance condi
ton following was. in my opinion, sea
son Of Information, am studying nov
with view of making some experiment
IN this line, and tho time may come whel
will permit myself to DO sealed up in a
air tight coffin and laid away until sue
time as | shall designate for it to b
opened"
But, doctor, you will not expect I
como out Of test like that alive, wi
your
"Yes, indeed" was the earnest reply
Il have twice been near tho portals
the tomb in my studies Of this subject {
! life principle and Of suspended animation
and ] firmly believe can go still nearer
that can to all outward appearances
dead, aud, remaining that way for
! length Of time, can still como back lii
ing witness of the truth of my theorit
and Investigations"
J Speaking Of his fast, he said "Tl
, fact is, with most people the body rul'
the mind, while the reverse should be Il
case--the mind should control the bod
: Appetite, and 1t may be depraved on
clamors for this or that desired articl
and people rush OFF TO crafty IL. WhC
began my forty days fasting l said
my stomach: Here, old fellow, I have
Job for you. | want you 10 take goo
; long rest, and want no grumbllng abol
I, , IT. That settled it. At 10 o'clock Of Il
last day Of my fast, when / had only "
hours to 70, q littlo child that was in Il
. room where was thrust O ripe peach u
1 der my nose. If Adam was tempted IS
!, was then do not wonder that he fell.
l had so little longer TO 90 without eatir
; that relaxed my viii power and tru
my greatest gufferipgs were during q
= last two hours Of my fast."-Chicat
, Tribune.
wenden r-nirnps curious career.
I 4