Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-07
LIFE WITHOUT FOOD.
Succis Recent Fast and Other Cases
as Well Authenticated.
FACTS ABOUT THE.LOSS OF FLESH.
How the Hindoo Fakirs Retain the Vital
Spark Underground.
THIRST MORE DEADLY THAN HUNGER
rwRrrrzN FOR THE DISPATCH,

WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH,
Fasting is fad nowadays. We have
amateur and professional fasters challeng.
ing each other to starve for the champion
hunger belt. We have sleeping men and
women who eat nothing for abnormally
long periods. A Pennsylvania Dutch
woman, Mrs. Adam Wuchter, of Allentown
has eaten nothing, she declares, for foul
months A Frenchwoman, Zelie Burrion
died last August after a 30-days' fast. She
claimed to have tasted for nine years at
stretch at one time. A Poughkeepsie den
tist lately tasted 45 days, not wholly, how
ever, as he drank a cup of milk or coffee
daily. He tasted to reduce his weight, los
ing pound day. There are numerous
well-authenticated cases where with drins
and morsel Of food persons have tasted fol
years.
On December %, 1890, q case was re
ported at Martins Ferry, O., of a certain
Mrs. Timothy Callahan, 70 years old, whit
lived, they say, on tea and milk for foul
months. In 1889 our own Citizen Trair
tasted 100 days. His fast was only partial
| as he drank chocolate and ate fruit freely
Tanners fast of 40 days, in 1880, was abso
lutte and undoubted. Merlatti, a profes
sional faster and rival Of Succi, tasted d
days. Succi's longest fast was in New
York for 40 days. 1t concluded the 10th o
December, 1890. The "elixir" which h
desired to sell to the Government was NO
thought of value sufficient to warrant 1t
purchase. His fast had no scientific value
as it merely exhibited the endurance pos
sessed by one man.
The Prime Of Life the Best.
Fasting, like every other violent infrac
ton of natures rules, is a matter of in
dividual constitution, the life principle be
ing in some so strong as to enable them t
support almost unharmed that which will
speedily kill another. From II to 20 day
represents the mean duration of life of
man who is starving. Children are capabl
of less resistance to starvation than adults
The aged bear moderate fasting better thar
persons in the prime of life, but are les
able to endure total abstinence from food
Of three individuals subjected to absolut
starvation-a child, a man or woman in tn
prime of life and an old man-in all proba
bility the child would die first, the old maj
next, and lastly the vigorous man or woman
There is always less suffering from hunge
when it is possible to drink, hence profes
sional fasters drink water. freely.
Experiments recently made in q Frene
hospital proved that Is days are the utmos
limit thab life can be supported without cal
ing or drinking. A vigorous man canno
live longer than five days without eithe
drink OF food. The suffering is greater dul
Ing the first "a hours of fasting; after tbs
the pain diminishes. We all know that
hunger is not satisfied it disappears after
certain time. If we do not eat at our accu
toned hour the appetite and craving SOC
wear off and cease to torment us.
What Frightened Faster succi.
The greatest loss of weight occurs durin
the first few days of fasting. Then mode
ate drain sets in. During the last fe
days of starvation a considerab
loss again takes place and this
the forerunner of death. It was the know
edge of this physiological fact which mao
Succi so anxious when toward the close
his last fast he lost SO much weigh
Had he not begun to pick up just at ii
very last his fast would have Terminated
death.
Many scientists are Of the opinion tn.
the mind has much to do with the ability
sustain prolonged period of hunger. The
declare that the insane can bear the contil
ued deprivation of food better than Il
mentally sound, because they do not unde
stand their peril. Succi has been twice col
fined in an insane asylum.
Professional fasters perform their exper
ments under exceptionally favorable cond
tions, as they have but to call for food I
obtain it. They have, therefore, no concel
about their fate. Very different is the sit
alton of shipwrecked people or minersbu
led in the earth. They know that no hel
can come to them until relieving shi
comes from the far unknown or larl
masses of earth and stone have been r
moved, and mental suffering adds to ply
ical, lessening the power Of resistance
hunger In the last stage Of starvation Il
bones stick to the skin, the eyes sink dee
in their orbits, the breath becomes foeti
the complexion earthly, the tongue blat
and the skin is covered with sooty sour
The sooty aspect of the skin is commt
symptom in great famines, such as occur
India and China.
What the Faster Loses First.
Anyone beginning to diet for the purpo
of reduction Of fat will be pleased at IL
ease with which the first ten pounds are g
rid of and puzzled at the difficulty and slo1
ness of parting with the second ten. II
reason Of this is that the first ten consi
of surfeit stuff washed out Of the system
bloat and refuse in the tissues which is NJ
the real fat, but inorganized material Aft