The San Francisco call., 1896-06-21
TWO WONDERFUL CASES
OF HUMAN HIBERNATION BY YOGIS,

One OF the most weird of the magic
feats performed by the wandering fakirs
or yogis of India is that of human hiber-
nation, In which they apparently die, are
CURED for several weeks and are then
resurrected and in few hours become as
much alive as ever.
Inc performers belong to a class of re-
liglous mendicants, who are taught that
10 gain the rightto secure further spiritual
Illumination they must serve a proba-
tlonary period as jugglers, during which
.lIne they must live on what aims are vol
unfairly given to them. However much
Nesterners may doubt the practical wis
uom OF such training, it is well-known
TACT TO thousands of travellers that the
Iaklrs do possess great magical power, and
hundreds Of feats are attributed to them
1t Is not often that one of them will con-
sent to be buried, and the rarity of the oc-
currence has caused most travellers as well
as many Hindoos to doubt the fact New
ertheless there are a few well authenti-
Gated cases on record.
In small book on the yoga philosophy,
written by DIR. VIC. Paul, G.B.M.C., as
sistant surgeon in the British army in
feat. The book was suppressed by the
p british Government soon after its pubica-
tion on the ground that its contents were
'preludlcIal to the interests of medicine
and SCIENCE" but few copies escaped
from the watchful eye of the officials, and
from one OF these is taken the accounts re-
ierred to.
Or. Paul has an interesting record him
self. After the publication of his book he
became so deeply interested in the fakirs
that he deserted his post in order to Join
them. He was arrested on the charge of
insanity, and was taken to England and
confined in an asylum and kept under
close guard. Shortly after his incarcera-
ton he mysteriously disappeared, and was
never seen afterward by the authorities,
but some OF the Hindoos report that they
, have since met him in the Himalayas,
where he is now pursuing his yoga studies.
The first case was one described by a Dr.
-McGregor, an eyewitness to the mysteri-
Gus proceeding, which occurred at the
court OF Runleet Singh in Lahore in 1887
70 quote the doctors words: ga fakir who
arrived at Lahore engaged to bury himself
Tor any length OF time, shut up in a box,
and without either food or drink. Run
jeet naturally disbelieved the mans asser-
tions, and was determined to put them TO
the test. For this purpose the fakir was
shut up in wooden box. which was placed
in small apartment below the middle of
the ground; there was a folding-door to
this box, which was secured by lock and
key. Surrounding this apartment there
was the garden-house, the door of which
was likewise locked; and outside the whole
a high wall, having its doorway built up
with bricks and mud. In order to prevent
any one from approaching the place line
OF sentries was placed, and relieved at reg
ulsr intervals. The strictest watch was
kept up for the space of forty days and
forty nights, at the expiration of which
period the Maharajah, attended by his
grandson, several Sirdars, Captain Sir
Claude Wade and myself proceeded to dis
inter the fakir.
The bricks and mud were removed
from the outer doorway; the door of the
garden-house was next unlocked and
lastly that of the wooden box con-
tanning the fakir. The latter was found
covered with a white sheet, on re-
moving which the figure of man in
sitting posture presented itself. His arms
and hands were pressed to his sides and
his legs and thighs crossed.
The first step in his resuscitation con-
sisted in pouring over his head a quantity
OF warm water; after this hot wheaton
cake was placed on the crown of his head
a plug of wax was removed from one of
his nostrils, upon which the man breathed