The Savannah morning news., 1901-07-08
TO WATCH THE FASTING GIRL.
Little HindOO Who Says she's Not
Had Food in Two Years.


From the Bombay Qndia) Times.
Among members of the medical profess
sion in Bombay and especially among per-
sons belonging to the Hindoo community,
a considerable amount of interest has re-
Gently been evinced in connection with
the reports that have been circulated in
regard to the length of time Bal Prema-
bai-now generally spoken of as the fast
ing lady-has been able to abstain from
partaking of food. Bal Premabai. who
belongs to the Lohana Castle, is only
about IS years of age. She is the sister-in-
she has not partaken either of food or
liquid for the past two years.
Such being the case, Sir Bhalchandra on
April IS, last, invited a number of medi-
cal practitioners of Bombay to meet him
at the Hall of Science and Literature at
Khetwady, with the object of devising
measures for testing the truth of the as
rtions made by and on behalf of Bal
Premabei and to ascertain If she was
really fasting as reported. AS a result of
the dicussion that took place at that
meeting between the medical men pres
ent and Rao Saheb Null her brother-in-
law, 1t was arranged that committee
should be formed to raise subscriptions to
defray the expenses connected with hav-
ing Bal Premabai watched by night and
day by a body of nurses. In fairness to
Bal Premabai and those acting on her
behalf it must be stated that they have
shown every readiness, as far as Hindoo
customs permit, to afford every assistance
to the investigating body carrying out Its
task.
As matters now stand it is probable
that the experiment undertaken by the
medical profession will commence on
Wednesday morning and will take place
in a bungalow in the compound of Sir
Mungaldas Nathubhai's house at Cir
gaum, which will be set apart for the
purpose and in which Raj Premabia has
consented to reside during the period set
apart for the test of her aptitude for still
continuing without sustenance. During
the period she will be kept in the bunga-
low the outside Of the premises will be
closely guarded by the police, while with
in the little lady will be watched by par
ty of six European and Eurasian nurses,
four of whom will take watches, during
the twenty-four hours, of four hours each,
while the other two will remain IN re-
serve in case circumstances should at any
moment require one of the watches on
duty to be relieved. In addition Bal Pre-
mabia will be visited twice daily by DR..
(Miss) Gertrude Bradley, who will gener-
ally supervise the arrangements connect
ed with the work of the nurses, and will
also devote her best energies to seeing
that the experiment Bal Premabai has
consented to subject himself to is not al
lowed TO continue in such a manner as to
impair or endanger her health. 1t may
further be pointed out that the object Of
employing European and Surasian nurses
in preference to natives Is to remove the
suspicion of any deception being practiced,
either by the lady under observation or
those interested on her behalf. Further
more, II has been decided that in the
event of the investigation breaking down
at any period owing to the lady being de-
tected taking or calling for nutriment the
matter is at once to be brought to the no
tice Of DR.. Bradley by the nurse on duty,
after which DR.. Bradley will inform Sir
Bhalchandra Krishna and the members
of the general committee.