The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-07-05
Georgia Doctor Goes Without
Food for Nearly Two Months
to Cure Dyspepsia.
LOSES THIRTY-sIx POUNDS.
He Has Faith in Starvation Meth
cd, and viii Make 1t Fea-
ture of Practice in
the Future.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
Augusta, Ga. July 2.-Doctor William
Sterling Wilkinson of this city. who has
oeen fasting for the purpose of effecting a
cure for an aggravated case OF dyspepsia,
! Is one Of the most prominent of the younger
physicians Of Augusta. He has tasted fifty
| days.
Although during his long fast he has lost
thirty-six pounds. he is still well and
strong. His mind is as clear as bell. his
voice is good. his complexion is better than
| when he began the fast and his eye Is
bright and brilliant
Doctor Wilkinson is 80 years old and was
graduated from the medical department of
the University OF Georgia in the class of
1884. He Is feet II inches in height and
now that his weight has been reduced TO
eighty eight pounds his appearance is nat
urally that of a very slender man.
When seen by q representative of The
Republic he was walking about the house.
and during the hours interview he paced
the floor continually as he dictated his
theory OF the cure he was attempting TO
! make. All the time he was chewing gum
vigorously, more for company than any
thing else he said. and for something to
do
Doctor Wilkinson Is easily seen to be an
intelligent man. and he is pursuing a course
of treatment which he thoroughly under
stands and in the final success OF which he
has absolute faith. He Is not making play
for notoriety. In fact. he had tasted forty
/ three days before any one outside his i'm
| mediate family knew of it.
BELIEVE IN HIS METHOD.
Il am not seeking the attention of the
public" said he. but am taking perfect
| ly rational and scientific course Of treat
ment for disease that can be cured in no
other way. l suffer from chronic nervous
I indigestion and have been in very lad
| condition. l have studied the question of
| fasting in extenso and mean TO make it a
feature in my practice In the future"
Asked to explain the theory of the treat
| ment, Doctor Wilkinson said:
Il am asked how 1t Is that l can abstain
| from food SO long and at the same time feel
| we'll and strong enough to take long walks.
| The answer Is simple.
| Absolute fast allows nature to work IN
obstructsd. Obstruction in nature causes ise:s
| of effete matter that should pass out
| through the various organs OF elimination.
The clement in the system which is the
| leading factor in this weakness by retention
when eating and the food not being proper
! ly digested-for the food not digested prop
| known to tho medical profession as uric
acid. which is defined as suboxidation OF
the heterogeneous element in food. Complete
oxidation of the heterogeneous element in
| food results in substance We call urea,
which is harmless in normal amounts.
zone OF the chief characteristics of uric
| acid is Its irritating and depressing effect
| upon the nervous system. Another charac-
teristic effect is, that 1t contracts the small
Ter blood vessels of the body, bringing
about concessions in various parts and or
gans of the system. This depression and
Irritation caused by uric acid on the deli
cate nerve centers brings about the extreme
weakness and irritabiiity experienced in di-
gestive troubles"
Are you under the care OF any other ply
sician?'' Doctor Wilkinson was asked.
sponsibility. I am both patient and doctor.
This is not a freak experiment, but q scien-
tifc demonstration. l have made special
treatment. Chronic nervous indigestion had
me In a terrible state of health and I de-
cided that this is the only sure way Of
curing myself
BENEFITS OF FASTING.
Absolute fast. as 1 have before stated.
allows the system to work unrestricted.
Therefore the circulation is never clogged
by the retention of uric acid. because the
acid as It flows out Of various tissues where
1t has been previously stored is quickly
eliminated and this irritabilty and depres-
sion are necessarily avoided.
THE process goes on from day to day
until the entire system Is freed from the
Gus products Nature works from center
to circumference. throwing off diseased cells
and various other poisonous products too
complex to mention. This is the cause of
the nausea experienced In the beginning of
a fast, also the weakness. Food being re-
moved. the great bulk of effete matter pass
ing out floods the circulation. causing for
the time being an exaggerated irritability
and depression of the nervous system. caus-
ing extreme weakness. AS the bulk be-
comes eliminated. less and less passing out,
there is, OF course, pressure eNerted upon
the nervous system and circulation being
relieved more and more each day until the
whole amount becomes eliminated, when
the victory Is won.
This we may call a complete house-clean-
ing and the result will be normal childhood
varying-a call for substantial food, not
dainties. for nature will have none OF this:
rash act to eat solid food at first"
What will you eat first. doctor?" was
asked.
Fruits and fruit juices, oranges. grapes
and nuts and whole wheat bread. Sparing
ly. of course. at first of fruits and juices,
sparingly OF nuts and bread. which must be
thoroughly mas:icated and swallowed slow
~ my preference being the shredded whole
wheat biscuit. / am something of 4 spe-
cialist on foods"
DO you feel no physical hunger now. aft
er going long without food?'
ION getting UP in the morning I at times
experience some weakness, but. knowing
that this Is morbid. caused by the accumuia-
night from inactivity. a little exercise dis
pels this seeming weakness by freeing the
circulation of that accumulated uric acid