The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-06-17
AUGUSTUS GREAT FASTER.
Thinks it is About Over.
Augusta Chronicle, June 14th.


Pa, died yesterday after abstaining
! from food for only forty days has no
| terrors for DR.. Wilkinson, Augusta s
record breaker. He continues to live
on diet of Savannah river water and
says that he is beginning to feel that
he is getting well. Once or twice
Yesterday Dr.. Wilkinson felt the crav-
ings of hunger somewhat and he takes
this to mean that his fast is approach
ing its end, for as soon as be has a
yearning for food that remains with
him, he is going to begin eating. When
seen by Chronicle reporter yesterday
the doctor was in the very best of good
spirits and talked freely of his long
period without food. He answered
all questions and explained fully the
reasons that actuated him in taking
this rather heroic treatment.
'..Do you feel no physical trouble
now, after going SO long without food?'
asked the reporter.
In first getting Up in the morning,
I at times experience some weakness,
but knowing that this is morbid
caused by the accumulation of little
acid in the circulation over night from
inactivity-a little exercise dispels
this seeming weakness by freeing the
circulation of that accumulated uric
acid.
"You think you will not eat until
you experience normal hunger; do
you think you will be able to re-
cognize normal hunger when it
comes?''
"You bet your life, WILL said the
doctor with such emphasis, that he
evidently is not far away from ex-
periencing it.
s.You have set no limitation to the
number OF days you will fast then,
and will keep on Indefinitely until you
are hungry?''
"That is correct and / don't think
| [ will have much longer to wait. l
have felt once or twice today like I
| might be getting hungry -
Chow DO you feel physically do you
suffer any from your nervous dys-
pepsia?'
''Not at all. I am quite comfortable.
! 1 walked three and kalf miles today,
and am feeling strong. enough for any
ordinary exercise. -
Chow much weight do you lose as
! the fast progresses9"
"I weighed 124 pounds when be-
gan and week ago | had gotten down
| to SO. Today I weigh 90 pounds a
loss of only a pound in week,
showing that I have gotten to a stand
still, practically, and am now holding
my own
"And you have eaten absolutely
nothing since the 9th of April, no
milk or beef tea?''
"I have taken absolutely no nourish;
ment at all. I drink water whenever
T feel like it. In the beginning of my
fast for while, I occasionally squeezed
a little lemon Juice into glass of water,
but haven't done this in long time.
Absolute fasting is essential to the
cure and / would be foolish to lose all
I had accomplished by taking any
food. No this is my 46th day without
food of any kind, and will continue
the fast as long as is necessary to get
back normal craving for food.
CT am asked, said DR.. Wilkinson,
how it is that I can abstain from
food so long, and at the same time
feel we'll aud strong enough to take
long walks? The answer is simple:
"Absolute fast allows nature to work
unobstructed. Obstruction in nature
causes weakness. Obstruction means
the retention of effete matter that
should pass out through the various
organs of elimination. The element
in the system which is the leading fac.
tor in this weakness by retention
when eating and the food not being
| properly digested-for the food not
digested properly will cause this re-
/ tention-is substance known to the
/ medical profession as uric acid, which
| is defined as a sub-oxidation of the
nitrogenous element in food. Com
plete oxidation Of the heterogeneous
element in food results in a substance
we call Eurea, which is harmless in
normal amount"
"What will you eat first, doctor?"
tFruits and fruit juices, oranges,
grapes and nuts, and whole wheat
bread. Sparingly, of course, at first
of fruit and juices, sparing'y of nuts
and bread which must be thoroughly
masticated and swallowed slowly-my
preference being the shredded whole
wheat biscuit. I am something of 8
food specialist. :"