Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-06-05
LONG FAST FOR HEALTH
Air and Water Mans Food
 During Forty-five Days.
WORKED HARD ALL THE TIME.

Only Twe1ty-six Pounds and Looks As If He Had Hnd vacation-In Training Three Years-Has Length ened Periods of Fasting Until He Thinks Fifty Days Possible. That man can work hard, sleep well and be merry without anything to eat for forty-five days has recently been proved in most extraordinary manner by J. Austin Shaw of Borough Park, Brooklyn, says the New York Herald. From April g to May A MT. Shaw looked not upon food that was cooked or uncooked, or, if he did look upon 1t, it was without ;vy great temptation to eat 1t. This fast exceeds Dr. Tanners famous lasts and many other self starving records.
 In all that time MT. Shaw worked from twelve to eighteen hours day, and at the end of his forty five days without eating instead of being weak ened and emaciated was, if anything. stronger and healthier than when he began to go without food. The expla- nation of this astonishing result lies largely in the fact that he had trained carefully and scientifically for three years in the seldom voluntarily prac- ticed art of fasting.
 Three years ago MT. Shaw weighed 235 pounds. He was in fairly good health, although he suffered occasion ally from rheumatism. A book on Perfect Health," by c. c. Haskell, gospel of abstinence in diet, made him convert. It held that healthy old age depended solely on the knowledge of how to breathe, eat, drink, think and sleep.
 Mir. Shaw immediately put the au- thor's theories into practice. In the last three years he has lasted at intervals, each fast being little longer than its predecessor, and he has lost sixty-two pounds in weight and gained greatly in strength and health. He has become an enthusiastic apostle of starvation as a means to long life and has record of his experience backed by photo graphs taken every few days during his last and longest fast.
 Mir. Shaw was asked the other night how he accounted for the fact that forty-five days on water had left him sound and strong, while professional fasters were generally fearfully ema- ciated
 Fresh air is the secret,' he said. You may say lived during the last six weeks on air, I gave up coffee and meat and breakfast three years ago. I never take anything but glass of wa ter before noon. I never drink with my meals.
 "As to my lasts, began with three days abstinence at time, with two weeks between lasts. Gradually I heightened the time of going without food to ten days until recently l found could go forty-fye days without eat ing without the least discomfort. I have no doubt I could have gone on for fifty days or more, but thought 1t better not to make the test too hard.
 T mean to live to be 100 years old and think I am on the right track. There Is no reason we should not all live to be 100.
 'The first two days of my fast were little hard. but after that 1t was easy. I sometimes drank little weak lem, onade and once in week or so a glass of unfermented grape juice. The rest of my diet consisted of water, both hot and cold.
 Temptations to break it? They did not amount to much. It. wasn't the easiest thing in the world to carve for my family when we had particularly good Sunday dinner, but did not real ly feel the need of food.
 "Thls brings me to the most impor- tant point of all. had absolute con- fidence in myself and knew I was not in any danger. A doctor examined me every day. My pulse was normal, at 60. and never went above 72 when I sprlnted for a train. Each day I re- ceived a~letter of encouragement and advice from Haskell. My wife helped me. too. by her faith. The mind plays a big role in health fasting. Faith and fresh air are the important clements.
 q took my usual exercise and cold bath in the morning and worked each day fin the city from twelve to eighteen hours. My work keeps me out of doors much of the time"
 Mir. Shaw intends to keep up his periodical fasting for the rest of his life and to abjure meat at all times and any food before noon. He is connected with a weekly horticultural paper and is a man somewhat under fifty years. Three of his daughters are on the stage One of them was pajama girl In ''The Liberty Belles" The youngest of them has forsworn the hot birds and cold bottles which are popularly sup posed to he the correct after theater diet and Is almost as ardent a vege- tartan noneater as her father.
 Mir. Shaw cautions those who would seek foodless health not to start in too ambitiously. Three days is about all the beginner can stand. He himself looks as fresh after his recent remark able fast as if he just returned from an ideal vacation. He lost twenty-six pounds. little more than half pound a day. but there is not wrinkle to show it. He asserts that. though he ----sl -x-1-. <b,, ,,.uaT ho Ifd r,of af