Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-26
HICKS CASE AIDS
DIETETIC CAUSE
Faster Emerged from Forty-Day Test
in Much the Same Condition as
Patient at Bakersfield
Tunnel

DIR. H. S. Tanner, the widely known
lives in Los Angeles, is in receipt of
many letters bearing on the case of
L. o. Hicks, the entombed miner, near
Bakersfield. These correspondents say
it is an instance of proving Dr. Tan
ner's theories that mankind eats and
drinks too much and can flourish on
diet which might be called the star
vation variety.
Dr. Tanner maintains that not star
vation, but fear of DEATH kills most
persons who from accident or neces-
sity are obliged Ito exist for a time
without food and water. After the
third day the pangs of hunger and
thirst are so mitigated he claims that
fresh air and water will sustain life
for a long time.
Discussing the treatment of Hicks
from a physicians standpoint, Dr.
Tanner said yesterday:
Too Bad About Tobacco
81 believe that a mistake was made
in Withholding from the imprisoned
man his supply of tobacco. His system
was full of nicotine and he craved to-
bacco. 1t would have been a great
solace to him if they could have got
it to him through the pipe. While
1 am not an advocate of tobacco, 1
believe it could have been safely al
lowed in Hicks case. 1 read that he
was so economical of his precious sup
ply that he chewed and chewed it and
finally swallowed The stuff.
"Then, too, they wanted to deny him
food after he was saved. Yet when he
came out he ate a beefsteak and suf-
nffn nat- rln pt-lxy yif1e of
the stomach Is sometimes the best
indication of what is best to eat for
man.
when one goes into a fast the domi-
nant idea should be that YOU can fast
and be healthy. If this belief is weak
or absent better let fasting alone.
Recalls Famous Test
"I was the pioneer faster and my
forty days fast was the nrst of the
kind in 1000 years. 1t is remarkable
for the reason that every effort was
made by Dr. William Hammond, sur
geon general of the army, and his
clique to defeat me because their pro-
fessional reputation was staked on
their statement that my feat was i'm
possible. Why, existed without water
for fourteen days!
"And then my rest was broken, too.
that 1 grew weak and if the New York
Herald had not interfered and said
the doctors treatment of me was
brutal l may not have been, able to
carry out the deal That was in Clar-
endon hall in New York in 1880.
zone of the distressing features of
that test-and it was true of Hicks
was that ] had OF contend against foul
air. 1 had only a canvas cot with rub
ber sheets to sleep on, under the hall,
and in two weeks 1 became so weak
that in going downstairs for my first
walk 1 had to lean on handrail. Then
one day 1 walked to Central park and
after one hours exercise l came back
ard mounted the stairs to the hall two
at a time. Pure air did that for me.
One Meal Daily
"I notice, too, that Hicks tempera-
ture was normal after his terrible ex-
perience. Mine, too, was during the
fast.
when started my fast I was bat
Ting seven physicians, who were try
ing to cure me of this and that. My
ste mach and heart were in bad shape
end l had cardiac rheumatism, they
tcI1 me. I was advised that 1 might
drop dead any time.
"Yet / have never been sick since
then, am an old man and have eaten
only one meal a day since and been a
vegetarian. l eat meal at II o'clock
ana some fruit during the afternoon.
No coffee or tea for me; only water.
"I am today better man physically,
mentally and morally than L was in
the sos during my fasts.
81 satisfied myself then and have
always felt so since that the great
AmG rican vice was overeating."
And with sprightly step the white
ha'1ed faster hurried away, convinced
that Hicks immurement in the tun-
rel would be of lasting benefit to hu-
Inanlty because it taught that food and
water were not necessary for exist
enc.