The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-08-29
FAs TING FOR HEALTH
b. BrederIc .. Haskin.

i =. - - - =
a By Breder
sss1s1ss1ar 2
Il A woman In Altoona, Pennsy1vania,
4 a little while ago terminated yoiun-
ltaTy fifteen days fast. 1t Gcd keeai
4 undertaken to relieve long contirusd.
digestive troubles which had fatied 10
lrespond TO medical treatatenr. TINS
Il was the third and longest list she Sad
Il taken within FIVE years for the same
Il purpose. The first was for OILY five
days it materially improved aar
health during whole year. The Olo
4 difficulty then recurred and she Tasted
for ten days, gained nearly two years.
lamelioration Of trouble swhtca mad
Ibeen almost lifelong.
Within the last year her dtscom-1
fort began again. Fir SIX months sne1
suffered severe pain after every meal
even of the simplest and IN st easily
digested food. She entered upon the
Hast fast in the belief that Il would
again relieve her and the hope that
Its longer duration might affect per-
lmanent cure. At the end Of tlls period
of abstenance she had allotted herself,
lshe ate a hearty meal, inetudtHsl
chicken and fresh vegetables The re-
lief from suffering for the first three
days following her fast repaid ner.
lit had been no saer.tica to her be.
cause the pangs of una ppeascd nun
IEer gave her less discomfort tnan tie
suffering from indigestion following
leach meal eaten.
As q Curative Measure.
| Voluntary fasting as curative
lmany scientific men,; DISTINGUISHED
Idietitians and physicians have scianil-
ideally studied the physical changes
lin the body wrought by y PERIOD ol
Iabstenance from nouris hmens- Most
Iof their observations were lacking III
ldetail although of scientific interest.
The Carnegie Institution of Wash
1ington. through its nutrition IabSasa--
tory in Boston. has comp ated tins
I most elaborate study af prolonged
4 fasting yet made &n.1 thus acquired
1.-The most accurate data regard ing rs
II physical effect upon tho patient. TheS
lhave put a man through suen tast
and carefully noted its effects. The
II reports of this study, which nave JUST
|tbeen concluded, dsipro Z. tt tsteory
THAT any danger to a healthy human
being attends prolonged fast They
| indicate that the body a1ntl,ns re-
serve sufficient to preserve life for
many weeks under favorable condl-
ltions. a, -.
The subject subm 7tted to the test,
which continued for thi:ty-oGa days
Twas Mr.. Angostino Levanz!n, a native
LOT the island of Malta and OF ass
tinguished French and lt1i l,s ees t.e;,
He was a man Of scientific attaiL-
| ments and had made a numbes d
voluntary fasts to his own pnysicai
|lhetterm ent. He offered himself as
II subject for scientific observation IN
line belief that he was rhereby sery-
ling humanity. Several cerrlhcsless
from physicians testifyins TO ms gooa
health and freedom from organic 1ls-.
lease were submitted before his o1er
was accented. During his journey
/ from Malta to Boston he kept an &C.
Icnrate record OF the food he ate and
lother physical details in:.uted IN tle
/ instructions sent to him oy tae laocra-
| tory scientists.
| During the fasting period, he Was
under the daily observ1t,oa 81 ~.
] M. W. Goodall, professor of physloIog-
| ;ca1 chemistry OF the Harvard Medt-
| cal school, DIR. Herbert sydney Lang
| field. professor of psychology. DR.. ~.
IN Kendall who observed the 1ntes-
| tina1 bacterial flora, DIR. Francis Bene-
| dict. director of the Nutrition LapoTa-
| tory in which the study was conauc sI
! ed. and a number of others. Ially
records were made of the respiral lsol
lblOOdS tests anu OIAACA
ia bearing upon the results.
1 I,eyanzin slept each night in calo-
! rimeter room that an accurate RECORD
might be kept of the temperature OF
ihis body and his respiration Wnlte
sleeping. This room is large ana
we'll ventilated and contains num-
i Der OF calorimeters and models 81
i respiration apparatus. He spent mosI
i Of each day upon balcony extending
nartIy around the room which was
i approached by a stairway OF IWelve
4 stems. These steps gave him daily
Il exercise He was photographed on
4 the last day of his fast in the act
! or ascending the staircase. Though
1.-The exposure lasted for twenty sec
onds he evidenced the unsteadiness
from weakness.
4 He was under continuous surveii-
Trance by responsible members OF the
4 LABORATORY staff. He could not have
y obtafncd nourishment even II he had
4 tried to do so, although he was SO
4 much in earnest regarding the advan-
Il tage his fast might be to humanity
4 that it is believed he would have re
4 fused indignantly il it had been. prof
/ tered him. He desired to prolons
his fast to forty days although thirty
vas the period agreed upon and in
!sisted upon making it thirty-one days
i in order to exceed the highest former
record as scientifically observed
1 No Natural Hunger.
| At the termination OF the fast, ne
was supplied with food OF his OWE
choosing consisting of lemons
oranges, boiled rice and honey. He
claimed to have no natural hunger
ana said he would have to fast a con-
/ sidcrably longer period to have ne-
tural hunger return to him. His