The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-11-27
LONG FASTS.
How 1t is Possible to Abstain from
Nourishment and Still Live.

At the time of writing (Oct, l3l
Mayor MacSwiney has tasted for G3
days. This already constitutes a
Babe Ruth" record. Until Mayor Mac
Swiney came upon the scene, the ital-
ian Merlatti was the championship
holder with 50 days to his credit DIR.
Tanner, an American physician, came
second, having tasted 40 days.
These long fasts are possible only
because the patient drinks water a
plenty. Without water the human be-
ing can survive not much beyond three
or four days. While Mayor MacSwi-
ney has set new record, this record
applies to human beings only. Dir.
Hawk, professor at the jefferson
Medical college in Philadelphia, kept
a dog in a fasting stage for III days,
and what is even more remarkable, by
very careful feeding, the dog ultimate
ly completely recovered.
The word fasting" is used rather
loosely. In Mayor MacSwiney's case
the fast is not an absolute one be
cause he partakes of water-which, in
reality, Is as much of food as any
one of those commonly considered as
such. The orthodox jew really fasts
on the Day of Atonement, for during
twenty four hours he tastes neither
Solid food or liquid food. But, of
course, we all know that death may
result not merely from eating nothing
at all, but from eating food in insult
Gent quantity, or from eating food
deficient in certain essential elements.
If the food supply is insufficient to
yield the necessary energy, the man
will slowly but surely sink and finally
die. If the diet is such as TO exclude,
or supply in insufficient amount, an
essential constituent-say, ordinary
table salt-the man sinks and finally
dies.
The food we eat passes from the
mouth through the stomach into the
intestines. BY the time the food
reaches the first part of the intes
tines-the small intestine-the body's
workmen. which our scientists call
"enzymes." have SO simplifed our food
as to make il fit for absorption by
the body.
The body has means of reserying or
storing material Under normal condi-
tions the body. in fact, always does
store away some Of the food material
as II preparing for rainy day
Sometimes the amount Of food we
cat is so out Of proportion 20 body
needs that excessive quantities ~ food
stuffs are stored within the body. We
get visual evidence Of this in Fat
people. But don't make the mistake
Of supposing that sll fat people are
necessarily those who eat too much !;
they may represent persons suffering
from various diseases.
The reserve supply Of food Is not in
exhaustible. II nothing Is taken from
the outside and the storehouse i par
tally emptied from day TO day there
comes a day when the storehouse itself
becomes empty. Now the real tragedy
begins. The cells. even at this stage
do not stop functioning. They give
ND the fight for life very slowly. FROM
nov on the necessary fuel Is supplied
by the breaking mp Of the cells them
selves. But A. some oell-. such a.
those II tho brains. are more impor-
tant than other 1.-THE muscles. for ex-
ample the latter are the fr>t 10 disin-
tegrate. II j. A. II in the last stand
q q gallant little band against over
whelminu odds the cammon soldiers
were to decide 20 save the life Of their
captain fthe brains Of the company to
the very iast-Beniamin Harrow in
New York Times.