Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-06-21
Health Talks by Or. Brady
Some Features of Fasting

Professor Francis c. Benedict director of
the nutrition laboratory of the Carnegie In
Stitution of Washing ton, at Boston. told ply
sicans ana the general public some important
things about fasting. in the second Harring-
ton lecture. given at the University Of Buff
taio medical department. Buffalo, last June
In fact the eminent authority on nutrition
slipped up OF only one point so far as | can
foli"w--hc made the popular OF calling
fasting starvation, an error which Noah Web
ster does not approve. but which many ply
sicians are guilty of making in their scientific
writing and speech. Fasting is often bcnc-
fetal as a remedy and. many have learned
a shor; fast often improves the health. star
walton * fatal, or at least, il threatens life
No physician. surely would starvc patient
though some physicians write and speak OF
starving patients unconCcrncdly as you
or might say Have chew"
number OF students in Wesleyan Uni
vcrSity. Mddlctown Conn, volunteered TO nm
dcrGo fasts OF from two to days. spend
ing the entire time during tho fast in a res
piraiton chamber so that all the oxygen they
brcaihed aud all the carbon dioxidc and things
they eliminated or cNcrctcd could be carefully
measured as well as the pulse. temperature
and So
The average loss Of weight was a kiiogram
dailN-about two pounds--for tn" first two
days. and rather less than that the subsc-
uucnt days Of the fast. II goes down to about
one pound a day the nth or sixth day.
y remarkable feature was the pronounced
u'p'ti"N OF the Slycoccn storage III the body
the FIRST two days of tho fast. C;lycogcn is the
blood sugar" the form in which fuel energy
Is stored in he body. in the muscles and liver
particularly. This suggests that the average
individual need not feel at all anxious about
his strength or energy II he loses his meal
ticket ana fails 1" find II for forty eight
hours: or that one might fast over a weekend
ana finish strong enough for Monday morn
Incs grapefruit. toast and coffee. In other
words W" pack enough glycogcn TO carry us
over forty-hour fast nicely. and there's no
occasion At all for panic. Especially true is
this for the ovcrnourishcd--that is any one
WHO cats too much for his good. which
is Indicated by overweight.
Til" fastcrs did not suffer with faintnrss
did upt feel "all iu" did not suffer hunger
psnrs or pains were not endangered in any
way. This ought to interest obese individuals
who so greatly miss their customary food in.
toNicat;on when they essay Il fast OF twenty
four hours or less that they become all fused
up about II and get an awful headache and
such - dreadful empty feeling" that they
break down the barriers and make a grand
rush tor - little nourshmcnt." Panic. mere
~. Nud the headache anxiety headache
lIabitual ovcreating. involving food iutoXlca-
ton. amounts 10 a craving like the alcohol
Tobacco" or other drug craving. and calls for
both VIII power and won't power to control
1.-THE physician applies tho won't power. tho
patient the will Thus: 'My dear fellows
YOU wont last two years II you keep on eating
much
Along with the quick burning of the glyco-
zen store there rapid consumption OF
the stored fat deposits the first two days.