THE FASTING CURE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 36, 6 November 1907, Page 5

THE FASTING CURE.

: DR. MASON'S VIEWS. ; ; Tiie Chief Health Officer (Dr. Mason), has considerable interest'in the'report of the-tw.cnty-fivo days fast of Mr. J. M. Clark', -of Wanganui, whose diary of experiences for that period was published in The' Dominion". "It is certainly a most interesting diary," the doctor.observed in conversation with a' representative of this paper, -'and it is .valuable for two reasons. As;the/subject of tho fast .is well-known, the suspicion of fraud .which frequently attaches io these eases is put out of the question. Secpndlyj Mr.' Clark actually carried on his usiiiil work, all the time, which has not been tile-case in most other instances. . Usually thp.i subject of the fast feels faint, arid has to/lie down to it after a certain time. The diary is-, one of the best documents pertaining :to- this -treatment that I have come hcipss-for a long time." backing' Up Waste Products. ■ -It ■ was -'undoubtedly a common thing, Dr. Mason went on, speaking of the fasting cure in general,.'-for; men ..to. let their intakings. in. the..way, ofXfood more than balance their expenditure,' with tho result of banking, lip"-wasto products in their bodies.; Ho liad'hpY doubt whatever, not only fronrreadingi'but. as the outcome of practical experience that most people .could do an ordinary !da)y.V work on very much less than they would consider ail ordinary day's food. In ihiij/majority, of instances more food was eAtfen'. than was absolutely necessary to keep (ijb. fr proper equilibrium, so to speak. At the '-'same time he would hesitato before ho Gounsellod an abstinence of. twenty-eight dajsi and the modern .author of the treatment',' 1 Dr;-Dewey, was obviously .unscientific W-ailvising total abstinence as the cure for Slli diseases. . Dr. .:t»ewey made this recomjnehclatiori, for example, in the case of enteric' fever The .practice in such cases had hijljh'ertO'; beento give.; tho pationt nothing, that-might in any; waycause rupture of that portion,.of the that ,was -involved by the i-disTeapo,, but. Dr< Dewey's method was truly heroic. At the.samo time,-after reading",'the doctor's' : book, ono felt . convincod 'that'unless, one-was to disbelieve all that ho said; there , was really more, in this-, fasting •trpatmcjit,than at first sight appeared. It. wa's ridiculous, however, to. Dr. Mason's iiiirtfcl, to : talk of a porson being cured- of canter,. 'by this'; means. So far as doctors Itnfew, : there, was. only one cure for this <discasc;.total excision at an early stage. Abst|ne'iice Easy.

1.-Therb .was/ very little' difficulty for' the '.individual,. Dr. Mason added, in 'gp'iljg";two or three days without food. Total Msfihence had been recommended right through the ages as an excellent method of sqWarmig-our ledgers in the bank; of health, and'.'modical men ofton followed this systom when thoy kept on barley water, '.(ji'Something not much more solid, a. patient ™p ;/w'(iuld: not .easily be persuaded to fast sfllo'gcthci;. Mr. - Clark's statement as to hisVdistasto. to alcohol or tobacco after the interesting, 'as it,;had long lippn /claimed. by the vegetarians that • meat, tofeiiecp|''.,an'd' alcohol went hand in hand, ;that ; ;p'ne,' so to/speak, inoitod to.'another, He .^ya.si.,not/..prepared to say what, amount of truth (there - was ''in this, but' without', doubt most/, pe'pple ; wbuld'. be; far-better' if'they ate less.-moat'.'; '•' ; .. N Eaß'birate Tests. ■'.■'.■/'.., .tiiTlip /effects of -tho; fasting', treatment, • Dr.' Ma'sou';,thinks, would..justify the niaking of niore •elab'prate . records thari those kept by Clark. In tho case of a man who fasted recently for, riin'otcen.days in' Glasgow, barpfhl observations were, made'- at intervals of the; value of his- blopd corpnsclbs| tho numbers; (if red • and white \corpuscles, being counted;-at/regular intervals, arid his;power of,'resistance'against . disease' assessed.' It •wwild have been of very great value if these' ..obsCTvatipns, and'others that would- occur t'Oj.a scientific mail had been taken in the ;casb of Mr'.-Clatk; , - -

The hint/may hold for future fasters.