FASTING FEATS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 44, 15 November 1907, Page 9

FASTING FEATS.

THE WANGANUI EXPERIMENTS. ' ' SOME MEDICAL OPINIONSAuckland, November 14. The fasting feats reported to have been aqhioved, or to' be in coin-so of aihioveme'nt, by residents of Wanganui, are regarded by mombors of the medical' profession in Auckland with a good doal of reservation. Ono doctor, on being seoiyon tho subject, said chat he had been one of a committcb of medical students who several years ago watched Succi, the-fasting man, during ono of his prolonged fasts at tho-.Westminster Aquarium. "Succi took nothing but-fluid," remarked the mor dice, "and this only in small amounts. We were not allowed to test this fluid, so I cannot say what it was. Wo watched the man for two weeks, and never found anything out. Succi becamo progressively emaciated. Ho got thinner and thinnor. His skin becamedry, his temperature fell below tho normal and had ho gone on much longer I am satisfled"the result would-havo been fatal."

"I think most, of these Wanganui people," continued the doctor,: "must .take something —water or fluid of some kind —yet-thoy call it starvation.- Absolute, starvation for 40 or 50 days is simply impossible. -IJiejy could not do it. . Tho. gonial experience with animals is that most of them will succumb" to starvation in from 14 to 28 days. . There have been cases of animals•; going longer without food, more particularly when they could got water. Deprivation '"from water diminishes the duration of life very much. The idea that a man. can. absolutely .'fast and go about his business for over '40 days is absurd to my mind. He must have taken water or some fluid. I remember the caso mentioned by. Dr. Bakewoll of the girl who was watched so successfully during her 'fast' that she died. The important point is whethor or not the persons concerned are taking fluid nourishment." The same medical man Went on to observe that many ailments could be much benefited by cessation from solid food. There was no .doubt but that many., illnesses were due to improper feeding. If food was not properly absorbed the pationt was starved, and the food taken decomposed. . Actual starvation or abstention from solid foods would necessarily, be better than that. He doubted, however, whether any ailment could bfl improved by absolute starvation. Ho did not think there was any case treated by . tho medical profession by deprivation from-all food and drink. Absolute starvation ■ would cause death very much under 50 days. . "You and I, for instance," said the doctor "would not probably last ten days without food or fluid. I fail to see the advantage of these demonstrations." . Another member of the medical profession, interviewed, said that fasting was an unnatural -thing, medically. Ho knew from personal oxperienco what the sonsation was of-being deprived of food for three woeks whilst suffering from typhoid fever. "You become a porfect maniac ion tho point," he declared. "You think of and talk of nothing else but fopd, and long for dainties of all sorts. Partial. abstention from food is reckoned to bo an excellent thing. These Wanganui .peoplo may be indulging in milk, water, or beef tea, and at the same timo abstaining from solid food. ' In that way.the whole alimentary tract gets a complete rest, and the result is very beneficial, d'yspopsia boing in many instances relieved in that way, and sometimes cured. In fact, any functional derangement may bo cured in this- way.- Of course, no disease in tho nature of a growth could possibly be-so cured. As to the Wanganui people having fasten in' the literal moaning of the word, well, I do not credit it. They iriust 1 have taken somo - nourishment. Thon, regarding the statement that one man has been .carrying on his usual vocation and. at tho same time abstaining from food, all. I can say is," remarked the doctor, diplomatically, ' that if that means that he abstained from both solid.-ands liquid-, further .Y.ottScqjthebody lis continually; wasting; "md.- there is-a continuous breaking d6S'fl !l bf.;t-lii- tis'suis,- r (in'd :l only tho nourishment we take makes, riqw' tissues and spares'those we have;"'