THE FASTING CRAZE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8980, 14 November 1907, Page 6

THE FASTING CRAZE.

A DOCTOR'S OPINION. Dr. Bakewell, of Auckland, who not long ago aroused the satire of many of his medical brethren byasserting that he had been cured of cancer by mesmerism, is an unbeliever in the starvation cure. He writes to the press regarding the account lately published of Mr Clark's lung fast at Wanganui, and in the course of his letter waxes facetious. The following is its text:—• "According to the account the fasting man went about his ordinary business without any inconvenience, and the only nourishment he water. There are not a few of your readers who have some practical knowledge of stenm-engines and of machines moved by steam power, as in clothing factories, etc. If I were to tell any of these people that I had a s'eam-engine which could work, and had worked, without any fire for 25 days and with only an occasional replenishment of the water in the boiler, I wonder whether they would think me mad or drunk, or simply an outrageous liar? But would any man or woman believe me?

"Now, it is just as impossible for a human being to go on living and working without food as it is for a steam-engine to work without fuel. The only case of, long fasting that I can remember which was properly tested was that of a poor girl in Wales, who persisted in stating that she fasted for weeks. At last a committee of medical men, assisted by trained hospital nurses, was appointed to watch her day and night. Her parents, who had been making large sums by the exhibition of the girl had to agree to this test or confess the imposture. Unfortunately, they determined to brave it out. The consequence was that the poor girl go!; weaker day by day, until, in order to save her life, the imposture was confessed, and every effort was made to rally her, but it v\as all in vain. She died, if I remember right, about the eighth or ninth day after commencing the vigorous fast. "I know that in the medical journals there were articles seriously blaming the committee of medical men for undertaking such a test, knowing as they must have done from the first that the alleged fasting was impossible."