MESMERISM BUT NOT FASTING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 42, 13 November 1907, Page 8

MESMERISM BUT NOT FASTING.

A DOCTOR'S BELIEF. ' [BY TELEGRAm.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Auckland, November 12. Dr. Bakewoll, who not long ago aroused the satire of many of his medical brethren by asserting that ho had been cured of can'cos by mosmerism, is himself an unbeliever in tho starvation cure. He writes to tho Press regarding tho account lately givon in The Dominion of Mr. Clark's long fast at Wanganui, and in. the course of his lottor waxes facetious. The following is its. text:— ;

"According to The Dominion's account the fasting man went, about his ordinary businoss without any inconvonienco, and the only nourishment he had was water. There aro not a few of your readers who have some practical ■ knowledgo of steam-engines and of machinos moved by steam power, as in clothing factories, etc. If I wero to tell any of these peoplo that I had a steamongine which could work, and had worked, without any firo for twonty-fivo days, and with only an occasional replenishment of tho water in tho boiler, I wonder whether thoy would think mo mad or drnnk, or simply an outrageous liar.? But would any man or woman bolievo'me? \

" Now, it is just as impossible for a human'' being to go on living and working without food as it is for a steamrongino. to. work without fuel. The only case of long "fasting that I can romembor which was proporly tested was that of a poor girl in Wales, who persisted in stating that sho fasted for weeks. At last a committee of. medical men, assisted,by trained hospital nurses, was appointed to watch her day and night, iter parents, who had been making largo sums by tho exhibition of the girl, had to agree to this test or confess the imposture Unfortunately, thoy determined to bravo it out. The consequence was that tho poor girl got weaker day by day, until, in order to save her life, tho imposture was confessed, and every effort was mado to rally her, but it was all in vain. She died, if I remember right, about tho eighth or ninth day after commencing the vigorous fast. v " I know that in tho medical journals thero wero articles seriously blaming tho committee of medical men for undertaking such a test, knowing as they must havo' done • from tho first that tho alleged fasting was impossible."

(by telegram—mess association!) Wanganui, November 12. In roferpneo to the statements mado by Dr. Bakewell, of Auckland, relative to fasting feats achieved by Wanganui residents, and casting doubts thereon, tho "Wanganui Chronicle" publishes tho following :—"The fasting cure was introduced here about three years ago. It is the teaching of Dr. Dewey, of Meadville, U.S.A. and which has been published by Mr. C. C. Haskell, of Norwich, Connecticut. Mr. Haskell entered into correspondence with a well-known local citizen, Mr. Lloyd Jones, who put the teaching into practice and spread it abroad whonover he found sufferers who could ben benefited by it. He has himself done many short fasts of two and three days, and one each of five, seven, and ten days, always with beneficial offects. His performances havo since been entirely eclipsed by the following, about the authenticity of which there is not a shadow of doubt:—Mr. S. B. Clark, a well-known commercial man, fasted for 26 days, during which time ho followed his daily avocation, and has since published a diary of his fast. Mr. Mowat, of Hunterville, fasted for 21 days. A well-known lady of Wanganui fasted for about 45 days, performing her household duties as usual. Mr. Henry Dobson is to-day on his forty-sovonth day of a fast which will probably continue for several days longer. A well-known Maori resident is now on the twenty-seventh day of a fast, which, in all probability, will bo continued as long again. In each' case the object of tho fast has been tho cure of a disease, and the result has been satisfactory. Fasts wero undertaken in accordance with Dr. Dewey's teaching, which is that Nature will always effect a euro if tho subject will abstain from food sufficiently long."

Tho pitfall, much used in Africa and South Amcricaaß a means'of catching large game, is an imitation of the device employed by tho ant-lion to entrap his prey. This curious insect digs a conical hole in tho sand, and lies in wait at tho bottom. When an incautious ant approaches too near tho top, the sand gives way, and ho slidos down into tho jaws of his enomy. Salt is the greatest luxury known in Central Africa. In somo sections among the poorer inhabitants salt is never used. Even among tho better classes, a man who eats salt with his food is considered a rich individual. In some tribes where salt is not so scarce, children aro so foud of it that they may be seen eating it just as our cliildroii would eat pieces of lump suu-ajc..