Chapter 6

The whole subject is one which is to be examined into and determined like any other matter, and yet, when a proposition is made to investigate by skilled observers the remarkable claim put forward, it is met with abuse and misrepresentation, as if these people thought that all they had to do was to make an assertion of a phenomenon which, according to what we know of nature, is absurd and impossible, to have it at once accepted by those who know, by painful experience, how doubtful all things are till they are proven, and how difficult it is to get satisfactory evidence of the most simple event in physiology or pathology. No one doubts the abstract possibility of a human being living without food, for, bearing in mind the discoveries that are constantly being made, nothing can be regarded as absolutely impossible outside the domain of mathematics. Two and two cannot make six, neither can two distinct bodies occupy the same space at the same time, nor the square of the hypothenuse be otherwise than equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides of a right-angled triangle.

Our knowledge of natural science is, however, founded on experience. Looking at a bear, for instance, for the first time, and with no knowledge of its habits and capacities we would not be apt to believe that the animal could go into retirement at the beginning of winter and remain till spring in a condition of semi-existence and without food. But experience teaches us that the bear when it begins to hibernate is fat; that during hibernation it is in a perfectly quiescent state; that when it emerges into active life again it is emaciated, and that during the whole period of retirement it has taken nothing into its stomach. We then know by observing that all bears go through the same process, that it is a law of their organism to do so, and that their reduced functional actions are maintained by the consumption of the fat with which in the beginning their bodies were loaded. Even here, then, there is no exception to the law that there is no force without the decomposition of matter. Now, it is just possible that by some hitherto unknown or unrecognized condition of the system a man or woman may obtain the force necessary to carry on life for fourteen years without getting it through food taken into the stomach. But a possibility and a fact are two very different things, and the admitted possibility has not yet been shown to be a fact. It is easier--to use the argument of Hume--for the mind to accept the view that there is deception or error somewhere, than to believe that a woman, contrary to all human experience, should live fourteen years without food. Turtles, we know, will live for months while entirely deprived of nutriment. Many others of the cold-blooded animals will do the same thing. It is their nature to do so, and we have experience of the fact, but it is not the nature of women, so far as we know, and therefore we refuse to accept as true the stories which are told of their powers in this direction. And our knowledge is based not only on our daily experience of the wants of their systems and the examples of starvation which have come to our knowledge, but also upon the fact that in the many cases of alleged long abstinence from food that have been investigated, error or deception has been discovered. Therefore, when it is said that Miss Fancher lives without food, and has so done for fourteen years, we simply say, "give us the proofs." Of course the proofs are not given.

How far Miss Fancher is responsible for the assertions that have been made in regard to her long-continued abstinence I do not know. A tendency to deception is a notable phenomenon of hysteria, and if she has led those about her to accept the view that she has existed without food for years, the circumstance would be in no way remarkable. Other hysterical women have deceived in the same or in still more astonishing ways. Or it may be that the amount of food taken being very small, carelessness or want of exactness has led to the expression that she lived upon "absolutely nothing," just as we hear the words used every day by those who have little or no appetite, but who nevertheless do eat something. Again, a love for the marvellous is so deeply rooted in the average human mind that it willingly, and to a certain extent unconsciously, adds to any statement of a remarkable circumstance, till the latter grows, whilst being repeated, to fabulous dimensions.

But however this may be, whatever the explanation, it is quite certain that if Miss Fancher has lived fourteen years without food, or even fourteen months, or weeks, she is a unique psychological or pathological individual, whose case is worthy of all the consideration which can be given to it, not by superstitious or credulous or ignorant persons, but by those who, trained in the proper methods of scientific research, would know how to get the whole truth of her case, and nothing but the truth. It is to be regretted, therefore, that the proposition contained in the annexed letter (Appendix) was not accepted, and that we are forced to place Miss Fancher's case among the others which have proved to be fallacious, till such time as it may suit her and her friends to allow of such an examination.

FOOTNOTES:

[15] Recherches expérimentales sur l'inanition. Paris, 1843, p. 20.

[16] Universal Magazine, Vol. XXXVI, p. 250.

[17] Abridged Philosophical Transaction, Vol. III, p. 111.

[18] Traité de médecine légale et d'hygiène publique. Paris, 1813. t. II, p. 285.

[19] Medical Gazette, Vol. XVII, p. 389.

[20] Des maladies mentales. Paris, 1838, p. 203.

[21] Du refus de manger chez les aliénés. Thèse de Paris 1864, p.

[22] Nouveau dictionnaire de médecine et de chirurgie pratiques. Paris, 1874. t. XVIII., Art. Inanition, p. 503.

[23] New York Medical and Surgical Journal, Vol. II, p. 31.

[24] Quoted from Trans. of the Albany Institute by Dr. Lee in Copland's Dictionary of Medicine. Vol. I, p. 31.

[25] Recherches expérimentales sur les effets de l'abstinence. _Journal de Physiologie_ de Magendie, t. VIII, p. 150.

[26] De l'anorexie hystérique. _Archives générales de médecine_, April 1875.

[27] Leçons sur les maladies du système nerveux, t. I., 2d edition. Paris, 1876, p. 178.

APPENDIX.

The following letter embraces the proposition made to Miss Fancher, to which allusion is made in the text:

TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:--

I have read the letter of Professor Henry M. Parkhurst, published in a recent issue of the HERALD, relative to the "mind reading" or clairvoyance of Miss Mollie Fancher, of Brooklyn, and it does not satisfy me that the young lady in question possesses any such power. It would have been very easy for her to have opened the envelope without disturbing the seal and to have read the contents. Now, there has been a great deal of talk about Miss Fancher's case. I have received just fifty-seven letters asking me to investigate it, and the press has reiterated the invitation over and over again. I have stated very explicitly that I regard the whole matter as a humbug of the most decided kind, but I have never asserted the impossibility of the young lady's alleged performances. On the contrary, I hold nothing to be absolutely impossible outside the domain of mathematics. But possibilities and realities are very different things, and I certainly will not accept as true any such phenomena as those asserted to have been associated with Miss Fancher unless they are proven.

I have already declared my readiness to investigate Miss Fancher, and, a few days since, in the _Sun_, proposed a test which will be perfectly satisfactory to me and many others who, at present, are in accordance with me in my estimation of this young lady. Permit me now to state it definitely, specifically, and once for all. I will place a certified check for a sum of money exceeding $1,000 inside of a single paper envelope. I will lay the package on a table in the room in which she is. If she chooses she may take it in her hands and place it in contact with any part of her body. I will allow her half an hour to describe the check. If she reads it--number, date, on whom drawn, amount, signature, etc.--accurately, she may have the check as her own property, or I will give the amount expressed in the check, in her name to any charitable institution she may designate, or otherwise dispose of it in accordance with her wishes.

The only conditions I exact are these:--

_First_--That the experiment be conducted in my presence and in that of two other physicians, members of the New York Neurological Society, whom I will bring with me as witness simply, and who will not interfere in any way with the test.

_Second_--That the envelope shall at no time pass out of our sight.

If Miss Fancher succeeds in this test I will admit that heretofore in my denunciations of such performances as hers I have been in error, and that there is a force in nature which ought to be investigated. I will pay the money not only without chagrin, but with great satisfaction, and will consider that I have received full value.

If she fails, as I am quite sure she will, I shall not hesitate to continue to denounce her as an imposition in this as well as in her assumed abstinence from food.

A word further in regard to this last matter. I know something about "fasting girls" and their frauds, not excepting the sad case of poor little Sarah Jacob. But I will make this additional proposition:--If Miss Fancher will allow herself to be watched, day and night, for one month, by relays of members of the New York Neurological Society, I will give her $1,000 if at the end of that month she has not in the meantime taken food voluntarily or as a forced measure to save her from dying of starvation, the danger of this last contingency to be judged of by her family physician, Dr. Speir. These offers to remain open for acceptance till twelve o'clock M., December 31st. If not taken up by that time, let us hear no more in support of Miss Fancher's mind reading or clairvoyance, or living for a dozen or more years without food.

WILLIAM A. HAMMOND, M.D.

_43 West Fifty-Fourth Street, New York, Dec. 12th, 1878._

Transcriber's Note:

Hyphenation and punctuation have been standardised. Variant spellings have been retained. Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note, whilst significant amendments have been listed below:

p. 3, 'Nicholas' amended to _Nicolas_ p. 5, 'Aquaintoin' amended to _Aquitaine_ p. 5, 'predominent' amended to _predominant_ p. 6, 'Geraldus Bucoldianus' amended to _Gerardus Bucoldianus_ p. 7, 'fœces' amended to _fæces_ p. 7, 'developes' amended to _develops_ p. 7, fn. 4, 'Παςατηςήσεων' amended to _Παρατηρήσεων_ p. 7, fn. 4, added _rararum_: 'medicarum, _rararum_, novarum' p. 7, fn. 4, 'monstrasarum' amended to _monstrosarum_ p. 8, '1567' amended to _1597_ p. 9, fn. 7, 'chirurgicæ' amended to _chirurgicarum_ p. 15, 'Anne Jones' amended to _Ann Jones_ p. 16, 'fœcal' amended to _fæcal_ p. 26, 'fœces' amended to _fæces_ p. 31, 'Cardinal Carrafa' amended to _Cardinal Carafa_ p. 40, 'Farenheit' amended to _Fahrenheit_ p. 41, fn. 13, 'Rapport Médicale' amended to _Rapport Médical_ p. 41, fn. 13, added _de_: 'médecine _de_ Belgique' p. 44, 'ecstacy' amended to _ecstasy_ p. 44, added _of_: 'direction _of_ M. le Curé' p. 46, 'fecal' amended to _fæcal_ p. 47, 'stigmatisations' amended to _stigmatizations_ p. 48, 'fortell' amended to _foretell_ p. 48, 'marvelous' amended to _marvellous_ p. 58, 'is' amended to _it_: 'that _it_ is stated' p. 58, 'Dr. Spier' amended to _Dr. Speir_ p. 60, 'assimulated' amended to _assimilated_ p. 60, 'alchohol' amended to _alcohol_ p. 62, 'Bergemolletta' amended to _Bergemoletto_ p. 62, 'breath' amended to _breadth_ p. 62, 'Belguim' amended to _Belgium_ p. 63, fn. 18, 'médicine' amended to _médecine_ p. 64, 'palid' amended to _pallid_ p. 64, fn. 22, 'Nouvreau' amended to _Nouveau_ p. 64, fn. 22, 'médicine' amended to _médecine_ p. 67, 'messentery' amended to _mesentery_ p. 67, 'their' amended to _there_ p. 67, 'hemorrhage' amended to _hæmorrhage_ p. 68, 'Chosset' amended to _Chossat_ p. 69, fn. 26, 'médicine' amended to _médecine_ p. 71, 'her's' amended to _hers_ p. 71, 'injestion' amended to _ingestion_ p. 76, 'Sarah Jacobs' amended to _Sarah Jacob_ p. 76, 'Dr. Spier' amended to _Dr. Speir_

The page reference in fn. 21 (p. 64) was omitted in the original text.

End of Project Gutenberg's Fasting Girls, by William Alexander Hammond