4 Influence of Inanition on Metabolism. 



methods of treatment preclude such prolonged fasts, since as a rule nutritive 

 enemata and tube-feeding are regularly employed. 



STARVATION THROUGH ACCIDENT. 



There are on record many authentic cases of persons in shipwrecks, coal- 

 mine disasters, etc., who have been deprived of food for considerable periods. 

 In a number of these cases u individuals have been rescued after having with- 

 stood fasts of from 14 to 25 days, though in nearly every instance drinking- 

 water, at least in limited amounts, was accessible. 



PATHOLOGICAL FASTING. 



Pathological cases involving disturbances of the alimentary tract which 

 preclude the ingestion of food are unfortunately only too common, and since 

 the majority of such cases have been in the hands of intelligent physicians, 

 careful observations have been recorded in many instances. Since the method 

 of treatment involved the ingestion either per os or per rectum of varying 

 quantities of food, such cases are not comparable with complete fasting. 

 Furthermore, the pathological nature of the cases may in many instances have 

 resulted in an abnormal metabolism. 



FASTING IN HYPNOTIC SLEEP. 



To this class undoubtedly belong many of the so-called cases of suspended 

 animation which have frequently been observed in the Hindu fakirs, and more 

 especially in recent years in certain cases in which hypnotic suggestion has 

 been of practical use in studying problems of nutrition. The best known 

 instance of the use of hypnosis for this purpose is the case reported by Hoover 

 and Sollman. 12 



PHYSIOLOGICAL FASTING. 



Physiological fasting as distinguished from fasting as a result of mental 

 or pathological lesions may be defined as the voluntary fasting of normal 

 subjects. Either for purposes of exhibition or scientific experiment, a number 

 of such fasts more or less prolonged have been made. 



Giovanni Succi, the professional faster, has made a number of fasts of from 

 10 to 30 days' duration. During many of these fasts scientists have cooperated 

 to secure more or less complete physiological studies of the effect of fasting on 

 metabolism. 



Other professional fasters Cetti, Breithaupt, and Jacques have been the 

 subjects of experiments Avhich have contributed greatly to our knowledge of 

 the physiology of fasting. One of the most elaborate of such studies is that 



"Luciani, loc. cit, p. 73; Hammond, loc. cit, p. 62. 

 12 Journ. of Experimental Medicine (1897), 2, p. 403. 



