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44-517: The place is known for its connection with Vincent Priessnitz , an early proponent of hydrotherapy . Priessnitz had founded the first modern hydrotherapeutic institute in the world here. It is also known for the Sanatorium Priessnitz building designed by Leopold Bauer , and many springs. 50°14′24″N 17°11′10″E  /  50.24000°N 17.18611°E  / 50.24000; 17.18611 This Olomouc Region location article

88-432: A calorie restriction diet in people who are overweight , obese or have metabolic syndrome . A 2021 review found that moderate alternate-day fasting for two to six months was associated with reductions of body weight, body mass index , and cardiometabolic risk factors in overweight or obese adults. Fasting is almost always practiced prior to surgery or other procedures that require general anesthesia because of

132-472: A religious ritual , often associated with specific scheduled fast days, as determined by the religion , or be applied as a public demonstration for a given cause, in a practice known as a hunger strike . Alternate-day fasting (alternating between a 24-hour "fast day" when the person eats less than 25% of usual energy needs, followed by a 24-hour non-fasting "feast day" period) has been shown to improve cardiovascular and metabolic biomarkers similarly to

176-452: A milder water-cure that was combined with other medicines would be preferable. In 1839, 1500 patients arrived (among them one monarch, a duke and duchess, 22 princes and 149 counts and countesses ) and 120 doctors to study the new therapy. A visit by Arch-Duke Franz Carl in October 1845 was greeted with an address extolling the virtues of Priessnitz and his methods, signed by 124 guests, from

220-442: A notable quack doctor, put her patients on such strict fasts that some of them died of starvation . She was responsible for the death of more than 40 patients under her care. In 1911, Upton Sinclair authored The Fasting Cure , which made sensational claims of fasting curing practically all diseases, including cancer , syphilis , and tuberculosis . Sinclair has been described as "the most credulous of faddists" and his book

264-406: A sanatorium and spa for his patients. As Priessnitz's experience grew, the procedures of his treatments became more precise and regular. To treat many diseases, he would wrap the patient in wet bandages and many layers of blankets to cause heavy perspiration from the heat. After several hours, the patient was then instructed to bathe in cold water, and also drink plenty of water. He believed that

308-714: A spiritual fast as "a personal spiritual transformation". Other progressive campaigns have adopted the tactic. Fasting is practiced in various religions, and details of fasting practices differ. Yom Kippur , Tisha B'av , Fast of Esther , Tzom Gedalia , the Seventeenth of Tamuz , the Tenth of Tevet , and Fast of the Firstborn are examples of fasting in Judaism . Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av are 25-hour fasts in which observers abstain from consuming any food or liquid from sunset until nightfall

352-428: A time usually beginning after 4–5 days with no food. Fasting can increase the risk of developing gallstones for some people. This is thought to occur due to decreased gallbladder movement with no food to be digested, which can cause the bile to become over-concentrated with cholesterol, combined with the liver secreting extra cholesterol into bile as the body metabolizes fat during rapid weight loss, further exacerbating

396-574: A variety of countries. The new spa house, built that year with 30 rooms, was called Castle and the next house was called New Spa House. In 1846 Priessnitz was awarded a medal by the Emperor . Various aristocratic patients did him reverence by erecting monuments in the spa town. Among the most famous guests was Nikolai Gogol who visited the spa twice (1839 and 1846). In 1842, R. T. Claridge published The Cold Water Cure, its Principles, Theory, and Practice , which detailed Priessnitz's treatments. Claridge

440-717: Is a metabolic disturbance which occurs as a result of reinstitution of nutrition in people and animals who are starved , severely malnourished , or metabolically stressed because of severe illness. When too much food or liquid nutrition supplement is eaten during the initial four to seven days following a malnutrition event, the production of glycogen , fat and protein in cells may cause low serum concentrations of potassium , magnesium and phosphate . The electrolyte imbalance may cause neurologic, pulmonary, cardiac, neuromuscular, and hematologic symptoms—many of which, if severe enough, may result in death. Refeeding syndrome can occur when someone does not eat for several days at

484-734: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Vincent Priessnitz Vincenz Priessnitz , also written Prießnitz (sometimes in German Vinzenz , in English Vincent , in Czech Vincenc ; 4 October 1799 – 26 November 1851) was a peasant farmer in Gräfenberg, Austrian Silesia , who is generally considered the founder of hydrotherapy , an alternative medical treatment. Priessnitz stressed remedies such as vegetarian food , air, exercise, rest, water, and traditional medicine. He

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528-755: Is a religious obligation for all Muslims unless they are children or are physically unable to fast. Lent is a common period of fasting in Christianity . Eastern Orthodox Christians fast during specified fasting seasons of the year, which include not only the better-known Great Lent , but also fasts on every Wednesday and Friday (except on special holidays), together with extended fasting periods before Christmas (the Nativity Fast ), after Easter (the Apostles' Fast ) and in early August (the Dormition Fast ). Members of

572-423: Is little evidence to suggest that intermittent fasting for periods shorter than 24 hours is effective for sustained weight loss in obese adults. Prolonged fasting (also called extended fasting or water fasting) involves periods of fasting above 24 hours, typically in the range of 5–20 days. In early fasting, the body operates under a relatively high level of gluconeogenesis , though this eventually decreases as

616-452: Is no mention of this in Metcalfe's better researched 1898 book, which not only provides a picture of Priessnitz's adult son (per this article), but in which the son is stated as being born in 1847 and having died in 1884. This is also consistent with the tribute website that gives the same birth and death dates, and which states the son's age at death as being 37. Fasting Fasting is

660-506: Is thus also credited with laying the foundations of what became known as Nature Cure , although it has been noted that his main focus was on hydrotherapeutic techniques. The use of cold water as a curative is recorded in the works of Hippocrates and Galen , and techniques such as spas, bathing, and drinking were used by various physicians in Europe and the US through to the 18th century. The practice

704-515: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ( Mormons ) generally abstain from food and drink for two consecutive meals in a 24-hour period on the first Sunday of each month and use the money they save for charity. Fasting is a feature of ascetic traditions in religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism . Mahayana traditions that follow the Brahma's Net Sutra may recommend that the laity fast "during

748-594: The UNESCO anniversaries in 1999. A band from Jeseník named itself Priessnitz . A Czech movie based on his life was made in 1999 under the name of Vincenz Priessnitz . Knowledge of Priessnitz's work in Britain led to the foundation of twenty hydropathic establishments. Of these, two remain one in Peebles , the other Crieff Hydro , Crieff . In the Polish language, Priessnitz is

792-546: The British Parliament and died after 66 days of not eating. 100,000 people attended his funeral, and the strike ended only after nine other men died. In all, ten men survived without food for 46 to 73 days. The American civil rights activist César Chávez undertook several spiritual fasts, including a 25-day fast in 1968 promoting the principle of nonviolence and a fast of 'thanksgiving and hope' to prepare for pre-arranged civil disobedience by farm workers. Chávez regarded

836-504: The Gräfenberg spa with lodgings, dining rooms, showers and bathhouses. Some patients lived in the spa for up to four years. He constructed several douches, which were heavy showers of cold water that flowed from nearby mountains. The water from these douches fell from up to 20 feet in the air, with a stream so strong that new patients were sometimes "flattened by the force of the stream." Other baths were created for different body parts, such as eye baths, foot baths and head baths. In 1826 he

880-549: The act of refraining from eating , and sometimes drinking. However, from a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (before " breakfast "), or to the metabolic state achieved after complete digestion and absorption of a meal. Metabolic changes in the fasting state begin after absorption of a meal (typically 3–5 hours after eating). A diagnostic fast refers to prolonged fasting from 1–100 hours (depending on age), conducted under observation, to facilitate

924-518: The body's metabolism switches into ketosis , causing ketones to replace glucose as the primary energy source in the central nervous system . As prolonged fasting continues, drastic decreases in sodium , potassium , magnesium , and other minerals are noted, which can lead to hyponatremia . In some diet systems, these losses are offset with non-caloric electrolyte supplements, such as electrolyte beverages. Typical observed weight loss under prolonged fasting averages at 0.9 kg per day during

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968-525: The chest, and at their earnest entreaty he consented to take a little medicine, exclaiming all the while, 'it is no use.' He would see no physician, but remained to the last true to his profession". At about four o'clock in the afternoon, "he asked to be carried to bed, and upon being laid down he expired. Priessnitz's wife Sofie died in 1854, and was buried in the family crypt in Gräfenberg, where Priessnitz also lay. They had nine children, comprising eight daughters and one son. The son, Vincent Paul Priessnitz,

1012-504: The context of social injustice. The political leader Gandhi undertook several long fasts as political and social protests. Gandhi's fasts had a significant impact on the British Raj and the Indian population generally. In Northern Ireland in 1981, a prisoner, Bobby Sands , was part of the 1981 Irish hunger strike , protesting for better rights in prison. Sands had just been elected to

1056-423: The early 20th century, fasting was promoted by alternative health writers such as Hereward Carrington , Edward H. Dewey , Bernarr Macfadden , Frank McCoy , Edward Earle Purinton , Upton Sinclair and Wallace Wattles . All of these writers were either involved in the natural hygiene or new thought movement. Arnold Ehret 's pseudoscientific Mucusless Diet Healing System espoused fasting. Linda Hazzard ,

1100-502: The effects of known water-cures, and they developed new methods and theories about the field. The usage of extreme temperature was toned down to account for differences in patients' age and condition. One notable theory that emerged was that osmosis contributed to the healing effects of water. The skin was thought to act as a membrane, and impurities in the body would flow out into pure water applied by bandages and baths. Priessnitz's English biographer, Richard Metcalfe, notes that despite

1144-552: The eponym for the word for shower , prysznic . In The Confidence-Man by Herman Melville , the herb-doctor says, '"The water-cure? Oh, fatal delusion of the well-meaning Preisnitz!" a. Metcalfe's earlier essay on Priessnitz, while comprising a readily digestible summary of his life and work, is best reviewed in conjunction with other works, including Metcalfe's own later book on Priessnitz. For example, in Metcalfe's 1869 essay, he describes Priessnitz's eldest son as having died at an apparently young age. However, there

1188-499: The fame of the Graefenberg setting, Priessnitz believed that the water-cure treatment was what provided his patients relief, not the locale. Vincenz Priessnitz died in 1851. Newspapers of the day reported that on the morning of his death "Priessnitz was up, and stirring about at an early hour and complaining of the cold, and had wood brought in to make a large fire. His friends had for some time believed him to be suffering from dropsy in

1232-440: The first settlers of the village. When Vincenz was eight his father went blind and he had to help in the farm, especially after his elder brother died four years later. Once Vinzenz watched a roebuck with a wounded limb coming to a pond (or stream) to heal its wound. He healed his own finger injured during timber felling with water wraps (1814). He also relieved pain after spraining his wrist by applying wet bandages, which lessened

1276-411: The first week and 0.3 kg per day by the third week. In early fasting, during periods of high gluconeogenesis, roughly two-thirds of weight lost is lean muscle mass as opposed to fat. After the gluconeogenic phase, however, the ratio of body fat lost to lean tissue lost becomes roughly 7:6. There is no sound clinical evidence that fasting can promote longevity in humans. Refeeding syndrome

1320-825: The inflammation. In 1816 he was injured more seriously when he broke his ribs in an accident with a cart and the doctor claimed it was fatal or at least crippling. Priessnitz refused to accept the doctor's diagnosis, and over the next year, he healed after applying wet bandages to his chest and drinking large quantities of water. His recovery strengthened his conviction in the practice, and brought him local fame. Priessnitz began healing animals on his farm and in his village, and later began developing techniques and protocols for healing people. Different types of baths focused on healing different body parts and various afflictions, including paralysis, insanity and poisoning. Soon queues of people were coming to Gräfenberg, so in 1822 Vincenz decided to rebuild his father's house, building part of it as

1364-421: The investigation of a health complication (usually hypoglycemia ). Many people may also fast as part of a medical procedure or a check-up , such as preceding a colonoscopy or surgery , or before certain medical tests. Intermittent fasting is a technique sometimes used for weight loss or other health benefits that incorporates regular fasting into a person's dietary schedule. Fasting may also be part of

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1408-458: The next day and include other restrictions. The fasts of Esther, Gedalia, Tamuz, and Tevet all last from dawn until nightfall and therefore length varies depending on the time of the year. The Fast of the Firstborn is not biblically mandated and can therefore be ended early in the case of a seudat mitzvah . Muslims fast during the month of Ramadan each year. The fast includes refraining from consuming any food or liquid from dawn until sunset. It

1452-550: The overall practice, finding Priessnitz's treatments far too extreme and taxing on the body. The food offered at the spa was also notoriously bad-tasting and unhealthy. One visitor complained about being served "veal 10 days old." Dr. Robert Hay Graham, who visited the Gräfenberg spa in October 1842, noted that Priessnitz did not keep any records of his patients, and that his practice was based on hunch and experience over any systematic approach. Graham suggested that Priessnitz's treatment worked on one out of twenty people at best, and that

1496-557: The rapid changes in temperature allowed the pores of the skin to open and evacuate bad substances in the blood. Another theory Priessnitz held was that the body tended towards health naturally. His treatments, which involved no drugs or herbal medicines, were designed then to help the body remove foreign matter from the body. The extreme conditions disturbs this matter, which prompts a bodily response. Priessnitz also required his patients to add strenuous exercise to their daily regimen, and sometimes required his patients to fast . The food served

1540-567: The risk of pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents after induction of anesthesia (i.e., vomiting and inhaling the vomit, causing life-threatening aspiration pneumonia ). Additionally, certain medical tests, such as cholesterol testing ( lipid panel ) or certain blood glucose measurements require fasting for several hours so that a baseline can be established. In one review, fasting improved alertness , mood , and subjective feelings of well-being, possibly improving overall symptoms of depression , and boosting cognitive performance. There

1584-434: The situation. Fasting is often used to make a political statement, to protest , or to bring awareness to a cause. A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt, or to achieve a goal such as a policy change. A spiritual fast incorporates personal spiritual beliefs with the desire to express personal principles, sometimes in

1628-498: The six days of fasting each month and the three months of fasting each year". Members of the Baháʼí Faith observe a Nineteen Day Fast from sunrise to sunset during March each year. Although practitioners of alternative medicine promote " cleansing the body " through fasting, (as though it were a diagnostic fast) the concept of "detoxification“ is marketing myth with few scientific basis for its rationale or efficacy. During

1672-402: Was acquitted each time, and inspections of his spa confirmed that water was the sole healing agent used in the facility. In 1838 Priessnitz was granted a permit to establish the spa he founded several years earlier. These high-profile cases only served to expand his fame throughout Europe. As hydrotherapy became more widely accepted, his opponents became more concerned with his exact methods than

1716-574: Was already a household name on the European continent, where Richard Metcalfe, in his 1898 biography, stated: "there are hundreds of establishments where the water-cure is carried out on the principles laid down by Priessnitz". Indeed, Priessnitz's fame became so widespread that his death was reported as far away as New Zealand. Vincenz Priessnitz was born into a farmer's family in the village of Gräfenberg (now Lázně Jeseník ) near Frývaldov (now Jeseník ) and baptized Vincenz Franz. His parents were among

1760-541: Was becoming less prevalent entering the 19th century however, until Priessnitz revived the technique after having major success applying it on patients in his spa in Gräfenberg (now Lázně Jeseník ). Priessnitz's name first became widely known in the English-speaking world through the publications and lecture tours of Captain R. T. Claridge in 1842 and 1843, after he had stayed at Grafenberg in 1841. However, Priessnitz

1804-442: Was bland and hard, and water was the only drink served. Cold water was sometimes added to the food to promote water intake, and patients were required to drink twelve glasses of water per day at a minimum, with some drinking as many as thirty glasses. Before Priessnitz's spa was built near his family house, Priessnitz mostly made house calls. As his popularity grew, Priessnitz limited his practice to his residence, and began expanding

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1848-603: Was born on 22 June 1847, and died on 30 June 1884, aged 37. The Museum of Vincenz Priessnitz is in the house which was the seat of the first hydrotherapy institute in Lázně Jeseník . There is a statue of Priessnitz in Vienna (1911), in Kirchheim unter Teck and a Priessnitz fountain by Carl Konrad Albert Wolff in Poznań , Poland The 200th anniversary of his birth was listed among

1892-444: Was himself a patient of Priessnitz, and his book's descriptions contain notes on the process of his own treatment at the spa, and the effectiveness of Priessnitz's treatments on other patients with various diseases. Priessnitz's practice spread to the U.S. soon after becoming established in Europe, and several hydropathic medical schools and medical journals were created in the U.S. Some practitioners performed scientific experiments on

1936-466: Was invited to Vienna to heal the Emperor 's brother Anton Victor , Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights . This gave him a great reputation so many people from all over the country streamed into Gräfenberg. His "sponge washing" was not accepted by local doctors who accused him of being an impostor with no medical background. These early opponents brought Priessnitz to court several times, but he

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