The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-06 00:00:00

ARSENIC EATING.

Is some parts of Lower Austria and Styria, and
especially in the hilly region towards Hungary, there pre-
vails among the peasantry an extraordinary custom of eat-
ing arum.
It is eaten professedly for one or both of two purposes :
First, That the eater may thereby acquire freshness of com-
plexion and plumpness of figure. For this purpose, as will
readily be supposed, it is chiefly eaten by the young.
Second, That the wind may be improved, so that long and
steep heights may be climbed without difficulty of breath-
in. By the middle-aged sad the old it is esteemed for this
inluence, and both results are described es following almost
invariably from the use of arsenic.
To improve their appearance, young peasants, of both
sone, have recourse to it, some no doubt from vanity, and
some with the view of adding to their charms in the eyes of
each other. And it is very remarkable to see how wonder-
fully well they attain their object ; for these young poison-
eaters are generally remarkable for blooming complexions,
and a full, rounded, healthy appearance. Dr. Von Tschudi
gives the following cue as having occurred in his own prac-
tice : A healthy but pale and thin milkmaid, residing in
the parish of H—, had • lover whom she wished to at-
tach to herself by a more agreeable exterior. She therefore
bad recourse to the well-known beautifier, and took arsenic
several times a-week. The desired effect was not long in
showing itself, for in • few months she became stout, rosy-
chested, and all that her lover could desire. In order,
however, to increase the effect, she incautiously increased
the dose of anionic, and fell a victim to her vanity. Rho
died poisoned—a very painful death !" The number of
such fatal cane, especially among young persons, is des-
cribed as by no mesas inconsiderable.
For the second purpose—that of rendering the breathing
easier when going up-kill—the peasant puts a small frag-
ment of arsenic in his mouth, and lets it dissolve. The ef-
fect is astonishing. He ascends heights with facility,
which he could not otherwise do without the greatest diffi-
salty of breathing.
The quantity of arsenic with which the esters begin is
about half a grain. They continue to take this quantity
two or three times a.week' in the morning fastingg till they
become habituated to it. They then cautiously increase
the dose as the quantity previously taken seem, to diminish
is its effects. ' The peasant 11—," says Dr. Von
Tsehndi, " a hale man of sixty, who enjoys capital health
at present takes for every dose a pieceabout two grains in
we/ht. For the last forty years he has continued the
habit, which he inherited from his father, and which he
will transmit to his children."

No symptoms of illness or of chronic poisoning are obeer.
sable in any of these arsenic eaters, when the does is care-
fully adapted to the constitution and habit of body of the
person using it. But if from any cause the arsenic be left
off for a time, symptoms of disease occur which resemble
those of slight arsenical poisoning: especially a great feel-
ing of discomfort arises, great indifference to everything
around, anxiety about his own person, deranged digestion,
lees of appetite, a feeling of overloading in the stomach, in-
creased flow of saliva, burning from the stomach up to the
throat, spasms in the throat, pains in the bowels, constipa-
tion, and especially oppression in the breathing. From these
symptoms there is only one speedy mode of relief—an im-
mediate return to arsenic-eating.—Blackicood's Magazttee.

A PILGIUMAGL—The quay at Marseilles, a few
days sines, presented a very picturesque and singular ap-
pearance, from the presence of a large body of Mutsulman
pilgrims, who had returned from Mecca and larded from
the steam-packet Louqsor. They had pitched their tents
during the night on the quay, and remained there wrapped
up only in their burnouses, and in the morning proceeded
to their religious ceremonies, and prepared and took their
morning meal of cuscoussou. The calmness with which
they went about their occupations contrasted in a siegular
manner with the bustle which prevailed on the quays, but
which did not pr vent them from tranquilly sipping their
mocha and smoking ,their chibeuks. Among this caravan
was only one woman, who wee of an advanced age, but
who was caiefully concealed by the Arabs from the gaze of
the Christiana. The party, the majority of whom are from
Morocco, have left by a steamer for Algiers.

Vbe Court.

- •••• -

OSBRNE, DEc.
Prince Albert went out shootinO g yesterda 4.
y in
Parkhurst Forest.
The Duchess of Kent, attended by Lady Fanny Howard,
arrived at Osborne at 3 o'clock yesterday. Her Regal High-
ness crowed over from Southampton in the Flury, and
landed at Trinity Pier, East Cowes.

The Queen and Prince, the Prince of Wales, the Princess
Royal, and Princess Alice, were present at the morning
service at Whippinghans Church yesterday, which was per-
formed by the Rev. 0, Prothero.
Sir James Clarke arrived from Landon on Saturday, and
returned to-day.

Lord Ward had an interview with the Earl of Aberdeen
yesterday at his official residence in Downing-street.
A deputation, consisting of Mr. Charles Rawl!, Chair-
man of the Great Western Railway Company; Viscount
Barrington, M.P., Deputy Chairman; and Mr. C. A. Saun-
ders, Secretary of the Company; had an intei view with Sir
William Molissworth yesterday at the office of Works and
Public Buildings in Whitehall-place.
Despatches were received at the Colonialoffite from the
Governor of Gibraltar and the Governors of the West India
Islands yesterday.
The Judicial Committee of her Majesty's most Ilonour•
able Privy Council sat yesterday at the Council Chamber,
and heard an appeal, " Barnhart v. Greenshields,- from
the Court of Appeal in Canada. The Lords present were
Mr. Baron Parke, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Corn-
wall, Sir J. Patteson, and Sir E. Ryan.

The Earl of Aberdeen, since last Wednesday has
been confined to Argyll House, by indisposition, was yester-
day able to attend at his official residence in Downing-
street. _ _

The Lord Chancellor, Earl Granville, the Earl
of Clarendon, the Duke of Newcastle, Sir William ?doles-
worth, and Sir Jams Benham, are among the Cabinet
Ministers in town.

Viscount Palmerston will remain in town until
shortly before Christmas, when the noble viscount and vis-
countess proceed to Broadlands, near Roomy, to dispense
their hospitality to a numerous and distinguished succession
of guests.
Lord John Russell has quite recovered from his
cold, and with Lady J. Russell and family, is residing at
Pembroke Lodge, Richmond-park. The noble lord and
lady purposed to pass the approaching Christmas holidays
with the Duke and Duchess of Bedford, at Woburn Abbey,
which princely seat at this season of the year is generally
the scene of great hospitality; but in consequence of the
demise of the Duchess of Bedford's sister, Lady Caroline
Sandford, the customary festivities are put off this Christ-
mas._

-- -
The Duke and Duchess of Wellington have gone
to Lisbon, where the duke has hi.d several interviews with
the Portuguese ministers, relative to taking possession of
the wide domains bestowed by that nation on his late illus-
trious father, as well as assuming the titles attached to them.
He hu left that capital with the duchess on a tour through
the provinces, the scene of the late duke's adievements•
after which he proposes to proceed to Madrid for a similar'
purpose, and then return to England, via Paris.
It is understood that Count Paul Esterhazy, who,
since the events of 1819 in Hungary, has been compelled to
absent himself from his native land, and bas spent the chief
portion of his exile iu England, has recently received per-
mission to return home.

On Saturday evening London lost the Mahratta
gentleman, Rungo Bapojee, who, for the last nine years,
has resided in this metropolis as the vekeel or representa-
tive originally of the deposed Rajah of Sattara, and, after
his death, of his Ranee and adopted heir. The character
of the East India Act of 1833 at last convinced ltungo that
his mission was quite hopeless, and, on this becoming
known to the East India Company, the Court of Directors,
desirous of getting rid of the reproach which his presence
in London iuvolved, agreed to advance Rungo such a sum
lof money u would discharge the few debts he had, una-
voidably, on the exhaustion of his own resources, incurred
here, and also defray his passage to India. Sa accordingly
on Saturday Rungo left London by the mail train for
Dover. He was accompanied by a respectable merchant
who bad been attending the quarterly shawl sales here, and
who has a considerable commercial establishment
in Paris. After remaining in Paris for a day or two Rungs
is to proceed to Marseilles and there join the steamer for
Alexandria, whence he will pursue his journey to his home
is the Deccan, where, however, he will have to undergo
much purification before he can be re-admitted to the full
privileges of his caste, and may have also to pay a very
large pecuniary fine. Rungo is a strict Blade°, and whilst
resident here cooked for himself every particle of food he
consumed. He is a man of great ability, and of consider-
able Oriental learning; and though he never learnt to
speak English with any facility, he understood it perfectly.
He leaves behind him the respect and regard of a con-
siderable circle of influential friends, amongst the moat
active of whom was Mr. Hume, through whose generous
instrumentality it was, we believe, that the East India
Company made Rungs the pecuniary grant already re-
ferred to.
George Atkinson, Esq., of the Inner Temple and
Northern Circuit, was yesterday sworn in before the Lord
Chancellor as one of her Majesty's Serjcants-at-Law.
The bronze statue of Marshal Ney, by Rude, has
just been placed on its pedestal in the avenue of the Obser-
vatoire, at the spot where the Marshal was shot in Decem-
ber, 1815. It is to remain there until the day of its inaugu-
ration.
Mr. Charles Dickens has arrived in Rome.