The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-02-08
the aseonpvsr,sLs srAs,AaD.

rope under the appellation of the inconibusti6le
Spoaio,9, from his power OF resisting the effects
ofire At st. Petersburg, however, his art fail.
ed him and he was burnt so badly that hisiife was
despair0d of. E
In the Abeille dm Nord Of November IL, re.
cered at this Office, find the following account
OF him, which we have caused to be translated for
the {" American"
Two or three years ago foreigner who called
himself Spaniard made his appearance in
France, and declared himself possessed, of appa-
rently very extraordinary properties Fire was
so familiar, to him ,hns he touched and han.
died it in different shapes with no inconvenience
HIS exhibitions astonished not only the multitude
but the most enlightened
The physicians we'll persuaded that The skin
of this Spsniard was no more proof against the
effects of fire than ths, of other men, only saw
IN those marvellous pretensions the tricks of
inotntebank: they attributed it to the use of
some very natural means but adroitly concealed
IRON the view OF the spectators, and endeayorcd
10 uncayel and explain them
The Spaniard left France for England and pas
setl over from thence to Italy. His tricks caus-
ed there the same general establishment but
they excited, moreover, the curiosity of some to.
reign physicians. who were more Investigators
OF causes and more persevering in their research
cs than they were in France.
nj. Somentini, professor of CHEMISTRY in the
university Of Naples, has published memoir on
ehis SuCleCI III ltaiiai1, winch mas Deen COmmuli-
Gated to the Royal Society of London. and trans
lated into English. The following is the sub.
stance thereof;
The Incombustible Spaniard who assumed the
name of seignor Lionetto, on his arrival at Ma.
Piles, announced himself as man who played
with red hot Iron, drank boiling oil, aud washed
his hands in melted lead, without receiving any
injury. M Somentiui followed him and observed
very attentireiy all the feats which he announced
and gives the following detail
Llonetto began says the observer, by putting
on ms head a slender quot OF red hot iron. which
at least in appearance, made no impression on his
hair The red not iron had scarcely come i'm con-
tact with the head of hair thari.a dull thick va
pour was seen to rise ia considerable volume.
He then passed plate Of red hot iron over his
arms and legs he afterwards struck several
times his heel and toes alternately with ano
ther red hot iron In this trs, the contact Of the
red hot iron was continued longer time than
in any OF the preceding ones. At the instant OF the
action of the iron vapour was seen to rise from
ms toes so thick, that my eyes and smell were We.
ry disagceeably affected. He then put between
has teeth an iron heated sufficiently TO burn, al
though it was not red hot.
1t was announced that he had drank half
glass ofboilng o,but at this time, found that he
had not swallowed like quantity he had taken
in his mouth a small quantity, about quarter of
spoonful Mt time. 1t was also said that he
had washed his hands and face in melted lead,
but he forbore before me4o plunge the ends OF
his fingers rapidly in the liquid lead, and put
small quantity Of it on his tongue. He next pas
sed over this organ piece of rad hot iron with.
out discovering the least sensations of pain. His
tongue, which saw very we'll in this last feat
which was repeated several times, was covered
with'a greysh substance like that Of the tongue Of
person in the fever and ague.
The feat with which LiGnetto generally closed
performance WAS in passing through the skin
out eYIncing the least pain. / observed in this
proof of his nsensiblty, that the pin pierced the
skin with difficulty, and that to succeed, he
was obliged TO push it as il he was piercing tan
ned leather.
From these experiments so often repeated in
my presence imagined that this mans skin had
become so insensibis by certain rubbing necessa.
ry to produce this effect in destroying, by the
same excess of stimulating action the nervous
pores of the skin, as the immediate action of the
heat produced no pompt sensation. lndepen-
IDENTIFY Of this supposition, ] thought that the
force of habit might have added to this DISPOSE
ton.
But how to explain feats vet much more sur.
Prising a red hot iron passed often upon
the tongue the swallowing of boiling oil Lilo.
netto could not have prepared the interior of the
windpiPe or of the stomach. He could not, by
any mixture or linament, put the enamel of the
teeth IN state to resist the action of irCn which
he was seen to gnaw almost red hot.
Instead of losing my time in conjecture, / re.
solved to try upon myself whatever conceived
capable of bunting the nervous feeling and clio.
thing the skin with substance which is not g
conductor Of heat, ! could think little matter
capable of producing tis effect.
In the mean time perceived, that by the re-
suit OF friction repeated with acids, obtained an
msensibLi:y OF the skin. acquired my object
with sniPhuric acid spread to enable me 20
support at last the contact of plate Of red hot
iron on the part in which had biunted the insen.
sibiiity in the manner above described tried
likewise sulphuric acid Of alum and pot ash
boiled solution mpregnated with acid, until it
became spongy, procedure which much aug
ments It's styptc properties. rubbed my arms
with it, the portion being several times renev wed.
found that this was BY far the most effica cious
of all
wished to try if, in washing the parts rem.
dered uncomfortable, could make it lose its
qualities. Consequently rubbed it with hard
soap, washed it aud wiped if dry with linen, after
which lappled the same plate of red hot iron.
discovered thus, to my great astonshment, that
the insensibility OF this part was rather increased
Than diminished. rubbed anew the same part
with soap, and without drying it applied the red
hot iron. did not feel sny painful sensations,
and the hairs on my arms were not in the least
crisped. In recollecting the plastering which
had remarked on Lionetto's tongue, rubbed my
own with soap, and by this procedure il likewise
became nsenslble to the action of heated iron.
al hrst heated it slightly, and by degrees used it
until made use of it when perfectly red hot
afterwards made paste Of soap triturated with
solution Of saturated and boiled alum, with
which piaistered my tongue, and the experiment
completely succeeded.
From these Ill. o.. al, &