Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-10-15
NATIONAL TASTES AND ANTIPA-
THIES

Mr.. Murray, in his recent work on ConsumP'
ton, observes that almost every thing that moves
on earth, in the sea. or air, has been devoured
man. In South America. nothing IN the shape
of life comes wrong to them-they eat sefPe".''
lizards. and ounces; and Humboldt has seen
children drag enormous centipeaes out ., .hen
holes, and cranch them up. At Emeraldi their
delicate moroccan is roasted monkey. Puppies
ON the Missouri and Mississippi are choice food.
Horse-Aesh in Arabia; elephants flesh IN India;
camels' flesh in Egypt. The Parians OF Hindes-
tan contend for putrid carrion with dogs, Vui-
lures. and kites. The Chinese deyour cats, dogs,
rats and serpents; bears paws, birds nests, ana
sea-shy. are dainty bits. The inhabitants OF Co
chln-C China prefer rotten eggs to fresh' Inc ION
ouineze and inhabitants of Madagascar prefer
locusts to the finest fish. In Australia good
fat gull would be preferred to any thing else;
and IN the West Indies large caterpillar found
on the palm is esteemed a luxury; while the ed-
bic nests of the Java swallow are so rich dam
~ that the ingredients of the dish Will cost M
teen pounds. The quantity OF frogs seen IN the
markets Of the Continent Is immense. Al Ter
ricina the host asks his guest whether he pre-
fers the eel of the hedge or that OF the riyer.-
The astronomer De la Lande was remarkably
fond of spiders. Great Britain even transcehoS
her continental nciohbors.
The luxury of the Scotch is putrid mutton, the
| sheep having died OF the rot; game and venlson
are seldom reshed till it is ''hish," or in hen
est language till it is of putrefaction, dis
engaging in abundanc. one of the most septic
| poisons the chemist knows of; in numerous cases
| il is mass oflie aud notion the offspring OF pu-
tridity Pigs are still whipped to death; HOLSTERS
are boiled alive; cod are crimpcd, and cells are
skinned, writing in agony;hares are hunted and
die in fevered inflammation. The human antlp-
athies are not less remarkable. There is scarce
" any product, animal or vegetable. that mas not
reyolted some individuals: Henry III. OF France
| could not en- lure cat; Tycho Brache trembled
at the sight of hare or fox; Erasmus could not
taste fish without falling into fever; /" adIslaus
King of Poland, ran away at the sight OF apples;
and johannes dc Qucrccto, Secretary 10 Francis
the First of France, would fall bleeding II APP
pies were held near him. Cheese Is most Ire
quently the object fantipathy. bat ne have also
heard uf cucumbers. and even SWEEP Almonds ana
strawberries. Garden the Philosopher could not
endure eggs Crassus had an insuperable dislike
to bread, and Scaliger was thrown into convul-
sions at the sight Of crosses.
Mr.. Wadd mentions case in which the odor OF
ioecacuanha produced the most violent effects;
and we know a gentleman who was taken sud-
denly i'll by accidentally smelling at "a vial which
contained a tincture of di.italis. We are per-
sonaly acquainted with case wherein lady
was seized With cutaneous eruption all over the
face, arms sc. from having accidentally eaten
| a piece of snonge cake into wich rice Hour had
entered. The head was swollen TO an enormous
size. and the symptoms were altogether 81 fright
fui and alarming as tn threaten Immediate danger.
The gums of some individuals have bled at the
tearing of brown paper. The feel of velvet with
some persons produces nausea and synccpe. Sir
Keneiu Disby says that Lady Heneage had her
cheeks blistered by laying rose upon one OF
tkem while asleep. Cardinal Hauy de Cardonne
swooned at the smell of rose; and we believe
there is a British officer similarly affected from
| the same cause.
! The chemicals Of the toilette. duly compound
ed after the arr of the apothecary, very material
" assi,, the messenger of death. There Is source
a cosmetic Rat is not a deleteriOus and dcstruc-
tive poson Vegetable and Grecian dyes for the
! hair eyebrows. sc. are solutions OF nitrate oil
silver. powerful escharotic. Depiiatorles are
compounds cf arsenic. pearl white, and proto-
nitrate Of bismu,h; and lotions for the skin. cor
rosve sublimate, s. Thus are unsuspectiug de-
llcate females lulrd into the belief that these are
harmless,becansc the, are graced BY pretty names
Oriental, Italian, or French.
-ssa9Hs~
7cco,n1t of Darid u dson.-This singular in
diyidua! was one of the earliest emlsrants to
Kentucky. From the time OF his settlement i'll
the country. till within few years past. he re-
sided few miles South Of Port William AT the
mouth of Kentucky river, on the waters Of Mill
creek. The place of his abode and his style of
living are not more remarkable. than the charac-
ter of the individual himself: and all | could
learn of and conconcerning him. is in perfect
harmony and good Keeping. The habitation IN
which he spent somany and happy days. was
composed of round poles and Kentucky mud
1t consisted of two apartments simply, with no
ou' house or cellar. During his residence in this
singular place of abode, he became the husband
of five wives; and the father of IS children.
According to his own account of himself, he
was born in New Jersey. in the year 1923. He
is in heigh, about five feet six inches. His mus
cular frame and strength of constitution seems
to have defed the decay Of years, or the hard
ships and buffetings Of backwoods life. The
scientific and curious have examined the confor-
nation of this singular being so far as practicable,