The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-05-24
Arsenic Eating.

In some parts of Logger Austria and
Syrin, and especially i, the hilIy re
Sion towards Hungar& there prevails
Among the peas. htrsSste tylranrdiary
custom of eating arsenic.
1t is eaten Pfotyssedly for one or
both oftwo purposes: First. that the
eater may thereby acquire freshness
If complexion and pIumrncss oflisure.
For this purpose, AS viii readily be
supposed, it is chiefly eaten by the
young. Second, that the wind may
he improved, SO that long and steep
heights may he c!imed without dini.
Gully of breathing. by tho middle.
aged and the Old it is esteemed for its
Influence. aud both results are de-
scribed as following almost invariably
from the use of arsenic.
i" improve their appearance, young
peasants, OF both sexes, have recourse
10 it, some no doubt from vanity, and
some with the view OF adding to their
charms i'll The eyes of each other. And
1t Is very rcma, tab!o to see how won
dvrfully we'll they attain their object
for t"csc poison eaters are generally
remarkable tor blooming complications,
and full. rounded healthy appear.
ance. DR.. Won Tschuki gives the fol.
lowing case, as having occurred in his
own practice: ga healthy but pale
and thin Inilkmaid residing in the par
Ish OF II, had lover whom she
wished to attach to herself by more
agreeable exterior. She therefore had
recourse to the well known purifier. and
took arsenic several times Il week.
The desired effect was not loug in
showing itself, tor in few months she
became stout, rosy checked, and all
that her lover could desire. In order
however to increase the effect, she in.
cautiously y increased the dose of arse.
mic aud iell a victim to her vanity
She died poisoned-a very painful
death" The number Of such fatal ca
ses. especially among Young persons,
is described as by 10 means in consd,
erabe.
For the second purpose-that Of
rendering the breathing easier wien
going up h!ll-the peasant puts small
fragment OF arsenic in his mouth, and
lets it dissolve. The effect is astonish
ing. He ascends heights with faciity.
wn''h he could not otherwise do with.
out the greatest difficulty ofbreathing.
The quantity of arsenic with which
the eaters begin is about half grain.
They continue to take this quantity
two or three times ,tas week, in the
morning fasting, till they become hab.
ituated to it. They then cautiously in
crease the dose MS The quantity previ.
ously taken seems to diminish in It's
effect. =" The peasant r." says
DR.. Won Tschudi, g. hale man of six
ty, who enjoys capital health at present,
takes tor9every dose piece about two
grains in weight. For the last forty
years he has continued the habit,
which he inherited from his father,
and which he will transmit to his chill.
dren."
No symptoms Of illness or chronic
poisoning are observable in any of
these arsenic eaters, when the dose is
carefully adapted to the constitution
and habit of bo1y of the person using
it. But if from any cause tho arsenic
be left off for time, symptoms of
disease occur, which resemble those of
arsen'cal poisoning; especially great
feeling of discomfort arises, great in.
difference to every thing around, anx-
iety about his own person, dcrauged