The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1854-07-15
The Arsenic Eaters.


which are authentic, are SO curious as to be
we'll worth mention. 1t is said that nearly
all the inhabitants in the mountains ad Join
ing Hungary are in the habit of eating ar
senic. The peasants purchase it from trav-
cling pedlars, under the name of hedrj. The
arsenic eaters make use of the poison for a
double purpose it is to give freshness and
healthiness to the complexion. and to impart.
a certain degree of cmbOnpOinI
It is, in consequence, too frequently that
the Young peasants have recourse to this dan
gerous species of coquetry, through desire to
increase their beauty, and il is said to b. rlf-
prising with what succ - they attain their
object; for the young t0ric0pbdgGS, as they
are denominated in French, excel all Others
in the freshness of their tint aud by All air
of ruddy haulth Out of many cases which
came unA,f the observation of the learned
medical gentleman who gives these facts to
the world, | shall mention but one. A
milkmaid in good health, but thin and pale,
in order to increase tn attachment tor her
which Young man had already declared.
determined to have recourse to the common
lv known method, and took arsenic several
times a week She was not long III arriving
Mt the desired result and in the course OF a
few months she became as round and plump
as she could desire hut having grown bold
in the use of the medicine, and wishing to-
increase her dimensions too rapidly. she i'm
prudeutIv augmented the dose, and died a
yictim to her own coquetry.
The number of deaths in consequence of
taking too much of the article are by no
means inconsiderable Every ecclesiastic
can cite examples of these deaths, though to-
arrive at the knowledge of them is not easy :;
for, whether from fear of the law which pro-
hibits any one to keep arsenic in his posses
sion, or through a consciousness OF doing
wrong, the arsenic eaters conceal as much
as possible their habit of using it It is only
on the bed of death that they confess what
they have done.
Another advantage which they derive from
the use of the poison is to have their respi-
ration facilitated in ascending the noun
tains. Whenever they are about to set out
on long excursion on foot. they place
small piece Of the poison in the mouth, and
the effect is said to be really marvellous
they ascend the greatest heights with ease
ana the doctor adds that barring this fact IN
mind. he had several TINES administered
arsenic in the form Of Fowlers solution in
cases of asthma with perfect success.
The quantity with which the arsenic eat
ers commence is about the SIZE OF small
pea of the crude arsenic. They take it III
ihe morning fasting, and augment the dose
insensibly. A peasant with whom the doc
tor is well acquainted takes at this moment
about four times that quantity, and enjoys
good health. He has been indulging in the
habit forty years his father did the same
before him. and his son will no doubt do the
same after him.
The habit of the grooms and coachmen of
Vienna to give arsenic to their horses is well
known. They sometimes throw pinch of
II amongst the eats, and sometimes tie up a
bit in linen rag and attach it to the bri'
die bit when the horse is hamesspd. The
saliva dssolves the poison, and the horse is
evidently delighted with it. The effect pro-
duced on horses is to put them in high CON
dition, to make the skin smooth and shining.
and to increase their spirit. The carriers IN
the mountainous countries of Austria are
also i'll the habit of giving arsenic to their
horses when about to ascend steep road,
and the effect is really marvellous, as the an
imals then perform their task with extraor-
dinary ease.
The horse dealers often make use of little
bullets of arsenic for broken winded horses
when they take them to market. They make
them swallow from quarter to half pound
of them. and it appears that the effect which