Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1875-10-28
Blood-Drinkers Of Goth
am.
The Ladies' Who Visit Slaughter
Houses and Drink Blood.
Tapping the Veins of Animals and
the TRANSMISSION of Blood in
to Human Beings Success.

from Consumption. So
Correspondence Of the Cincinnati Enquirer
New YORK, Oct. 8, 1876.
/ have read occasional scraps
in the press, and listened to con.
vcrsations in private circles of
remarkable cures having beer
effected by means of .transfu-
sion Of blood from the veins of
healthy persons or animals tC
those of patients dying from
consumption, or for the want Of
the life-giving fluid, but have
never paid any attention to it
and left it for the doctors tc
cogitate upon. Yet within q
few days the subject was pre-
sented to me iii such a form
/ that | could no longer ignore it,
| was making an examination
of a,numbcr OF the leading
slaughter-hOuses Of the city,
with view Of learning how
nearly a million and a half Of
population are fed on animal
food, when l observed private
carriages drawn up on Second
avenue, in the neighborhood Of
East Forty-seventh street, and
from them ladies alight whose
dress and manner too plainly
assured me they were members
/ Of the bon ton. Some Of them
were accompanied by delicate
ly-folned children, and others
had gentlemen escorts. Nv hat
can bring these ladies into this
! district, filed with rough and
uncouth butchers and fat-boil-
ers?" l naturally asked myself.
/ had not long to wonder, as |
! followed 4 bevy Of beauties into
the slaughter-housc Of Henry
Ersner, corner Of Second ave
nue. and Forty-seventh street,
and, halting at the door, saw
them extend the little silver
cups under the nccks Of the
suspended animals, and, filling
them with fresh, warm blood,
drink it with the avidity Il hun
CRY child shows when a glass of
milk or cream is given ii. As
the men cut the throats of the
believing becves these ladies,
reared in The lap Of luxury,
would, without any outward
sign of fear, either collect the
blood themselves or. stand by
while the butchers did it for
them. Some drank Of it but
sparingly, while Others passed
the cup for. second draught.-
These were the blood-drinkers
of Gotham, Of whom | had
heard traditions, but who, until
then, l had supposed existed on
ly in the Imagination Of the city
Bohemian who exercised his in
ventive' gcniuS TO earn Il few
dollars per week to pay his
washerwoman and keep soul
and body together. One thing
struck me as singular-that Of
some fifteen persons who en-
tered the slaughter-houses in.
the half hour ] was there only
the females partook Of the red.
draught. \ few remained an
their carriages and had the
blood carried out in silver cups.
or glasses from which they par
took.
ventured to ask ore lady
why she drank Of the blood,
when she replied: "On the
recommendation of my physi-
clan. l am suffering from a
lung affection that he reports is
likely to result in consumption,
and he says this is the only
certainty of recovery that l
must partake of it freely"
"And how long, Madam, have
you followed this singular treat
ment?" | asked.
"For nearly four months. At
first my stomach rebelled at the
sight and taste of it, and | could
only barely taste it, but l re-
membered that we eat blood in
our beefsteaks and roasts, and
gradually I became resigned to
it, until now l can drink a
quart"
Chow often do you come
here?" was the next question.
"Well, not at any regular
time. l usually come every
Friday, which is the principal
day for cattle-killing. Others
do not drink the blood of cattle,
but prefer that of lambs"
land do you find that your
health is Improving