Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-10-07
BLOOD DRINKERS.
Effect of the SanguineOus Fluid
On the System-HOW
Blood Tastes.

It may not be generally known, says
The Cincinnati Commercial, that,
like New York, Cincinnati has its blood
drinkers-consumptives and others
who daily visit the slaughter houses
to obtain the invigoration draught of
rudy life elixir, fresh from the veins
of beeves. Lawrence s slaughter house,
opposite the Oliver street Police Station
has it's daily visitants who drink blood;
and the slaughter house of the Loew-
ensteins, on John street, few squares
away, has perhaps half a dozen visi-
tants of the same class The latterplac-
es, indeed, have the principal custom
of this kind (if custom it can be ter
med where the recipient is charged
nothing) for the reason that all bee
yes are slaughtered there by Shochet
Many who can drink the blood of
animals slaughtered according to the
Hebrew fashion, cannot stomach that
Of bullocks felled with the ak The
blood Of the latter is black and thick
and lifeless; that Of the former bright
ly ruddy and clear as new wine.
1--WE have two ladies and one young
man coming here every day to drink
! blood" observed d slaughter house
proprietor yesterday. ''We used to
have great many more, but they
got well and strong and stopped COM
ing. One woman came here for a
year and got wonderfully healthy and
fat? she used to be a skeleton, a
consumptive skeleton. We always
slaughter in the Hebrcwist way, and
the blood Of cattle SO killed is more
healthy. It tastes like new milk from
the cow"
"Why, did you ever drink it?''
''No, no what should [ drink it
for? | am too fat as it is And you
know with pleasant largh Mos
es forbid the hebrews to use blood for
diet.
The shochet passed by with his long
knife.
81 am going to cut a bullock now, >
he observed if you want glass OF
blood"
It at once occurred to the writer to
try the experiment for curiosity's sake.
and give the public the benefit OF his
experience 4 large tumbler was
rinsed and brought forward, the throat
of the bullock served, and the glass
held to the severed veins. It was
filed in an instant, and handed to US,
: brimming over with the clear ruddy
life-stream which warmed the vessel
through and through. There was no
odor. no thickening, no consequent
feeling of nausea and, the first
mouthful swallowed, the glass was cas-
lily drained.
And how did it taste? Fancy the
richest cream, warm, with a tart
sweetness, and the healthy strength of
} the pure wine that gladdeneth the
heart Of man !" 1t was draught simply
delicious sWeeter than any concoction of
) the chemist, the confectionery the wine
maker--it was the very elixir of life
itself. The popular idea that blood is
difficult to drink is an utter fallacy j;
/ and the most timid with the warm
glass in his hand must be reassured by
one glance at it's clear contents. He
Will forget all the familiar feelings OF
sickness conjured up by that terrible
J word; it is not ''blood" any longer in
: his eyes. but rosy life, warm and pal
) pitating with the impulse of the warm
hearts last palpitation it is ruddy,
5 vigorous, healthful life-not the essence.
but the protoplasmic fluid itself
I turned in an instant from its natural
channel. No other earthly draught
9 can rival such crimson cream, and It's
/ strength spreads through The veins
8 with the very rapidity of wine. Per
haps the knowledge of its invigorating
! properties originated that terrible ex-
preston, s'drunk with blood" That
8 the first draught will create desire
| for second; that a second may
create an actual blood-thirstiness in the
literal sense of the word; that such a
. thirst might lead to the worst conse-
quences in coarse and brutal nature,
we are rather inclined to believe is
: not only possible, but probable. The
healthy and vigorous should respect
the law Of Moses in this regard Per-
haps it was through occasional in
dulgences in the draught of human
blood (before mans veins were poison
ed with tobacco and bad liquor), that
provoked the monstrous cruelties of
certain Augustine Emperors. Per-
. haps it was such passion that, as De
Quincy has it left CaliguIa, while toy
ing with the polished throat of his
wife, Cesonia, half distracted between
the pleasure of caressing it. which he
might do frequently, and of cutting it.
which could be enjoyed but once,