The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-02-19
A California Strychnia-Ea

A correspondent writes from this city
| to the New York Druggists Gazette the
following singular account OF the habit
of man we'll ktown by many in
this community. The facts therein
stated are bard to believe, but
the truth of them is substantisted
by unimpeachable testimony. We
think GLORY can boast of the champion
strychnia eater of the world:
81 relate a circumstance that to me
seems worthy of note, for it is not an
everyday occurrence. ! will mention
the facts and leave you to Judge; for
what might seem new and strange to
me may be old and common to you,
though / have never noticed a similar
case in the Circular for the last sixteen
yeara, CT ia other journals which have
read.
"About one year ego I was told by
my friend DR.. NJ. of a man he bad
known to take stry chnia as an antidote
for whisky; he would take it freely
after a debauch of a week or twos
standing. The quantity that he knew
him to take seemed incredible-name-
", drachm bottle in the space of
few hyurs. tried to believe it, but
it came very hard, until last week,
when this wonderful specjme paid our
town a visit. The doctor told me no
to be sfraid to give him what he wanted,
VIII ch was enough for me. The man
came to the store the next morning afGcr
his arrival in a condition plainly sh1
ing that he had spent a whole night in
the faithful pressing of grspe-i juice, or
some other stimulating performance.
He called for a bottle of strychnia,
which gave him / measured out two
drachms, which he said was enough.
He then produced two needles, about
an inch and a half long, with linen
threads attached, and, taking the skin
of the left hand between his thumb and
fLger, he requested me to pass the
needle through il, and to wind the
thread from one side to the other. This
stopped the circulation through The
skin tied up. q here mention it,
though don't see what eff,ct it could |
have.) 1 performed the same opera
tion upon the other band, and all |
seemed to be in readiness He |
turned out into the palm of his
hand what L should Judge to be about |
twenty grains, cel tajnly not less than
fifteen grains, of the deadly drug-my |
Judgment is that it was fully twenty
grains of strychnia-which he placed
upon his tongue and swallowed. Then,
as if he did not get enough the first
time, he turned more ont of the bottle
into his mouth-how much could not
see-and he dTaak the two drachms of
brandy He stood around for five or
ten minutes, and requested me TO bleed
him from the arm, which / did.
drew three ounces Cf blood, to which
he desired me to add about teaspoon
full of brandy. Having done so, he
drank it, saying thai one drop would
deprive me of life, upon which point l
was satisfied to accept his word as a
sufficient authority. His condition fiji
teen minutes fter the above operation,
and through the entire day, was re-
for its change. He was
quick, cheerful, firm, and decided in
his conversation and actions. He is a
nan about fifty two years OF age. He
lad eaten strJ chLia since 1856. When
aver he has felt that his drunk had
gone long enough, or that funds will
lot permit it to 60 fur ther, he will cell
,n friend for stry CT MIA. This occurs
,nly foui or five times ' ear now, as he
claims to have shut down on drink
,erv much during tie last few years."
-GiIrOy (CdL.) AdUOcdte.