Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-05-18
Drinking Blood.

1t may not be generally known,
says the Cincinnati Commercial, that
Cincinnati has its blood drinkers
consumptives and others who daily
visit the slaughter houses to obtain
the vigorous draught of ruddy life
elixer fresh from the veins of beeves.
Lawrence's slaughter house, opposite
the Oliver street police station, has
its daily visitants who drink blood,
and the slaughter houses of the
Loewensteins, on John street, few
squares away, has perhaps half
| dozen daily visitants of the same
class. The latter places, indeed,
have the principal custom of this
kind Qf custom it may be termed
where the recipient is charged moth.
ing), for the reason that sill beeves
are slaughtered there by a shoohet.
Many who can drink blood of animals
slaughtered according to the Hebrew
fashion cannot stomach that of bul.
locks felled with the ak. The blood
of the latter is black and thick and
lifeless; that of the former brightly
ruddy and clear as new wine.
awe have two ladies and ono
young man coming here every day
to drink BLOOD" observed slaughter
house proprietor yesterday, "we
used to have great many more, but
they got well and strong and stopped
coming. One woman came here for
year, End got wonderfully healthy
and fat; she used to be skeleton,
consumptive skeleton. We always
slaughter in the Hebrew way, and
the blood ofcatlle so killed is more
healthy. 1t tastes like the new milk
from cow"
"Why, did you ever drink it ?"
mo, no what should [ drink it
for 7? | am too fat as it is. And you
know with pleasant laugh
"Moses forbade the Hebrews TO use
the blood as diet"
The shochct passed by with his
long knife. ~ am going to cut a
bullock now," he observed, "if you
want glass of blood"
1t at once occurred to the writer
to try the experiment for euriosity's
sake, and give the public the benefit
of his experience. A large tumbler
was rinsed aud brought forward, the
throat of the bullock severed, and
the glass held to the severed veins.
1t was filed in an instant and handed
to us, Drumming over with the clear,
ruddy lite stream which warmed the
vessel through and through. There
was no odor, no thickening, no con-
sequent feeling of nausea, and the
first mouthful swallowed, the glass
was easily drained.
And how did it taste? Fancy the
richest cream, warm, with q tart
sweetness, and the healthy strength
of the pure wine, that gladdens the
heart of man 1t was a draught
simply delicious, sweeter than any
connection of the chemist, the con-
fectioner or the yinemaker-it was
the very elixer of life itself. The
popular idea that blood is difficult to
drink is an utter faIlacy and the
most timid with glass in his hand
must be treasured by one glance at
its clear contents. He will forget all
the familiar feelings of sickness con-
jured up by that one word "blood !"
1T is not "blood" any longer in his
eyes, but rosy life, warm and palpi-
tating with the impulse of the warm
hearts last palpitation f.; it is ruddy,
vigorous, healthy life-not the es-
sence, but the protoplasmic fluid itself
turned in an instant from it's natur-
al channel. No other earthly draught
can rival such crimson cream, and
it's strength spreads through the
veins with the very rapidity of vino
Perhaps the knowledge of it's invig-
Grating properties originated that
terrible expression, "drunk with
blood" That the first draught will
create desire for the second that
a set ond may create an actual blood
tblst;ness in the literal sense of the
word, taat such thirst might lead
TO the worst consequence in coarse
and brutal nature, E,e are rather in
clined to believe is not only possible,
but probable. The healthy and Wig
| orous should respect the law of
Moses in this regard. Perhaps it
was through occasional indulgence
in draught of human blood (before
mems veins were poisoned with to-
bacco and bad liquor) that provoked
the monstrous cruelties of certain
| Augustine emperors. Perhaps it
was such a passion that, as DeQuincy
has it, left Caligula, while toying
with the polished throat of his wife,
half distracted between the pleasure
| of caressing it, which he might do
frequently, and of cutting it, which
could be enjoyed but once.