The Worthington advance., 1879-01-23
Blood Drinkers.

"A ot. LOUIS reporter, VINO mas been on
tour of investigation, says there are in
that city "between 200 and 800 people
who daily drink from bali pint to a
pint Of blood, piping hot from the veins
Of slaughtered cattle. They are victims
Of constitutional diseases, generally of
pulmonary nature, and the repel|ent
remedy is taken with the hope that it
will rebuild wasted forms and stimulate
to renewed action the dying forces Of pa-
ture." The reporter says mos, OF the
butchers drink blood whenever they get
dry. and one of them told him it was "a
good deal like drinking new milk. The
taste is pleasant. At one of the slaugh-
ter houses the reporter found four people
IN waiting for bloou, and he describes
them as follows:
One was a stout, healthy, red. faced,
apoplcctic-looking man. TO the reporter
he said that he was two years ago threat
ened with consumptiouly He took to
drinking blood, and nearly all signs Of
the disease we're absent. He did not
need the blood now, but he rather liked
the taste. aud was afraid that if he stop
ped its use that he would grow unhealthy
again. The next man was the counter
part of the first one, who had gone away
on the cars. He was sure the blood was
doing him good. He found he was grow
ing in flesh. He certainly had room for
it. He would 60 to Colorado or Florida,
but could not afford it. He is by profes
sion a barber. and has family. to sup
port. If they were only provided for be
could die happy, because his cough wor-
ried him terribly. He had no hopes of
getting we'll, but hoped to hang on by the
aid of the blood until he had scraped to.
gether few dollars for them. The re-
naming two we're mother and daughter
The latter was about fourteen years of
age, and so weak that her mother all but
carried her. The little arms were so
wasted that the bones showed plainly.
and oh! how pale and wan was the face
Death had set its seal there. The little
sufferer nestled in it's mothers arms and
hid its face from the bloody work that
was going on. The mother explained,
'sshe is the last of four children. Thei.
father died of consumption, and my other
three daughters followed him. pray to
God that she may b. spared to me-"
'*She is all I have in this world. ! am
poor and support myself with the needle.
It takes what little I can make above our
little bone expenses to buy her medi-
cine. 1 have tried everything, and MOTH
ing seems to do her good. 81, iii could
only gtt into the country, where the air
is pure and everything is bright, i think
l could save my child. A few weeks ago
a neighbor told me that some remark
able cures had been brought about by
drinking blood. It is my only chance TO
save her, horrible as the remedy seems.
Yes, my darling, know YOU are cold,
out wait few weeks and We will 20 out
into the country where the sun shines,
and the air is pure and the flowers are"
"When, mamma3'
"ln the spring, my darling'
"Will i've until then2'
"Of course you will. Don't you feel
yourself growing stronger every day9'
The poor child sighed drearily. She
saw through the tender altitice of tn ,
mother, and thought that when next she
saw the flowers they would be growing
IN the garden of Paradise.
A steer was dragged IN. The two men
watched the operation with interest. The
woman and child hid their face. The
big man drank his blood with satisfact-
ion. the consumptivc in prfunctor5
manner, bur the little girl crled bitterly
aud shuddercd as she took the horrible
potion, aud the mother suffered keenly.
As the reporter passed out, Mack said:
1t !yoa haven't seen enough 60 to any of
he slaughter houses, you will see plenty
Of bloOd-drjnkers
The reporter visited three more, and at
each witnessed a repetition of thesscenes
at Mack's, enough to convince himstha
all that had reached his ears Of the blood
dr. mixers was true.