Connecticut western news., 1886-06-23
CLASSIFYING.
Men who Pretend to to Chew
 and Swallow Glass.
A Probable Explanation of the Manner in
 which it is Done

No matter how absurd anything is,
 the great majority of people are willing,
 if they cannot understand it, to accept
 any explanation offered and be satisfied
 with it. This has been especially true of
 the alleged glass-eating, which has now
 become a regular ''profession" with number of men-a woman has never yet tried it. The feat originated in Phila- delphia, where, it seems, u.negro appear ed to develop peculiar fancy for lamp chimneys and other kinds of glass as an article of diet. The doctors advertised the thing quite extensively at the time by declaring that the man would surely die. He did not, however, to their amazement, and still continues to dupe credulous people into the belief that he consumes "fused sand." His pose as the Original and only" glass-eater was soon spoiled by the appearance of numerous other applicants for glass-eating glory, and now dime museum is poor indeed that cannot support one of these "human ostrichcs." They are the legitimate suc- cessors of the sword-swallowers and eaters of fire, who were at one time tho standard "wonder" at circuses and mu- seums.. The sword-swallower is obliged to educate his throat so as to allow for eign substance to remain in it for an in- definite period. That this is difficult task let any one who believes to the con- trary run even his finger down his throat and mark the result. The fire eater toughens his mouth with astringent washes, and then uses for fire volatile substances, which produce a great deal of flame with but little heat. But how does this glass-eater dispose of his ainty lunch, which, if taken into his stomach, would produce the same effect as score of lancets or dose of cyanide of potas- sium-a most agonizing death2 Pow dered glass has long been used as sov- ereign but cruel remedy for superfuous cats, dogs, Sc. Now, if the stomach of dog or cat, which so easily digests bones and other hard substances, cannot dispose of a little powdered glass, how, then, do the interior organs of the colored "professor" at neighboring dime museum stand the strain of dozen, more or less, meals of this kind day? | The most obvious answer to this is that the eater of glass never eats glass, in fact, | although those who witness the edifying | spectacle and are afforded the opportu- nity of exploring the dark recesses of the Ethiopian's gullet, may be unable to fully understand what he docs with the pieces in his mouth. The explanation by the medical man whose certificate is printed on the bills, of the manner in which the performer disposes of his dyspeptic load is ludicrous in the extreme when one be- gins to think of the absurdity of it. He says: "From personal examination of the mans stomach, have found that the l gastric juices and alkalies contained therein are just what will dissolve glass, iron or stone." Any one who has dab- bled in chemistry knows that the state- ment is bare re-faced-romance. In fact, about the only acid that will dissolve glass-hydroduoric-is so powerful that should it get into this pretentious indi- viduals interior it would eat its way out, in less time than it takes to record the fact. But the man really does take glass-not bites out of tumblers, but thin glass such as lamp chlmneys are made of-into his mouth, and, with pinch of salt, probably to take off the excessive freshness of his meal, and a glass of water to wash it down, chews it up and appar- ently swallows it. At any rate, the glass does not remain in the performers mouth as an examination by the writer's fingers proved. And it was real every day glass, as several pieces taken from the mouth just as he was on the point of swallowing them are now in the reporters pocket. book-that is, if the sharp fragments have not cut their way out. So this dis. proves one theory, that the alleged glass Gas clever imitation, manufactured ou, of gelatine, clarified and made brittle, te represent the real article. The gelatint would, of course, do the man no harm
 but would, in fact, prove rather nour ishing. Another theory is that the per former had previously been a sword swallower, thereby having made hi
 throat so callous that the glass would no cut it on its passage to the stomach; bu
 this does not explain how it is digested
 From all this, knowing that the glass does not stay in his mouth, and being equally certain that it cannot go into tn, stomach, there is but one conclusion tc be drawn-that the glass is intercepted before reaching its destination. But hoy can this be done2 Very easily. Tn
 word-swallower educates his throat t, allow the presence of the sword; tn
 glass-eater prepares his to receive a tub
 of some description, which probably ha a strainer in the end to allow the wate
 which he drinks to filter through, bu retains the glass until such time as h
 can dispose of it with being observed That silver tubes can be worn in tn
 throat we all know from the numerou instances in which they have been use. in surgical operations. Meanwhile glas eating is becoming one of the crowded
 professions, and it behooves the mana
 gers of dime museums to be on the hun for some new dietetical curiosity. Glass