Telegram-herald., 1886-05-16
A CLEVER TRICK
The WeadsEf~l Gklss E4tsF 4sa Hos He
Aeessls p2lshss kfis .SszsiDsis
A. aPesssbls fssss.

NJ usat.sE Ag~ absurd aaythias - sass
Tie B4stsa fraassrsls re gresE Esa5 55rEs IS
peefs are alsafs sLllx q taes esD ugt
eldeEsszsl1 3. o9 scesEt Any sxllauazlsu
eiisr41 a1a te satisfied sslk ia Ilis cas
beea especially tTae u ths al.esea glass
eating slash has Ron oeeosns resul4r
profession eill Iarge neaber II meu-
a semaa has sever set tnsd Is. lhs feat
originated u Phi.s.ieipAia. wneIe. "a seeEas.
: nesro sEssared O. develop a fee4iiar
faaay f9E l4mE-chimnegs a. ether kiads
81 4ss as al 4rtiels - dieg. TIE 1oel0rs
advertised lhs thlDg extensively a. the
un1e. ~ declaring thaz the ul4n aoal1
surely die. lie dl3 sol. h0aeFer u their
4ma1sment. aid stiii continues o. d4le
eFeiuloas people into Ihe belief that he con
sanaes fused sand Ills poss Is the ~oT-
izil.ai and only gas eater Ras so3u spoiled
8g the appearance 81 numerous other aspl-
osHts l3F glass ealing glory and m0s q dime
museum is poor indeed that cannot support
one IL these "hunlAE osfEicbes They are
The legitimate Successors II the sN0Td-ssai-
lowers and eaters 81 IRE. who acre al cEle
Iime the standard wonder AZ oireuses and
museums The sword = = all01eF II Obliged -
e1ucaie his thruat So a. 90 allow a foreign
Substance - remain ia lf for an indefinite
period That lhis IS difficult task lei any
0ne ah0 bellies 10 the contrary run even his
huger down hls throat and marx The resgG
The iFs-eaIer Ioughens his mouth With
astnngent washes, aud then uses for tire
volatile substances, which produce great
deal 0I flame with bal little heat But how
does thls glass ester dispose OF his tiinty
lunch. which. II taken into his stomach,
would produce the same effect a. a score
Of lancets or d0>e Of cyanide
OF porassium-a most agOnizlng death,
Powdered glass has long been used as a
sovereign bat cruel remedy for superfiuOus
dogs, eats, etc. Now ID the stomach of
dog or cat. which 80 easily digests stones
and other hard substances. can not dispose
of little powdered glass, how then do the
interior organs OF the cOtOred Professor at
a nelghDOnng dime museum stand the
strain 0f dozen. more or less, meals Of this
kind a day? lhe most obvious answer 10
THIS ls-that the eater OF glass never eats
glass, Ia fact, although those who witness
the edlfying spectacle and are afforded the
opportunity OF exploring the dark recesses
OF the LthlOpians guiet, may be un-
aoie 10 wholly understand what he does
with the pieces IN his mouth. The expaDa-
ton by the R0Xbury medical man, whose
certificate Is printed on the bills, of the
manner IN which the performer disposes Of
his dyspeptic load is iudicrous in the ex-
treme when one begins 10 think of the alb
surdity of IT, lie rays: From personal
T examination of the mans stomach / have
/ found that the gastric juices and alkalies
1 contained thesein are Just such as viii dis
/ solve glass. iron, or stone" Anyone who
/ has dabbled in chemistry knows that the
1 statement is a barefaced- romance. In fact
about the cliy acid that will dissolve glass
nydrOhuOrc-is so powerful that should
/ IL get into this pretentiOus darkey's interior
10 would eat lis way ont and put an end TO
/ his professional career IN lees time than it
+ takes 10 record the fact. But the man
really does take glass-not bites out of
tumbers but thin glass such as lamp
/ chimneys are made of-intO his mouth,
/ and. with pinch Of salt, probably to take
/ of the excessive freshness of his meal. ana
"A glass of water 10 wash il down,
+ chews il up and apparently swal-
lows it. AT any rate, the glass
does not remain IN the performer mouth,
a. an examination by the writer's fingers
proved. And il was real, everyday glass, as
several pieces taken from the mouth just as
he was on the point of swallowing them
are now IN ;he reporters pocketboOk-that
is if the sharp fragments have not cut their
( wav out. II this disprOves one theory, that
/ the alleged glass was a clever imitation
manufactured ont of gelatina. clarified and
made brittle, TO represent the real article.
The gelatina would, of course do the man
no harm: but would in fact prove
rather nourishing. Another theory is
that the performer had previously
been swOrd-swallOwer thereby having
made his throat so callOus that the glass
would not cut it on its passage 10 the stom-
acb, but this does not explain how il Is di'
gested From all this. knowing that the
glass does not stay in his mouth, and being
equally certain that il can not 90 into his
stomach, there is but one conclusion 10 be
drawn-that the glass IS intercepted before
reaching its destination But how
can this be dOne2 Very easily. The
sword-swaliower educates his throat
To allow the presence. of sword.
The glass eater prepares his 10 receive a tube
Of some description, which probably has a
strainer i'm the end to allow the wafer which
he drinks 10 filter through. but retains the
glass, until such time as he can dispose OF
IL without being observed. That silver tubes
can BE- worn in the throat we all know from
the numerous instances in which they have
been used in surgical operations Meanwhile
+ glass-eating Is becoming one of the crowded
professions, and it behOOves the managers
of dime museums to be on the hunt tor some
new dietetical mOnStrOsity. Glass-e ating is
f becoming chestnut.