fix, when he was to be returned to his prifon, he had devoured the whole, and declared he could have eat more; but from the prisoners without telling him we wished to make some experiment on him, he began to be alarmed. It is also to be observed, that the day was hot, and not having his ufual exercife in the yard, it may be prefumed he would have otherwife had a better appetite. On recapitulating the whole confumption of this day, it stands thus: The eagerness with which he attacks his beef when his ftomach is not gorged, resembles the voracity of a hungry wolf, tearing off and swallowing them with canine greediness. When his throat is dry from continued exercise, he lubricates it by stripping the grease off the candles between his teeth, which he generally finishes at three mouthfuls, and wrapping the wick like a ball, ftring and all, fends it after at a swallow. He can, when no choice is left, make fhift to dine on immenfe quantities of raw potatoes, or turnips; but, from choice, would never defire to taste bread or vegetables. He is in every respect healthy, his tongue clean, and his eyes lively. After he went to the prison, he danced, fmoaked his pipe, and drank a bottle of porter; and, by four the next morning, he awoke with his usual ravenous appetite; which he quieted by a few pounds of raw beef. He is fix feet three inches high, pale complexion, grey eyes, long brown hair, well made but thin, his countenance rather pleasant, and is good tempered. The CHARLES DOMERY, 25 The above is written from his own mouth, in the prefence of, and attested by Deftauban, French Surgeon. Le Fournier, Steward of the Hospital. Le Flem, Soldat de la fer Demi Brigade. Thomas Cochrane, M. D. Infpector and Surgeon of the Prison, and Agent, &c. for Sick and Wounded Seamen. Liverpool, Sept. 9, 1799. (A true Copy.) JOHN BY NON, Clerk in the Office for Sick and Wounded Seamen. QUERIES and ANSWERS. 1. What are the circumftances of his fleep and perfpiration? He gets to bed about eight o'clock at night, immediately after which he begins to fweat, and that fo profufely, as to be obliged to throw off his fhirt. He feels extremely hot, and in an hour or two after goes to fleep, which lasts until one in the morning, after which he always feels himself hungry, even though he had lain down with a full ftomach. He then eats bread or beef, or whatever provifion he may have reserved through the day; and if he has none he beguiles the time in fmoaking tobacco. About two o'clock he goes to fleep again, and awakes at five or fix o'clock in the morning in a violent perfpiration, with great heat. This quits him on getting up; and when he has laid in a fresh cargo of raw meat (to use his own expreffion) he feels his body in a good state. He sweats while he is eating; and it is probably owing to this conftant propenfity to exhalation from the furface of the body, that his fkin is commonly found to be cool. 2. What is his heat by the thermometer? I have often tried it, and found it to be of the ftandard temperature temperature of the human body. His pulfe is now eightyfour; full and regular. 3. Can this ravenous appetite be traced higher than his father? He knows nothing of his ancestors beyond his father. When he left the country, eleven years ago, his father was alive, aged about fifty, a tall, ftout man, always healthy, and can remember he was a great eater; but was too young to recollect the quantity, but that he eat his meat half boiled. He does not recollect that either himself or his brothers had any ailment, excepting the fmall-pox, which ended favourably with them all. He was then an infant. His face is perfectly smooth. 4. Is his muscular strength greater or less than that of other men at his time of life? Though his muscles are pretty firm, I do not think they are fo full or plump as thofe of moft other men. He has, however, by his own declaration, carried a load of three hundred weight of flour in France, and marched 14 leagues in a day. 5. Is he dull, or intelligent? He can neither read nor write, but is very intelligent and converfable, and can give a diftinct and confiftent anfwer to any question put to him. I have put a variety at different times, and in different fhapes, tending to throw all the light poffible on his hiftory, and never found that he varied; fo that I am inclined to believe that he adheres to truth. 6. Under what circumftances did his voracious difpofition first come on? It came on at the age of thirteen, as has been already ftated. He was then in the fervice of Pruffia, at the fiege of Thionville: they were at that time much straitened for provifion, and as he found this did not fuit him, he deferted into the town. He was conducted to the French General, who CHARLES DOMERY. 27 who prefented him with a large melon, which he devoured, rind and all, and then an immenfe quantity and variety of other species of food, to the great entertainment of that officer and his suite. From that time he has preferred raw to dreffed meat; and when he eats a moderate quantity of what has been either roasted or boiled, he throws it up immediately. What is stated above, therefore, refpecting his never vomiting, is not to be understood literally, but imports merely, that thofe things which are most nauseous to others had no effect upon his ftomach. There is nothing farther to remark, but that fince the attested narrative was drawn up, he has repeatedly indulged himself in the cruel repafts before defcribed, devouring the whole animal, except the fkin, bones, and bowels: but this has been put a stop to, on account of the scandal which it juftly excited. In confidering this cafe, it seems to afford fome matters for reflection, which are not only objects of confiderable novelty and curiofity, but interesting and important, by throwing light on the process by which the food is digested and difpofed of. Monftrofity and disease, whether in the structure of parts, or in the functions and appetites, illuftrate particular points of the animal economy, by exhibiting them in certain relations in which they are not to be met with in the common course of nature. The power of the ftomach, in fo quickly diffolving, affimilating, and difpofing of the aliment in ordinary cafes, muft ftrike every reflecting person with wonder; but the hiftory of this cafe affords a more palpable proof, and more clear conception of these proceffes, just as objects of fight become more fenfible and striking, when viewed by a magnifying glafs, or when exhibited on a larger scale. The facts here fet forth tend alfo to place in a strong Light the great importance of the discharge by the skin, and to to prove that it is by this outlet, more than by the bowels, that the recrementitious parts of the aliment are evacuated: that there is an admirable co-operation established between the fkin and the ftomach, by means of that confent of parts so observable, and fo neceffary to the other functions of the animal economy: and, that the purpose of aliment is not merely to administer to the growth and repair of the body, but by its bulk and peculiar ftimulus to maintain the play of the organs effential to life. DESCRIPTION OF THE DEVIL'S THREE JUMPS. On the heaths between Thurfley or Thirsley (an extenfive parish in the county of Surrey and hundred of Godalming) and Frinfham are three remarkable conic-shaped hills, called the Devil's Three Jumps, the Eaftern hill (or jump) being the largest in circumference and height, the centre hill the leaft and loweft. They are composed of a hard rock, barely covered with a light black mould, which gives a scanty nourishment to mofs and ftunted heath. Their bafes are nearly furrounded by a fofs or ditch, which in fome places appears to be artificial. In the foffes are conftant fprings of water, which affift in forming near them a large piece of water, called Abbot's pond, formerly part of the poffeffions of the neighbouring abbey of Waverly. The country people (particularly the aged, relate many tales of thefe eminences, and hold them in a kind of awful reverence (the revels of the Faries yet linger in the tales of the aged ruftic). It was formerly cuftomary for the country people on Whit-Tuesday to assemble on the top of the Eastern hill to dance and make merry. The etymology of the name of the parish, Thurfley, or Thirfley, is probably Thir's field. This fpot was formerly dedicated to the Saxon god Thir, and his image was erected on the Eastern eminence. |