liquefcent by the moifture. When the ftones after being moift become dry, it is a fign of fine weather. On the other hand, when the wea-' ther inclines to rain, the water is feen to diminish in vales and fountains, because the humidity is then

carried away by the evaporation of

the electric matter. It is certainly a furprifing phenomenon to fee the earth, after very long and very abundant rains, to be fometimes almoft dry, the roads quite free from dirt, and the lands to become arid and parched; this is a fign that the rain has not altogether ceased, and denotes a continual efflux of electric matter, which being renewed carries with it, in the form of va pours, all the moisture that falls on the earth. There is fometimes, however, a great deal of dirt, even after a moderate rain, which, in that cafe, is a fign of fine weather, because it indicates that evaporation has ceased. Dry earth and moift ftones announce rain. The hoar froft, which is firft occafioned by the caft wind, indicates that the cold will continue a long time, as was the cafe in 1770. If it thunders in the month of December, moderate and fine weather may be expected. A fine autumn announces a winter during which winds will prevail; if it is damp and rainy it fpoils the grapes, injures the fown fields, and threatens a fcarcity. If it be too cold, or too warm, it produces many maladies. A long feverity of the feafons, either by winds, drought, dampnefs, heat, or cold, becomes exceedingly deftructive to plants and animals.

Account of a Man who lives upon large Quantities of raw Flesh. In

a Letter from Dr. Johnfton, Commiffioner of fick and wounded Seamen, to Dr. Biane.

Somerfet-Place, Oa. 28, 1799. My dear fir,

HAVING in Auguft and Seplast been engaged in a tour of public duty, for the purpole of felecting from among the prifoners of war fuch men as, from their infirmities, were fit objects for being released without equivalent, I heard, upon my arrival at Liverpool, an account of one of these prifoners being endowed with an appetite and digeftron fo far beyond any thing that had ever occurred to me, either in my obfervation, reading, or by report, that I was defirous of afcertaining the particulars of it by ocular proof, or undeniable teftimony. Dr. Cochrane, fellow of the college of phyficians at Edinburgh, and our medical agent at Liverpool, is fortunately a gentleman upon whofe fidelity and accuracy I could perfectly depend; and I requested him to inftitute an inquiry upon this fubject during my ftay at that place. I enclose you an attefted copy of the refult of this; and as it may probably appear to you, as it does to me, a document containing facts extremely interefting, both in a natural and medical view, I will beg you to procure its infertion in fome refpectable periodical work.

Some farther points of inquiry concerning this extraordinary perfon having occurred to me fince my arrival in town, I fent them in the form of queries to Dr. Cochrane, who has obligingly returned fatiffactory anfwers. These I fend along with the above-mentioned attested

ftate

statement, to which I beg you to fubjoin fuch reflections as may oc cur to you on this fubject.

I am, my dear fir, Your most obedient humble fervant, J. Johnfion,

To Gilbert Blane, M. D. F. R. S. and one of the commiffioners of fick and wounded feamen.

Charles Domery, a native of Benche, on the frontiers of Poland, aged twenty-one, was brought to the prifon of Liverpool, in February, 1799, having been a foldier in the French fervice, on board the Hoche, captured by the squadron under the command of fir J. B. Warren, off Ireland.

He is one of nine brothers, who, with their father, have been remarkable for the voracioufnels of their appetites. They were all placed early in the army; and the peculiar craving for food with this young man began at thirteen years of age.

He was allowed two rations in the army, and by his earnings, or the indulgence of his comrades, procured an additional fupply.

When in the camp, if bread or meat were (carce, he made up the deficiency, by eating four or five pounds of grafs daily; and in one year devoted 174 cats (not their kins) dead or alive; and fays, he had feveral fevere conflicts in the act of deftroying them, by feeling the effects of their torments on his face and hands: fometimes he killed them before eating, but when very

hungry did not wait to perform this humane office.

Dogs and rats equally fuffered from his merciless jaws; and if much pinched by famine, the entrails of animals indifcriminately became his prey. The above facts are attefted by Picard, a refpectable man, who was his comrade in the fame regiment, on board the Hoche, and is now prefent; and who aflures me, he has often feer. him feed on thole animals.

When the fhip, on board of which he was, had furrendered, after an obftinate action, finding himself, as ufual, hungry, and nothing elfe in his way but a man's leg, which was hot off, lying before him, he attacked it greedily, and was feeding heartily, wn a failor fnatched it from him, and threw it overboard.

Since he came to this prifon, he has eat one dead cat and about

twenty rats. But what he delights most in is raw meat, beef or mutton, of which, though plentifully fupplied, by eating the rations of ten men daily, he complains he has not the fame quantity, nor indulged in eating fo much as he ufed to do, when in France.

He often devours a bullock's liver raw, three pounds of candles, and a few pounds of raw beef, in one day, without tafting bread or vegetables, washing it down with water, if his allowance of beer is expended.

His fubfiftence at prefent, independent of his own rations, arifes from the generofity of the prifoners, who give him a fhare of their allowance. Nor is his ftomach confined

to meat; for when in the hofpital, where fome of the patients refufed to take their medicines, Domery had no objection to perform this for them; his ftomach never rejected any thing, as he never vomits, whatever be the contents, or however large.

Withing fairly to try how much he actually could eat in one day; on the 17th of September, 1799, at four o'clock in the morning, he breakfafted on four pounds of raw cow's udder; at half past nine, in prefence of Dr. Johnfion, commiffioner of fick and wounded feamen, admiral Child and his fon, Mr. Fofter, agent for prifoners, and feveral refpectable gentlemen, he exhibited his power as follows:-There was fet before him five pods of raw beef, and twelve tallow candles of a pound weight, and one bottle of porter; thele he finished by half paft ten o'clock. At one o'clock there was again put before him five pounds of beef and one pound of candles, with three bottles of porter; at which time he was locked up in the room, and fentries placed at the windows to prevent his throwing away any of his provifions. At two o'clock, when I again faw him with two friends, he had nearly finished the whole of the candles, and a great part of the beef, but had neither evacuation by vomiting, ftool, or urine; his fkin was cool and pulfe regular, and in good fpirits, At a quarter part 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 prifoners without telling him we wished to make fome experiment on him, he began to be alarmed. It is allo to be obferved, that the day was hot, and not ha

fides five bottles of porter.

The eagernels with which be attacks his beef when his stomach is not gorged, resembles the voracity of a hungry wolf, tearing off and fwallowing pieces with canine greedinefs. When his throat is dry from continued exercife, he lubricates it by ftripping 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 fwallow. He can, when no choice is left, make flift to dine on immenfe quantities of raw potatoes, or turnips; but, from choice, would never defire to taste bread or vege tables.

He is in every refpe&t healthy, his tongue clean, and his eyes lively.

After he went to the prifon, he danced, fmoked his pipe, and drank a bottle of porter; and, by four the next morning, he awoke with his ufual 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 above is written from his own mouth, in the presence of, and attested by

Deftauban, French furgeon.

Le

Le Fournier, steward of the hofital. Revet, commiffaire de la prifon. Le Flem, foldat de la fer demi rigade.

Thomas Cochrane, M. D. infpecor and furgeon of the prifon, and gent, &c. for fick and wounded

camen.

Liverpool, Sept. 9, 1799. (A true copy.)

John Bynon, clerk in the office for fick and wounded fea

men.

Queries and Anfwers.

Ift. 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 thirt. He feels extremely hot, and in an hour or two after goes to fleep, which lafts until one in the morning, after which he always feels himfelf hungry, even though he had Jain down with a full ftomach. He then eats bread or beef, or whatever provifion he may have referved through the day; and if he has none, he beguiles the time in fmoking 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 ufe his own expreffion) he feels his body in a good ftate. He fweats 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.

2d. What is his heat by the thermometer?

I have often tried it, and found it to be of the ftandard temperature of the human body. His pulfe is now eighty-four; full and regular.

3d. Can this ravenous appetite be traced higher than his father?

He knows nothing of his anceftors beyond his father. When he left the country, eleven years ago, his father was alive, aged about fifty, a tall fout 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 fmooth.

4th. Is his mufcular strength greater or lefs than that of other men at his time of life?

Though his mufcles 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 fourteen leagues in a. day.

5th. Is he dull, or intelligent?

He can neither read nor write, but is very intelligent and conver fable, and can give a diftinct and confiftent anfwer to any queftion 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.

6th. Under what circumstances did his voracious difpofition firft 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 traitened for provifion, and as he found this did not fuit him, he deferted into the town He was conducted to the French general, who prefented him with a large melon, which he devoured, rind and all, and then en immenfe quantity and variety of other fpecies of food, to the great entertainment of that officer and his fuite. 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 immediate ly. What is fiated above, therefore, refpecting his never vomiting, is not to be understood literally, but imports merely, that thofe things which are moft naufeous to others had no effect upon his ftomach.

There is nothing farther to remark, but that fince the attefted narrative was drawn up, he has repeatedly indulged himfelf 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 fcandal which it justly

excited.

In confidering this cafe, it seems to afford fome matters for reflection, which are not only objects of confiderable novelty and curiofity, but interefting and important, by throwing light on the procefs by which the food is digefted and difpofed of. Monftrofity and difeafe, whether in the ftructure 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 coulle of nature. The power of the fo mach, in fo quickly diffolving, atfimilating, and difpofing of the aiiment in ordinary cafes, muft strike every reflecting perlon with wonder; but the hiftory of this cafe affords a more palpable proof, and more clear conception of thefe procoffes, juft as objects of fight become more fentible and friking, when viewed by a magnifying glass, or when exhibited on a larger icale.

The facts here fet forth tend allo

to place in a strong light the great importance of the difcharge by the fkin, and 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 eftablifhed between the tkin and the ftomach, by means of that confent of parts fo obfervable, and fo neceffary to the other functions of the animal economy; and, that the purpofe of aliment is not merely to adminifter 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.