dered
man, Lieutenant Matthew Wursel, was a poison-eater or not, educed some
very curious evidence relating to this class of persons.

As it is not generally known that eating poison is actually practiced in
more countries than one, the following account of the custom, given by a
physician, Dr. T. von Tschudi, will not be without interest.

In some districts of Lower Austria and in Styria, especially in those
mountainous parts bordering on Hungary, there prevails the strange habit
of eating arsenic. The peasantry in particular are given to it. They
obtain it under the name of _hedri_ from the traveling hucksters and
gatherers of herbs, who, on their side, get it from the glass-blowers, or
purchase it from the cow-doctors, quacks, or mountebanks.

The poison-eaters have a twofold aim in their dangerous enjoyment: one of
which is to obtain a fresh, healthy appearance, and acquire a certain
degree of _embonpoint_. On this account, therefore, gay village lads and
lasses employ the dangerous agent, that they may become more attractive to
each other; and it is really astonishing with what favorable results their
endeavors are attended, for it is just the youthful poison-eaters that
are, generally speaking, distinguished by a blooming complexion, and an
appearance of exuberant health. Out of many examples I select the
following:

A farm-servant who worked in the cow-house belonging to ---- was thin and
pale, but nevertheless well and healthy. This girl had a lover whom she
wished to enchain still more firmly; and in order to obtain a more
pleasing exterior she had recourse to the well-known means, and swallowed
every week several doses of arsenic. The desired result was obtained; and
in a few months she was much fuller in the figure, rosy-cheeked, and, in
short, quite according to her lover's taste. In order to increase the
effect, she was so rash as to increase the dose of arsenic, and fell a
victim to her vanity: she was poisoned, and died an agonizing death.

The number of deaths in consequence of the immoderate enjoyment of arsenic
is not inconsiderable, especially among the young. Every priest who has
the cure of souls in those districts where the abuse prevails could tell
such tragedies; and the inquiries I have myself made on the subject have
opened out very singular details. Whether it arise from fear of the law,
which forbids the unauthorized possession of arsenic, or whether it be
that an inner voice proclaims to