PRACTICE OF ARSENIC-EATING IN STYRIA. 209 



arsenic to a chemical analysis, or examine the urine or 

 fseces of those persons who were said to indulge in the 

 practice of arsenic-eatiug; and Dr. Taylor suggests that 

 the white powder eaten by the Styrian peasants is not 

 arsenious acid, but probably oxide of zinc. Mr. Keste- 

 ven, in some papers published in the Association Medical 

 Journal for 1856, reviews the whole subject, gives Von 

 Tschudi's communication in extenso, discusses the arti- 

 cles upon the subject by Mr. Boner which appeared in 

 Chambers' s Journal, protests against the light manner in 

 which Johnston adopts and theorises upon the unproved 

 statements of Von Tschudi, and concludes that the story 

 of the Styrian arsenic eaters is not only unsupported by 

 adequate testimony, but is inconsistent, improbable, and 

 utterly incredible. Since the publication of Mr. Kesteven's 

 paper, Mr. Heisch has communicated in the Journal of the 

 Pharmaceutical Society for May i860, statements concern- 

 ing a number of interesting and apparently well-attested 

 cases of arsenic- eating obtained from persons of position 

 in Styria.* 



Believing that this interesting question, as to whether 

 or not persons are able, without apparent injury, to take 

 into their systems doses of arsenic usually supposed suffi- 

 cient to produce death, could only be settled by more pre- 

 cise local information than is at present made public, I 

 was supplied, through the kindness of my friend Professor 

 Pebal of Lemberg, with a number of reports addressed by 

 seventeen medical men in Styria to the government medi- 

 cal-inspector Dr. Julius Edler Von Vest of Gratz, respect- 

 ing the alleged practice of arsenic-eating in that district. 

 A notice of some of these reports, as well as of other mat- 



* Another statement concerning the " Stj'rian Poisou-Eaters" was pub- 

 lished in a G-ratz newspaper, the Tages Post, on March T,otJi and April 'ith, 

 i860, by Dr. Schidier, in which several cases of arsenic-eating which came 

 under his notice arc detailed. 



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