436 
ON  THE  ARSENIC  EATERS  OF  STYRIA. 
■where  this  practice  prevails,  I  shall  feel  obliged  if  you  will  allow 
me  through  your  journal  to  make  known  the  facts  I  have  at  pre- 
sent collected.  The  information  is  derived  mainly  from  Dr. 
Lorenz,  Imperial  Professor  of  Natural  History,  formerly  of 
Salzburg,  from  Dr.  Carl  Arbele,  Professor  of  Anatomy  in  Salz- 
burg, and  Dr.  Kottowitz,  of  Neuhaus,  besides  several  non-medi- 
cal  friends.  If  human  testimony  be  worth  anything,  the  fact 
of  the  existence  of  arsenic  eaters  is  placed  beyond  a  doubt.  Dr. 
Lorenz,  to  whom  questions  were  first  addressed,  at  once  stated 
that  he  was  aware  of  the  practice,  but  added,  that  it  is  generally 
difficult  to  get  hold  of  individual  cases,  as  the  obtaining  of  arsenic 
without  a  doctor's  certificate  is  contrary  to  law,  and  those  who 
do  so  are  very  anxious  to  conceal  the  fact,  particularly  from 
medical  men  and  priests.  Dr.  Lorenz  was,  however,  well  ac- 
quainted with  one  gentleman,  an  arsenic  eater,  with  whom  he 
kindly  put  me  in  communication,  and  to  whom  I  shall  refer  again 
more  particularly.  He  also  says  that  he  knows  arsenic  is  com- 
monly taken  by  the  peasants  in  Styria,  the  Tyrol,  and  the 
Salzkammergut,  principally  by  huntsmen  and  woodcutters,  to 
improve  their  wind  and  prevent  fatigue.  He  gives  the  follow- 
ing particulars: — 
The  arsenic  is  taken  pure  in  some  warm  liquid,  as  coffee,  fast- 
ing, beginning  with  a  bit  the  size  of  of  a  pin's  head,  and  increas- 
ing to  that  of  a  pea.  The  complexion  and  general  appearance 
are  much  improved,  and  the  parties  using  it  seldom  look  so  old 
as  they  really  are,  but  he  has  never  heard  of  any  case  in  which 
it  was  used  to  improve  personal  beauty,  though  he  cannot  say 
that  it  never  is  so  used.  The  first  dose  is  always  followed  by 
slight  symptoms  of  poisoning,  such  as  burning  pain  in  the 
stomach  and  sickness,  but  not  very  severe. 
Once  begun  it  can  only  be  left  off  by  very  gradually  diminish- 
ing the  daily  dose,  as  a  sudden  cessation  causes  sickness,  burn- 
ing pains  in  the  stomach,  and  other  symptoms  of  poisoning, 
very  speedily  followed  by  death. 
As  a  rule,  arsenic  eaters  are  very  long  lived,  and  are  pecu- 
liarly exempt  from  infectious  diseases,  fevers,  &c;  but  unless 
they  gradually  give  up  the  practice  invariably  die  suddenly  at 
last. 
In  some  arsenic  works  near  Salzburg  with  which  he  is  ac- 
