Kirby, R. S. [Editor]; Kirby, R. S. [Oth.]: Kirby's Wonderful And Eccentric Museum; Or, Magazine Of Remarkable Characters: Including All The Curiosities Of Nature And Art, From The Remotest Period To The Present Time, Drawn from every authentic Source. Illustrated With One Hundred And Twenty-Four Engravings. Chiefly Taken from Rare And Curious Prints Or Original Drawings. Six Volumes (Vol. V.) (London: R.S. Kirby, 1820)

EXTRAORDINARY GREAT EATER.

49

when this extraordinary craving of appetite first began; which
afflicted him to such a degree, that if he was not fed as lie
called out for it, he would gn4w the very flesh off his bones;
so that, when awake, he was constantly devouring; it could
hardly be called eating, because nothing passed his sto-
mach ; all was thrown up again.
Of the various substances, bread, meat, beer, milk, wa-
ter, butter, cheese, sugar, treacle, pudding, rye, fruit, broth,
potatoes, &e. he swallowed in six successive days, as follows :

Thursday,
69 lb.
8 oz.
Friday,
61
14
Saturday,
58
8
Sunday,
77
0
Monday,
60
12
Tuesday,
55
8
Salt
1
0 in the six days,
Total
384
2

In addition to the above extraordinary Boulimia, or cra-
ving appetite, we insert the medical treatment, and further
particulars,
BY J. COOKSON, M. D. DATED APRIL 24tH, 1745.
The following relation, respecting the boy at Barnsley,
six miles from Wakefield, contained also an account of his
eating and drinking, for six successive days.
Matthew Daking, a healthy and sprightly boy, about ten
years old, was about fifteen months since, seized with a fe-
ver, which continued above a fortnight. In the beginning,
he had frequent provocations to vomit, which induced his
apothecary to give him a gentle vomit of ipecacuanha. The
retchings continuing, he gave him another: They seemed
to operate well, but yet did not answer the end, in settling’
VOL. V. H