Eng? by W. Foll, from Drawing by Mivai. London Published by the r. prieter at the Argyll come De FISHER SOT & C 420 THE Emperial Magazine; OR, COMPENDIUM OF RELIGIOUS, MORAL, & PHILOSOPHICAL KNOWLEDGE. FEBRUARY.] "PERIODICAL LITERATURE IS THE GERM OF NATIONAL LEARNING." MEMOIR OF XAVIER CHABERT. Including Authentic Particulars relative to his Surprising EXPERIMENTS. (With a Portrait.) Few persons in the present day have obtained a greater share of public notoriety than the extraordinary individual, whose likeness is prefixed to the present number of the Imperial Magazine. The philosophical nature of his experiments, joined to their astonishing character, has excited an intense interest, that must render the subsequent account acceptable to readers at large. Armed with strong and efficacious antidotes, and inured by progressive efforts to the action of intense heat, this celebrated operator defies the malignity of the most subtle and deadly poisons, and exposes himself fearlessly to the terrible element of fire. Whether any essential benefits to society may result from these bold essays, it might be somewhat premature at present to assert. They will probably serve, at least, to direct the attention of the faculty to the consideration of poisons, and may eventually lead to discoveries of the first importance in medical science. XAVIER CHABERT, better known by the appellation of the FIRE KING, is a native of Avignon, in the south of France. His family have served in arms under Napoleon; and the subject of the present memoir had the honour to hold a lieutenancy under that great captain of modern times. He accompanied the French army into Russia, and was there detained a prisoner. Whilst in that empire, he suffered from the ill-treatment of a native officer; when the Emperor Alexander strongly manifested his sense of public justice, by settling on him a pension, and by sentencing the offender to banishment in Siberia,-where, to the best of Monsieur Chabert's knowledge, he remains to the present day. During the revolution, Chabert's father concealed in his house five Catholic priests, and eventually succeeded in preserving them from the fury of democratic power. From one of these, Monsieur Chabert, the present experimentalist, received some information on the capabilities of the human body to sustain heat, which gave the first 134.-VOL. XII. [1830. impulse to his essays. The hints derived from the priest, however, only served as the foundation of a series of progressive efforts, that have at length enabled the exhibiter to bear an intensity of heat, rising, we are informed, from 600 to 800 degrees. His daring experiments with phosphorus, prussic acid, and other powerful poisons, are entirely his own. He began with determining the best antidote, and then proceeded with caution from a very small dose to a large one. His powers of bearing heat and of swallowing poisons, are it seems still in a state of progression; as he states that he can have no fear of rivalry, since the attempts of the present day may be far exceeded by something which he shall perform on the next. Monsieur C. has travelled in Africa, and in nearly all the countries of the European continent; and exhibited before the most illustrious personages of the different nations through which he has passed. He is now about 39 years of age, and twelve years have elapsed since his first arrival in England. Previous to his engagements at the Argyll Rooms, he gave specimens of his singular talents before every member of our Royal Family, with the exception of his present Majesty. In the neighbourhood of Waterloo Bridge, Monsieur Chabert's wife and family reside; and we believe it is his intention to continue in this country. He refuses to reveal the secret relative to the nature and management of his antidotes, for a less sum than £10,000. Whether it will answer the purpose of any one to give so high a premium for these philosophical arcana, is perhaps very questionable. The following particulars extracted from the "Times" of the 24th September, 1829, will enable the reader to judge of the daring nature of Monsieur Chabert's experiments. It will be recollected (says the Times) by many of our readers, that an advertisement appeared a few days ago in our journal, in which a Mr. J. Smith, after insinuating that M. Chabert, the Fire King, practised some juggle when he appeared to enter into an oven heated to 500 de II grees, and to swallow 20 grains of phosphorus, challenged him, for any sum which he might please to mention, to perform the exploits which he professed to be performing daily. It will also be recollected, that to this challenge was added an explicit "pledge," given "upon the honour" of Mr. Smith, that if Mr. Chabert " fairly accomplished such an undertaking, he would likewise do the same." oven. To those who are acquainted with the various shapes in which ambition clothes itself, it will not appear surprising, that the "Fire King's soul was all on fire" to answer the daring defiance which he had received from an adventurous calumniator; and in consequence he publicly accepted Mr. J. Smith's challenge for £50, requesting him to provide the poisons himself, and offering, with true chivalric courtesy, to allow him the same conveniences which he used himself whilst he remained in the This unexpected retort appeared to make Mr. J. Smith feel that it was necessary for him to be more magnificent in his promises than he had hitherto shown himself; for in his rejoinder to Mr. Chabert, he informed him that he would meet him in the Argyll Rooms, at his ordinary hour of performance, and would then "enter the oven with him, and perform his other feats." Yesterday was mutually fixed upon as the day on which the two contracting parties to this extraordinary challenge were to try their merits by the ordeal of fire, and on which they were to submit their powers of resisting poison to the test of experiment. Accordingly, at two o'clock, the hour appointed for the combat, a number of gentlemen were attracted to the arena in which it was to take place; and as they entered, care was taken to inform them that the money had been regularly posted, and that Mr. Smith was ready. ..... put his hands into some melted lead, took a small portion of it out, placed it in his mouth, and gave it in a solid state to some of the company. This performance, according to his account, was also very easy; for he seized only a very small particle, which, by a tight compression between the finger and thumb, became cool before it reached the mouth, The challenger being on the ground, the time for trifling was now over, and M. Chabert forthwith prepared himself for mightier undertakings. A cruise of oil was brought forward and poured into a saucepan, which was previously turned upside-down, to show that there was no water in it. The alleged reason for this step was, that vulgar conjurors, who profess to drink boiling oil, place the oil in water, and drink it when the water boils, at which time the oil is not warmer than an ordinary cup of tea. He intended to drink the oil when any person might see it bubbling in the saucepan, and when the thermometer would prove that it was heated to 360 degrees. The saucepan was accordingly placed upon the fire, and as it was acquiring the requisite heat, the Fire King challenged any man living to drink a spoonful of the oil at the same temperature as that at which he was going to drink it. In a few minutes afterwards he sipped off a spoonful with the greatest apparent ease, although the spoon, from contact with the boiling fluid, had become too hot for ordinary fingers to handle. "And now, Monsieur Smith," said the Fire King, "now for your challenge. Have you prepared yourself with phosphorus, or will you take some of mine, which is laid on that table?" Mr. Smith, who is a thickset man of middle size, walked up to the table, and pulling a vial bottle out of his pocket, offered it to the poison-swallower. The Fire King.-I ask you, on your ho. nour as a gentleman, is this genuine unmixed poison? Mr. Smith. It is, upon my honour. The Fire King.-Is there any medical gentleman here, who will examine it? [Speaking to a gentleman near him.] Will you try it for me, sir? At a little before three o'clock the Fire King made his appearance near his oven, and as some impatience had been exhibited, owing to the non-arrival of Mr. J. Smith, he offered to amuse the company with a few trifling experiments, which he said any of them might perform with the greatest ease. He then made a shovel red hot and rubbed it over his tongue, a trick for which no credit, he said, was due, as the moisture of the tongue was sufficient to prevent any injury arising from it. He next rubbed it over his hair and face, de. A person in the room requested that Dr. claring that any body might perform the Gordon Smith, one of the medical prosame feat by first washing themselves in a fessors in the London University, would mixture of spirits of sulphur and of alum, examine the vial, and decide whether it which, by cauterizing the epidermis, hard-contained genuine phosphorus. ened the skin to resist the fire. He then The learned professor went to the table, The gentleman declined: he believed that the Fire King was a better judge of phosphorus than he was. on which a formidable collection of poisons -such as red and white arsenic, hydrocyanic acid, morphine, and phosphorus was placed, and examining the vial, declared, that to the best of his judgment it was genuine phosphorus. This did not content several gentlemen in the room; they desired to see whether it would ignite by friction. The experiment was made, and a small piece soon set the paper in which it was wrapped into a blaze. The same experiment had been tried on the Fire King's own phosphorus; and if we may judge from the volume of flame which it sent forth, his phosphorus was stronger than that provided by Mr. Smith. The reality of the poison being thus ascertained, M. Chabert asked Mr. Smith with great politeness how many grains he wished to commence his first draught with. Mr. Smith.-Twenty grains will do as a A medical gentleman then came forward and cut off two parcels of phosphorus, containing 20 grains each. He was placing them in the water, when the Fire King requested that his phosphorus might be cut into small pieces, as he did not wish the pieces to stop on their road to his stomach. The poisons were now prepared. A wine glass contained the portion set aside for the Fire King-a tumbler the portion reserved for Mr. Smith. It would be difficult to say whether the challenger or the challenged at this moment showed the greater composure. This may be safely said they were at this moment the two least agitated persons in the room. The Fire King.-I suppose, gentlemen, I must begin. Well, then, to convince you that I do not juggle, I will first of all take off my coat, and then, as another precaution, I will trouble you, Doctor (speaking to Dr. Gordon Smith,) to tie my hands together behind me. Here a loud cry was set up that it was unnecessary to have the Fire King bandaged in this manner. The Fire King.-Oh! gentlemen, beg your pardon, it is necessary; for I want to show you that I do not juggle. After he had been bandaged in this manner, he planted himself on one knee in the centre of the room, and requested some gentleman to place the phosphorus on his tongue, and pour the water down his throat. This was accordingly done, and the water and phosphorus were swallowed together. He then opened his mouth, and requested the company to look whether any portion of the phosphorus remained in his mouth. Several gentlemen examined his mouth, and declared that there was no phosphorus perceptible either upon or under his tongue. He was then by his own desire unbandaged. The Fire King then turned to Mr. Smith, and offered him the other glass of phosphorus with a ceremonious politeness which was highly entertaining"And now, my good sir, I shall have great pleasure in seeing you take off your glass too." Mr. Smith started back in infinite alarm -"Not for worlds, sir, not for worlds; I beg to decline it." The Fire King.-Eh! mon Dieu; you decline it! Oh! dear sir; no, no; you will drink von little glass to oblige the company. Mr. Smith.-The company must excuse me. I don't often drink in a morning, and least of all such an ardent spirit as phosphorus. The Fire King.-Then why for did you send me a challenge? You have pledged your honour to drink it if I did. I have done it; and if you are a gentleman, you must drink it too. Mr. Smith.-No, no; I must be excused I am quite satisfied without it. Here several voices exclaimed that the bet was lost. Some said that there must be a confederacy between the challenger and the challenged, and others asked whether any money had been deposited? The Fire King called a Mr. White forward, who deposed that he held the stakes, which had been regularly placed in his hands, by both parties, before 12 o'clock that morning. The Fire King here asked Mr. Smith if he intended to go into the oven with him? Mr. Smith replied that he could answer that question better after he saw the Fire King come out. The Fire King.-But, my good sir, that makes no matter, for you have lost your bet already, if you do not swallow the phosphorus. Are you satisfied on that head? Mr. Smith, after a very slight hesitation, admitted that he was. The Fire King here turned round with great exultation to the company, and pulling a bottle out of his pocket, exclaimed with great good feeling, "I did never see this gentleman before this morning, and I did not know but that he might be bold enough to venture to take this quantity of poison. I was determined not to let him lose his life by his foolish wager, and therefore I did bring an antidote in my pocket, which would have prevented him from suffering any harm. Le voila! Ah, ah! My good sir, you pay your £50 to see me take the phosphorus. Now you shall take three or four grains yourself. I will give you von little wine glass out of this bottle, and you shall be as well in a few minutes as you are now. Do, sir, oblige me by taking a few grains. before the Duke of Norfolk, he took a teaspoonful of prussic acid; but that experiment he says he will never repeat again; for it is a poison, which not only requires the antidote to be taken first, but is also so rapid in its operation, that it may destroy life before the antidote can produce its effect. He said that he should never forget the feelings which came over him as soon as he had swallowed it. Every vein in his head appeared to swell, and “each particular hair," he said, stood erect, "like quills upon the porcupine." Immediately after Mr. Smith had declined to take the phosphorus, several genMr. Smith begged to be excused. His tlemen surrounded him, desiring to know object was answered in seeing 20 grains why he had inserted such advertisements as of genuine phosphorus actually swallowed. he had done in the public papers, if he had He had conceived it impossible, as three no intention to perform the feats to which grains were quite sufficient to destroy life. he had dared the Fire-King. To this he The Fire King then addressed the gen-replied, that his object had been to ascertleman who had meted out the phosphorus tain beyond all doubt, whether it was pos"Perhaps you, sir, will have the good-sible for any person to take such a mass ness to swallow a little bit, to amuse me. I pledge you £1000, I pledge you my life, that if you take a little of this bottle, it will not do you any harm." The gentleman turned pale with affright. "I must beg to decline your polite invitation," he stammered out at last, "for in case of accident I am afraid the pledge of your life would not keep my wife and family." The Fire King. Now, gentlemen, I will prove to you by another little experiment that I have no phosphorus in my mouth. Attendez un peu. Put me a small piece of phosphorus on a knife point, and bring me a candle. A candle was brought him, and he lighted it with the phosphorus. Part of the phosphorus fell upon the ground, and was extinguished after some trouble. The Fire King.-Ah, Mr. Smith, you are very good to me. You bring me the very good phosphorus. I am much obliged to you, sir. Now give me a torch, and a fork. They were given to him accordingly. He took a small piece of the burning torch on his fork, put it into his mouth, and swallowed it. "And now, gentlemen, I have done with the poison for to-day." Having said this, he withdrew into another room for the professed purpose of putting on his usual dress for entering the oven, but in all probability for the real purpose of getting the phosphorus, by some antidote, from his stomach. Zinc is the usual antidote for phosphorus; but he says that it is not the antidote which he uses, and declines to mention what is. On one occasion, when he was exhibiting of poison and live-that he should not have risked such a sum of money of his own on such a challenge as that which he had given-but that he was acting as the representative of a number of scientific gentlemen, who had subscribed-such a sum, as would enable him, if his challenge were accepted, to insist upon furnishing the poison himself, and upon seeing every step taken by the Fire-King before and while he swallowed it. He stated that he was now perfectly convinced that the phosphorus was actually swallowed. He likewise protested that there had been no collusion between him and the Fire-King. This protestation was subsequently repeated by the Fire-King himself, who added, in confirmation of it, that he could have no interest in drawing a large concourse of people to his room. He was paid a certain sum per week by Mr. Welsh, and whether there was one person in the room, or whether there were 20,000, was to him, as far as his own emolument was concerned, perfectly immaterial. We think it only justice to M. Chabert to state, that if there should be any collusion in this challenge, he appears to be without any motive for being a party to it. How far that may be the case with his employer, is a question on which we give no opinion. M. Chabert stated, that after the pledge which Mr. Smith had given the public in his advertisement, he fully expected to have been put to a fair trial of his powers in the course of the day, and that he had in consequence made preparations and alterations in his course of action, which one way or another would cost him upwards of 201. |