A correspondent in France writes as follows: "Paris has, for some
days, rung with relations of the wonderful exploits of a Spaniard in
that city, who is endowed with qualities by which he resists the action
of very high degrees of heat, as well as the influence of strong
chemical reagents. Many histories of the trials to which he has been
submitted before a Commission of the Institute and Medical School, have
appeared in the public papers; but the public waits with impatience for
the report to be made in the name of the Commission by Professor Pinel.
The subject of these trials is a young man, a native of Toledo, in
Spain, 23 years of age, and free of any apparent peculiarities which
can announce anything remarkable in the organization of his skin; after
examination, one would be rather disposed to conclude a peculiar
softness than that any hardness or thickness of the cuticle existed,
either naturally or from mechanical causes. Nor was there any
circumstance to indicate that the person had been previously rubbed
with any matter capable of resisting the operation of the agents with
which he was brought in contact.
This man bathed for the space of five minutes, and without any injury
to his sensibility or the surface of the skin, his legs in oil, heated
at 97 degrees of Reaumur (250 degrees of Fahrenheit) and with the same
oil, at the same degree of heat, he washed his face and superior
extremities. He held, for the same space of time, and with as little
inconvenience, his legs in a solution of muriate of soda, heated to 102
of the same scale, (261 1/2 degrees Fahr.) He stood on and rubbed the
soles of his feet with a bar of hot iron heated to a white heat; in
this state he held the iron in his hands and rubbed the surface of his
tongue.
He gargled his mouth with concentrated sulphuric and nitric acids,
without the smallest injury or discoloration; the nitric acid changed
the cuticle to a yellow color; with the acids in this state he rubbed
his hands and arms. All these experiments were continued long enough
to prove their inefficiency to produce any impression. It is said, on
unquestionable authority, that he remained a considerable time in an
oven heated to 65 degrees or 70 degrees, (178-189 degrees Fahr.) and
from which he was with difficulty induced to retire, so comfortable did
he feel at that high temperature.
It may be proper to remark, that this man seems totally uninfluenced by
any motive to mislead, and, it is said, he has refused flattering
offers from some religious sectaries of turning to emolument his
singular qualities; yet on the whole it seems to be the opinion of most
philosophical men, that this person must possess some matter which
counteracts the operation of these agents. To suppose that nature has
organized him differently, would be unphilosophic: by habit he might
have blunted his sensibilities against those impressions that create
pain under ordinary circumstances; but how to explain the power by
which he resists the action of those agents which are known to have the
strongest affinity for animal matter, is a circumstance difficult to
comprehend. It has not failed, however, to excite the wonder of the
ignorant and the inquiry of the learned at Paris."
This "Wonderful Phenomenon" may have been "the incombustible Spaniard,
Senor Lionetto," whom the London Mirror mentions as performing in Paris
in 1803 "where he attracted the particular attention of Dr. Sementeni,
Professor of Chemistry, and other scientific gentlemen of that city.
It appears that a considerable vapor and smell rose from parts of his
body when the fire and heated substances were applied, and in this he
seems to differ from the person now in this country." The person here
referred to was M. Chabert.
Dr. Sementeni became so interested in the subject that he made a series
of experiments upon himself, and these were finally crowned with
success. His experiments will receive further attention in the chapter
"The Arcana of the Fire-Eaters."
A veritable sensation was created in England in the year 1814 by Senora
Josephine Girardelli, who was heralded as having "just arrived from the
Continent, where she had the honor of appearing before most of the
crowned heads of Europe." She was first spoken of as German, but
afterwards proved to be of Italian birth.
Entering a field of endeavor which had heretofore been exclusively
occupied by the sterner sex, this lady displayed a taste for hot meals
that would seem to recommend her as a matrimonial venture. Like all
the earlier exploiters of the devouring element, she was proclaimed as
"The Great Phenomena of Nature"--why the plural form was used does not
appear--and, doubtless, her feminine instincts led her to impart a
daintiness to her performance which must have appealed to the better
class of audience in that day.
The portrait that adorned her first English handbill, which I produce
from the Picture Magazine, was engraved by Page and published by
Smeeton, St. Martins Lane, London. It is said to be a faithful
representation of her stage costume and setting.
Richardson, of Bartholomew Fair fame, who was responsible for the
introduction of many novelties, first presented Girardelli to an
English audience at Portsmouth, where her success was so pronounced
that a London appearance was arranged for the same year; and at Mr.
Laston's rooms, 23 New Bond Street, her performance attracted the most
fashionable metropolitan audiences for a considerable time. Following
this engagement she appeared at Richardson's Theater, at Bartholomew
Fair, and afterwards toured England in the company of Signor Germondi,
who exhibited a troupe of wonderful trained dogs. One of the canine
actors was billed as the "Russian Moscow Fire Dog, an animal unknown in
this country, (and never exhibited before) who now delights in that
element, having been trained for the last six months at very great
expense and fatigue."
Whether Girardelli accumulated sufficient wealth to retire or became
discouraged by the exposure of her methods cannot now be determined,
but after she had occupied a prominent position in the public eye and
the public prints for a few seasons she dropped out of sight, and I
have been unable to find where or how she passed the later years of her
life.
I am even more at a loss concerning her contemporary, John Brooks, of
whom I have no other record than the following letter, which appears in
the autobiography of the famous author-actor-manager, Thomas Dibdin, of
the Theaters Royal, Covent Garden, Drury Lane, Haymarket and others.
This one communication, however, absolves of any obligation to dig up
proofs of John Brooks' versatility: he admits it himself.
To Mr. T. Dibdin, Esq. Pripetor of the Royal Circus.
May 1st, 1817.
Sir:
I have taken the Liberty of Riting those few lines to ask you the
favour if a Greeable for me to Come to your House, as i Can do a great
many different things i Can Sing a good Song and i Can Eat Boiling hot
Lead and Rub my naked arms With a Red hot Poker and Stand on a Red hot
sheet of iron, and do Diferent other things.--Sir i hope you Will
Excuse me in Riting I do not Want any thing for my Performing for i
have Got a Business that will Sirport me I only want to pass a Way 2 or
3 Hours in the Evening. Sir i hope you Will Send me an Answer Weather
Agreeple or not.