Description

A COMPLETE EXPOSE OF THE MODUS
OPERANDI OP FIRE EATERS, HEAT
RESISTERS, POISON EATERS, VENOMOUS
REPTILE DEFIERS, SWORD SWALLOWERS,
HUMAN OSTRICHES, STRONG MEN, ETC.
1920

I. Fire worship.—Fire eating and heat resistance.—The Middle Ages.—Among the Navajo Indians.—Fire- walkers of Japan.—The Fieryprdeal of Fiji
II. Watton's Ship-swabber from the Indies.—Richardson, 1667.—De Heiterkeit, 1713.—Robert Powell, 1718-1780—Dufour, 1783.—Quackensalber, 1794.
III. The nineteenth century.—A "Wonderful Phenomenon."— "The Incombustible Spaniard, Senor Lionetto," 1803.—Josephine Girardelli, 1814.—John Brooks, 1817.—W. C. Houghton, 1832.—J. A. B. Chylinski, 1841.—Chamouni, the Russian Salamander, 1869.—Professor Rel Maeub, 1876.— Rivem.(died 1900)
IV—The Master—Chabert, 1792-1859
V. Fire-eating magicians: Clung Ling Foo and Chung Ling Soo.—Fire-eaters employed by magicians: The Man-Salamander, 1816.— Mr. Carlton, Professor of Chemistry, 1818.—Miss CassiUis, aged nine, 1820. The African Wonder, 1843.—Ling Look and Yamadeva die in China during Kellar's world tour, 1877.—Ling Look's double, 1879.—Electrical effects, The Salambos.— Bueno Core.—Del Kano.—Barnello.—Edwin Forrest as a heat-resister — The Elder Sothern as a fire-eater.—The Twilight of the Art
VI. The Arcana of the fire-eaters: The formula of Albertus Magnus.—Of Hocus Pocus.—Richardson's method. — Philopyraphagus Ashburniensis.—To breathe forth sparks, smoke and flames.— To spout natural gas.—Professor Sementini's discoveries.— To bite off red-hot iron.—To cook in a burning cage. — Chabert's oven.—To eat coals of fire.—To drink burning oil.—To chew molten lead.—To chew burning brimstone.— To wreathe the face in flames. — To ignite paper with the breath.—To drink boiling liquor and eat flaming wax
VII. The spheroidal condition of liquids.—Why the hand may be dipped in molten metals.—Principles of heat resistance put to practical uses: Aldirii, 1829.—In early fire-fighting.— Temperatures the body can endure
VIII. Sword-swallowers: Cliquot, Delno Fritz, Deodota, a razor-swallower, an umbrella-swallower, William Dempster, John Gumming, Edith Clifford, Victorina
IX. Stone-eaters: A Silesian in Prague, 1006; Francois Battalia, ca. 1641; Platerus' beggar boy; Father Paulian's lithophagus of Avignon, 1760; "The Only One in the World," London, 1788; Spaniards in London, 1790; a secret for two and six; Japanese training.— Frog-swallowers: Norton; English Jack; Bosco; the snake-eater; Billington's prescription for hangmen; Captain Veitro.—Water-spouters; Blaise Manfrede, ca. 1650; Floran Marchand, 1650 154
X. Defiers of poisonous reptiles: Thardo; Mrs. Learn, dealer in rattle-snakes.—Sir Arthur Thurlow Cunynghame on antidotes for snake-bite.—Jack the Viper.—William Oliver, 1735.—The advice of Cornelius Heinrich Agrippa, (1480-1535).—An Australian snake story.—Antidotes for various poisons
XL Strongmen of the eighteenth century: Thomas Topham (died, 1749); Joyce, 1703; Van Eskeberg, 1718; Barsabas and his sister; The Italian Female Sampson, 1724; The "little woman from Geneva,"
1751; Belzoni, 1778-1823
XII. Contemporary strong people: Charles Jefferson; Louis Cyr; John Grun Marx; William Le Roy.— The Nail King, The Human Claw-hammer; Alexander Weyer; Mexican Billy Wells; A foolhardy Italian; Wilson; Herman; Sampson; Sandow; Yucca; La Blanche; Lulu Hurst.— The Georgia Magnet, The Electric Girl, etc.; Annie Abbot; Mattie Lee Price.—The Twilight of the Freaks.— The dime museums