an unusually large appetite. Serving in the Prussian Army during the War
of the First Coalition, he deserted to the French Revolutionary Army in
return for better rations. He was voraciously hungry; while stationed
near Paris, he was recorded as having eaten 174 cats in a year, and
would eat 4 to 5 pounds (1.8 to 2.3 kg) of grass each day if he could
not find other food. During service on the French frigate Hoche, he
attempted to eat the severed leg of a crew member hit by cannon fire,
before it was wrestled from him. In 1799 Hoche was captured by British
forces, and Domery and the crew were interned in Liverpool. Despite
receiving ten times the rations of other inmates, he remained ravenous,
eating the prison cat, at least 20 rats, and many prison candles.
Domery's case was brought to the attention of the Sick and Hurt
Commissioners, who tested his eating capacity by feeding him four
bottles of porter and a total of 16 pounds (7.3 kg) of raw cow's udder,
raw beef and tallow candles, all of which he ate and drank in a single
day without defecating, urinating, or vomiting.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Domery>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1398:
The Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas the Great and the Grand
Master of the Teutonic Knights Konrad von Jungingen signed the Treaty of
Salynas, the third attempt to cede Samogitia to the Knights.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Salynas>
1847:
Werner von Siemens, a German inventor, founded Siemens &
Halske, which later became Siemens AG, the largest engineering company
in Europe.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siemens_AG>
1915:
A German firing squad executed British nurse Edith Cavell for
helping Allied soldiers to escape occupied Belgium.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Cavell>
1960:
Japan Socialist Party leader Inejiro Asanuma was assassinated
on live television by a man using a samurai sword.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inejiro_Asanuma>
2000:
Two suicide bombers attacked the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Cole
while it was at anchor in Aden, Yemen, killing 17 of its crew members
and injuring 39 others.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Cole_bombing>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
umami:
1. One of the five basic tastes, the savory taste of foods such as seaweed,
cured fish, aged cheeses and meats.
2. The taste of flavor enhancers added to food to accentuate savoriness,
notably monosodium glutamate.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/umami>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Intolerance is evidence of impotence.
--Aleister Crowley
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Aleister_Crowley>
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