BULIMY, a disease in which the patient is affected with insatiable and perpe tual desire of eating ; and unless he is indulged, he often falls into fainting fits. It is also called fames cantina, canine ap petite.
In the third volume of the "Memoirs of the Medical Society of London" is in serted the history of a case of bulimy, ac companied with vomiting, wherein 3791bs. of meat and drink were swallowed in the space of six days ; yet the patient lost flesh rapidly. A cure was effected by giving food boiled down to a jelly, fre quently, and in small quantities. In this form the food was retained, and the body being duly supplied with nourishment, the stomach and rest of the system reco vered their proper tone and energy. But the most extraordinary instance of buli my, which perhaps ever occurred, is that recorded in the third volume of the " Me dical and Physical Journal," communi cated by Dr. Johnson, commissioner of sick and wounded seamen, to Dr. Vane, formerly physician to the navy. The subject was a Polish soldier, named Charles Domery, in the service of the French, on board of the Hoche frigate, which was captured by the squadron un der the command of Sir John Borlase Warren, off Ireland, in 1799. He was 21 years of age, and stated that his fa ther and brothers had been remarkable for their voracious appetites. He began when he was 13 years of age. He would de vour raw and even live cats, rats, and dogs, besides bullock's liver, tallow candles, and the entrails of animals. One day (viz.
September 7th, 1799) an experiment was made of how much this man could eat in one day. This experiment was made in the presence of the before-men tioned Dr. Johnson, Admiral Child, and Mr. Forster, agent for prisoners at Liver pool, and several other gentlemen. He had breakfasted at 4 o'clock in the morn ing on Os. of raw cow's udder ; at half past nine o'clock there were set before him bibs. of raw beef and 12 tallow can dles of 1lb. weight, together with 1 bottle of porter ; these he finished by half past ten o'clock; at one o'clock there were put before him sibs. more of beef, llb. of candles, and three bottles of porter ; he was then locked up in the room, and cen tries were placed at the windows, to pre vent his throwing away any of his provi sions. At two o'clock he had nearly finished the whole of the candles and great part of the beef; but without having had any evacuations by vomiting, stool, or urine. His skin was cool, pulse regu lar, and spirits good. At a quarter past six he had devoured the whole, and de clared he could eat more ; but the pri soners on the outside having told him that experiments were making upon him, he began to be alarmed.