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.
The yellow thread of exposure seems to be inextricably woven into all fabrics whose strength is secrecy, and experience proves that it is much easier to become fireproof than to become exposure proof.It is still an open question, however, as to what extent exposure really injures a performer.Exposure of the secrets of the fire-eaters, for instance, dates back almost to the beginning of the art itself.
The priests were exposed, Richardson was exposed, Powell was exposed and so on down the line; but the business continued to prosper, the really clever performers drew quite fashionable audiences for a long time, and it was probably the demand for a higher form of entertainment, resulting from a refinement of the public taste, rather than the result of the many exposures, that finally relegated the Fire-eaters to the haunts of the proletariat.
How the early priests came into possession of these secrets does not appear, and if there were ever any records of this kind the Church would hardly allow them to become public.That they used practically the same system which has been adopted by all their followers is amply proved by the fact that after trial by ordeal had been abolished Albertus Magnus, in his work De Mirabilibus Mundi, at the end of his book De Secretis Mulierum, Amstelod, 1702, made public the underlying principles of heat-resistance; namely, the use of certain compounds which render the exposed parts to a more or less extent impervious to heat.
Many different formulas have been discovered which accomplish the purpose, but the principle remains unchanged.The formula set down by Albertus Magnus was probably the first ever made public: the following translation of it is from the London Mirror:
Take juice of marshmallow, and white of egg, flea-bane seeds, and lime; powder them and mix juice of radish with the white of egg; mix all thoroughly and with this composition annoint your body or hand and allow it to dry and afterwards annoint it again, and after this you may boldly take up hot iron without hurt.
``Such a paste,'' says the correspondent to the Mirror, ``would indeed be very visible.''
Another early formula is given in the 1763edition of Hocus Pocus.Examination of the different editions of this book in my library discloses the fact that there are no fire formulas in the second edition, 1635, which is the earliest I have (first editions are very rare and there is only one record of a sale of that edition at auction).From the fact that this formula was published during the time that Powell was appearing in England I gather that that circumstance may account for its addition to the book.It does not appear in the German or Dutch editions.
The following is an exact copy:
HOW TO WALK ON A HOT IRON
BAR WITHOUT ANY DANGER
OF SCALDING OR BURNING.
Take half an ounce of samphire, dissolve it in two ounces of aquaevitae, add to it one ounce of quicksilver, one ounce of liquid storax, which is the droppings of Myrrh and hinders the camphire from firing; take also two ounces of hematitus, a red stone to be had at the druggist's, and when you buy it let them beat it to powder in their great mortar, for it is so very hard that it cannot be done in a small one; put this to the afore-mentioned composition, and when you intend to walk on the bar you must annoint your feet well therewith, and you may walk over without danger:
by this you may wash your hands in boiling lead.
This was the secret modus operandi made use of by Richardson, the first notably successful fire artist to appear in Europe, and it was disclosed by his servant.[2]
[2] Such disloyalty in trusted servants is one of the most disheartening things that can happen to a public performer.
But it must not be thought that I say this out of personal experience: for in the many years that I have been before the public my secret methods have been steadily shielded by the strict integrity of my assistants, most of whom have been with me for years.Only one man ever betrayed my confidence, and that only in a minor matter.But then, so far as I know, I am the only performer who ever pledged his assistants to secrecy, honor and allegiance under a notarial oath.
Hone's Table Book, London, 1827, page 315, gives Richardson's method as follows:
It consisted only in rubbing the hands and thoroughly washing the mouth, lips, tongue, teeth and other parts which were to touch the fire, with pure spirits of sulphur.This burns and cauterizes the epidermis or upper skin, till it becomes as hard and thick as leather, and each time the experiment is tried it becomes still easier.But if, after it has been very often repeated the upper skin should grow so callous and hard as to become troublesome, washing the parts affected with very warm water, or hot wine, will bring away all the shrivelled or parched epidermis.
The flesh, however, will continue tender and unfit for such business till it has been frequently rubbed over with the same spirit.
This preparation may be rendered much stronger and more efficacious by mixing equal quantities of spirit of sulphur, sal ammoniac, essence of rosemary and juice of onions.The bad effects which frequently swallowing red-hot coals, melted sealing wax, rosin, brimstone and other calcined and inflammable matter, might have had upon his stomach were prevented by drinking plentifully of warm water and oil, as soon as he left the company, till he had vomited it all up again.
