Charles Domery (born 1778 – and died after 1800), later also known as Charles Domerz , was a Polish soldier serving in the Prussian and French armies , known for his unusually large appetite . Serving in the Prussian Army against France during the War of the First Coalition, found that the Prussians’ rations were insufficient and deserted the French army in exchange for food. Though generally healthy, during his time in French service he was voraciously hungry and ate whatever food was available. While stationed near Paris, he was recorded to have eaten 174 cats in one year, and although he disliked vegetables, he would eat 4 to 5 pounds (1.8 to 2.3 kg) of grass every day if he could find no other food. While serving on the French ship Hoche , he attempted to eat the severed leg of a crew member hit by cannon fire, before other crew members tore it off.
In February 1799, the Hoche was captured by British forces and the crew, including Domery, were interned in Liverpool , where she shocked her captors with her voracious appetite: despite being ten times the usual rations, she ate the prison cat and at least 20 mice, and often ate the prison candles. In one experiment, over the course of a day, he ate 16 pounds (7.3 kg) of raw cow’s udder, raw beef and tallow candles , and four bottles of porter , which he ate and drank without defecating, urinating, or vomiting. Almost all that is known about Domery comes from a 1799 account by Dr. J. Johnston in the Medical and Physical Journal , based largely on information provided by Dr. Thomas Cochrane.
Charles Domery (later also known as Charles Domerz) was born in Benche, Poland around 1778. By the age of 13, Domery had an unusually large appetite. He was one of nine siblings, all of whom Domery said suffered from the same condition. Domery recalled that his father was a hearty eater and generally ate half-boiled meat, but was too young to remember the amount of him. The only illness Domery was aware of in the family was an epidemic of smallpox in his youth, which the whole family survived.
Despite his unusual diet and behavior around food, doctors described Domery as of normal build, and tall for the period at 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m). He had long brown hair and gray eyes, had smooth skin, and was described as having a “pleasant appearance”. Doctors observing Domery saw no signs of mental illness and although illiterate, he was considered to be of normal intelligence by his teammates and the prison doctors who studied him. Although he ate large quantities of food, it was noted by the doctors who studied him that he never vomited,other than when feeding large quantities of roasted or boiled meat. He showed no outward signs of ill health, and the doctors observing him noted that his eyes were lively and his tongue clean.His pulse was regular at around 84 BPM and his body temperature was normal. His muscles were normally formed, but doctors observed that they were weaker than usual, although during his time in the army he marched 14 French leagues (about 25 miles/42km) in one day without ill effects.
The prison commandant brought his unusual prisoner to the attention of the Sick and Wounded Commissioners , the body then responsible for all Royal Navy medical services and for overseeing the welfare of prisoners of war . Dr J. Johnston , a member of the commission, and Dr Cochrane, a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh , performed an experiment to test Domery’s eating capacity and tolerance for unusual foods. At 4:00 am, Domery was awakened and fed 4 pounds (1.8 kg) of raw cow’s udder , which was eaten without hesitation. At 9:30 he was given a meal of 5 pounds (2.3 kg) of raw beef, twelve large tallow candles totaling one pound (453 g), and a bottle of porter , all of which were consumed. At 1:00 pm, Domery was given another meal of another 5 pounds of beef, a pound (453 g) of candles, and three large bottles of porter, also eaten and drunk. During the course of the experiment, he did not defecate , urinate or vomit at any time, his pulse remained regular, and his skin temperature did not change. On Domery’s return to his quarters at 6.15pm after the conclusion of the experiment, he was recorded as being in “especially good spirits” and danced, smoked a pipe and drank another bottle of porter.
Medical explanation for his appetite:
The cause of Domery’s appetite is not known. While there are other documented cases of similar behavior from this period, none of the subjects other than Domery’s contemporary Tarrare were autopsied, and there have been no documented modern cases of polyphagia (or hyperphagia , excessive appetite) as extreme as Domery. Hyperthyroidism can induce extreme appetite and rapid weight loss, while Bondeson (2006) hypothesizes that Domery may be suffering from a damaged amygdala or ventromedial nucleus ; Injuries to the amygdala or ventromedial nucleus in animals are known to induce polyphagia.
It is not known what became of Domery, or the other Hoche prisoners , following their internment, and it is not known whether he returned to Poland or remained in Liverpool. The case of Charles Domery briefly returned to public attention in 1852 when it came to the attention of Charles Dickens , who wrote of Domery that “Now , it is my opinion, that such a man as this, dining in public on the stage at Drury Lane , would draw much better than a mere tragedian , chewing on substanceless words instead of wholesome flesh”.
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