Henrion, called "Casaandra," a celebrated example of this class, was born at Metz in 1761.

Early in life he taught himself to swallow pebbles, sometimes whole and sometimes after breaking them with his teeth.

He passed himself off as an American savage; he swallowed as many as 30 or 40 large pebbles a day, demonstrating the fact by percussion on the epigastric region.

With the aid of salts he would pass the pebbles and make them do duty the next day.

He would also swallow live mice and crabs with their claws cut.