Medicine: Magpie Man

Beside himself with vexation was Dr. Adolph Fuchs, Director of the State Hospital for the Insane at Kaufbeuren, near Munich, Germany, last week. One of his patients suffers from Pica. Pica is the depraved appetite which the mentally unbalanced, the hysteric and the pregnant often develop. Like magpies (Pica is Latin for magpie), they eat all things they encounter. Dr. Fuchs’ patient, a man, has swallowed needles, nails, knife blades, spoons, a screwdriver handle, a beer seidel handle, coins, matches, all with no apparent harm. Once he drank sulphuric acid, another time lysol. He is allowed no clothes with buttons. Last week he discovered a new source of false food, his fellow inmates. He would pounce upon an unwary victim, trip him up and, snarling, chew off every button, every fastening. Replete, he would release the poor fellow and would run, whimpering woe, to harassed Dr. Fuchs.