24 
Kaspar Hauser. 
him into his own family, he began to learn rapidly. He sat with 
those friendly people at table, and although he could not eat 
their food, they taught him to sit properly and use his hands to 
some purpose. He played with the jailer’s children, and the 
elder boy took pride in teaching the childish young man to talk, 
He showed great quickness in acquiring information, and took 
absorbing interest in everything that was presented to his notice, 
[n a very short time he began to express himself in broken 
sentences, and to understand what was said to him. 
Soon after his arrival the jailer and his wife stripped him and 
gave him a thorough washing. It seemed as though he had never 
Yeen washed before ; the dirt upon his body was like a crust, and 
came off in rolls from his skin. His demeanour upon this occa- 
sion was that of an ignorant, innocent child. He submitted to 
the process without reluctance, and showed no embarrassment 
because the bath was presided over by a woman. But he very 
soon began to develop a sense of shame, and during the rest of 
his short life his modesty was as delicate as that of a chaste 
young girl, 
So singular a specimen of humanity awakened naturally a 
general curiosity, and many experiments were made upon the boy 
by his jailer, his companions in the guardroom, and the people 
of the town, who came in greater numbers every day to see the 
wonder. 
Notwithstanding his evident dislike of any other nourishment 
than bread and water, attempts were frequently made to induce 
him to swallow ordinary food ; but his tormentors soon desisted 
on perceiving the serious results of their jokes. Even a drop of 
wine or coffee, secretly mixed with his glass of water, caused pro- 
fuse sweating, vomiting, and severe headache. A few drops of 
coffee produced an attack of diarrhoea; a little beer mingled 
with water caused colic and fever ; even milk, whether fresh or 
cooked, disordered his stomach seriously, and a morsel of meat 
made him really ill, while the mere smell of liquor or of cooked 
food produced nausea and faintness. 
The first time that a lighted candle was placed near him he was