Desertion for Dinner
Charles Domery, a Polish soldier in the Prussian Army during the War of the First Coalition, deserted to the French when the Prussian rations failed to satisfy his hunger. The French welcomed him with food, and Domery joined their ranks, soon gaining a reputation for his extraordinary appetite.
Raw Meat and Rats
While stationed near Paris, Domery ate 174 cats in a year—excluding the skins—and up to five pounds of grass daily when meat wasn’t available. He preferred raw bullock liver and once attempted to eat a fellow sailor’s severed leg aboard the French ship Hoche before others intervened.
Ten Men’s Rations
Captured by the British in 1798, Domery was imprisoned near Liverpool. Even on rations meant for ten men, he remained hungry. He ate the prison’s cat, over 20 rats, and regularly consumed candles. British doctors, intrigued, conducted experiments and recorded his consumption of 16 pounds of raw meat, candles, and porter in a day—without vomiting or using the toilet.
No Known Diagnosis
Doctors found no illness in Domery. Despite his massive intake, he was tall, slim, and healthy. His final fate remains unknown.
Charles Domery was a Polish soldier with an appetite that defied belief.
During the War of the First Coalition, he deserted the Prussian Army for the French in exchange for food.
What followed included raw meat, cats, rats, and even an attempt to eat a severed human… pic.twitter.com/VbW7asFliu
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) May 6, 2025