ONCE TOO OFTEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21142, 28 March 1932, Page 9

ONCE TOO OFTEN.

HINDU'S FATAL " MEAL." DEATH AFTER DEMONSTRATION. (Received March 27. 5.5 p^n.) CALCUTTA, March 20. Narasinha Swami (or L. A. Rao), the Hindu yogi, who recently mystified Calcutta's leading scientists by eating a strange "meal," died at Rangoon as the result of repeating the performance before leading Burmese medical men. The Hindu swallowed one grain of strychnine, half a drachm of concentrated nitric acid, a drachm of pure sulphuric acid, a grain of potassium cyanide and some pieces of broken glass. Ho was taken to hospital, where ho died a few hours later. The Hindu, before lie died, said he had neglected to perform certain riles after (he, "meal." Consequently system had riot been able to resist tlic poisons. Glass, china, wood, coconut, shells, nails nitric a<id and a, snake's head were swallowed by L. A- Eao, a, Hindu ascetic, in a demonstration of his; powers before the Marquess of Lothian and the other members of the, Indian Franchise Committee, and prominent British and Indian citizens at, Bombay on March 1). Members of the audience stood beside Bao during the, performance. Ihey put nails into his mouth and inspected the snake's fangs before ho bit its head off- , , The hand of one of the, guests was burned with strong nitric acid while handling a bottle, the contents of which I!ao drank.