Weekly Trinity journal., 1874-03-21
CLAY EATING.

A writer in the Fbod Journal discourse
ing on strange dishes, communicates
some interesting notes as to the employ
ment and mode of preparation of that
strangest of all edible substances, clay.
Humboldt, on the 9th of June, 1900,
spent day at station occupied by the
Otomacs, n tribe Of clay eaters on the
Orinoko. He describes the earth eaten
by them rs an unctious, almost tasteless
clay, true potters' earth. This is care
fully picked, and kneaded into balls
of from four to six inches in diameter,
which are then baked before slow fire,
until the outer surface becomes of Il red
dish color. The earth is said to possess
different kinds of flavor, and it is selected
by the palate almost as carefully MS our
more dainty provisions. Before being
eaten, the balls are moistened with water.
The Otomacs, however, do not appear Ia
adopt this article of food from choice, nol
do they eat it tho whole year round -
When the waters of the Ornoco and Me-
tn are low they subsist on turtles and
fish but during tho periodical swelling
of those rivers the Otomacs devour onor-
NOUS quantities of clay balls, which ARE
kept piled up in heaps in their huts.-
Humboldt was informed that an Indian
would consume from three-quartcrs to
one and one.quarter pounds of this food
daily without any apprcciable injury to
health.
! The Otomacs are by no means singular
in thoir adoption of earth as an article OF
food, for the same practice prevails to
somo extent among several othor tribes
chiefly in She tropics, 1t has been stat
cd by Humboldt and other travellers that
the women employed in the small village
of Bauco, on the Magdalena, in burning
earthenwarcs, keep filling their mouths
with large Jumps of clay. AT San Rojn
an Indian child was observed which, nc
cotding to the statement Ct its mother,
would hardly eat anything but cnrth.-
/ The negroes Of Guinea are also in the
habit of eating yellowish kind Of earth
callc cnounc. While the slave trade be-
tween Africa and the West Indies was in
existence, those negroes on their arrival
at the plantations would endeavor to pro-
cure some similar species Of food, main
tuining that the earth they devourod was
harmless. 1t was found however, that
the caouac of the West Indies had del
eterous effect on the health Of those par-
taking of it, and its use was strictly for
/ bidden.
In Java the same practice prevails. -
In lSl7 some edible clay was sent fol
analysis from Samarang to Berlin, ant
was found to bc frcshwater formation
deposited in tertiary limestone, and com
posed mostly of anmalcules. According
to Labillardcre, the natives of Now Cal-
edonia eat Jumps of n friablo kind Of soap
stone, in which Vaquelin detected GER
tain quantity Of copper. Among some
northern nation too, clay-cating prevails.
A careful analysis of the earth food OF
the Laplandtrs showed thnt it contains II
large portion OF organic matter from the
cxuvio of iniusoral animals. Among
lower animals, the earth worm and some
others are known to feed upon the earth,
and the heart urchin and sandworm llll
their stomuchs with sand. The chief use
Of clay in the human economy would ap-
pear to be for producing distension of the
stomach, which seems to allay tho pang-
of hunger 1He Gatary.