The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-09-09
The Eating Of Clay.

|
OF people exhibit for eating earth or
clay. For instance, in Western Africa,
| the negroes OF Guinea have been iongeJ
known to eat Q asyellowish, earth,- there.
! called Caouac, the flavor or taste Of - se'a
which is very agreeableit0 thenlg and IA
which is said to cause them no ipcen-
venience. Some addict themselves SO
excessively to the use Of it, that it be-
comes to them a kind of necessity stoeH
their hves--as arsenic does to the sSy-xrra;
ran peasants, or opium to the Theriaki
and no punishment is sufficient to req 5dj
strain them from, the practice OF con-aa ~,
suming it. When the Guinea negroes
used in former times to be, carried as
slaves to the West India Islands, they u
were observed to continue lths custom ri a.
OF eating clay; but the caouac of the
American islands, or the substances OH
which the poor negroes attempted in adj
their new homes to substitute for. the
African earth, was found to injure the sadf
health OF the slaves who ate it. Thsursf
praetice was therefore long age forbid
der1 and hassnowD probably died out ingr
the West Indies.
.a u Martinique species of red earth gEs
OF teliowish tufa still secre6lyssold ss4s
in the markets in l75l; but the use of it.
has probably ceased in the French col -DnRf
onies also. In Eastern Asia agsimilaraah
practice OF eating earth, prevails in va
rlous places. In the island of Java, be9 saa
tween Sourabaya and Samarang, tabil-
.lardfere saw small square eddist1 cakesr
Of earth sold in the yillagesfor the purs =.
pose OF being eaten. These were found VIZ
by Ehrenberg TO consist for the most,ilo9
part OF the remains Of microscopic ani-,, !,
mails and plants, which had lived ana
been deposited 'inqresh Rateri,aIn Runo ua
Jeet Valley, in the Sikkim Himalaya.,
red clay occurs, which the natives chew slofA
as a cure for the goiter. The chsrnicaluoy
nature OF the substanee has not been
examined In, Northern Europes es-S
speclally in the remote parts OF Sweden.
q kind Of earth known by Che name fbsg
bread meal. istoonsumed in shpndredsofnr
lferiloads. e it is said, every year, IN
Finland " a Similar earth b lc6m3aE
monty mixediwith. the bread. = In, bothsi-.
these cases the earth EMPLOYED con sists
for the most part Of the empty shells ofgH
minute infusorial animalcuies, in,which
there cannot exist any ordinary noufish-
ment.e In North Germany, also, on va
'rious occasions, where Mfnfne 81 neSesJ
sity urgedlitsa simiartsubs onden eis,
the name OF mountain meal, has been
used as a rheanssof staying hunger Eo4 nkBe
South America. fliknwise. the ieatingsf ofsu
clay prevails among the native India ms
on the banks Of the Orinoco and Oh tn e,Ga
mountains Of Bolivia and Peru. Humr.ya
boldt states that the earth eaten by the
Otomac Indians, onithe Orinoc0, Ii anIlL
unctuous, almost -tastetess clay--true
pottersl earthsShaving ~ iiysli0HsgraM
color, in consequence Of, the presence of
oxide OF iron. This they Select wftff1rq
great cafeo and they are even able Uoses
distinguish, the favor of one kind of
earth from that Of another. At tKePdf
periodical swelling of 5the rivers. which,dt
lasts from two to three months, and
when all fishing is stopped, they devotrSe
Immense Quantities; 0fIearthsY sAnsIh4rg
dian will eat from one-quarter of
Round to one pound and q quarter Of
vaiis IN the hilr country OF BOlivia IatdsI
Peru. pr. ,Weddell saw a, species of :.
gray colored clay exposed for sale Id -
the marketssof La Raz, ION the Eastern,Te.
Cordlleras and which was called, by
the native name Of Pdlssa. The Indfans,sd
who are the only consumers of it,yeat ID, n
in large quantities with the bitter po-
tato of the country. They allow IL too
steep for certain time in water so asCs1
to form kind Of soup or cruel and sea-
son it with salt. At Chiquisaca, the
capital Of the State, smaif pots made of
an earth called Chacoo are exposed ifoE
sales These are eaten. like chocolate.
The eating of certain varieties Of earth
or clay may therefore, ,beregarded asadi
very extsnded practice among native,
inhabitants of tropical regions OF The
globe. II serves in some sunknoixisd
way,r 70 stay OF allay hunger, stilling..;
the pain or craving to which"
want OF food gives risesg1t jenables,1
The body to 5e sustained H Hin comparative
strength with smaller supplies II ofdi-"
nary alinent than aresisaaily necessarg;st
and it can be eaten in moderate quanti-..
Ties, even for a length Of time. without
any sensible evil Consequences. ,Asfopd-
ness even is often acquired, SO that at
last it comes TO sbe regarded and eateag
Is dainty 7rScis''ts fcI american. ted, 70