The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1885-10-30
CLAY EATING.

In many countries, certain clays have
been used from time immemorial as a
food product. Clays are essen TALLY
formed Of siiicia, alumnia and water in
variable proportions. colcred by metallic
! oxides. and presenting themselves in
amorphons masses which are smooth and
unctuous to the touch and upon which
the friction of the nail leaves n shining
trace, as upon soap. They adhere to
the. tongue, and form with water a fine
pliable paste that may be given all sorts
of forms. Some samples of edible
earth consist, as in the case of tripoli, of
microscopic fossilized shells and innu-
merable fresh water infusoria.
How man came to have recourse to
such food we do not know but the same
Giro instances have led to like results in
countries that are very remote from each
other. The practice Of eating consid-
cradle quantities of clay" says the
learned Aaturalist, Guibourt, "as a
necessary supplement to too insufficient
a nourishment is almost universally diff
fused among the savage people of Ahica,
America and Asia. > The Ottomacs, q
people Of South America, regularly con-
sumo from o pound toa pound and y
half of clay per day, which satisfies their
hunger without injnring their health
Among the Indians on the banks of
the Amazon, clay forms part of the
fare, even when other food is abundant.
Edible earth is sold in, the. markets of
Bolivia, and kind which has an agree
able odor is much esteemed among the
Peruvians. According to travellers, the
negroes of Jamaica have recourse tc
clay only when there is q dearth of othei
FOOD but they eat it without repug-
nance On the contrary, the negroes Of
Guinea, transported to America, seek an
earth analogous to that which they have
been accustomed to, and, not always
finding it, have recourse to pipe clay.
In the kingdom OF Siam the women
and children are clay eaters. In Java,
says Labilardiere, they make sort of
q cake out of % ferruginous clay, which
they eat when they wish to become lean
and which the women use during preg-
nancy. 1t is an object OF commerce in
Amman and Tonkin t A Ig
1t is q question here. then, of wide
spread habit thar we find in all ATTITUDES,
from the equator to the polar regions
Guinea, New Caledonia, Siberia and
Terra del Fuego- and one that has been
preserved among some of the descend
ants of the Portuguese navieators.
"There are still women in Portugal"
says Guibourt. "who delight to ea the
red Boucaros clay from which the alcav-
ozzas are made and he adds j .
| do not think that so widespread
custom has the effect of momentarlly
appeasing hunger, without a result SER
viceable to nutrition. It is probable, on
the contrary, that the instinct of rreser-
Walton has made known to these misera-
bic peoples species Of CLAWS that contain
a certain quantity of organic matter
derived from vegetable detritus, and
that this material contributes to sustain
them i'll those months of the year during
which a more efficient food fails them -
This reasoning appears very plausible,
and if the more moderate use of edible
earth has been preserved during years of
abundance it is doubtless Sd as not to
lose the tradition of it, and in order to
remember a resource that may become
valuable at given time a".'
The Indians of the Dutch colonies of
Java and Sumatra submit an edible clay
to peculiar preparation. They reduce
it to a paste with water, separate all
foreign matter from it, and spread it out
in thin layers which they cut into small
cakes and cook over charcoal fire.
Each of these little cakes, which is rolled
up, looks like piece of dry bark. The
color is sometimes. that OF slate and
sometimes brown. The clay is also
sometimes formed into rulely-modelled
figures of men and animals. This sin
gular food has slightly aromatic flavor
that offsets its earthv taste. ..... ..-