Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-02-05

Why the Poor People In a Section
of North Carolina eat Clay--Ar-
senic In the Earth.
1t has been matter of speculation for
years, says the Philadelphia Times, as to
why the poor whites" of central North
Carolina ate the clay that is found in that
part OF the country. 1t remained for a
Philadelphia physician to solve the
mystery 4 short time ago DR.. Frank
II. Getchell, of Philadelphia; went on
cunning expedition to North Carolina.
His quest for game led him into the wild
country back of Salisbury, which is in
habited for the most part by miserable
race of beings with only just enough en-
ergy to exc out wretched existence.
These creatures are nearly all veritable
living skeletons, and with few exceptions,
are addicted to the habit of clay
eating.
While shooting wild turkey and other
game in this wild region DIR. Getchell
made an incidental study of this peculiar
habit of vice among the inhabitants. 1t
is mountainous country, and in the
spring little rivulets start out from the
caps,of snow on the mountains, and as
the days grow warmer the little rivulets
become torrents and great washouts are
made along the mountain side.
The soil is of heavy, clayey nature,
but there are strata of clay that is heavier
than the rest, and when the water rushes
down this clay is formed into little pellets
and rolls and accumulates in heaps in the
valley. These little pellets and rolls are
what the clay eaters devour with as much
avidity as a topper swallows glass of
whisky.
Among the poor people of this Sec
ton, said DR.. Getchell, "the habit of
eating clay is almost universal Even lit.
tie toddlers are confirmed in the habit and
the appetite seems to increase with time.
While investigating the matter | entered
cabin occupied by one of these poor
families, and saw little chap tied by the
ankle to the leg of table, on which was
placed big dish of bread and meat and
potatoes within easy reach. The child
was kicking and crying, and I asked the
mother why she had tied him up. She
replied that she wanted him to eat some
food before he went out to the clay, and
he refused to do so. The woman con-
fessed that she ate the clay herself, but
explained that the child's health de-
manded that it eat some substantial food
before eating any earth. Almost every
one met in this section was addicted to
this habit. They were all very thin, but
their flesh seemed to be putfed out. This
was particularly noticeable about the eyes,
which had a sort of reddish hue.
"All of the clay eaters were excess
sively lazy and indolent, and all these
conditions combined led me to the con-
clusion that there must be some sedative
or stimulating qualities, or both, in the
clay, and | determined to find out
whether there was or not. consequently
brought lot of clay home with me, and
Professor Herman and myself made an
analysis of the stuff and discovered that,
instead of clay eaters, the inhabitants OF
| North Carolina should more properly be
called arsenic-eaters All of this clay
contains arsenic, but exactly in what pro-
portion we have not yet discovered. Ar
senic-eating is common in many parts of
the world, and is practiced to greater
or less extent throughout the world. II
acts as a sedative and also as stimuIant.
The mountaineers of Styria, Austria, are
habitual arsenic-eaters. They give as q
reason for eating it that they are better
able to climb the mountains after eating
the poison, and their explanation is per.
fectly reasonable one, as arsenic acts as q
sedative to the hearts action The habit
is also prevalent in the Tyrol and in the
Alps
'It is also said that the peasant girls
of Switzerland and Germany and in Scan.
dinavia eat arsenic to give lustre to theil
eyes and color to their cheeks, but this is
matter have not investigated. 1t has
been shown that arsenic or arsenica
fumes are sure cure for intermittent
fever The inhabitants of section OF
Cornwall, England, at one time all suf
fered with this type of fever, but wher
the copper works were established there
the fever disappeared. This was ac
counted for by the arsenical fumes created
in the treatment of copper. As tC
whether arsenic eating shortens life
am not yet prepared to say, but l intend
investigating the matter thoroughly"