The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-01-21

A Physioian's Analysis shows that the Clay
Contains Arsenic.

Fnyscinn's Analysis Shows that the Clay
Contains Arsenic.
From the Philadelphia Timesj
1t has been a matter of speculation
Tor years as to why the "poor white
trash" OF Central North Carolina ate
the clay that is found in that part of
the country. 1t remained for Phila-
delphia physician TO solve the mystery.
A short time ago DIR. Frank II. Getch-
ell, OF l432 Spruce street, went on a
cunning expedition to North Carolina.
His quest for game led him into the
Wild country back of Salisbury, which
Is inhabited. for the most part, by a
miserable race of beings with only Just
enough energy to exc out q 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 pecul-
lar habit of vice among the inhab-
itants. 1t is a mountainous country,
and in the spring little rivulets start
out from the caps of snow on the
mountain, and, as the days grow
warmer, the little rivulets become tor
rents, and great wash-outs are made
along the mountain-side.
The soil is of heavy, clayey nat
ure, 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 &C
cumulates in heaps in the valley. These
little pellets and rolls are what the
clay-eaters devour with as much avid
ity as q topper swallows glass of
whisky.
Among the poor people of this Sec
tion," said DIR. Getchell, "the habit of
eating clay is almost universal. Even
little toddlers are confirmed in the hab-
1T, and the appetite seems to increase
with time. While investigating the
matter, entered q 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 kick
ing and crying, and asked his 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 confess
ed that she ate the clay herself, but ex-
planned that the child's health demand
ed that it eat some substantial food be-
fore 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 pulled out.
This was particularly noticeable about
fha xuh,oh haA Af Il,
hue.
"All of the clay-eaters were excess
sively lazy and indolent, and all of
these conditions combined led me to
the conclusion that there must be some
sedative or stimulating qualities, or
both. in the clay, and determined to
find out whether there was or not. L
consequently brought lot of the clay
home with me, and Prof. Herman and
myself made an analysis of the stuff
and discovered that, instead Of clay
eaters, the inhabitants of Central
North Carolina should more properly
be called arsenic-eaters. All of this
clay contains arsenic, but exactly in
what proportion We have not yet dis
covered. Arsenic-eating is common in
many parts of the world. 1t acts as
sedative and also as a stimulant. The
mountaineers of Syria, Austria, are
habitual arsenic-eaters. They give as
their reason for eating it that they are
better able to climb the mountains af-
ter eating the poison, and their expla-
nation Is a perfectly reasonable one,
as arsenic acts as sedative to the
hearts action. The habit is also prev
alent in the Tyrol and in the Alps.
at is also said that the peasant girls
of Switzerland and parts of Germany
and in Scandinavia eat arsenic to give
luster to their eyes and color to their
cheeks, but this is q matter have not
investigated. 1t has been shown that
arsenic or arsenical fumes are sure
cure for intermittent fever. The in
habitants of section of Cornwall,
England, at one time all suffered with
this type of fever, but when the copper
works were established there the fever
disappeared This was accounted for
by the arsenical fumes created in the
treatment of copper. AS to whether
arsenic-eating shortens life / am not
yet prepared to say, but intend inves-
tigating the matter thoroughly.