The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-06-07
Carolina Clay Eaters.

Carolina Clay Eaters.
A short time ago DR.. Frank Getchell,
of 1882 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, went
on cunning expedition to North Caro-
lima. His quesr fot game led him into
the wild country back of fsalisbury, which
is inhabited, for the most part, by mis-
erable race of beings, with only just
enough energy to exc out a. wretched
existence. These creatures are nearly
all veritable living skeletons, and
with few exceptions are addicted:Ito the
habit of clay eating.
While shooting wild turkeys end
other game in this wild region, DR.. Get
chell made an incidental study Of this
peculiar habit or vice among the inhabi-
tants. 1t is q mountainous country, and
in the spring little fivulets start out from
the caps of snow on the mountain, and
as the days grow warmer the little rivu'
ulets become torrents, and great wash
outs 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 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 ayidity as topper swallows
glass of whisky.
"Among the poor people of this Sec
tion," said DR.. Getchell, "the habit OF
eating clay is almost universal. Even
little toddlers are confirmed in the habit,
aud the appetite seems to increase with
time. While investigating the matter,
l entered a cabin occupied by one OF
these poor families and saw little chap
tied by the ankles to the leg of "a table on
which was placed a big dish of bread and
meat and potatoes within easy reach.
The child was kicking and crying, and l
asked his mother why she had tied him
up. She replied that she wanted him to
eat some food before he went to the clay,
and he refused to do so. The woman
confessed 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 I met in this section was addicted to
this habit. They we're all very thin, but
their flesh seemed to be puffed out. This
was particularly noticeable about the
eyes, which had sort ofreddish hue.
GALL of the clay eaters were excessively
lazy and indolent, and all of these condi-
tions combined led me to the conclusion
that there must besome sedative or.stim.
ulatiug qualities, or both, in the clay,
and I determined to find out whether
there was or no. I consequently brought
lot Of clay home with me, and Profes.
sor Tiernsn 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 pro-
portion we have not yet discovered.
Arsenic eating is common in many parts
of the world, and is practiced to greater
or less extent throughout the world. 1t
acts as associative, and also as astimulant.
The mountaineers ofStyria, Austria are
habitual arsenic eaters. They give as
their reason for eating it that they ara
botter able to climb the mountains after
eating the poison, and their explanation
is perfectly reasonable one, as arsenic
acts as 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 parts of Germany
and in Scandinavia eat arsenic to give
luster to their eyes and color to there
cheeks: but this is a matter have not in
vestigated. 1t has been shown thatarsenic
or arsenical fumes are sure cure for in.
termittent fever. The inhabitants of a
section of Cornwall, England, at one
time 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 arsenical eating shortens life
I am not yet prepared to say, but
I intend investigating the matter thor.
oughly."
L