Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1888-07-17
OAROLINA CLAY EArEKs.

A short time ago DR.. Frank h. Get,
ehell, Of 1892 Spruce stree, PhilAdel.
phia, went on cunning expedition to
Moth Carolina. His quest for game
led him into the wild country back OF
sSlisburg, which is inhabited, for the
most part, by q miserable race Of be!nga
with only Just enough energy to exc out
a wrttobed existence. These creatures
are nearly al veritAble living Bk eletous,
aud with few exceptions are addicted "
the habit of clay eating.
While shooting Wild turkeys and
other game In this Wild region, DE- Get.
oheh made an incidental study OF this
p sculiar habit or vice among the inhabi.
tIntB. 10 il mountainous country,
and In the spring little riyulets etait
out from the oaps Of snow on the noun.
tale, and IS the days grow warmer, the
little rsvnlets become torrents ,End great
wAshouts are made along the mountain.
side.
The coil ls OF n heavy, clayey nature,
but there are strataB OF clay that are
heavier than the rest, and when the
water PUSHES down this clay Is formal
into little p lletS aud Tollr, and scounu
lateB in heHPs In tho valley. These
little pellets and rolls are what tbs clay
eaters deyour with a. much Gvidity O.
topper swallows 3 Ass OF WhiSksy.
"Amoug the poor people OF this sec
tion," said DIR. Gs;chell, "the habit o.
eating clay ia Almost univerpsl. Ever
little toddlers are confirmed In the habit
and the appetite seems b increase with
time. While investigating the mAttsr,
l entered Q cabin occupied by one Of
these poor families, aud SOW n little
chap tied By tho snkle to the leg Of
tablei on Whioh vas placed q big dish
OF bread and meat aud potatoes within
easy reach. The Guild was kicking mud
crying, aud l asked his mr tles why she
had him tied up. She replied that she
wanted him to eat SONS food before be
went out to the clay, aud he rsfutei to
do so. The woman confessed that ste
ate the olay herself, bat explained thRt
the ohtld's health demanded that 1t eat
some su ostaotial food before eating any
earth. Aim )st evory ons / met in this
re Ition was addicted to this habit. They
were AL very thin, but their flesh seem
cd TO be pufisd out This was parlicu.
lArly noticeable about the eyes, which
had . sort Of reddish hue.
All OF the clay eaters we're excessive y
lazy and indolens, aud oil OF these con.
dttions com 0lned led mo 70 the conclu.
sion that there must be some sadatiye
or stimulating qualities. or both, Ia the
clay, and l Determined to find out
whether there was OF not. c1pte-
quently brought lot Of the olay home
with me. and Pfof. TiernAu aud myself
made 81 analysis of the stuff, ana dis
covered that instead OF clay eaters the
Inhabitants OF central North Carolina
should more properly be called arsenic
eaters. All Of this olBy contains Ayoe
MO, but exactly In what proportion we
have not yet discovered. AEssblo eating
is common In many pats OF the world,
and is practiced to greater or less ex.
tent throughout tbs world. II Acts as D
seda'iVe, and also as Btimulan.. Tho
mountnineers OF stgrla, Austria, ore
haoltuAl arsenic esters. They give as
their reason foI eating 1t that thaF are
better able to climb the mountains after
eating the poison, and their exp 'anatiou
10 perfectly reasonable one, ~ ARISEN 10
acts as q sedativO TO the hestp5 action.
rhs habit is alee prevalent In tbs Tyrol
and In the Alps.
u is also said that tho peasant girls
OF Switzerland and paris OF Germany
and In Scandinavia eat arsenic to give
lus'Te TO their eyes and color to thtic
ohaeks; bat this is o matter have not
investigated. II has been shown tbat
arsenic or RrsenioAl fumes ere o cure
for intermittent fever. observation-disclosures
OF section Of Cornwall, England, at
ono time suffered with this type of
fever, but when the copper works wers
established shere the fever disappesrs5.
This was accounted for By the arsenic.
fumes created In the treatment Of CO :
per. As 10 Whsther Rrseuio eating
hhortens lie / am not yet prepared -
ssy, but lhtsnd invsstig allIg the mat
ter thoroughly"