The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-16
FOUND IN ALL COUNTRIES.
A RESUME ON CLAY-EATING "a
KNOWN TO MODERN SCIENCE.

KNOWN TO MODERN SCIENCE,
Curious Deprnvity of Taste-Nortb.
south, East and West, in Cola
Chimes and Warm, the Tribes Are
FOund-Ameriean Indians and the
Southern Examples.
Among the extraordinary passions for
eating uncommon things must be reckonei
that which some peoples exhibit for eating
earth or clay. OF this practice, which
would appear to have once prevailed ali
over the world. numerous examples wer9
cited by Capt. j. G. Bourke, United States
army, in the ninth annual report Of the
bureau Of ethnology. In some places the
custom has degenerated into a ceremonial Il
while in others the eating of this strange
food still prevails as kind Of necessity 10 Il
the lives of those who are addicted to il.
The Mexican devotees picked up pecs
Of clay in the temple of Tezcatlipoca and
ate it with the greatest reverence. and also L
ate a piece Of earth in swearing by the sun
and earth. But the use of clay by the
Mexicans was not merely a matter Of
ceremony. for the substance seems TO
have been an eSculent IN common use.
Edible earth was sold openly in the mar
kets Of Mexico, and appears in the list Of
foods given by Gomara.
Cabeza de Naca says that the indians
Of Florida ate clay, and that the natives
offered him many mesquite beans, which
they ate mixed with earth. Nenegas as
serts that the Indians of California ale
earth. The traditions of the Indians Of
San Juan Capistrano and vicinity show
that they had fed upon kind OF clay,
which they often used upon their heads
by way of ornament. The Tatu Indians
Of California, according to Powers, mix
red earth into their acorn bread TO make
the latter sweet and cause 1t to go further.
Sir John Franklin relates that the banks
of the Mackenzie river contain layers OF
kind of unctuous mud, which the Tinneh
Indians use as food during the seasons Of
famine, and even at other times chew as
an arnusemnt 1t has a milky taste AID
the flavor is not disagreeable. The Apache
and Navajo branches Of the Athabascan
family or North american lndlans are los
unacquainted with the use OF clay as
comestible, although among the former i
is now rarely used, and among the LATER
is employed only as condiment to relieve
the bitterness of the taste OF the VIA
potato. In the same manner 1t Is known
to both the Zuni and the Tusayan.
In South America, likewise, the eating
of clay prevails among the Indians on
the bank of the Orinoco, throughout Bra
I'll and on the mountains OF BohNa ahl
Peru.
In Western Africa the negroes of GUM
ca have long been known to eat a yel..
lOwish earth called by them ,caouac'
and the flavor and taste of which is very
agreeable to them and said to cause mem
no Inconvenience Some addict themselves
so excessively to the use of 1t that II re-
comes to them real necessity, ana no
punishment is sufficient to restrain them
from the practice of consuming II.
When the Guinea negroes were IN loI-
mer times carried as slaves to the West
India islands they were observed TO coz
tinue the custom of eating clay bu1
the "caouac" of the American Islands
or the substance which the poor negroes
attempted to substitute in their new MONIES
for the African earth, was found TO IT
lure the health of the slaves who ate IL
and so the practice was long ago tOrDH
den and has possibly now died Guy ~
a species of red earth or yellowish tul@
was formerly secretly sold in the markels
but the use of il has probably ceased IL
the French colonies also.
In Eastern Asia a similar practice Pre-.
walls in various places. In the island 2.
Java, between Sourabaya and SdmaIdas,
Labillardiere saw small square reddlsA
cakes of earth sold in the villages LOT ny
purpose of being eaten. These were fouhl
by Ehrenberg to consist for the most par
of the remains of microscopic ahlllssS
and plants, whlch had llved ana ie .b ~ lana
posted in fresh water. Some OF the Japss,
nese, too, are addicted to the practlCe !"
eating earth DR. Love, some tlme -
published an analysis of clay when .b y
eaten to a considerable extent oy w
Amos; it occurs in a bed several rect thlVA
in the valley of Tsietonai (eat-earth var
lew on the north coast of AeSSo. II /"
light gray in color and of fine strucluls
The people mix with the clay fragments
of the leaf of some plant for the aromaty
principle it contains. They eat the edItH
because they think 1t contains some Dells
fetal substance, not because it is necesi
sity with them. They have meat dns
abundance of vegetable food. The clayg
is eaten in the form of a soup. SeVerai
pounds are boiled with lily roots III d
small quantity of water, and afterWaI1
strained. The Amos pronounce the Sup
very palatable. ~,
In Runjut Valley, in the Silxkin Him
alayas, a red clay occurs which the natives
chew, especially as a cure for the goitIe'.
In Smiths "Aborigines of Victoria y
Is stated that kind of earth, pounaeSS
and mixed with the root of the meme
Ca species Of Haemadorum), is eaten W
the natives, of West Australia.
In Northern Europe, especially IN the Is,
mote northern parts of Sweden, klna u
earth known by the name of bread medl
IS yearly consumed by hundreds or car
loads, it Is said. A similar earth Is co1,
monty mixed with bread in Finland II
both these cases the earth employed con,
slsts for the most part of the empty sheDs,
OF minute infusoria in which there cahl0'
exist any ordinary nourshment.
Some Of the Siberian tribes when tles
travel carry q small bag of their nallso
earth, the taste of which they suppos
will preserve them from all the evils 81
foreign sky. We are told that the IuA
guses Of Siberia eat a clay called I9tss
marrow which they use mixed WIZ
marrow. Near the Ural mountains -,
dered gypsum, commonly called To- -
meal, is sometimes mixed with bread ~
Jukabiri Of Northeastern Siberia have a.
earth Of sweetish and rather strlnee1s
taste, to which they ascribe a variety "a
sanitary properties when eaten. ..
In North Germany, on various occas-3{as
where famine or necessity has urged y va
IN long prOiracted sieges or toftlt
places a substance called moulla
meal similar 10 that used IN SWEDEN a.
Finland. has been employed as a ineAN'
OF staying hunger. 800.
according 10 Pliny the Romans NJ
dish called "aiica" or "frumenta, 49,
OF the grain sea m.xed with chalk lIVA
the Bits OF Puleoli near Naples. IL.
According 10 the myths Of the CinEa -
.s,.a.l.. - III 0lla .,...-,. -