The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1895-05-25
ABOUT CLAY EATERS
Tho Disgusting Habit u Oornmou
m An Countr1o

IL al OOU0G91O
Tribes of Indlans Whe mn wuA wlth
Thslr Broad -oene olhguaar 1so-
eaas foe ~ Abonlsabso
Praotice.
Among the extraordinary passions
for eating uncommon things uust DO
reckoned that which some people exhib-
tfm eating earth or clay. OF this prac-
tiee, which would appear to have onSe
prevailed all over the world, says the
Philadelphia Times, numerous exam
Piles were cited by Capt. J. G. Bourke,
United States army, in the ninth an
nual report Of the bureau Of ethnology.
In some places the custom has dege1-
Grated into q ceremonial, while II
others the eating OF this strange food
still prevails as kind of necessity to
the lives Of those who are addicted to it.
The Mexican devotees picked up
piece Of clay in the temple of Tezcatli-
poca and ate it with the greatest rever-
ence, and also ate ptbee- of earth In
swearing " ~ sun anA eas4h: hut
I the ne e clay b. - 1Csxieaus was
mot merely . mattet ct GEamnfy. Tor
thesubatanoe seems to hsve beens "a
esculcnt IN common use. Edible earth
was sold openly in the markets of Mex
leo and appears in the list Of foods
given by Gomara.
Cabeza de Vaca says that the Indians
Of Florida ate clay, and that the natives
offered him many mesquite beans,
which they ate mixed with earth. Vene-
gas asserted that the Indians Of Cali
fornia ate earth. The traditions OF tho
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, accord
ing to Powers, mix red earth into their
acorn bread to make the latter sweet
and cause it to go further. Sir John
Franklin writes that the banks Of the
Mackenzie river contain layers Of q
kind of unctuous mud which the Tin
neh Indians used as food during tho
seasons of famine, and even 1t other
times chew as an amusement. It has
milky taste and the flavor is not disa-
greeable. The Apache and Navajo
branches of the Athabascan family of
North American Indians are not un-
acquainted with the use of clay as
comestible, although among the former
it is now rarely used, and among the
latter is employed only as q condiment
to relieve the bitterness of the taste of
the wild potato. In the same manner
it is known to both the Zuni and the
Tusayan. Lt
In South America, likewise, the eat
ing of clay prevails among the Indians
on the banks of the Orinoco, through
out Brazil and on the mountains Of
Bolivia and Peru.
In western Africa the negroes of
Guinea have long been known to eat a
yellowish earth called by them
s'caouac," and the flavor and taste Of
which is very agreeable to them and
said to cause them no Inconvenience.
Some addict themselves 30 excessively
to the use OF it that it becomes to them
a real necessity, and no punishment n
sufficient to restrain them from the
practice Of consuming it. igbS
When the Guinea negroes were In
former times carried as slaves to the
West India islands they were observed
to continue the custom Of eating clay
But the s'caouac" of the American
islands, or the substance which the
poor negroes attempted to substitute in
their new homes for the African earth.
was found to injure the health Of the
slaves who ate it, and 60 the practice
was long ago forbidden and has posi-.
bly, now died out in the West India colo
MES In Martinique, q species of red
earth or yellowish tufa was formerly
secretly sold In the markets, but the
use Of it has probably ceased in the
French colonies also
In eastern Asia . similar practice
prevails In various places. In tho
island Of Java, between 6ourabeys and
Samarang, Labfllardiere sew sm6ll
square reddish cakes o1 earth sold In
the villages for tho purpose Of being
eaten. These were found by Ehren-
berg to consist for the most part of the
remains Of microscopic animals and
plants which had lived and been de-
posited IN fresh water. Some Of the
japanese, too, are addicted to the
practice Of eating earth. DE-. Lowe,
some time ago, Published an analysis
Of clay which = eaten to sconsider-
able extent by the Amos; It OCCURS in .
bed se1e1Nl feet thick Ia the valley Of
Tsie-tonal (eat-earth valley) On !, tho.
north coast Of Yesso. Il II light gray
In color and Of Ane structure. The poo
pie mix with the clay ffagnents u The
leaf Of some plant Tor tho aSonatic
principle It coatsinA
They eat thaeaxth beeannothey think
II contains some beneficial sl6aAance,
not becanse II = . necessity With them.
They have meat and abundanoo cf
vegetable food. Tho cany + entea IN
the turm o4 soup. ooteea1 pouh0s
afs boiled with lily roets m : anAll
qpAhtity q water, and a4tmWnrd
ssrained. rhe Ainos rro1nesuse. .1he
soup very pAlsAable.
IA 19njdt vA13ey. a - slIltin Him
alaaas, : rsd clay OCCURS wlflsh ~ r.
titss chsW, nilv hsa saze n H.
Eoltro.
= eulifl = bcEld1nas. * .yisAaaiAs
it + eteAe 5a4 : hnd - eofth,
podnd q ah4 : ~ H. foef of
a. "a u u 4
- = = - ieill Iilo -