Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1903-02-12
ABOUT CLAY EATERS.
Tho Disgusting Habit Is Common
In All Countries.
Tribes OF indians who MIX Mud with
Their Bread--some Singular Rea-
sons for the Abaminabie
Practice.


Their Bread-some singular Rea-
sons for the Abaminable
Practice.
Among the extraordinary passions
for eating uncommon things must be
reckoned that which some people cxhib-
it for eating earth or clay. OF this prac-
tice, which would appear to have once
prevailed all over the world, says the
Philadelphia Times, numerous exam
pies were cited by Capt. J. q. BourlSe,
United States army, in the ninth an
nualreport of the bureau of ethnology.
In some places the custom has degcn-
Grated into ceremonial. while in
others the eating of this strange food
still prevails as kind of necessity to
the lives of those who are addicted to il
The Mexican devotees picked up 4
piece Of clay in the temple of Tezcatii.
poea and ate it with the greatest rever-
ence, and also ate II piece of earth in
swearing by the sun and earth. But
the use OF clay by the Mexicans was
not merely matter OF ceremony, for
the substance seems to have been an
esculent in common use. Edible earth
was sold openly in the markets of Mex
leo ANA appears in the list of foods
given by Gomara.
Ca'oeza 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. Nene-
gas asserted that the Indians of Cali
fornia ate earth. The traditions of the
Indians of san Juan Capistrano and
vicinity show that they had fed upon a
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 n
kind of unctuous mud which the Tin
neh Indians used as food during the
seasons of famine, and even at other
times chew as an amusement. 1t has a
milky taste and the flavor is not disa-
grceabl The Apache and Navajo
branches of the Athabascan family of
North American Ina ans are not uu-
acquainted with the use of clay as a
comestible, although among the former
it is now rarely used, and among the
| latter is employed only as condiment
! to relieve the bitterness of the taste of
| Che wild potato. In the same manner
it is known to both the Zuni and the
Tusayan.
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 -
Bolivia and Peru.
In western Africa the negroes o.
Guinea have long been known to eat &
yellowish earth called by then
"caouac," and the flavor and taste o
which is very agreeable to them ant
said to cause them no Inconvenience
Some addict themselves SO excessivel.
to the use of it that it becomes to then
a real necessity, and no punishment i
sufficient to restrain them from TIN
practice of consuming it.
When the Guinea negroes were il
former times carried as slaves to tn
Vest India islands they were observe'
to continue the custom of eating clay
But the ''caouacn of the American
islands, or the substance which tn
poor negroes attempted to substitute i
their new homes for the African earth
, was found to injure the health of tn
slaves who ate il, and SO the practic
was long ago forbidden and has poss
DIV now died out in the West India colo
: MES. In Martinique, a species of re
earth or ycllowish tufa was formerl
secretly sold in the markets, but tn
use of it has probably ceased in til
French colonies also.
: in eastern Asia similar practiC
prevails in various places. In I'll
! island of Java, between Soura baya an
Samarang, Labillardiere saw sma
square reddish cakes of earth sold
D the villages for the purpose of bein
eaten. These were found by Ehrel
berg to consist for the most part of IL
y remains of microscopic animals ar
plants which had lived and been d
\ posted in fresh water. Some of Il
+ Japanese, too, are addicted to I'll
3 practice of eating earth. DR.. Low
some time ago, published an analys
of a clay which is eaten to conside
= able extent by the Amos; it occurs in
II bed several feet thick in the valley
y Tsie-tonal (eat-carth Valley on t.
u north coast of Yesso. 1t is light gr
d in color and of fine structure. The pc
$ pie mix with the clay fragments Of t
leaf of some plant for the aroma
principle it contains.
They eat the earth because they thi
u it contains some beneficial substan'
q not because it is a necessity with the
Id They have meat and abundance
vegetable food. The clay is eaten
AZ the form of soup. Several pour
- are boiled with lily roots in SIN
- quantity of water, and afterwa
II strained The Amos pronounce
soup very palatable.
In Runjut valley, in the Sil1lSim I'll
a. alaaas, u rcd clay occurs which the
tives chew, especially as cure for
goitre.
ne in Smiths "Aborigines of Victori
K it is stated that kind of ear
nd pounded and mixed with the root
Id the "mene" "a species of Haemadoru
=, is eaten by natives of west Australia
x Painted on Grain OF Corn.
al It Is said that the smallest piece