Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1903-10-28
THE MANY EARTH EI|[RS
Gay Prepared for Food Sold
in the Tropics.
TIE HABIT WORLD WIDE

Chemists Analyze Specimens of This
Remarkable Earth-YelloW Races
Particularly Fond of lt-A Part OF
the Congo Diet and Not Disdained
in America.
Chemists of Copenhagen have just
been anailyzing specimens of the earth
that is eaten by natives in district
on the upper Congo River. One speci-
men, of the color of yellow ochre and
easily reduced to a fine powder be-
tween the fingers, contained silicic
acid, oxide of aluminium, soda, traces
of iron and a small quantity of or
ganic matter.
The second specimen, gray in color
and resembling ordinary clay, was
composed of materials much like those
in the other except that it contained
no soda and more organic matter
Grains of fine sand were found in the
yellow, but not in the gray specimens
4 search for bacteria gave no re-
suit. Only the iron and the soda could
be assimilated by the eaters of these
substances. The yellow earth came
from the coffee plantations at Ban
gala, but the origin of the gray earth
is not known. Not a few of the Con-
go tribes eat considerable quantities
of earth.
The habit of earth eating prevails
in most tropical lands, and is particu-
larly widespread among the blacks OF
Africa and the natives Of the East In
dies. Where it occurs among civilized
nations it is regarded as symptom OF
a vitiated appetite.
Humboldt studied the practice
among the aborigines of America. 1t
is OCCASIONALLY observed in Europe.
Lasch says that German Quarrymen
spread clay on slices of bread and eat
it with evident relish; also that among
barbarous peoples pregnant women
are especially addicted to the habit OF
eating clay.
The practice in Guatemala Is allied
with religious superstition. During
some of the religious ceremonies the
faithful devour statuettes made of clay
In Persia a certain kind of earth is
considered n delicacy and an ericure
an relish.
In the Malay Archipelago ampot
earth is sold at tine stores. The prac
tee is widely spread in China, Ne"
Caledonia and New Guinea. Those who
are habitually addicted to it are sale
TO be more liable than others to con
SUMPTION, Inflammation of the livel
and anaemia.
The testimony of many travellers II
the Orient is that the yellow races are
especially addicted to the harmfu
practice. In Java and Sumatra the
clay used undergoes prelim!nar!
prcparation for consumption.
According to Mr.. Hekmeyer, who Is
officially in charge of the distributor
of drugs throughout the Dutch Eas
Indies, the clay is mixed with water tt
reduce it to a paste and the sand ant
other hard substances are removed
The clay is then formed into small
cakes of tables about as thick as
lead pencil and baked in an iron sauce
nan. When the tablet emerges iron
this process it resembles n piece o
dried pork.
The Javanese frequently eat smal
figures roughly modelled from Ella,
which resembles animals or little me-
turned out in our pastry shops. TIL
earth which is most in favor In Chin
for eating purposes is a white ella
containing minute bits OF silica, bu
without organic remains. The Anna
mese consider the sticky and savorles
earth which they eat as great deli
cacy.
1t may be said, on the whole, tina
there is no nutritive principle in an
appreciable quantity in the indgestibl
earthcakes consumed by Asian o
other earth eaters.