The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-12-30
Some Abnormal
Appetite Cravings
Hair, Glass, Matches and Sand a
Preferred Dict by Queer
People.
(London Daily Jews

Daily News.)
Extraordinary eccentricities Of diet
wick, NJ. D.. in an address delivered at
the Institute of Hygiene to a select au-
dience of doctors, nurses and other ex-
perts.
Various odd devices. he said. were
%resorted to in former days to stimulate
a tagging appetite, such as the drink
Ing Of spiced wines, the dropping OF
coins Of cold metal down the back. OF
sometimes a little exercise or gentle
alteration was INDUCED in betweeu
the courses to settle the food in thu
stomach" 1t became the habit at s
latter period to scratch or fondle the
lobe Of the right ear to stimulate the
flow OF gastric Juice, as the nerve
which supplies this part Of the skin
has a direct connection with tho great
nerve of the stomach.
Every one was said to possess the
/, stomach he deserved. and there could
be no doubt that. within certain linn
its, our digestions were Of our ~
making. The stomach was the most
educable organ Of the body, and n
could reduce it's activities to a degree
which was only just compatible with
the preservation Of life or one could
OF work which nature ever intended it
to do. An average man at the age Of
SO had consumed about TWENTY-FIVE
tons OF food. but some people easily
consumed three times that amount.
They never knew when they had had
enough. There was an authentic case
OF a little girl who had to have a keep
household goods. One day she con-
sumed q raw Goldfish. several pounds Of
candles and a quantity Of butter before
she was caught. A boy, when placed
nder observation, got through 100
pounds of raw meat In twenty-four
hours. Attempts to cure this insati-
able hunger invariably failed. An
without food was found to have eaten
practically all his clothing.
Many people," continued DIR. Fen
wick. possess an extraordinary relish
for common salt. This often has the
curious effect of increasing a persons
weight. One young lady who devour-
ed immense quantities of salt would
increase as much as ten pounds in
twenty.four hours. II you can per-
suade these people not to take salt 50
much they get we'll; IL not they die Of
dropsy. Many girls will devour slate
pencils, chalk and vinegar because
nearly. all these have at some time or
other identifying properties"
through eating meat on which flies
u. cSAcI 4IsGS1S IdU ldlU their Eggs, or.
similarly. green stuff which might con-
tain insects. people often harbOr larvae
in their stomachs. A wire screen was
no real protection for meat, as flies
dropped their eggs through 1t. Early
examples were recorded in which
strange insects and animals had been
eaten and lived a%fterward. These In
Guided beetles. frogs. snakes, salaman-
ders, leeches and the common garden
clug.
Young children often acquire abnor-
NAL tastes. and one of the most COM
mon of these is paper eating. Hair
eating is confined to girls, and a num-
Der OF instances are on record in
which death resulted from the for
nation Of a great ball Of hair in the
stomach. Balls Of thread, nock. tow
or mating fiber We're sometimes found
IN the stomachs Of those who worked
with these materials.
substances too. which were often
taken. In the first instance, for amuse-
ment by frequent repetition led to in.
sattable desire. Thus sword swallow
ers. knifc-eaters. glass-chewers and
the ! not only continued their prac.
tees for years. but actually got to
relish them. The speaker mentioned
the case Of a seaman who could NOT
resist the temptation to chew up and
swallow a tumbler after he had drunk
It's contents: and those of two boys.
one OF whom ate sand when he could
get 1t. while the other begged, borrow
ed OF stole watches in order to sw,al.
low them.