Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1912-06-26
THE USE OF EARTH AS FOOD.
Practice Among Indian Tl.ibcs---Iselic
of SupeIstittOus Observance.

One of the most odious character
istics Of Southern Crackers" az they
were described to US a few years ago,
Is the habit Of chewing earth or clay.
When DR.. Stiles, Of the public health
service, discovered that the low men,
tai and physical condition Of these
people was due almost entirely to the
ravages Of the hookworm we learned
at the same time that the earth eat
ing was but a manifestation OF q per-
verted appetite.
The practice Of eating earth, says
the Scientific American, Is not con-
lined to any race or region Of the
earth. In America several tribes of
Indians, Of tho Northern rs we'll as
OF the Southern continent, are given
TO using earth rs food. Different va
rieties of clay seem to be preferred.
The Pawnee Indians used Yellow
ish clay which they shaped into lit
tie balls that were allowed to dry In
the air and were then slowly roasted
at the open fire. When the clay at
tanned red color the balls were re-
moved, moistened with water and
eaten These clay balls were espe-
cially liked when served in connec-
ton with fish, and seem to have pro-
noted digestion.
iC IHuluHS OI Iu0 mac.
kenzie river used to resort to earth
as food in times of famine. They
dug out the clay found in the hol-
lows along the banks of the river.
In prosperous years they chewed the
clay as deliCacy. The Apaches
mixed powdered clay into their meal
before baking this into their rude
loaVes of bread.
In South America the Indians in
the uplands of Bolivia ate a clay that
is nearly white in color; this they
used either raw or in the form OF
cakes Of various shapes, which are
sold In the market places. They also
prepare sauce with the clay; this
they eat with boiled potatoes.
Among the negroes Of the Guinea
Africa the eating Of clay'is very COM
mon. The natives Of the Sudan dig
their favorite clay from between lay
ers Of sandstone In the banks OF the
rivers. The natives OF Java prepare
little cakes OF clay containing ochre;
these are sold in the public markets.
The "hairy Anus" the aborigi-
ncs Of Northern Japan, mix clay with
their rice and with the leaves Of va
rious plants which they use as food.
In Persia varieties Of clay are con-
SlueTeu luHuTlCS among certain
classes, while in the foothills Of the
lIimalayas the natives are constantly
chewing piece Of grcenish clay,
which they believe has the property
Of protecting them against the goiter.
In Finland, as well as In certain
parts Of Sweden, powdered clay Is
mixed with the -four used for baking
bread. This practice is similar to
that of the Apaches, and may really
represent a relic Of some early cere-
monial or snperstitiOus observance.
In the Ural Mountains the natives
mix gypsum t"plaster Of paris"D
with their dough. In Syria, in Sar-
dinia and in Trcviso (the Travisium
OF the ancients, near Venice) cakes
OF clay are sold in the markets with
other food stuffs.
In parts OF South America the
whites initiate the natives in using
clay as an article OF diet; but there
they cultivate the excuse that eating
earth leads to the production OF
fine complexion.