anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第97部分

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sces　of　Florida。　It　is　said　that　a　Russian　peasant　prefers　a　rotten　egg　to　a　fresh　one；　and　there　are　persons　who　prefer　game　partly　spoiled。

Bourke　recalls　that　the　drinking　of　human　urine　has　often　been　a　religious　rite；　and　describes　the　urine…dance　of　the　Zunis　of　New　Mexico；　in　which　the　participants　drink　freely　of　their　urine；　he　draws　an　analogy　to　the　Feast　of　the　Fools；　a　religious　custom　of　Pagan　origin　which　did　not　disappear　in　Europe　until　the　time　of　the　Reformation。　It　is　still　a　practice　in　some　parts　of　the　United　States　to　give　children　fresh　urine　for　certain　diseases。　It　is　said　that　the　ordure　of　the　Grand　Lama　of　Thibet　was　at　one　time　so　venerated　that　it　was　collected　and　worn　as　amulets。

The　disgusting　habit　of　eating　human　excrement　is　mentioned　by　Schurig；　who　gives　numerous　examples　in　epileptics；　maniacs；　chlorotic　young　women；　pregnant　women；　children　who　have　soiled　their　beds　and；　dreading　detection；　have　swallowed　their　ejecta；　and　finally　among　men　and　women　with　abnormal　appetites。　The　Indians　of　North　America　consider　a　broth　made　from　the　dung　of　the　hare　and　caribou　a　dainty　dish；　and　according　to　Abbe　Domenech；　as　a　means　of　imparting　a　flavor；　the　bands　near　Lake　Superior　mix　their　rice　with　the　excrement　of　rabbits。　De　Bry　mentions　that　the　negroes　of　Guinea　ate　filthy；　stinking　elephant…meat　and　buffalo…flesh　infested　with　thousands　of　maggots；　and　says　that　they　ravenously　devoured　dogs'　guts　raw。　Spencer；　in　his　〃Descriptive　Sociology；〃　describes　a　〃Snake　savage〃　of　Australia　who　devoured　the　contents　of　entrails　of　an　animal。　Some　authors　have　said　that　within　the　last　century　the　Hottentots　devoured　the　flesh　and　the　entrails　of　wild　beasts；　uncleansed　of　their　filth　and　excrement；　and　whether　sound　or　rotten。　In　a　personal　letter　to　Captain　Bourke；　the　Reverend　J。　Owen　Dorsey　reports　that　while　among　the　Ponkas　he　saw　a　woman　and　child　devour　the　entrails　of　a　beef　with　their　contents。　Bourke　also　cites　instances　in　which　human　ordure　was　eaten　by　East　Indian　fanatics。　Numerous　authorities　are　quoted　by　Bourke　to　prove　the　alleged　use　of　ordure　in　food　by　the　ancient　Israelites。　Pages　of　such　reference　are　to　be　found　in　the　works　on　Scatology；　and　for　further　reference　the　reader　is　referred　to　books　on　this　subject；　of　which　prominent　in　English　literature　is　that　of　Bourke。　

Probably　the　most　revolting　of　all　the　perverted　tastes　is　that　for　human　flesh。　This　is　called　anthropophagy　or　cannibalism；　and　is　a　time…honored　custom　among　some　of　the　tribes　of　Africa。　This　custom　is　often　practised　more　in　the　spirit　of　vengeance　than　of　real　desire　for　food。　Prisoners　of　war　were　killed　and　eaten；　sometimes　cooked；　and　among　some　tribes　raw。　In　their　religious　frenzy　the　Aztecs　ate　the　remains　of　the　human　beings　who　were　sacrificed　to　their　idols。　At　other　times　cannibalism　has　been　a　necessity。　In　a　famine　in　Egypt；　as　pictured　by　the　Arab　Abdullatif；　the　putrefying　debris　of　animals；　as　well　as　their　excrement；　was　used　as　food；　and　finally　the　human　dead　were　used；　then　infants　were　killed　and　devoured；　so　great　was　the　distress。　In　many　sieges；　shipwrecks；　etc。；　cannibalism　has　been　practiced　as　a　last　resort　for　sustaining　life。　When　supplies　have　given　out　several　Arctic　explorers　have　had　to　resort　to　eating　the　bodies　of　their　comrades。　In　the　famous　Wiertz　Museum　in　Brussels　is　a　painting　by　this　eccentric　artist　in　which　he　has　graphically　portrayed　a　woman　driven　to　insanity　by　hunger；　who　has　actually　destroyed　her　child　with　a　view　to　cannibalism。　At　the　siege　of　Rochelle　it　is　related　that；　urged　by　starvation；　a　father　and　mother　dug　up　the　scarcely　cold　body　of　their　daughter　and　ate　it。　At　the　siege　of　Paris　by　Henry　IV　the　cemeteries　furnished　food　for　the　starving。　One　mother　in　imitation　of　what　occurred　at　the　siege　of　Jerusalem　roasted　the　limbs　of　her　dead　child　and　died　of　grief　under　this　revolting　nourishment。

St。　Jerome　states　that　he　saw　Scotchmen　in　the　Roman　armies　in　Gaul　whose　regular　diet　was　human　flesh；　and　who　had　〃double　teeth　all　around。〃

Cannibalism；　according　to　a　prominent　New　York　journal；　has　been　recently　made　a　special　study　by　the　Bureau　of　Ethnology　at　Washington；　D。C。　Data　on　the　subject　have　been　gathered　from　all　parts　of　the　world；　which　are　particularly　interesting　in　view　of　discoveries　pointing　to　the　conclusion　that　this　horrible　practice　is　far　more　widespread　than　was　imagined。　Stanley　claims　that　30；000；000　cannibals　dwell　in　the　basin　of　the　Congo　to…daypeople　who　relish　human　flesh　above　all　other　meat。　Perah；　the　most　peculiar　form　of　cannibalism；　is　found　in　certain　mountainous　districts　of　northeast　Burmah；　where　there　are　tribes　that　follow　a　life　in　all　important　respects　like　that　of　wild　beasts。　These　people　eat　the　congealed　blood　of　their　enemies。　The　blood　is　poured　into　bamboo　reeds；　and　in　the　course　of　time；　being　corked　up；　it　hardens。　The　filled　reeds　are　hung　under　the　roofs　of　the　huts；　and　when　a　person　desires　to　treat　his　friends　very　hospitably　the　reeds　are　broken　and　the　contents　devoured。

〃The　black　natives　of　Australia　are　all　professed　cannibals。　Dr。　Carl　Lumholtz；　a　Norwegian　scientist；　spent　many　months　in　studying　them　in　the　wilds　of　the　interior。　He　was　alone　among　these　savages；　who　are　extremely　treacherous。　Wearing　no　clothing　whatever；　and　living　in　nearly　every　respect　as　monkeys　do；　they　know　no　such　thing　as　gratitude；　and　have　no　feeling　that　can　be　properly　termed　human。　Only　fear　of　the　traveler's　weapons　prevented　them　from　slaying　him；　and　more　than　once　he　had　a　narrow　escape。　One　of　the　first　of　them　whom　he　employed　looked　more　like　a　brute　than　a　man。　'When　he　talked；'　says　the　doctor；　'he　rubbed　his　belly　with　complacency；　as　if　the　sight　of　me　made　his　mouth　water。'　This　individual　was　regarded　with　much　respect　by　his　fellows　because　of　his　success　in　procuring　human　flesh　to　eat。　These　aborigines　say　that　the　white　man's　flesh　is　salt　and　occasions　nausea。　A　Chinaman　they　consider　as　good　for　eating　as　a　black　man；　his　food　being　chiefly　vegetable。

〃The　most　horrible　development　of　cannibalism　among　the　Australian　blacks　is　the　eating　of　defunct　relatives。　When　a　person　dies　there　follows　an　elaborate　ceremony；　which　terminates　with　the　lowering　of　the　corpse　into　the　grave。　In　the　grave　is　a　man　not　related　to　the　deceased；　who　proceeds　to　cut　off　the　fat　adhering　to　the　muscles　of　the　face；　thighs；　arms；　and　stomach；　and　passes　it　around　to　be　swallowed　by　some　of　the　near　relatives。　All　those　who　have　eaten　of　the　cadaver　have　a　black　ring　of　charcoal　powder　and　fat　drawn　around　the　mouth。　The　order　in　which　the　mourners　partake　of　their　dead　relatives　is　duly　prescribed。　The　mother　eats　of　her　children　and　the　children　of　their　mother。　A　man　eats　of　his　sister's　husband　and　of　his　brother's　wife。　Mothers'　brothers；　mothers'　sisters；　sisters'　children；　mothers'　parents；　and　daughters'　children　are　also　eaten　by　those　to　whom　the　deceased　person　stands　in　such　relation。　But　the　father　does　not　eat　of　his　children；　nor　the　children　of　their　sire。

〃The　New　Zealanders；　up　to　very　recent　times；　were　probably　the　most　anthropophagous　race　that　ever　existed。　As　many　as　1000　prisoners　have　been　slaughtered　by　them　at　one　time　after　a　successful　battle；　the　bodies　being　baked　in　ovens　underground。　If　the　individual　consumed　had　been　a　redoubtable　enemy　they　dried　his　head　as　a　trophy　and　made　flutes　of　his　thigh　bones。

〃Among　the　Monbuttos　of　Africa　human　fat　is　commonly　employed　for　a　variety　of　purposes。　The　explorer　Schweinfurth　speaks　of　writing　out　in　the　evenings　his　memoranda　respecting　these　people　by　the　light　of　a　little　oil…lamp　contrived　by　himself；　which　was　supplied　with　some　questionable…looking　grease　furnished　by　the　natives。　The　smell　of　this　grease；　he　says；　could　not　fail　to　arouse　one's　worst　suspicions　against　the　negroes。　According　to　his　account　the　Monbuttos　are　the　most　confirmed　cannibals　in　Africa。　Surrounded　as　they　are　by　a　number　of　peoples　who　are　blacker　than　themselves；　and　who；　being　inferior　to　them　in　culture；　are　held　in　contempt；　they　carry　on　expeditions　of　war　and　plunder　which　result　in　the　acquisition　of　a　booty　especially　coveted　by　themnamely；　human　flesh。　The　bodies　of　all　foes　who　fall　in　battle　are　distributed　on　the　field　among　the　victors；　and　are　prepared　by　drying　for　transportation。　The　savages　drive　their　prisoners　before　them；　and　these　are　reserved　for　killing　at　a　later　time。　During　Schweinfurth's　residence　at　the　Court　of　Munza　it　was　generally　understood　that　nearly　every　day　a　little　child　was　sacrificed　to　supply　a　meal　for　the　ogre　potentate。　For　centuries　past　the　slave　trade　in　the　Congo　Basin　has　been　conducted　largely　for　the　purpose　of　furnishing　human　flesh　to　consumers。　Slaves　are　sold　and　bought　in　great　numbers　for　market；　and　are　fattened　for　slaughter。

〃The　Mundurucus　of　the　Upper　Amazon；　who　are　exceedingly　ferocious；　have　been　accused　of　cannibalism。　It　is　they　who　preserve　human　heads　in　such　a　remarkable　way。　When　one　of　their　warriors　has　killed　an　enemy　he　cuts　off　the　head　with　his　bamboo　knife；　removes　the　brain；　soaks　the　head　in　a　vegetable　oil；　takes　out　bones　of　the　skull；　and　dries　the　remaining　parts　by　putting　hot　pebbles　inside　of　it。　At　the　same　time　care　is　taken　to　preserve　all　the　features　and　the　hair　intact。　By　repeating　the　process　with　the　hot　pebbles　many　times　the　head　finally　becomes　shrunken　to　that　of　a　small　doll；　though　still　retaining　its　human　aspect；　so　that　the　effect　produced　is　very　weird　and　uncanny。　Lastly；　the　head　is　decorated　with　brilliant　feathers；　and　the　lips　are　fastened　together　with　a　string；　by　which　the　head　is　suspended　from　the　rafters　of　the　council…house。〃

Ancient　Customs。According　to　Herodotus　the　ancient　Lydians　and　Medes；　and　according　to　Plato　the　islanders　in　the　Atlantic；　cemented　friendship　by　drinking　human　blood。　Tacitus　speaks　of　Asian　princes　swearing　allegiance　with　their　own　blood；　which　they　drank。　Juvenal　says　that　the　Scythians　drank　the　blood　of　their　enemies　to　quench　their　thirst。

Occasionally　a　religious　ceremony　has　given　sanction　to　cannibalism。　It　is　said　that　in　the　Island　of　Chios　there　was　a　rite　by　way　of