HUMAN OSTRICHES.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 233, 8 December 1916, Page 2 (Supplement)

HUMAN OSTRICHES.

MEN WHO DIET THEMSELVES ON BROKEN GLASS AND IRON RIVETS.

The people who, at fairs and elsewhere, smash up glass tumblers and eat, or pretend to eat, the powdered fragments, varying the feat by seemingly swallowing tin-tacks and other equally indigestible articles, are usually impostors. These "human ostriches," as they style themselves, for the most part rely upon sleight-of-hand ior their performances. There are however, real human ostriches. They are sufferers from a complaint known technically as "pica,"' or the unnatural craving for abnormal dfet.

This curious complaint is not infrequently seen in a mild form in young girls, who will eat powdered slate pencils, chalk, and even cinders, with seeming relish. It passes off. as a rub, us they grow into womanhood. The more serious chronic cases of pica in adults are usually confined >o the male sex. One sufferer —a dock labourer—on being admitted to hospital and operated upon, was found It have in his stomach nearly four pounds of metallic objects, amongst them being a chisel, five inches long, and an asortment of bolts, cans, nuts, rivets, wire nails tin-tacks, screws and hooks.

The ipaticnt recovered, hut six months later he was back again in hospital, haying found the craving for in ostrich diet irresistible.

Some' years ago a genuine human ostrich used to frequent various publichouses :ii the East End of London, and tor a small wager he would take a d'inking glass from tire bar counter grind it to fragments bonoafh his he'd, and cat it. He was several times admitted to hospital, and twice operated upon. Eventually he died of an ulcerated stomach, due to TtT= Strang-' d:et.