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Perverted appetites are of great variety and present many interesting as well as disgusting examples of anomalies。 In some cases the tastes of people differ so that an article considered by one race as disgusting would be held as a delicacy by another class。 The ancients used asafetida as a seasoning； and what we have called 〃stercus diaboli；〃 the Asiatics have named the 〃food of the gods。〃 The inhabitants of Greenland drink the oil of the whale with as much avidity as we would a delicate wine； and they eat blubber the mere smell of which nauseates an European。 In some nations of the lower grade； insects； worms； serpents； etc。； are considered edible。 The inhabitants of the interior of Africa are said to relish the flesh of serpents and eat grubs and worms。 The very earliest accounts of the Indians of Florida and Texas show that 〃for food； they dug roots； and that they ate spiders； ants' eggs； worms； lizards； salamanders； snakes； earth； wood； the dung of deer； and many other things。〃 Gomara； in his 〃Historia de les Indias；〃 says this loathsome diet was particular to one tribe； the Yagusces 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 develo