South African Medical Journal
Journal / South African Medical Journal / Vol. 48 No. 8 (1974) / Articles

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Published:

Nov 18, 2019

Issue

Vol. 48 No. 8 (1974)

Section

Articles

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Author Biographies

G. Sayers

MRC Iron and Red Cell Metabolism Unit, Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of the Witwatersrand and Johannesburg Hospital, Johannesburg

D.A. Lipschitz

MRC Iron and Red Cell Metabolism Unit, Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of the Witwatersrand and Johannesburg Hospital, Johannesburg

M. Sayers

MRC Iron and Red Cell Metabolism Unit, Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of the Witwatersrand and Johannesburg Hospital, Johannesburg

H.C. Seftel

MRC Iron and Red Cell Metabolism Unit, Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of the Witwatersrand and Johannesburg Hospital, Johannesburg

T.H. Bothwell

MRC Iron and Red Cell Metabolism Unit, Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of the Witwatersrand and Johannesburg Hospital, Johannesburg

R.W. Charlton

MRC Iron and Red Cell Metabolism Unit, Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of the Witwatersrand and Johannesburg Hospital, Johannesburg

G. Sayers

D.A. Lipschitz

M. Sayers

H.C. Seftel

T.H. Bothwell

R.W. Charlton

Abstract

On direct questioning by a Black staff nurse, 23% of 348 consecutive unselected adult outpatients attending the Johannesburg Non-European Hospital said that they regularly ate earth or ash. The prevalence was higher in the women (33%) than in the men (11 %), and in 50 women with minor gynaecological complaints who were interviewed by a Black psychologist, it was 72%. The quantity eaten varied from an occasional tablespoonful to several handfuls a day. In an attempt to define the reasons for the habit a thematic apperception test was used. A strong association with pregnancy was identified, but the explanation for this was not established. Some subjects claimed that the material was eaten for medicinal purposes, while others merely liked the taste. The effect on iron nutrition appeared to be variable, depending on the ironbinding capacity of the soluble iron content of the material consumed.

S. Afr. Med. J., 48. 1655 (1974)

Journal Identifiers

eISSN: 2078-5135
print ISSN: 0256-9574