First Nation's Clay (Kisameet Glacial Clay Inc.) Kills Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, in lab tests (Jan 27, 2016)

Clay Used as Medicine by Primitives in British Columbia Apparently Contains Antibacterial Properties That one day Might be used to Treat Antibiotic-Rresistant Bacteria.

Some 400 kilometres north of Vancouver, on the Heiltsuk First Nation’s traditional territory, sits a 400-million kilogram deposit of glacial clay in Kisameet Bay that scientists believe formed near the end of the last Ice Age, approximately 10,000 years ago.

Further study required before hospital use feasible. Clay from Kisameet Bay, B.C., used by British Columbia’s  indigenous,  aboriginal (primitive) peoples  for its healing properties could be a new weapon in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, says new research from the University of British Columbia.

The research, published today in the American Society for Microbiology's mBio journal, recommends the rare mineral clay be studied as a treatment for serious infections caused by the so-called ESKAPE pathogens — a who's-who of bugs that cause the majority of U.S. hospital infections and "escape" the effects of antibacterial drugs.

"Infections caused by ESKAPE bacteria are essentially untreatable and contribute to increasing mortality in hospitals," said co-author Julian Davies in a written statement.

The acronym ESKAPE comes from the scientific names of the bacteria themselves:

Enterococcus faecium.

Staphylococcus aureus (also known as as the methacillin-resistant superbug MRSA).

Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Acinetobacter baumannii.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Enterobacter species.

Antibiotics overused

The researchers used strains of ESKAPE bacteria from Vancouver General Hospital, St. Paul's Hospital and other sources to test the properties of the clay. When suspended in water, the clay killed 16 strains of ESKAPE bacteria samples from the hospitals and waste treatment facilities.

"After 50 years of overusing and misusing antibiotics, ancient medicinals and other natural mineral-based agents may provide new weapons in the battle against multi drug-resistant pathogens," Davies wrote.

 While this RESEARCH IS MOSTLY DIRECTED TOWARDS THE USE OF CLAY AS AN ANTIBIOTIC; some of you will remember the from about 40 years ago ( "Quincy M.E."-1977) which dealt with this exact subject in that episode the clay was found a seriously life threatening.

Being pregnant does weird things to your appetite. It can make you crave food at all times of day and night, or salivate for odd combinations such as ice cream with pickle juice. Some mothers-to-be, though, crave food that is not food at all — a phenomenon known as "pica." Author Sera Young released a book this month on this seemingly unsavoury urge. Here's a quick guide:

What is pica?

"Pica is the scientific term for the craving and subsequent consumption of nonfood items," writes Young. The word comes from the Latin for "magpie." The eating of dirt, clay, or earth is referred to as "geophony" in modern medical literature.

So... why do pregnant women eat dirt?

Scientists haven't pinned down an exact reason, writes Young, but it's either a response to mineral deficiencies or an instinctual effort to "protect against harm from toxins and pathogens." Clay has a high mineral content, says Marc Lallanilla at ABC News, and is often rich in calcium, iron, copper, and magnesium. "These are essential minerals for the human diet, but even more critical during pregnancy." It may also help with the symptoms of morning sickness.

Is pica just eating dirt?

No. Ice is by far the most common non-food item enjoyed by pregnant women, reports Mental Floss. It's so common it has its own term — "pagophagy." Certain expectant women also enjoy chowing down on laundry soap, chalk, and talcum powder.

Is pica unique to pregnant women?

No — but it does happen primarily to pregnant women. In some cultures, says Maggie Koerth-Baker at Boing Boing, "eating dirt is the go-to pregnancy 'got you' symptom" — the tell-tale equivalent of morning sickness. Children have also been known to succumb to pica, write Young, although there are few studies to back that up. A 1990 study found that 1.7 percent of children in upstate New York regularly ate non-food items.

How common is this?

It's a worldwide phenomenon. Although only 0.01 percent of pregnant women in Denmark admit to eating dirt or clay, as many as 56 percent of pregnant Kenyan women does so, writes Young. It's common enough in the U.S. that a shop in White Plains, Ga., sells "geophonic earth," or kaolin, to those hungering for the taste of clay.

Isn't it bad for you?

No. Clay and dirt are easily digestible, and most people who practice geophony make sure they're eating clean or fresh earth from the subsurface of the ground. Bacteria, parasites, and other pathogens are normally found higher up, in the topsoil. The only downside of eating clay is that it can give you constipation. Kaolin, or white clay, is the active ingredient in anti-diarrhoea medicine Kaopectate.

What does it taste like? Experts say really good clay can taste "the way that the ground smells when it's real dry and a little sprinkle of rain falls." There's really only one way to find out, though — head out to the garden and try some yourself.

Several years ago a 20/20 type program ran an episode about folks that ate various kinds of dirt and clay. Folks were filmed spooning varieties of earth into their mouths and, seemingly, enjoying it. One ABC news article (“Eating Dirt: It Might Be Good for You” (Oct. 3, 2005 By Marc Lallanilla) quoted one lady as saying the dirt she ate “melts in your mouth like chocolate. The good stuff is real smooth. It’s just like a piece of candy.”

Weird, huh? Experts call this this phenomenon “geophagy.” So what does one call someone that eats dirt?  I suppose that if those who eat plant life are called vegetarians then I guess a devourer of the stuff plants grow in would then be called a geophagarian. I’ll go with it! However, for brevity sake I think I will call geophagarians just “geos”.

Various experts have opined as to why geos eat dirt. Some think that it has to do with some sort of deficiency in nutrients that is an inherited characteristic. In other words, they were born that way. Others thought that dirt eating was a mental disorder similar to pica, the abnormal urge to eat non-food items such as paint or soap.

But some nutritionists asserted that this soil consumption is normal and even claimed that the eating of dirt, especially by pregnant women, might be wholesome.