CRAVING FOR STARCH.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 6, 9 January 1899, Page 3

CRAVING FOR STARCH.

A PERNICIOUS HABIT.

WOMEN'S CURIOUS FANCIES,

A lady correspondent of the 'Woman's Signal' calls attention to a curious habit, which, she states, has recently come under her notice —the eating of starch by women. She says: 'i have been credibly informed that during a holiday at the coast, a servant girl consumed eight pounds of starch, and she said the habit was common. She also stated that the craving for starch, when acquired, became so strong as to be almost irresistible. I should be interested to know what starch contains to excite such a craving. The girl I refer to was quite well aware of the bad effects of the habit, aud yet felt almost unable to give it up.' Dr. J. E. Neild was invited to give an opinion on the subject of the eating of starch by women. He said that, so far as he was aware, the habit is not general in Victoria, though it is wellknown that all females, at certain times, develop cravings for most extraordinary articles. 'I have known women affected with minor maladies incidental to the sex to eat. starch, chalk, and even common dirt, in large quantities,' continued thedoctor. 'This is due to a feeling of craving set up by the condition of the body at certain times, and when that condition disappears so also does the craving.' .'A healthy female does not then develop this extraordinary taste?' 'No,' replied the doctor. 'As to starch itself, if it were perfectly pure, and taken in moderate quantities, it would not be harmful to anyone, as, of course, starch is an essential in the building up of the'body. But the ordinary starch that is used for laundry purposes is -not pure; it is usually a mixture of various things, and certainly is deleterious to health.'

'Is it a fact that starch is eaten by women for their complexions?'

'Some may do so, indeed, but they are sadly mistaken, as in the end theif1 health will be seriously affected, and both it and their complexions are ruined. It is quite easy to take too much starch into your composition, and then the effect is the reverse of good. For instance, look at the food that is given to some of these board-ed-out infants. The poor little creatures are actually starved by reason of the action of the starchy foods given to them.' It is very much to be feared that the eating of starch and arsenic, for the supposed beautification of the complexion, is extensively practised by unwise females, who know not what they do. The writer recollects a case in the country where, by dint of large consumption of starch and arsenic, a fine, robust girl converted herself into a thin, fragile creature, with a face of extraordinary pallor. The only satisfaction she got was a perfectly flawless and colourless complexion, but it was shortrlived as her own life. Among other articles which young women are said to fancy at times is French slate-pencil, ground into a powder, and swallowed. Needless to say, the effects are harmful, and we would venture to advise all readers, especially parents, to dissuade their lady friends from indulging in these pernicious habits.