History
The term pica originates from the Latin word for magpie, a bird that is reputed because of their unusual eating behaviors where they are known to eat almost anything. In 13th century Latin work, pica was referenced by the Greeks and Romans; however, it was not addressed in medical texts until 1563. In the southern United States in the 1800s, geophagia was a common practice among the slave population. Geophagia is a form of pica in which the person consumes earthly substances such as clay, and is particularly prevalent to augment a mineral-deficient diet. Research on eating disorders in the 16th century to the 20th century suggests that during that time in history, pica was regarded more as a symptom of other disorders rather than its own specific disorder. Even today, what can be classified as pica behavior is a normative practice in some cultures as part of magical beliefs, healing methods, or religious ceremonies.
Read more about this topic: Pica (disorder)
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“The reverence for the Scriptures is an element of civilization, for thus has the history of the world been preserved, and is preserved.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“America is, therefore the land of the future, where, in the ages that lie before us, the burden of the World’s history shall reveal itself. It is a land of desire for all those who are weary of the historical lumber-room of Old Europe.”
—Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831)
“The history of American politics is littered with bodies of people who took so pure a position that they had no clout at all.”
—Ben C. Bradlee (b. 1921)