ANTHROPOPHAGI

ANTHROPOPHAGI, (of ἀνθρώπος a man, and φαγναι to eat), MEN-EATERS. That there have been, in almost all ages of the world, nations who have followed this barbarous practice, we have abundance of testimonies. According to Herodotus, among the Etesian Scythians, when a man's father died, the neighbours brought several beasts, which they killed, mixed up their flesh with that of the deceased, and made a feast. Among the Massagetæ, when any person grew old, they killed him and eat his flesh; but if he died of sickness, they buried him, esteeming him unhappy. The same author also assures us, that several nations in the Indies killed all their old people and their sick, to feed on their flesh: he adds, that persons in health were sometimes accused of being sick, to afford a pretence for devouring them. According to Sextus Empiricus, the first laws that were made, were for the prevention of this barbarous practice, which the Greek writers represent as universal before the time of Orpheus.

Of the practice of anthropophagy in latter times, we have the testimonies of all the Romish missionaries who have visited the internal parts of Africa, and even some parts of Asia. Herrera speaks of great markets in China, furnished wholly with human flesh, for the better sort of people. Marcus Paulus speaks of the like in his time, in the kingdom of Concha towards Quinsay, and the island of Zapengit; others, of the great Java; Barbosa, of the kingdom of Siam and island of Sumatra; others, of the islands in the Gulf of Bengal, of the country of the Samogitians, &c.

When America was discovered, this practice was found to be almost universal, inasmuch that several authors have supposed it to be occasioned through a want of other food, or through the indolence of the people to seek for it: but this Dr Robertson denies; and ascribes the origin of such a barbarous custom to its most probable cause, viz. an implacable spirit of revenge.

Notwithstanding all these testimonies, however, the existence of anthropophagy has been denied by many, and much argumentation pro and con has been carried on; but Mr Forster, in his account of Captain Cook's voyage, hath given us such a testimony, as we imagine will convince the most sceptical. This gentleman hath assured us, that not only he, but the whole ship's crew, who were called upon deck for that purpose, saw some New Zealanders eat a piece of human flesh roasted,

Anthropothysia ed, with a ravenous appetite; and that they affirmed its taste to be exceedingly delicious. See NEW ZEALAND.

Anthyllis The philosophers Diogenes, Chrysippus, and Zeno, followed by the whole sect of Stoics, affirmed that there was nothing unnatural in the eating of human flesh; and that it was very reasonable to use dead bodies for food, rather than give them a prey to worms and putrefaction. In order to make the trial, however, whether there was any real repugnancy in nature to the feeding of an animal with the flesh of its own species, Leonardus Floroventius fed a hog with hog's flesh, and a dog with dog's flesh; upon which he found the bristles of the hog to fall off, and the dog to become full of ulcers.—To the custom of eating human flesh the origin of the venereal disease hath been ascribed; and not without great probability, as it is found to exist in all those places where such barbarity is practised.