Re:Ever think of what the "kao" means?
i half knew the answer to that question (the kao is from kaolin) but i had no idea what kaolin was!
a brief search yeilded this info:
Kaolinite
(k´lnt) (KEY) , clay mineral crystallizing in the monoclinic system and forming the chief constituent of china clay and kaolin. It is a hydrous aluminum silicate commonly formed by the weathering and decomposition of rocks containing aluminum silicate compounds; feldspar is a chief source. Kaolinite has the same chemical composition as dickite and nacrite (both of which are also clay or kaolin minerals) (from Bartleby's,)
Looking up kaolin basicly just said it was china clay, and used for ceramics and finishing paper.. not much on the chemical compounds that made it up..
i would have said it was a salt, or chalk - something similar to the content of tums, or Malox, or even pepto bismal (which is made with -- the salts of bisthum?) one of those group of semi metal compounds that have been historicaly used for upset stomaches--milk of magnizia is another one that comes to mind..(and all of these seem to work on various minor stomach/intestinal disorders since the current treatment of choice of stomach ulcers is a combo of pepto bismal and anti biotics.)
clay seems to be very different than chalk-- and calcium carbonate (tums) or aluminum carbonates (?)Malox seems very different.. so someone with more knowledge of chemistry will have to make this inteligable.. (since right now to me, its just a list of facts, and not really something i understand) and they all really sound like something i shouldn't be putting in my mouth, no matter what the reason!
Make the idea of people eating dirt, (or clay) as is commonly done, (more notably in the south, but really all over US) seem understandable.
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