Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-08
QUEER THINGS MAN EATS.
Earth, Seaweed, Birds Nests, Turtles,
Frogs, Snails and Coal.
From the Lancet.


Complaint is often made that the average
daily meal in the ordinary household is a
monotonous round of mutton and beef In
the majority of instances this simple and
oftentimes undressing cycle of food is
compelled on the score of convenience and
economy, although with a little more
thought and trouble than are usually be-
slowed on this matter we are convinced
that more variation could be contrived. The
subject deserves greater attention than it
has hitherto received and the results in all
probability would be pleasing
In this connection it is interesting to con-
slider some of the more less odd mate
rails which man has been led to choose for
the purposes of food. Environment, of
course, must be a factor in regard to this
choice, and necessity also. 1t is hard to
imagine that earth would be used for choice
as food, and yet such has been the case in
many countries during famine. The Lap
landers mix earth with their bread the
Russian peasant uses rock -four" and the
poorer classes in Hungary are driven occa-
sionally to eat an earth which contains but
a trtfing proportion of rourishing principles.
The use of seaweed as food is an exam
pie of the determining factors of both
necessity and environment. 1t Is not a lit
tie astonishing to find what number of
seaweeds are really edible and nourishing.
Perhaps the best known example In this
country is laver, which is a kind of stew
made from weed, an alga Porpyhra lacin-
iata). The laver made on the Devonshire
coast and to be found in some London
shops is excellent. The sea algae, indeed,
prove on analysis to contain a considerable
proportion of heterogeneous matter, and as
they are usually tender they are digestible.
There are also several sea MOSES which
are esteemed for their esculent properties
Asar-agar is another example of sea-
weed yielding a nutrient jelly. 1t Is sup
pc sed that the edible birds nest so highly
esteemed when prepared In the form of
soup by the Chinese has its origin in the
birds feeding upon agar-agar. On the
other hand, 1t is said that the substance of
which the nest is composed is secreted from
certain glands which are developed during
the nest building season, but which lose
this function afterward. The viscid sub
GREETED by the sublingual gland.
The turtle may be regarded as an odd ar
ticle of food since it is the only example of
an edible reptile, at least in this country.
Frogs legs, again, are rarely eaten in this
country though they are easily digested,
possess delicate flavor, and have about the
same nutritiye value as chicken. Neither is
the snail esteemed as an article OF food in
this country. though in France II Is par
taken of in large quantities. and so good is
1t that 1t has been called s'the poor mans
particular kind and is generally collected
in considerable numbers from the vine
yards in the south Of France. In Spain the
snail Is served In a most excellent and APP
petizing manner, and In Paris dish OF
selected snafls Is reserved for the special
use of the gourmet. Coal would appear to
BE strange article Of food, but Instances