The seeds contain about 50 per cent 

 of fat. In the manufacture of broma 

 and common cocoa most of this is re- 

 moved and is placed upon the market 

 as cocoa butter. The more or less broken 

 hulls are sold as cocoa shells, from which 

 a chocolate-like drink is made by boiling 

 in water and sweetening with sugar. 



There is perhaps no food substance 

 which is more universally liked than 

 chocolate. Mothers have no small amount 

 of trouble in hiding the household choc- 

 olate from the children. With the om- 

 nipresent penny-in-the-slot machine more 

 pennies are credited to it than to the 

 chewing gum. The housewife and baker 

 use it very extensively with chocolate 

 cake. The confectioner uses it very 

 freely, to the great delight of children. 



The principal use to which cocoa is 

 put is in the preparation of a beverage. 

 For this purpose enormous quantities of 

 chocolate, cocoa, broma and hulls are 

 consumed annually. The word "Theo- 

 broma" is derived from the Greek, mean- 

 ing drink for the gods. The drink is 

 prepared by thoroughly triturating the 

 desired amount of chocolate, cocoa or 

 broma with a small quantity of water, 

 then stirring this into the necessary 

 quantity of boiling milk or water and 



boiling for a few minutes with constant 

 stirring. The oil present gives the drink 

 great nutritive value. It is also slightly 

 stimulating, owing to the presence of an 

 alkaloid theobromine which is closely 

 similar in its properties to theine and 

 caffeine, the active constituents of tea and 

 coffee. The drink does not agree with 

 some individuals, because the large 

 amount of oil present causes indigestion. 

 It is also highly probable that the indiges- 

 tion or dyspepsia is due to the minute 

 fragments of roasted cell-walls of the 

 seeds, which are not only indigestible, 

 but irritate the secreting mucous cells 

 lining the inner surface of the stomach. 



Cocoa butter, which resembles tallow 

 in consistency and appearance, is used 

 in medical and pharmaceutical practice 

 as a salve, or pomade, for external ap- 

 plication in eruptive diseases, as scarlet 

 fever, etc., etc. Cocoa also finds exten- 

 sive use in medical practice, though it 

 has no marked curative properties. Co- 

 coa from which the oil has been thor- 

 oughly expressed (broma) makes an 

 excellent drink for convalescents. It is 

 used to disguise the taste of disagree- 

 able medicines, etc. 



Description of plate. Fruit and seeds. 

 Albert Schneider. 



THE CANOE-BIRCH. 



Like polished marble their tall shafts gleam 



Beside some beautiful inland stream, 

 And their heart-shaped leaves in autumn's prime 



Wear the golden tints of a fairer clime. 

 As I touch the bark, white as driven snow, 



I dream of the seasons long ago, 

 When the Red Man paddled his light canoe 



Where the canopied birches pierced the blue! • 



— George Bancroft Griffith. 



48 



