Note 56 — Chapter XXII · 1876-1879.

The ‘arum arisarum,’ called ‘yerna’ by the Moors, is used by the inhabitants of Western Barbary as an article of food in times of great scarcity, though it is held by them to be poisonous without careful preparation. The tubers when collected are cut up in small pieces, which they wash in many waters and then steam, as they do their ‘siksu,’ after which they pound them into meal, of which they make cakes, mixed if possible with a little ‘dra’ (millet) meal. They also make this arum meal into a kind of porridge. This food appears to contain few nourishing qualities, and those who are reduced to live on it suffer much in health.