▁of ▁cit rus ▁f ruits ▁( such ▁as ▁or anges ) ▁and ▁other ▁hes per idia . ▁The ▁word ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁Old ▁English ▁word ▁pi þ a , ▁meaning ▁subst ance , ▁a kin ▁to ▁Middle ▁Dutch ▁p itte ▁( mod ern ▁Dutch ▁pit ), ▁meaning ▁the ▁pit ▁of ▁a ▁fruit . ▁ ▁Us es ▁ ▁Food ▁The ▁p ith ▁of ▁the ▁s ago ▁pal m , ▁although ▁highly ▁to xic ▁to ▁animals ▁in ▁its ▁raw ▁form , ▁is ▁an ▁important ▁human ▁food ▁source ▁in ▁Mel anes ia ▁and ▁Mic ron esia ▁by ▁virtue ▁of ▁its ▁st arch ▁content ▁and ▁its ▁avail ability . ▁There ▁is ▁a ▁simple ▁process ▁of ▁st arch ▁extra ction ▁from ▁s ago ▁p ith ▁that ▁le aches ▁away ▁a ▁sufficient ▁amount ▁of ▁the ▁to x ins ▁and ▁thus ▁only ▁the ▁st arch ▁component ▁is ▁consum ed . ▁Current ▁processes ▁for ▁st arch ▁extra ction ▁are ▁generally ▁only ▁about ▁ 5 0 % ▁efficient , ▁however , ▁with ▁the ▁other ▁half ▁remaining ▁in ▁resid ual ▁p ith ▁waste . ▁The ▁form ▁of ▁the ▁st arch ▁after ▁processing ▁is ▁similar ▁to ▁t api oca . ▁ ▁P ith ▁hel m ets ▁The ▁p ith ▁of ▁the ▁sol a ▁or ▁other ▁similar ▁plants ▁is ▁used ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁p ith ▁hel met . ▁ ▁Watch ▁clean ing ▁P ith ▁wood ▁is ▁a ▁clean ing ▁tool ▁used ▁in ▁watch making ▁to ▁clean ▁watch ▁parts ▁and ▁tools . ▁It ▁is ▁used ▁to ▁remove ▁oil ▁from ▁the ▁tips ▁of ▁tools ▁to ▁prevent ▁the