IN CALIFORNIA 141 



able species of Rhamnus occurring from Washing- 

 ton to Lower California. It is the one Indian 

 remedy which the present day pharmacopoeia en- 

 dorses quite heartily, furnishing perhaps the best 

 laxative medicine known to the world. In the north 

 it is a tree reaching a height of twenty-five or thirty 

 feet, but in the south it is reduced to a non-decidu- 

 ous shrub, easily recognized in winter by its persist- 

 ent crimson or black berries. These are very thin 

 of pulp, and the large olive green seeds (usually 

 two) are flat on one side and convex on the other, 

 sufficiently resembling grains of coffee to have given 

 rise to one popular name. The part used medici- 

 nally is the dried bark, which is steeped in water, 

 and is both tonic and harmlessly laxative. Old 

 Manuelito is very sure, however, that when cutting 

 the bark, you must peel it downward ; if you cut it 

 upward, the effect will be to make the drinker 

 vomit ! 



A hardly less famous medicinal standby of the 

 California Indian, and one which has always had a 

 loyal white following, is yerba, santa, that is, holy 

 bark a species of Eriodictyon. It is found only in 

 California, a shrubby denizen of dry, sunny hill- 

 sides, and is marked by shiny dark green leaves, in 

 shape and appearance somewhat like those of the 

 peach. The foliage is covered with a sticky resin of 



