VARIOUS FARM PRODUCTS 597 



from the Pacific islands and the East Indies, and both are prepared 

 by natives in their leisure time, though machines and improved 

 processes for extracting the fiber have been invented. 



There is much confusion between the words "cocoa," the name 

 of the palm that produces the cocoanut, and "cacoa," the plant 

 that produces the chocolate, so much so that even public documents 

 may be found wherein it would appear that chocolate is a product 

 produced by the same palm that produces the cocoanut, which is 

 not the case. (Y. B. 1901, 1902, 1907.) 



The Drug Dioscorea Villosa. Common names, Yam root, 

 China root. This plant is a twining and climbing vine, resembling 

 in some respects the morning-glory. The root is of a most singular 

 tortuous form, of a woody consistence, with numerous spiny pro- 

 tuberances. It is perennial, and doubtless endures a greater num- 

 ber of years than the roots of most plants of similar nabits. The 

 sprangles are usually near half an inch in thickness, and the whole 

 root in favorable situations is often found to weigh half a pound. 

 The stem is a climbing annual vine, winding around small shrubs, 

 and insinuating itself among brambles, often attaining the height 

 of 6 or 8 feet. Near the ground the leaves usually appear in verticil- 

 late clusters, or whorls, varying in number from two to eight or 

 more in a bunch, dependent on the luxuriance of the soil. Higher 

 up the leaves are alternate. They are always^on pretty long foot- 

 stalks and of the form of a heart, with the point acute and turned 

 to one side; commonly roundish as well as cordate and nearly 2 

 inches across. Almost always you may count just nine nerves or 

 portions of framework, proceeding from the base toward the apex. 

 The flowers show themselves in May and June ; they are very small 

 and white, arranged on little stems which come out just above the 

 leaves. The seeds are triangular, similar to buckwheat, though four 

 times as large, with wings at the angles. The yam root grows plen- 

 tifully in the Western States, delighting in fertile hillsides, thickets, 

 and open woods. 



An infusion of the root is a valuable remedy in bilious colic. 

 The rhizoma of Dioscorea villosa is a favorite therapeutical agent 

 among eclectic physicians, who have advantageously used it for 

 more than forty years. It is known as wild yam and colic root. 

 The first specimens employed were from the Dioscorea villosa, with 

 pubescent leaves, now known as the "true wild yam." About the 

 year 1850 botanic druggists noticed the admixture by root diggers 

 of the rhizomata, and for a considerable time rejected it as an 

 adulteration. The diggers insisted, however, that both "roots" 

 were obtained from vines almost identical in appearance (although 

 they can distinguish between them), and finally purchasers were 

 compelled to accept them, more especially as the true rhizomata 

 became very scarce. Since then the two rhizomata have been sold 

 indiscriminately, although but little of the original drug is to be 

 found in the market. Eclectic physicians are aware of the differ- 

 ence between these rhizomata and refuse to use the "false" variety, 



