142 COMMON SOAP WORT. 



and in former times it was used in batlis to 

 cleanse and beautify the skin. It will remove 

 stains or grease almost as well as soap. 



The saponine principle of plants has been 

 thought to be of a poisonous nature. M. Mala- 

 pert and M. Bonnet made several experiments 

 on plants containing it, and they stated not 

 only its deleterious principle, but its exist- 

 ence in plants in which it had not been 

 suspected. Though most plentiful in all parts 

 of the Soapwort, it is contained also in the 

 Corn Cockle {A^rosfemma Gitliago), but in 

 this instance the saponine is found only in the 

 roots and unripe seeds. As much saponine 

 exists in the Nottingham Catchfly {Silene 

 nutans) as in the Soap wort, and here it is 

 diffused throughout all parts of the plant 

 except the seed. Other chemists have dis- 

 covered it in several species of the Pink and 

 Carnation genus, in various species of our 

 wild Lychnis, and even in the Scarlet Pim- 

 pernel. It has long been known that the nuts 

 of the Horse Chestnut -iree contain a large 

 quantity of saponine. 



