50 PHARMACAL PLANTS AND THEIR CULTURE. 



The numerals given refer to the numbers of the plants cited in alpha- 

 betical sequence by scientific names. 



It is highly probable that some of the purely poisonous plants cited 

 may finally prove of value medicinally. Within recent years, consider- 

 able work has been done with regard to plants poisonous to cattle. 

 Dr. Chesnut, of the Department of Agriculture, has made a careful 

 study of the action of permanganate of potassium in counteracting the 

 effects of the alkaloids of many of the poisonous plants of Montana 

 and Colorado. His conclusions are that this substance, owing to its 

 oxidizing powers, is a very effectual antidote if given before the alkaloid 

 has been absorbed into the system. 



An opinion prevails among ranchers that cattle avoid poisonous 

 plants instinctively. This is not exactly in accord with facts. It is 

 true that most poisonous plants emit noxious odors, or are disagreeable 

 to the sense of taste, and are therefore shunned and not relished as 

 food; yet it would appear that cattle, under unusual conditions, will 

 actually develop a taste for certain poisonous plants, and, if the oppor- 

 tunity presents itself, will eat such plants in sufficient quantity to 

 produce fatal results, even in the presence of abundance of good 

 forage or grazing. However, the preponderance of range-cattle poison- 

 ing is due to a scarcity of food, thus compelling the half -starved animals 

 to feed upon poisonous plants which may be present. Again, herd con- 

 ditions are, in many instances, responsible for the poisoning, the weaker 

 members being forced to take the leavings, which often include poison- 

 ous plants. 



The literature on Indian medicine is fragmentary, and the informa- 

 tion thus far attainable touching upon the subject is very inaccurate. 

 Indian medicine, in the broad sense of the term, includes various largely 

 ceremonial exercises and dances, superstitious beliefs, social customs 

 and duties, etc. It is the scope of this paper to treat the subject in a 

 more limited sense, briefly explaining internal medication as it is com- 

 prehended by the savage intellect, and citing the use of the more 

 important plants employed by the Indians of California in the treat- 

 ment of disease. 



It is evident that the aborigines of California, in common with sav- 

 ages generally, believed in the demoniacal origin of disease. That is, 

 disease was simple the manifestation, in the body, of some evil or 

 undesirable spirit which had taken possession of the body, driving out 

 the normal or rightful spiritual inhabitant. The methods of exorcising 

 the demon of disease, though differing in certain details, resemble each 

 other quite closely. In spite of the admittedly noxious and evil char- 

 acter of the disease demon, he may be presumably cowed, subdued, and 

 driven out by threats, loud, discordant noises, nauseous odors, disagree- 

 ably-tasting substances, and other factors which any well-disposed 



