35 



The West American Scientist 



;6 



somewhat of the size and shape of 

 coffee berries — whence the common 

 name — and when separated from the 

 pulp and roasted are said to form a fair 

 substitute for coffee, though I should 

 prefer not to experiment with it my- 

 self. 



The bark of this species is popularly 

 considered efficacious in severe cases 

 of dysentery, and the leaves to possess 

 cathartic properties — though both are 

 conceded to be dangerous remedies. 

 The receipt given me for dysentery is 

 to take one pound of the bark of the 

 root, boil in a quart of water until re- 

 duced to a pint. 



Daucus Pusillus Michx.— Mrs. R. F. 

 Bingham (S. B. Soc. Nat. Hist., C. 

 i:2-35) states that this is "very much 

 valued by the natives as a remedy for 

 the bite of the rattlesnake." She cites 

 "one of our oldest physicians" as hav- 

 ing "seen a Californian chew the plant, 

 moisten his arm with the saliva, and 

 then permit a rattlesnake to bite his 

 arm, without producing swelling or any 

 bad effect." She says the plant is 

 usually applied in the form of a poul- 

 tice. It is widely distributed from 

 British Columbia to Mexico and east- 

 ward to the Atlantic, but I have not 

 personal'y known of its use above stat- 

 ed, the "Golondrina" (a species of Eu- 

 phorbia) possessing the same desir- 

 able reputation throughout the sec- 

 tion where I have collected. 



Paeonia Californica Nutt. — The root 

 of the "Pionia" is considered valuable 

 by the natives for the healing of sores 

 on man or beast. 



Aplopappus Palmeri Gray. — The 

 "Pasmore" of the Mexicans and In- 

 dians is reputed . to be invaluable in 

 cases of lockjaw. 



Mimulus glutinosus Wendl. — The in- 

 fusion of the leaves of this and related 

 forms (treated as species of Diplacus 

 by some botanists) is considered a 

 specific by some for dysentery. 



Asclepias Subulata Decsne. — "Jumete" 

 is a very powerful cathartic, equal in 

 activity to croton oil. The Indians are 

 said to use it in cases of syphillis after 

 all other remedies fail to bring relief; 

 an overdose often resulting in incur- 

 able insanity or death. In Mexico the 

 juice of this or a similar plant is said 

 to be often used in cases of enmity, the 



victim of the insidious drug becoming 

 insane for life if not mercifully relieved 

 at once by death. Tradition says that 

 Maximilian's unfortunate empress, 

 Carlotta, was a victim of this drug, 

 but the truth of this may never be 

 known. 



Asclejias Albicans Watson. — A larger 

 species of jumete, from the Colorado 

 desert and adjacent regions in Baja 

 California, is credited popularly with 

 the same powerful cathartic proper- 

 ties as the last. 



Solidago Californica Nuttall. — The 

 Golden Rod, or "Oroja de Leabre" of 

 the Mexicans, is prized above all other 

 herbs for its curative properties in 

 cases of either internal or external in- 

 juries of man or beast, the most stub- 

 born of sores being said to quickly heal 

 under its influence. 



Loeselia tenuifolia Gray. — This herb 

 is credited with valuable medicinal 

 properties, being held in high repute 

 by Indians and Mexicans for fevers 

 and in other diseases. Some Mexicans 

 once informed me however, according 

 to my field notes, that it is a virulent 

 poison 'used only in venereal dis- 

 eases.' Without some actual knowl- 

 edge of the properties of a plant it 

 should be experimented upon with ex- 

 ceeding caution. 



Helenium puberulum DC. — This plant 

 is common along water courses from 

 San Francisco southward to Santo 

 Tomas, Baja California. Bancroft 

 says this plant is used by the Indians 

 in the same way as we make use of 

 sarsaparailla. Mrs. Bingham (1. c.) 

 says it is "used as a tonic and antis- 

 corbutic, and also in the form of a 

 powder for catarrh." She gives the 

 vernacular name as sneezewood. It is 

 known to the Mexicans as rosea or 

 rosilla (the proper spelling of the word) 

 who inform me that the seed is the part 

 mainly used medicinally. 



Matricaria discoidea DC. — "Used for 

 bowel complaints" (Mrs. Bingham). 

 "Said to be used in California as a 

 domestic remedy for agues and bowel 

 complaints" (Watson, Bot. Cal. i. 

 401.) 



Datisca glomerata Benth. & Hook. — 

 "The root is a bitter tonic known as 

 Durango root" (Mrs. Bingham). 



Artemisia ludoviciana Nutt. — Mrs. 

 Bingham says this is "recommended 





