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 
