586 
Plants  Used  by  the  Indians, 
°(  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\       Dec,  1278. 
the  necessary  uniform  mass,  the  whole  of  the  chloroform  is  allowed  to 
evaporate ;  when  the  chloroform  has  evaporated,  some  surface,  and 
only  surface,  oxidation  takes  place. 
In  conclusion,  I  would  advise  those  who  wish  to  try  the  experiment 
of  dispensing  phosphorus  to  compare  the  method  I  have  given  both 
with  and  without  chloroform.  In  the  one  case  you  have  much  phos- 
phorescence and  irritating  fumes  evolved  ;  in  the  other  there  is  no- 
apparent  phosphorescence  and  very  little  fume.  In  fact,  I  have  worked 
eight  ounces  of  mass  into  pills  easily  by  this  new  process,  which  other- 
wise would  almost  have  been  an  impossibility.  The  greatest  advan- 
tage, however,  I  consider  it  offers  is  that  the  patient  gets  the  nearest 
possible  approximation  to  the  dose  given  in  the  prescription. 
Mr.  Greenish  said  he  had  paid  some  little  attention  to  the  dispens- 
ing of  phosphorus  pills,  and  the  plan  he  adopted  was  somewhat  differ- 
ent to  that  described.  He  dissolved  the  phosphorus  in  bisulphide  of 
carbon,  then  mixed  the  cacao  butter  with  it,  and  after  that  anything; 
else  required.  By  putting  the  cacao  butter  into  the  mortar  with  the 
solution  he  considered  the  difficulty  mentioned  by  Mr.  Gerrard  was 
got  over. — Pharm.  'Journ.  and  Trans.  [Lond.],  Sept.  28. 
PLANTS  USED  by  the  INDIANS  of  the  UNITED  SATES, 
By  Dr.  Edward  Palmer. 
(Concluded.) 
Textile  Plants. — Yucca  baccata.  This  is  one  of  the  most  useful  plants  to  the 
Indians  of  New  Mexico,  Arizona,  and  Southern  California.  Its  fruit  is  eaten  while 
fresh  and  in  the  dry  state.  It  grows  from  two  to  eighteen  feet  in  height,  and 
becomes  a  tall  tree  further  southward,  varying  in  diameter  from  eight  to  twenty  inches. 
The  bodies  of  these  plants  are  very  fibrous.  The  Indians  and  Mexicans  when  in 
want  of  soap  cut  the  stems  into  slices,  beat  them  into  a  pulp,  and  mix  them 
with  the  water  when  washing  as  a  substitute  for  soap,  for  which  it  answers 
finely.  The  leaves  are  generally  about  two  feet  in  length  and  are  very  fibrous.  In 
order  to  remove  the  bast  the  leaves  are  first  soaked  in  water,  then  pounded  with  a 
wooden  mallet,  at  the  same  time  occasionally  plunged  into  water  to  remove  the  lib- 
erated epidermis.  Then  if  not  sufficiently  clean  and  white  it  is  returned  to  the 
water  for  a  time  and  again  put  through  the  beating  process  ;  generally  the  second 
course  is  sufficient.  The  fibres  of  the  leaves  being  strong,  long  and  durable  are 
adapted  for  Indian  manufactures,  and  the  savages  of  Southern  California  make  there- 
from excellent  horse  blankets. 
All  the  tribes  living  in  the  country  where  this  plant  is  found  use  it  to  make  ropes, 
twine,  nets,  hats,  hair  brushes,  shoes  and  mattresses. 
