39Q 
Rhamnus  Purshiana. 
\  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
(   September,  1914. 
Cascara  Sagrada^  (sacred  bark),  so  named  because  the  wood  was 
supposed  to  be  identical  with  the  "Shittim  "  or  "  Chittim  "  wood 
used  in  the  building  of  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant. 
Common  Names. — In  the  different  localities  where  it  grew  the 
tree  was  known  by  the  Indians  and  early  white  settlers  by  the  follow- 
ing names :  Bearberry,  Barberry,  Coffee-berry,  Coffee-tree,  Bitter- 
bark,  Bear-wood,  Wahoo,  Shittim-wood,  Chittim-wood,  and  Cas- 
cara Sagrada. 
Range. — Rhamnus  Purshiana  is  widely  distributed  throughout 
the  Northwest.  It  is  found  in  small  quantities  at  the  head  of  the 
Portland  canal  and  mouth  of  the  Cnuk  River  in  Southeastern  Alaska 
and  in  northern  British  Columbia,  in  commercial  quantities  on  the 
west  slope  of  the  Cascade  Mountains  of  southern  British  Columbia, 
Washington,  Oregon,  and  northern  California. 
It  grows  in  the  Mission  Mountains  and  near  the  Flat-head  Lake 
in  Montana,  in  the  Bitter-root  Mountains  and  Seven-Devil  Moun- 
tains in  Idaho.  It  occurs  occasionally  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the 
Sierra  Nevada  Mountains,  and  then  reappears  in  the  mountains  of 
Colorado  and  western  Texas.  In  one  of  its  forms  it  is  scattered 
throughout  the  mountainous  regions  of  southern  California,  Arizona, 
New  Mexico,  and  northern  Mexico. 
Commercial  Range. — The  tree  grows  abundantly  and  attains 
its  greatest  size  on  the  western  slope  of  the  Cascade  range  of  moun- 
tains in  Washington,  Oregon,  northern  California,  and  southern 
British  Columbia.  Plenty  of  moisture  and  a  slightly  sandy  soil  are 
favorable  factors  for  its  rapid  development. 
It  is  usually  found  in  small  river  bottoms,  sides  and  bottoms  of 
canyons,  growing  under  the  shelter  of  coniferous  forests,  around  the 
edges  of  swamps,  and  on  slightly  elevated  moist  areas. 
With  favorable  soil  and  moisture  the  tree  frequently  springs  up 
in  places  formerly  covered  with  coniferous  trees  that  have  been 
destroyed  by  fire.  It  is  seldom  found  in  broad  river  bottoms  or 
valleys  on  account  of  being  crowded  out  by  the  more  thrifty  and  rapid- 
growing  alder  and  cottonwood  trees. 
The  tree  is  found  at  sea  level  and  up  to  an  altitude  of  1800  to 
2000  feet.  Men  working  in  the  cascara  forests  of  Washington  state 
that  the  tree  grows  to  a  height  of  twenty  to  thirty  feet  and  attains 
an  average  diameter  of  six  to  eight  inches.  Trees  having  a  diameter 
of  three  feet  have  been  found.  Sargent  ("  Silva  of  North  America," 
vol.  2,  p.  37)  states  that  the  tree  attains  a  height  of  thirty-five  to 
