458 
Saponaceous  Plants. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Phabm. 
t     Oct.  1,  1871. 
instead  of  soap,  owing  to  the  presence  of  the  vegetable  principle 
called  saponine.  The  root  and  bark  also  of  some  species  are  said  to 
be  saponaceous.  The  capsule  of  Sajjindus  etnm'ginatus  has  a  deter- 
gent quality  when  bruised,  forming  suds  if  agitated  in  hot  water.  The 
natives  of  India  use  this  as  a  soap  for  washing  the  hair,  silk,  etc. 
The  berries  of  Sapindus  laurifolius^  another  Indian  species,  are  also 
saponaceous.  The  name  of  the  genus  Sapindus  is  merely  altered  from 
Sapo-mdieus,  Indian  soap,  the  aril  which  surrounds  the  seed  of  S.  Sa- 
ponaria  being  used  as  soap  in  South  x4mcrica.  According  to  Browne, 
the  seed-vessels  are  very  acrid ;  they  lather  freely  in  water,  and  will 
cleanse  more  linen  than  thirty  times  their  weight  of  soap,  but  in  time 
they  corrode  or  burn  the  linen.  This  assertion,  however,  requires 
confirmation.  Humboldt  tells  us  that,  proceeding  along  the  river 
Carenicuar,  in  the  Gulf  of  Cariaco,  he  saw  the  native  Indian  women 
washing  their  linen  with  the  fruit  of  this  tree,  there  called  the  Para 
para.  Saponaceous  berries  are  also  used  in  Java  for  washing.  The 
fresh  bark  of  the  root  Monnina  polystachia  (li.  and  P.),  called  Yal- 
hoi,  pounded  and  moulded  into  balls,  is  used  by  the  Peruvians  in  place 
of  soap. 
Saponine  exists  in  many  other  seeds  and  roots — in  the  legumes  of 
Acacia  concinna,  in  which  a  considerable  trade  is  carried  on  in  some 
parts  of  India,  and  in  the  root  of  Vaecaria  vulgaris^  Agrostemma  Gi- 
thago^  and  Anagallis  arvensis.  It  also  occurs  in  various  species  of 
Pianthus  and  Lychnis^  and  in  the  bark  of  Silene  injlata.  Gypsophila 
struthium  is  used  by  the  Spaniards  for  scouring  instead  of  soap.  The 
bruised  leaves  of  Sapjonaria  officinalis,  a  native  of  England,  forms  a 
lather  which  much  resembles  that  of  soap,  and  is  similarly  efficacious 
in  removing  grease  spots.  The  bark  of  Quiliaia  sapoiiaria  of  Central 
America  ansv/ers  the  same  purpose,  and  is  used  as  a  detergent  by 
wool  dyers.  It  has  been  imported  largely  into  France,  Belgium,  etc., 
and  sold  in  the  shops  as  a  cheap  substitute  for  soap.  The  fruit  of  the 
Bromelia  Pinguin  has  also  been  found  usefid  as  a  soap  substitute. 
A  vegetable  soap  was  prepared  some  years  ago  in  Jamaica  from  the 
leaves  of  the  American  aloe  {Agave  Americana),  which  was  found 
as  detergent  as  Castile  soap  for  washing  linen,  and  had  the  superior 
quality  of  mixing  and  forming  a  lather  with  salt  water  as  well  as  fresh. 
Dr.  Robinson,  the  naturalist,  thus  describes  the  process  he  adopted  in 
1767,  and  for  which  he  was  awarded  a  grant  by  the  House  of  Assem- 
bly of  Jamaica :  The  lower  leaves  of  the  Curaca  or  Coratoe  {Agave 
