The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-08-04
Soap Plants.

Many plants in different countries
furnish useful substitutes for soap to the
natives. when there are no conveniences
or materials for manufacturing ordinary
soap. Examples of these are soapworts
(.SapinduS). so called from furnishing,
either in the pulp of the fruit or in the
root or bark, vegetable principle call
ed sapoine. Thus the Hindus use the
pulp of the fruit Of Sapind4s deterysaS
for washing linen. The capsula OF an
other species, when bruised, forms suds
if agtated in hot water; and the ma
tives of India use this as soap for
washing the hair, silk, etc. The drll
which surrounds the seed of South
American species is used as soap. The
fresh bark of the root Of 4houpi'ao poly
stachia, called "yaltoi," pounded and
moulded into balls, is used by the Peru
VANS in place of soap. The Canadian
Naturalist from which our account IS
taken, also states that the bruised
leaves of the European Saponarid obFcina-
lis forms lather which much resembles
that of soap, and is similarly useful in
removing grease spots. The bark Of
Qmllaia Soponaria, of Central America,
answers the same purpose, and Is used
as detergent by wool-dyers. 1t mas
been even imported into France, Bel
GUM, etc, and sold in the shops a. a
cheap substitute for soap. A vegetable
soap was prepared some years ago in
Jamaica from the leaves of the Ameri-
can Aloe, which was found as detergent
as CASTLE soap for washing linen, and
had the superior quality Of mixing and
g. Jotl IL oil
as fresh. In Peru the leaves Of the
MdgUey qgave are used instead Of soap.
The clothes are wetted, and then beaten
with a leaf which has been crushed; a
thick white froth is produced, and after
rinsing the clothes are quite clean. The
pulpy matter contained in the hard kerr
mel Of a tree called locally Del JoJ0n-
clio is also used there for the same
purpose. On being mixed with water it
produces white froth. In Brazil soap
is made from the ashes Of the bassena
or broom-plant (.Sida Ianceolata) which
abounds with alkali. There are also
some banks and pods of native plants
used for soaps in China. The saap plant
of California (Phalangium pomeridianum)
is stated by Mr. Edwin Bryant to be ex-
ceedingly useful. The dubious root,
which is the saponaceous portion. re-
semhles the onion, but possesses the
quality of cleansing linen equal to any
olive soap manufactured. From pa
per read before the Boston Society Of
Natural History, it appears that this
soap plant grows all over California.
The leaves make their appearance about
the middle Of November, or about six
weeks after the rainy weather had fair
ly set in. The plants never grow more
than a foot high, and the leaves and
stalk drop entirely off in May, though
the bulbs remain in the ground all the
summer without decaying. 1t is used
to wash with in all parts Of the coun-
try, and by those who know its virtues
| it is preferred to the best of soap. The
method of using it is merely to strip off
the husk, dip the clothes into the water
and rub the bulb on them. 1t makes
thick lather, and smells not unlike
brown soap. At st. Nicholas, one OF the
Cape Verde Islands, they make a soap
from the oil Of the Jatropha crcuS seeds
and the oil of the pawpaw tree leaf. The
oil and ashes are mixed in an iron pot
heated over fire, and stirred until
properly blended When cool, il is
rolled up into balls about the size Of
a six-pound shot, looking much like
our notified soap, and producing a very
good lather.