The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1906-05-10
USEFUL IN MEDICINE.
TREES TN MEXICO OF VALUE
TO COMMERCE.
Yield Fiber and Sap of Importance
in the Arts Plants and
Vines Also Possessing
Virtues.

Consul Lespinasse of Tuxpam says
there are trees in Mexico that may be
made as valuable to commerce as are
rubber trees. He says that in the dense
woodlands of Vera Cruz there are nu-
merous plants reputed to possess me-
dicinal virtues and others which could
be profitably utilized for commercial
purposes.
One tree, he says, yields a deep
brownish red, thick sap of Slightly
resinous odor. The process of ex
traction is simple; slight superficial in
cisions are made in the bark, terminal
ing at the foot of the tree; medium
sized leaf or strip of palmetto is in
serted underneath the bark, so as to
form a gutter into which the sap drips,
and as it overflows it drips into re-
ceptacle placed underneath the leaf.
When exposed to the atmosphere the
sap does not appear to undergo fer
mentation, but becomes slightly denser.
A bottle was left open for year, but
no apparent change appears to have
occurred. Small quantities are export
ed to Germany. Buyers claim that it
is employed in the preparation of car
mine ink; this is doubtful. 1t may
have other and more valuable uses
which are not divulged. 1t may be
used in the arts or in the making OF
medicines.
AS there is no regular demand, price
cannot be determined and samples,
small or large, are paid for according
to the time a laborer employs in ex-
tracing the sap The natives say it is
an excellent dentifrice and mouth
wash, healing liberated parts. 1t is
powerful antiseptic, being employed
with excellent results on fresh Or old
wounds; it congeals and checks the
flow of blood.
1t has been employed as an indelible
stain; wood treated with it, when thor
oughly dried afterward, does not ap-
pear to be affected by water or diluted
acids, the stain remaining unaltered.
On cloth it acts as a perfect dye, acids
or alkalies seeming to have no percep-
tible effect on its color. The foregoing
are statements made by persons who
have experimental with this sap, hence
ought to have weight.
The paIo de leche tree is quite COM
mon in damp or marshy locations; the
sap is milk white and about the same
consistency as rich milk; it is a pow
erfuI caustic. Partial or total blindness
may result when this sap has by acci'
dent been injected into the eyes; the
natives claim that strong decoction
of the Chilli pepper, if applied in time,
will dissolve the thick film which grad
ually spreads over the eyes when at
tackled by this fluid.
It is averred that few drops in a
glass of water acts as violent poison,
often proving fatal; it is employed by
the natives in diluted form, which they
spread on the surface of streams or
lakes to stupefy fish, which they con-
sumo. If properly analyzed this fluid
might prove valuable; samples, how
ever, are difficult to obtain, as the ma
tive laborer cannot be induced to ap-
proach the tree, of which he has the
greatest fear. However, there are some
who will take the risk If they are well
paid, which, no matter how large, is
but a trifiing amount compared with
the danger to which they imagine they
will be exposed.
The honote tree produces fine,
long fiber 40 to Is feet), which is ex-
tracted from the inner surface of the
bark. Each tree will produce from
four to five pounds of fiber.
The ojiote is vine from one to
four inches in diameter, growing in
slightly damp and shady locations
| This vine furnishes a white, milky
gummy juice, which is employed as a
| cement to unite leather, and the united
| parts will hold with great tenacity
when subject to severe tension. A Sec
| ton of vine about eight feet long and
| three inches in diameter is chopped
| into short lengths and allowed to drip
producing in this crude manner about
four to five ounces of the milk, but as
it coagulates rapidly only small pro-
portion is extracted.