SOAP-WORTS. The soap tree of China, Sapindus Chinensis, is a large tree bearing round berries, resembling the fruit of the India. The tree is called by the Chinese Wa-hwan-tsze and Fei-chu-tsze. The berries are sometimes used in tnaking rosaries, and when roasted are eaten by the Chinese, notwithstanding their apparent acrid ity. In the form of tincture of the berries, they were used in skin diseases. The followers of th3 Taou faith employ sticks of this tree to exorcise demons. Soap-worts, soap-fruits, and soap-nuts in tropical climates furnish substitutes for soaps of a more or less useful character, and the dried berries are to be found in ahnost every bazar, being used throughout India for washing silk, or hair, or woollens and clGths of various kinds. The soap-berries of tbe W. Indies and tbe continent of Ametica are from the Sapinclus saponaria, and in Java, S. rarak. In India, several species, as S. laurifelius, S. acuminatus, S. emarginatus, and S. detergens, yield berries, used similarly. The fleshy part of these sapindus berries is viscid, and when dry and rubbed with water, they form a lather like soap ; and the bark aud roots bare similar properties, though it is said that articles washed by the root and bark rapidly conode. Hindu physicians deem the endocarp a useful expectorant, and it is said the seeds, pounded with water, and a small quantity put into the patient's mouth, often put an end to the epileptic paroxysm. The tincture or extract of the soapy matter of the capsules of S. saponaria has been used in chlorosis. Its berries, which are about the size of cherries, enclose black shining nuts, which take a fine polish, and were formerly much used in England for making buttons, after having been tipped with gold, silver, or other metal. They are also made into beads, necklaces, etc. The kernel contains an edible oil, which is sometimes used for burning. In India the nuts of the rheeta, S. emarginatus, are eaten by young people; and in the West Indies the fruits of S. Senegalensis and S. esculentus are deemed as palatable as the hazel-nut and almond. S. rubiginosus has a close-grained, hard wood, and forms an excellent timber. Saponaria vac caria is well known in India, and is identical in its properties with S. officinalis, a decoction of the root frothing like a solution of soap. Kritz, kris, or kreess, the root of some parasitical plant, but of unknown origin, is used in Kashmir to wash the shawls, soap being used only for the white, shawls. It is used also medicinally, and for dyeing the colour called na-furrnanee.
Soap acacia is the Acacia rugata, Buck The dried pods of this plant are sold in the bazars of all the East Indies, and used as a substitute for soap in cleansing the hair.—Mason.
Soap-berry, seeds of Sapindus saponaria. The fleshy covering (pericarp) of the seerts of this tree, and, in a less degree, the root, make a lather in water, and serve all the purposes of soap, being very generally employed by the poor in washing their coarse linens. The seeds are round, smooth, and black, and were at ono time imported into England for rosaries, and tipped with gold, etc., as buttons. Tho seed-vesselg are employed also in America and the West Indies in washing linen, of which they are said to cleanse more than would sixty times their weight of soap.
Soap-nut, Soap-berry.
Bare ritah, . BENG. I Puvandie cottay, . Tasi.
Rita, Aritah, . . HIND. Nanny pungung-kai, „ . . . Matar. Kumutti gbinzalu, TEL.
. Plats. Kunk-kaia, . . „ Arishta, Phenila, . SANSK. I The Sapindus emarginatus, yials this product. The capsules contain black seeds, which have a singular sweetish-bitter taste, and a smell not unlike that of an over-ripe mango. They form, when bruised and agitated in water, a kind of sud, like that of common soap, which is exten sively used by the natives of India for washing the hair of their head, and by washermen for cleaning silks. Soap-nut and sikaya are exten sively used as detergents. They have all the cleansing properties of soap, and form a thick lather with water. They owe this property to the presence of a peculiar principle, which has been termed Saporinue or Esculic acid, and which can be separated from the seeds by alcohol. The black nut is capable of receiving a high polish and is much employed for makino- beads. As a abstitute for soap, these two subst7ances inight become of value. They are exceedingly abundant and cheap. The pounded seeds are said to be a valuable remedy for epileptic paroxysms and other diseases. Soap-nuts are procurable in most bazars.
Soap-nut oil.
Rithay-ka-tel, . . HIND. Poongum kai yennai, Tam. Poovandaykotte-yennai,T. Kooncoodi nunay, . TEL.
The pale-yellow semi-solid oil is used medicinally by the natives, and is extracted from the kernel of the soap-nut. Its cost prevents its general use. The soap-nut tree grows all over the East Indies.
Soap bark of Chili, from the Quillaja saponaria, used for dressing silk and wool. Chemical science has not yet discovered any equally efficient substi tute for this bark, and it has accordingly come into large demand both in France and England.-1V. /c.; Useful Plants; M. E. J. ie.; Sinanond.g; Smith.