September, 1891. Sir : I have the honor of presenting for publication the accompanying paper on the history, distribution, and uses of Ilex cassine, commonly called youpon, a shrub belonging to the southern and southeastern parts of the United States. Dr. E. M. Hale, the author, has made a thorough examination of the scattered information which is to be found on the subject. In my opinion it is well to publish this paper, in order to perpetuate in a concise form the recorded facts concerning the

Several years ago, when reading that delightful narrative, by the younger Bartram, relating to his travels in Florida, I was much interested in his mention of the Ilex cassine, and the decoction made from it, called the “black drink,” in use among the Creeks and other aborigines of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. My curiosity led me to investigate the subject, and I was surprised to find so little written about it. I have consulted all the works in which there are any allusions to the Ilex cassine

Before tracing the history of the cassine from the earliest historic period down to the present, a few botanical notes relating to the genus Ilex are appropriate. According to Bentham and Hooker in their “Genera Plantarum,” this genus contains about 145 species, mostly natives of Central and South America, but some belonging to the southern portions of North America; others to the central and tropical parts of the Eastern Hemisphere; and a few to Africa and Australia. [2] The question whether an

I have been at some pains to ascertain the correct etymology of these names. Dr. Albert S. Gatschet, of the Bureau of Ethnology, at Washington, D. C., one of the best authorities, writes me as follows: According to Lawson there are two or three sorts of youpon. The Indians of South Carolina call it “cassina.” It grows on sand banks and islands near the sea. (Used by the North Carolina Indians for tea.) It is written cassena . From Mutter it would appear that the cassine are chiefly African plant

ANALYSIS OF THE LEAVES OF ILEX CASSINE. I quote the following from a paper by F. P. Venable, PH.D. , University of North Carolina: Having on hand a small sample of the leaves procured from New Berue during the winter of 1883, it seemed desirable to make an examination of them, to decide, if possible, the presence of any alkaloid or other principle which would make the decoction useful as a beverage. The usual treatment with magnesium oxide, exhaustion with water, separation by means of chlorofor

All of the hollies possess decided physiological action on the human system. Ilex opaca once had a large reputation in Europe and England in rheumatism, gout, cutaneous diseases, and intermittent fever. The young leaves and branches, in France, are fed to cattle, and said to increase the quantity and quality of the milk of cows. Griffith (Medical Botany, 1847) writes of the cassine : Another native species, the I. vomitoria , of Aiton, appears to be endowed with still more powerful properties. T

The leaves and young tender branches were carefully picked. The fresh cassine was gathered at the time of harvest or maturity of the fruits, which was their New Year. The New Year began with the “busk,” which was celebrated in July or August, “at the beginning of the first new moon in which their corn became full eared,” says Adair. The leaves were dried in the sun or shade and afterwards roasted. The process seems to have been similar to that adopted for tea and coffee. The roasting was done in

The early history of the use of Ilex cassine as a beverage is lost in the darkness of prehistoric ages. Probably the same can be said of tea, coffee, maté, and cocoa. But it is a singular fact that while all the latter beverages still continue to be used in the countries where they are indigenous, as well as all over the world, the use of cassine is nearly extinct, as it is now only used occasionally in certain important religious ceremonies by the remnants of the Creek Indians, and will disappe