e g scrohulariaccae leguminosac and lolanaceae saponins can be extracted from various parts of saponin containing trees and plants including the fruit leaves roots bark and trunk saponin containing extracts can be obtained by crushing or pressing suitable portions of the tree or plant to yield a saponing containing juice the liquid may be subsequently purified to remove debris a saponin containing extract may also be obtained through solvent etraction using solvents such s methanol ethanol acetone ethylacetate chloroform hexane and dichloromethaine further leaves bark and other portions of the saponin containing materials may be ground and dried to obtain a suitable solid extract one preferred source of saponin containing extract is the tree yucca schidrigera the extract can be obtained by crushing or pressing the log of the yucca tree to yield a liquid which is referred to herein as u201c yucca juice u201d exemplary yuca schidigera extracts are available from berghuasen corporation cincinnati ohio as u201c yucca extract 61 u201d and from calgene chemical inc of des plains ill under the trade name u201c agro y 100 u201d the present invention operates to eradicate lice and their nits by a substantially different mechanism that that found in the prior art more specifically saponin acts as the active ingredient in the solution according to the present invention and with respect to hatched lice it acts on the cell protoplasm a liquid crystalline structure and changes it into a solid as a result holes are opened in the cell walls and the cell fluids.