Some commonly used Indian herbs such as shikakai and reetha, which go into making soap, and many kinds of oilseeds contain saponins and tannins, substances that make for lathery .
Last week the baffled research staff performed a thorough autopsy on the sullen bar, came up from its powdered remains still baffled but with a lathery explanation: "Floating soap .
Next week a frustrated soap-opera character will have the dubious distinction of turning up in two lathery melodramas at the same time.