GLYCYRRHIZA (glabra). Liquorice. History. A perennial plant, a native of the south of Europe, but extensively cultivated in England. Liquorice root is dug up for use in November, when the plant is three years old.

Qualities. It has a sweetish mucilaginous taste, without any odor. Water is a more complete solvent of it than alcohol.

Medical properties. A mild demulcent; its extract is a well known remedy for common colds. Dose 3fs to 3j.

GRANATI CORTEX. See Punica. GRATIOLA (officinalis). Hedge hyssop. History. This plant is perennial, and a native of the south of Europe. It is cultivated in Britain, and gathered for use in July during its flowering.

Qualities. It has no smell, but its taste is exceedingly nauseous and bitter. Water is a better menstruum for it than alcohol.

Medical properties. Drastic purgative, and emetic. Hufeland in a work on scrofula, recommends its use in glandular and visceral affections. Dose 9s to 9j.

GUAIACUM (officinale). Guaiac. History. This tree is a native of some of the West India Islands. The wood, and the resin exuding from it, are the parts used.

Qualities. The taste of the wood is rather bitter; it is without odor; it is of a brownishyellow color externally, but is internally rather green. The resin, or what is commonly called guaiac, has a greenish color exteriorly, and breaks with a fracture of mixed colors, and vitreous it has a fragrant smell without much taste. Alcohol is its best solvent.

Medical properties. Stimulant, and diaphoretic. It has been much used in rheumatic and syphilitic affections. Dose fs to 3.

HEMATOXYLON (campechianum). Logwood. History. A native of South America, now very common in Jamaica: it flowers in March and April.

Qualities. Without smell, but having a sweetish, sub-astringent taste. It is possessed of a deep red-color, which it yields both to water and to alcohol.

Medical properties. Slightly astringent and tonic. Dose 9j to 3j.

HELLEBORUS (niger). Black hellebore, (fetidus) fetid hellebore.

History. The black hellebore was formerly called melampodium. It is a native of Austria and the Appennines, and has been cultivated in our gardens under the name of the Christmas rose. The fetid hellebore is an indigenous plant, common under hedges and in shady places.

Qualities. The fibres of black hellebore roots are about the thickness of a straw, externally black, and of a yellowish-white within. Their smell is disagreeable and taste acrid. Their properties are given out both to water and alcohol. The smell of the fetid hellebore, as its name indicates, is disagreeable also, and taste exceedingly acrid. It is the leaf of this plant that is employed.

Medical properties. Black hellebore is a drastic purgative; it has been used as an hydragogue, and emmenagogue. Formerly it was

much employed in maniacal and melancholic affections. The fetid hellebore is principally thought of as an anthelmintic. Dose s to 3. HERACLEUM (gummiferum). Ammoniac.

History. The plant which yields the gum ammoniac, is a native of the East Indies, and Africa. There seems to be some uncertainty with respect to its precise character. The juice which exudes spontaneously, or is occasioned to flow by incisions, hardens into a gum which is ammoniac.

Qualities. The taste of ammoniac is a bittersweet; its smell is faint, but not unpleasant; it is diffusible through water, which is its best medium for administration. The small masses of which it is composed are yellow exteriorly, but whitish when broken into.

Medical properties. Expectorant, and deobstruent. In large doses purgative and diuretic; as it is stimulating it ought, in general, to be avoided in those affections of the chest, which are attended by active inflammation. Dose s to 3fs.

HIRUDO (medicinalis). Medicinal leech.

History. The species of leech used in medicine is brought principally to the London market from Norfolk; several other counties also supply the markets, and many are imported from France and Portugal. They are collected in spring and autumn.

Qualities. The body of the medicinal leech is about three inches long, tapering towards the head, composed of rings, and capable of being very much lengthened and contracted. The color of the back is dark olive.' The belly is pale olive; those imported from the continent differ from English leeches in having the belly of one uniform color.' The horse leech differs from the medicinal, in being entirely brown, or only marked with a marginal yellow line. The horse leech is said to cause more pain and irritation in drawing, and is therefore not in much use, excepting during a scarcity of the other species. Medical properties and uses of the leech are well known.

HORDEUM (distichon). Barley.

History. Barley has been said to be originally a native of Tartary. It is an annual plant, and extensively cultivated.

Qualities. When the husk of the barley is ground off, the pearl barley, as it is called, appears in the form of small white grains, which are without any odor, and of a slightly sweetish

taste.

Medical properties. Demulcent and nutrient. Ad libitum.

HUMULUS (lupulus). Hop.

History. Hop is a perennial climbing plant. It is indigenous. The follicles of the plant are gathered about the middle of September; it is these which are used.

Qualities. Hops have a fragrant odor, rather narcotic, their taste is bitter, aromatic, and astringent.

Medical properties. Narcotic and anodyne. A pillow of hops is often employed to ease the pain of rheumatic and nervous head-ache. Dr. Thomson, and others, are doubtful of its medicinal virtues. 9s to 3.

HYDRARGYRUM. Mercury, quicksilver. History. Mercury is found in several parts both of the north, and south of Europe, and on the western continent. It is found in its metallic state, combined with sulphur, and oxidised. Qualities. Mercury when pure and uncombined is without smell or taste; it is of a white color, and always in a state of semifluidity (running) at the common temperature of the atmosphere.

Medical properties. Mercury in its metallic state possesses no medicinal action, excepting that which may be connected with its mechanical properties. We have seen it check stercoraceous vomiting in a case of supposed intus-susception, but its modus operandi is not very evident. In pharmaceutical combination, it is most extensively employed. Dose 3ij to živ.

HYOSCYAMUS (niger). Henbane.

History. An indigenous and annual plant, which grows abundantly in Britain, by the road side, and flowers in July.

Qualities. Its smell is strong and narcotic; its taste somewhat mucilaginous with a slight degree of acrimony, which qualities are lost considerably by drying. The virtues of henbane are partly extracted by water, but completely by diluted alcohol.

Medical properties. Narcotic. It is used in place of opium, in cases when circumstances forbid the use of the latter. Dose grs. v. to 9. HYSSOPUS (officinalis). Hyssop.

History. A perennial plant, growing wild in some parts of Germany; cultivated in our gardens, and flowering from June to September. Qualities. Hyssop leaves have an aromatic smell, and rather a pungent taste. The essential oil on which their qualities depend, rises with water and alcohol.

Medical properties. Stimulant, and tonic, and expectorant; but not much thought of or employed. Dose aj to 3j.

INULA (helenium). Elecampane. History. Indigenous and perennial, growing in rich moist pastures, and flowering in July and August. It is cultivated in our gardens. The root is the part employed.

Qualities. An aromatic smell slightly foetid, with a glutinous, saponaceous, and alternately aromatic bitter taste. Its virtues are extracted by water, and more completely by alcohol.

Medical properties. Deobstruent and expectorant, by some considered tonic. Dose 9j to 3j.

IRIS (florentina). Florentine iris.

History. Grows wild in some parts of the south of Europe, but cultivated in our gardens and flowers in May and June. The root is the part employed, which is principally imported from Leghorn.

Qualities. Taste acrid, and somewhat bitter: when dried, it gives out an agreeable violet odor. Medical properties. Iris root when fresh is cathartic; the dry root is nearly inert. It is principally employed as a perfume.

JUNIPERUS (sabina). Savine, the leaf: (communis) common juniper, the berry.

History. Savine is an evergreen, from the Levant, but cultivated in our gardens; it flowers

in May and June. Juniper is indigenous growing on heaths and flowering in May.

Qualities. Savine leaf has a strong smell, and a bitter hot taste; its qualities are given both to water and alcohol, as is the juniper which has a bitter taste.

Medical properties. Savine is diaphoretic, anthelmintic, and emmenagogue; perhaps possessing more directly the last mentioned influence than most other substances to which the quality is ascribed. Externally it is applied to warts, &c. The juniper berries are diuretic and cordial: although the berry is principally employed, all parts of the plant possess diuretic qualities. Dose 9 to 3.

KINO. See Pterocarpus.

KRAMERIA (triandria). Ratanhy root. History. A native of Peru, flowering principally in October and November. It is the root and the bark of it that are employed.

Qualities. The taste is bitter and astringent, particularly the bark and external parts: its properties are yielded to boiling water. Its coloring part is especially extracted by alcohol. Medical properties. Powerfully astringent and stomachic. Externally applied it is styptic. Dose 9s to j

LACTUCA (virosa). (Sativa) garden lettuce.

Strong-scented lettuce.

History. The strong-scented lettuce, is an indigenous and biennial plant, which grows on banks and among rubbish, and flowers in July and August. The common lettuce is cultivated to a great extent in our gardens.

Qualities. The odor of the strong-scented lettuce is narcotic, its taste bitter. The lactuarium which exudes from the garden lettuce when it is cut has likewise a narcotic smell, somewhat like opium.

Medical properties. Lactuarium is narcotic, as is also the expressed juice of the strong scented lettuce. Dose grs. v. LAURUS. (Cinnamomum) cinnamon tree. (Cassia) cassia tree. (Camphora) camphor. (Nobilis) laurel. (Sassafras) sassafras.

History. The cinnamon tree is a native of Ceylon, but is at present propagated in other parts of the East, and even of the West Indies. The honey cinnamon, the snake cinnamon, the camphor cinnamon, and the cahatte or the bitter astringent cinnamon, are the only four species, from a great many others, the bark of which is officially procured.

The cassia tree is very similar to the cinnamon; its bark is imported principally from China. Both the buds and the bark of this tree are employed.

The species of laurel which yields camphor is a native of Japan, and of North America, but the greater part of the camphor of commerce, comes, as we have already stated, from Dr. Thomson, from the Dryobalanops (which see). When procured from the laurus camphora it is obtained by distillation.

The bay tree is a native of the south of Europe, but is cultivated with us. The leaves and the berries are the parts used.

The sassafras comes originally from the southern parts of North America; it is cultivat

ed for use in Jamaica, and is reared even in our gardens as an ornamental shrub. It flowers in May and June. Qualities. Cinnamon has a very pleasant smell, and a taste slightly pungent; the last kind is exceedingly thin, and of a light yellow color. Cassia has a fainter odor than cinnamon, and a more pungent taste; it is much thicker than cinnamon, and breaks shorter. Cassia buds more resemble the cinnamon in taste and smell. Cassia and cinnamon yield an essential oil by distillation. Camphor has a peculiar and very penetrating smell, and an unctuous feel. Water suspends, but does not dissolve it; but alcohol, ether, and oils dissolve it. The bay leaves and berries have an aromatic astringent taste. They yield prussic acid by distillation. Sassafras wood, and bark, and root, have a sweetish, aromatic taste, and a somewhat fragrant smell. Water extracts the virtues of sassafras partially, alcohol completely.

Medical properties. Cinnamon is astringent and cordial, and the cassia possesses the same qualities. Camphor is sedative and narcotic; in the first instance, and under some circumstances, slightly stimulant and cordial. The leaves and berries of the bay are narcotic. Dr. Thomson tells us that he has lately employed an infusion of them in impetiginous affections of the surface. Sassafras is stimulating, diaphoretic, and diuretic. Its virtues are, however, somewhat uncertain. Dose of cinnamon grs. v. to 9j; of camphor grs. v. to 3fs; of the bay gr. i. to 33; sassafras j to 3j.

LAVANDULA (spica). Lavender.

History. Lavender is a native of the south of Europe, but cultivated with us, and flowering from Midsummer to Autumn. The flowers are cut when they begin to blow.

Qualities. The odor of the lavender is agreeable, and the taste pungent and bitterish. Alcohol extracts its virtues completely; the oil is obtained by distillation with water.

Medical properties. Stimulant. The oil, however, of lavender is very little used, excepting in composition. Dose ǝj to 3j.

LEONTODON (taraxacum). Dandelion. History. A common perennial plant, flowering from April to the latter end of August. The whole of the plant is employed.

Qualities. Dandelion has a bitter taste; it is without much smell. Its virtues are imparted to water more freely than to alcohol.

Medical properties. Diuretic, deobstruent, and slightly aperient. It is not perhaps, in this country, appreciated equal to its merits. We have found it exceedingly serviceable in indolent affections of the liver. Dose 313 to 3j.

LICHEN (islandicus). Lichen. Iceland moss. History. This species of lichen is very common in Iceland and in the northern parts of Germany; it grows upon heathy lands and upon

stones.

Qualities. The taste of Iceland moss is mucilaginous and bitter; its bitterness is yielded to water; and, by boiling, its mucilaginous part is extracted.

Medical properties. Demulcent and tonic. It has been much employed in phthisical affections. Dose 3j to 3ij.

The lichen orcella. Orchel, or litmus, or turnsole, which yields the argol of commerce, scarcely deserves to be considered as an article of the materia medica.

LINUM (usitatissimum) (Catharticum) purging flax.

common fax.

History. This plant is supposed to have originally come from those parts of Egypt which are inundated annually by the rising of the Nile; it now grows wild in England, and is ertensively cultivated. It flowers in July. Most part of the linseed used in commerce comes from the Baltic. The purging flax is an annual indigenous plant which grows in dry meadows, and flowers from June to August.

Qualities. The seeds of the common flax (linseed) are oily, and sweetish to the taste; they are without smell, and of a brown shining color. The purging flax possesses a bitter subacrid taste, and is almost without any odor. Water extracts its virtue.

Medical properties. Linseed is emollient and demulcent. Externally, the powder of it is used much in poultices. The purging flax is, as its name implies, cathartic; but it is at present very little appreciated or employed.

LYTHRUM (salicaria). Loosestrife.

History. An indigenous annual plant, grow ing principally in moist meadows; it flowers from July till September.

Qualities. It is without olor when dried, and has a slightly astringent taste. It yields its virtue to water.

Medical properties. Astringent. Not much employed in this country. Dose 3j. MAGNESIA. See PHARMACY, and CHEMISTRY.

MALVA (sylvestris). Common inallow.

History. A perennial plant, very common in this country; it grows on waste grounds, by the way side, and among rubbish. It flowers from May to August.

Qualities. Mucilaginous to the taste, and without much smell. Its mucilaginous part, which is its principal one, is given to water.

Medical properties. Demulcent and emollient. Used principally in enemata.

MANGANESIUM. Manganese.

History. A grayish-white brilliant metal, which is principally found native, in a state of black oxide; this oxide is met with abundantly in Devonshire and Cornwall, and at Howth in Ireland.

Qualities. The black oxide of manganese is often crystallised, and then it has a shining appearance; when it is amorphous it is without this appearance. Chlorine is evolved from it by mixing it with muriatic acid.

Medical properties. Only used for evolving oxygen, and diffusing chlorine in rooms, hospi tals, &c., in the way of fumigation. MANNA. See Fraxinus.

MARRUBIUM (vulgare). Horehound. History. An indigenous perennial plant, grow ing wild on road sides and waste grounds, and flowering in July.

Qualities. Taste bitter; odor aromatic, which odor is a good deal dissipated by drying. The virtues of the plant are given both to water and

to alcohol.

sufficiently appreciated. It has been much employed in obstinate hiccup. Dose, grs. v. to 9j. MYRISTICA (moschata). Nutmeg.

History. The substance called nutmeg is the produce of a tree which grows in the Molucca Islands. The spice called mace is the involucrum of the nut.

Qualities. The nut has a fragrant odor and an aromatic taste. Its virtues are imparted to alcohol and ether. Mace is more pungent and bitter than the nutmeg itself.

Medical properties. Carminative, and in large doses narcotic. Dose grs. v. to ǝj.

MYROXYLON (peruiferum). Peruvian balsam. History. The tree which yields the Peruvian balsam grows in the warmest parts of South America. It is called quinquin by the natives. The balsam which exudes after incisions are made in the wood is called white liquid balsam; that which is principally employed in commerce is procured by boiling the twigs of the

tree in water.

Qualities. Balsam of Peru has a fragrant odor, and a warm bitterish taste. Ether and alcohol dissolve it, the latter less readily.

Medical properties. Stimulant, tonic, and in some degree expectorant. It is used, as are some of the other balsams, in chronic discharges from mucous membranes. Dose f. 3 to f. 3j. MYRRHA. Myrrh. A gum resin. History. It has not been hitherto ascertained from what tree myrrh is obtained. We receive it from the East Indies. It seems to be an exudation from the plant which produces it.

Qualities. Myrrh is in the form of tears, of a reddish yellow color. It has a fragrant peculiar odor and a pungent bitterish taste. It is but partially soluble in water, ether, and alcohol.

Medical properties. Stimulant and expectorant. It has been supposed to be especially excitative of the uterine system, and therefore administered as an emmenagogue. It forms, likewise, an ingredient in the compound iron mixture of the pharmacopoeia. Dose 9s to 3j.

MYRTUS (pimenta).

History. The pimento-tree is a native of the

West Indies and South America. It is the fruit of the tree which is medicinally used.

Qualities. Pimenta is aromatic to the taste and of an agreeable smell. It has been called all-spice, from its odor resembling the combination of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

Medical properties. An aromatic stimulant. But principally employed in medicine as an adjunct in composition. Dose grs. v. to Əj.

NICOTIANA (tabacum). Tobacco.

History. This is an annual plant; a native of America, but brought into Europe nearly 300 years ago. The leaves are the part of the plant employed.

Qualities. Taste fetid and bitter; the virtues of the plant reside in an essential oil. These virtues are imparted to water by infusion, and to alcohol.

Medical properties. Narcotic and violently purgative, diuretic, and emetic. Its principal use in medicine is as an enema in cases of bowel affection complicated with hernia. Dose, internally, gr. fs to grs. v.

OLEA (Europa). Olive oil.

History. The tree producing this oil is a native of the south of Europe and north of Africa. Its fruit is the olive, which is used at our tables in an unripe state, steeped in salt. The olive oil is procured by expression from the ripe fruit Qualities. Good olive oil is of a pale color; it is the lightest of the fixed oils; it will not combine with water, and is but partially soluble in alcohol.

Medical properties. Aperient and demulcent, and occasionally anthelmintic. Dose f. 3s to

f. 3j.

ONISCUS (asellus). Millepedes, or slaters. History. These insects are found on roofs of houses, and under stones in cold moist places, They are killed by the vapor of spirits, and are prepared for use by enclosing them in a canvas bag in the steam of heated alcohol.

Qualities. They have a fetid odor, and a nauseous, but sweetish, taste.

Medical properties. Supposed to be expectorant, and useful in pulmonary affections, but at present very little esteemed. OPIUM. See Papaver. OPOPONAX. See Pastinaca. ORIGANUM (vulgare). Common marjoram. (Marjorana). Sweet marjoram.

History. The common marjoram is indigenous and perennial. It grows on chalky soils, and flowers from July to September. The sweet marjoram is a native of Portugal, but is culti vated in our gardens. It also flowers from July to September.

Qualities. The common marjoram has a pungent taste, considerably like thyme. The sweet marjoram is bitterish and aromatic. The marjorams are treated by distillation, in order t procure their oil.

Medical properties. Tonic and emmenagogue, but not much employed. Dose grs. v. to j. OSTREA (edulus). Oyster, shell.

History. The oyster is a well-known fish which attaches itself generally to shelving rocks, but is placed artificially in beds near the seashore. The shells are the only parts used officinally.

Qualities. They are composed (the shells), of carbonate of lime and a membranous substance.

Medical properties. Antacid; but, as they do not differ from other lime, their retention is unnecessary. Dose 3i.

Ovis (aries). Sheep. (Fat of mutton). History. The sheep is a very well-known animal. It does not live at furthest beyond fourteen years. It delights in dry and warm pastures, and is subject to diseases when exposed to damp.

Qualities. Mutton fat, or suet, is not very dissimilar to other fat; it yields, however, oleic and margaritic acid.

Medical properties. Emollient. It is principally employed to give consistency to ointments and plasters.

OVUм. See Phasianus.

OXALIS (acetosella). Wood sorrel leaves. History. This small perennial plant grows wild in our woods and meadows; it flowers in April and May.

Qualities. Sorrel has a pleasant acidulous taste. and is without odor. The crystals ob