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ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MEDICA.

with other odorous substances, is employed in smelling-bottles and vinai-grettes. The vapour is inhaled to relieve fainting and headache; andis sometimes employed for correcting unpleasant odours, which it does,not by destroying but by covering them.

2. Pharmaceutical. —Vinegar or acetic acid is employed for ex-tracting the virtues of various medicinal substances, as squills, colchicum,and cantharides: the solutions are called medicated vinegars ( acetica ),or, by the French pharmacologists, oxeoles. A small quantity of spirit isusually added to them for the purpose of preventing the decomposition ofthe vinegar, and, in consequence of this, a small portion of acetic etheris generated. The preparations into the composition of which aceticacid and honey enter, are called oxymels, or the acid mellites. Aceticacid is employed also in the manufacture of the salts called acetates.Lastly, it is a powerful solvent of the gum-resins, and is used, on thisaccount, in the preparation of the emplastrum ammoniaci.

Administration. —Vinegar is given internally in doses of from atea-spoonful to half an ounce : used as a clyster, the quantity is one ortwo fluidounces. A refrigerant drink in fevers is made by adding one ortwo ounces of vinegar to a quart of water.

The aromatic vinegar (acetum aromaticum) of the shops is a solutionof camphor and of the oils of cloves, lavender, and rosemary, in con-centrated acetic acid. On the addition of water, part of the camphor isprecipitated. It is made in imitation of Henry's aromatic vinegar. Inthe Edinburgh and Dublin Pharmacopoeias is an oflicinal substitute forthe latter preparation : it is called acidum aceticum camphoratum. It isprepared by dissolving half an ounce of camphor (pulverized by meansof a few drops of alcohol) in six fluidounces of acetic acid. These pre-parations are only used as errliines.

In the Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia is a very useless preparation calledacidum aceticum aromaticum , made by digesting dried rosemary tops,dried sage leaves, dried lavender flowers, and cloves, in distilled vinegar.It is an imitation of the celebrated Thieves or Marseilles vinegar (acetumquatuor furum), once supposed to be a prophylactic against the plagueand other contagious diseases.

As the medicinal value of oxymel (oxymel simplex) depends principallyon the vinegar which it contains, it is best noticed here. In the LondonPharmacopoeia this compound is directed^to be prepared by mixing apint and a half of acetic acid (Ph. L.) withiwe pounds of honey made hot.

This preparation has been reputed detergent, and, in consequence, hasbeen employed in gargles. It is commonly esteemed expectorant,and as such is used in slight colds. Diffused through barley water, itforms a refrigerant and agreeable drink in febrile and inflammatorycomplaints. It is frequently used as a vehicle for other medicines.The dose of it is usually two or three spoonfuls.

Antidotes. —In cases of poisoning by strong acetic acid, the treat-ment should be that recommended for poisoning by hydrochloric andsulphuric acids.

Creasdton. — Cre’asote.

History. —This substance was discovered a few years since by Rei-chenbach, who termed it creasote {from uptag, flesh; and aii’Cto, I preserve)or the flesh-preserver, on account of its antiseptic property. Its name issometimes written Creosote or Kreosote. In the London Pharmacopoeia