588

ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MEDICA.

appearance as those of wlieaten starch: they do not exceed ’00098 of aninch in size.

Chemical Characteristics. —Iodine forms the blue iodide of starchwhen added to the cold decoction of barley. Decoction of whole barleyhas an acrid bitter taste, which it derives from the husk.

Physiological Effects. —The husk of barley is slightly acrid andlaxative. Deprived of this (as in Scotch and pearl barley) the seeds arehighly nutritious. Barley bread ( panis hordeaceus) is said to be more diffi-cult of digestion than wheaten bread. The aqueous decoction of Scotchor pearl barley is emollient, demulcent, and easy of digestion. Whenused in soup, Count Rumford regards barley-meal as being three or fourtimes as nutritious as wheat-flour.

Uses.- —Barley water is employed as a demulcent and emollient drinkin febrile disorders, pulmonic inflammation, and irritation of the ali-mentary canal, whether produced by acrid poisons or other causes.

Administration. —Scotch and pearl barley are used in medicine-Count Rumford ( Essay on Feeding the Poor , p. 291,1800) says, the entiregrains of barley may be used in broths with equal advantage.

1. Decoctum Hordei, Ph . L. Aqua hordeata-, barley water. —'Barley [pearl barley], Siiss; water,Oivss. First wash away, with water,the foreign matters adhering to the barley seeds ; then, half a pint of thewater being poured on them, boil the seeds a little while. This waterbeing thrown away, pour the remainder of the water, first made hot, onthem, and boil down to two pints, and strain, Ph . L. The processes ofthe Edinburgh and Dublin Pharmacopoeias are not essentially different.

This is a valuable drink for the invalid in febrile cases and inflamma-tory disorders, especially of the chest, bowels, and urinary organs. 1*is usually flavoured with sugar, and frequently with some sliceslemon. It is a constituent of the Enema Aloes, L., Enema Terebinthirue,and Decoctum Hordei com.positum, L.

2. Decoctum Hordei compositum, Ph . L. & D.—Decoctionbarley, Oij. [Oiv.] ; figs sliced, Siiss. [Sij .]; liquorice [root] sliced aimbruised, 5v. [Sss.]; raisins [stoned], Siiss. water, Oj. Boil down t0two pints and strain (Land.) The quantities, &c. within brackets are thosedirected by the Dublin College: no water is ordered by the latter. Thisdecoction is emollient, demulcent, and slightly aperient. It is employeein the same cases as the simple decoction.

1. Maltum. Malt .—This is barley made to germinate by moisture and warmth,®afterwards dried, by which the vitality of the seed is destroyed. When scorchedcalled high-dried malt. During the process the quantity of sugar in the seed isincrea ^Wort (decoctum seu infusum malti) is nutritious, and has been used as an antiscorbutic ^tonic. Macbride {Hist. Account of a new Method of Treat. Scurvy, 1767) rccommen^

it in scurvy; but it is apt to increase the diarrhoea. As a tonic it has been us .scrofulous affections, purulent discharges, as from the kidneys, lungs, &c. and mmonarv consumption (Rush, Med. Obsero. Sf Inq. iv. 367). The decoction is P r ? a ;]y.

by boiling three ounces of malt in a quart of water. This quantity may be taken ' n( J

2. Cerevisia . Malt liquor; beer and ale .—A fermented decoction of nia . ^hops. It is a refreshing and nutritive beverage. Taken to excess it is intoxic

It should be avoided, or at least used with great caution by the dyspeptic, F, eS y,disposed to lithic acid deposits, by plethoric persons having a tendency to a P°P ra | to&c. For medicinal purposes bottled porter or stout (cerevisia lagenaria) is in g e * rt t j,ebe preferred. It is used as a restorative in the latter stage of fever, and to supppowers of the system after surgical operations, severe accidents, &c. e0 ar ate *

3. Cerevisiaj Fermentum, Ph . L. D. Yeast, barm, or zumin. Yeast s i