684 ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MED1CA.

and its acridity scarcely sufficient to enable it, when taken with food*

to irritate or inflame.

As a stomachic and internal stimulant it serves several important p ur 'poses. In enfeebled and relaxed habits, especially of old and gouty'individuals, it promotes digestion, and relieves flatulency and spasm otthe stomach and bowels. It checks or prevents nausea and griping*which are apt to be produced by some drastic purgatives. It coversthe nauseous flavour of many medicines, and communicates cordial andcarminative qualities to tonic and other agents. As a sialogogue it } ssometimes chewed to relieve toothache, relaxed uvula, and paralyticaffections of the tongue. As a counterirritant I have frequently knowna ginger plaster (prepared by mixing together powdered ginger andboiling water, and spreading the paste on paper or cloth) relieve violentheadache when applied to the forehead. .

Administration.— Powdered ginger may be administered, in doses otfrom ten grains to a scruple or more, in the form of pill. Made into *paste with hot water it maybe applied as a plaster as already mentioned-Infusion of ginger, commonly termed ginger tea, is a very useful d°'mestic carminative. It is prepared by digesting from 3ij. to 3iv. 0ginger in fjyj. of boiling water. The dose of it, when flavoured, is a table'spoonful. Ginger beer is a popular and agreeable beverage. The f°l'lowing is an excellent formula for its preparation:—

Take of White Sugar, lb. xx.; Lemon (or Lime) juice, fjxviij-’Honey, lb. j.; Ginger bruised, Sxxij.; Water cong . xviij. Boil the gh 1 ? 1in three gallons of water for half an hour ; then add the sugar, the j« ice ’and the honey-, with the remainder of the water, and strain through ‘cloth. When cold, add the White of one Egg and fjss. of Essence 01Lemons : after standing four days, bottle.” This yields a very su]»t‘ rl °‘beverage, and one which will keep for many months. Lemon juice 111 a -be purchased for sixpence a pint in Botolph Lane, Thames Street. i

Preserved ginger (Conditum Zingiberis indicum ), though commonly » seas a sweetmeat, may- be taken with advantage as a medicine to stim'd- 1 .the stomach. Ginger lozenges, ginger pearls, (commonly termed gi n 8 fseeds), and ginger pipe, are useful articles of confectionary, frequentof benefit in dyspepsia accompanied with flatulence. , e

1 . Tinctuba Zingiberis, L. E. D. — Ginger , sliced, [in ^

powder, E. D.] jijss.; Rectified Spirit , Oij. [wine measure, D.] “j la-cerate for fourteen [seven, D.] days, and strain,” L. D. “ Proceed ^percolation or digestion, as directed for tincture of cinchona.” Ed-very valuable carminative. It is commonly employed as an adjuncttonic, stimulant, and purgative mixtures. Its dose is f5j. or f3\j- 1tincture, made with proof spirit, becomes turbid by keeping in c ° nquence of the mucilage it contains. -,y

Essence of ginger is prepared as the tincture, except that the qu^U,of rhizome should be increased. Some preparers of it concentratetincture by distilling off part of the alcohol. .- s? .

2. Sfrupus Zingiberis, L. E. D.—Ginger , sliced, [bruised, D-l ‘ g .

[5iv. D.] ; Boiling water, Oj. [Oiij. wine measure, D.] ; Sugar, u>- ^[olxxxvij. D.\ “ Macerate the ginger in the water for four hours? ^

strain; then add the sugar, and dissolve it,” L. Used for fl avoU e0l iSIt is scarcely strong enough to be of much value. An extempo ra ” 0 nsyrup may be prepared by adding the tincture of ginger to coV iW