826

ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MEDICA.

They

Uses. —Lavender flowers are sometimes employed as errhines.enter into tlie composition of the pulvis asari compositus, D- (p- , efThe following are the officinal preparations, with their uses, of l aveflowers:— ^

1. Oleum Lavandulae, L. E. D.; Oleum Lavandula verm: Lw {()Oil of Lavender, offic.— (Prepared by submitting lavender tl°" el ^ eC]1distillation with water). Its physical and chemical properties havealready described. It is stimulant and stomachic, and is some ^ ggiven in hysteria and headache ; but is more commonly employed^perfume for scenting evaporating lotions, ointments, liniments, & c -gtt. ij. to gtt. v.

ib. ij sS ;

2. HPIRIITUS Li a VA ni i ulje , I,, jtA u. — [ r resn I.avender,^'- » f[lb. ij. D.] ; Rectified [Proof, T).] Spirit, Cony.]. ; [Water, Oij- , f olX tficient to prevent empyreuma, D.] Mix them [macerate for twenty - ahours, D .] ; then, with a slow fire, [the heat of a vapour bath, E-]gallon [seven pints, E. five pints, Z).] distil). The dried flowerssubstituted for the fresh ones. Druggists frequently prepare thispound by dissolving a few drops of oil of lavender in a fluidounce ot ^tified spirit. Employed only in the preparation of the Linirnentwnphoree compositum (p. 798) and the Tinctura Lavandulce composite-

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The fragrant perfume sold in the shops, under the name of Lavender Water , 1 ar elution of the oil of lavender and of other odoriferous substances in spirit. TJWj t |,evarious formula- for its preparation, scarcely two manufacturers adopting P reC,se Qjl <>fsame one. The following yields a most excellent product :—Oil of Lavenderi ofBergamot, aa. fsiij; Otto of Roses, Oil of Cloves, aa. gtt. vj.; Musk, gr. U-E, t j]ledRosemary, f3j.; Honey, Jj.; Benzoic Acid, 3ij. ; Rectified Spirit , Oj.i l& fj]te r -Water, 3iij. Mix, and, after standing a sufficient time (the longer the better), . i)C i-This agreeable perfume may be employed for scenting spirit washes, &c. but is Ppally consumed for the toilette.

3. Tinctura Lavandui.je com posit a, L.; Spiritus Lavandulm c °^ 0 {situs, E. D.: Lavender Drops or Red Lavender Drops, offic.—wP’^gs.Lavender, Oiss. [Oij. & f5vij. E. Oiij. Z).] ; Spirit of Rosemar} - ’[fSxvj. E. Oj. Z)] ; Cinnamon , bruised, jijss. [3j. E. 3ss. D.] ; j e rs,bruised, gijss. [3ss. E. D.] ; [Cloves , 5ij. E. Z).]; Red Sandal [S al ' n vell ,offic.] Wood, raspings,3v. [3iij. E. 5j. Z).] Macerate for fourteen l® eE. ten, Z).] days, and filter [through calico, E.] Stimulant, cordi astomachic. Employed to relieve gastric uneasiness, flatulence, low s Pj j0J j-languor, faintness, &c. A favourite remedy with hysterical and hyP° c 0 udriacal persons. Dose, from f5ss. to f 3 ij. administered in water 0sugar. The red Saunders’ wood is merely a colouring ingredient.

Men tha vir idis, Linn. L. E. D.— Spearmint.

Sex t Syst. Didynamia, Gymnospermia.

(Herba, !>.—Herb, E.)

History. Hippocrates employed in medicine a plant which heMi ’vdr) (p. 359, &c. ed. Pass.); but it is uncertain what particular s P e p e Jhe referred to. On account of its agreeable odour it was also car'Rhvoapov (from ijCvc, sweet; and oaf), smell), a name by which DiosC° r * ,(lib. iii. cap. 41) designates it. Strabo tells us that Minthe was a c °” t ,bine of Pluto, and that she was changed by Proserpine into a P 1