PURGING FLAX.

1255

°bhei/ff INA ^ int ’ linseed Meal. —(The meal of the seeds deprived

fati 0n x . e ^ °il by expression, E.) Emollient. Employed in the prepa-tle linseed-meat 'poultice. It is a constituent ofth e pulvis pro|iji See( j already (p. 590) noticed.—The farina of the unpressed

its n i„„ I s to be preferred to the powder of linseed-cake, on account of4 ^‘eous quality.

HiUtl , ATai ' la sma Lint, L.—(Boiling Water , Oj.; Linseed, powdered, asv alliabl ma ^ su ® c * ent t0 ma be b of a proper consistence. Mix).

emollient poultice.

<Sp * T °? Y - •— First mentioned by Thalius in the sixteenth century',. re «Rcl. FI; r. t T> - TT _7. : J

Li’num cathar’ticum, Linn. E.— Purging Flax.

Sex. Syst. Pentandria, Pentagynia.

(Herb, E.)

—*' lrsl mentioned IiioTA ’ Herb. i. 35).

»SV. (? Y ‘ Gen. Char. —See Linum usitatissimum .

—Smooth, erect. Leaves opposite, obovatc-lanceolate. Stem

, 4w hol r°' ls a>- c.)

tfof e • Stem slender, two to six inches high. Flowers droopingl{ 4lj *P a nsion, white, small.

Dfisc ^ n<b K cll ous; pastures ; common.a 4s n v IPti on. —Purging flax ( herba lint cathartici) is odourless, butC 0 qp ry bitter taste.

am unacquainted with any analysis of this plant.

Pq Y y lts Purgative principle is bitter extractive.

°ti c . , Logical Effects and Uses.— Cathartic a_

ut somewhat uncertain in its operation. Formerly used in rheu-‘Vusion f OW utmost obsolete. Dose, 5j. of the dried plant; or an0 a bandful of the fresh plant may be employed.

°Rd E r 73. Caryophylla'cevE.—The Chickweed Tribe.

6

P

Caryophylle^b, Jussieu; Decandolle.

ar Uahacter .—Calyx generally persistent,' of four or oftener five sepals,® c, itate > e , cont ’ nu ous with the pedicel, and either free or coherent into a four- or five-" 0 He) i,,„ Ube ’ Rubricate in aestivation. Petals as many as the sepals (very rarelya hei-iiate ^ ■ 011 t * le torus , which is more or less elevated on a pedicel (anthophorus),

senW th l 8e P als * unguiculate, having the fauces sometimes crowned with, tor as Ca y(' s ‘ Stamens as many as, or double the number of, the petals, inserted int4, °-cel| e 'j * laments subulate, sometimes submonadelphous at the base. Anthersv r °"'iicd O var V simple, two- to five-valved, inserted at the apex of the torus, and® s e, flehi ^- ai1 e< l ua l number of styles. Capsule of two to five valves, united at thepPta prot SCI p^ at tbe a P ex , generally one-celled, sometimes two- to five-celled.**t centa rui U1 R from the middle of the valves,incomplete or continuous to the axis.ee °Us, g en Cen }f a b Seeds numerous (very seldom few or definite) ; albumen farina-Ce .Utral a n V a ^ , cent ral; embryo usually pcripherical, more or less incurved (seldom> onnn- stra b r ht); radicle directed towards the hilum.— Herbs or under-shrubs,t' J, ' ER Ti E “ S ^ ! T) entire leaves. Stems jointed (D. C.)

Iv >ty. • -Remarkable, for the most part, for their insipidity and consequent inac-