The Botanist's Companion Part 15

258. RICINUS communis. PALMA CHRISTI. Seeds and Oil. L. E. D.--The oil, commonly called nut or castor oil, is got by expression, retains somewhat of the mawkishness and acrimony of the nut; but is, in general, a safe and mild laxative in cases where we wish to avoid irritation, as in those of colic, calculus, gonorrhoea, &c. and some likewise use it as a purgative in worm-cases. Half an ounce or an ounce commonly answers with an adult, and a dram or two with an infant. The castor oil which is imported is not so good as the expressed oil from the nut made in this country. The disagreeable taste is from the coats of the seeds; the best kind is pressed out after the seeds are decorticated.

259. ROSA centifolia. DAMASK ROSE. Petals. L. E. D.--In distillation with water, it yields a small portion of a butyraceous oil, whose flavour exactly resembles that of the roses. This oil, and the distilled water, are very useful and agreeable cordials. Hoffmann strongly recommends them as of singular efficacy for raising the strength, cheering and recruiting the spirits, and allaying pain; which they perform without raising any heat in the const.i.tution, rather abating it when inordinate. Although the damask rose is recommended by Dr.

Woodville, yet, having grown this article for sale, I find that the preference is always given to the Provence rose by those who distil them.

260. ROSA gallica. RED OFFICINAL ROSE. Petals. L. E. D.-This has very little of the fragrance of the foregoing sort; it is a mild and grateful astringent, especially before the flower has opened: this is considerably improved by hasty exsiccation, but both the astringency and colour are impaired by slow drying. In the shops are prepared a conserve and a tincture.

261. ROSA canina. DOG-ROSE. The Pulp of the Fruit. L. E.-The fruit, called heps or hips, has a sourish taste, and obtains a place in the London Pharmacopoeia in the form of a conserve: for this purpose, the seeds and chaffy fibres are to be carefully removed; for, if these p.r.i.c.kly fibres are not entirely sc.r.a.ped off from the internal surface of the hips, the conserve is liable to produce considerable irritation on the primae viae.

262. ROSMARINUS officinalis. ROSEMARY. Tops. L. E. D.--Rosemary has a fragrant smell and a warm pungent bitterish taste, approaching to those of lavender: the leaves and tender tops are strongest; next to these the cup of the flower; the flowers themselves are considerably the weakest, but most pleasant. Aqueous liquors extract great share of the virtues of rosemary leaves by infusion, and elevate them in distillation: along with the water arises a considerable quant.i.ty of essential oil, of an agreeable strong penetrating smell. Pure spirit extracts in great perfection the whole aromatic flavour of the rosemary, and elevates very little of it in distillation: hence the resinous ma.s.s left upon abstracting the spirit, proves an elegant aromatic, very rich in the peculiar qualities of the plant. The flowers of rosemary give over great part of their flavour in distillation with pure spirit; by watery liquors, their fragrance is much injured; by beating, destroyed.

263. RUBIA tinctorum. MADDER. Roots. L. E. D.--It has little or no smell; a sweetish taste, mixed with a little bitterness. The virtues attributed to it are those of a detergent and aperient; whence it has been usually ranked among the opening roots, and recommended in obstructions of the viscera, particularly of the kidneys, in coagulations of the blood from falls or bruises, in the jaundice, and beginning dropsies.

It is observable, that this root, taken internally, tinges the urine of a deep red colour; and in the Philosophical Transactions we have an account of its producing a like effect upon the bones of animals which had it mixed with their food: all the bones, particularly the more solid ones, were changed, both externally and internally, to a deep red, but neither the fleshy nor cartilaginous parts suffered any alteration: some of these bones macerated in water for many weeks together, and afterwards steeped and boiled in spirit of wine, lost none of their colour, nor communicated any tinge to the liquors.

264. RUMEX Acetosa. SORREL. Leaves. L.--These have an agreeable acid taste. They have the same medicinal qualities as the Oxalis Acetosella, and are employed for the same purposes.

Sorrel taken in considerable quant.i.ties, or used prepared for food, will be found of great advantage when a refrigerant and antis...o...b..tic regimen is required.--Woodville's Med. Bot.

265. RUTA graveolens. RUE. Leaves. L. E. D.--These are powerfully stimulating, attenuating, and detergent: and hence, in cold phlegmatic habits, they quicken the circulation, dissolve tenacious juices, open obstructions of the excretory glands, and promote the fluid secretions.

The writers on the Materia Medica in general have entertained a very high opinion of the virtues of this pant. Boerhaave is full of its praises; particularly of the essential oil, and the distilled water cohobated or redistilled several times from fresh parcels of the herb: after somewhat extravagantly commending other waters prepared in this manner, he adds, with regard to that of rue, that the greatest commendations he can bestow upon it fall short of its merit: "What medicine (says he) can be more efficacious for promoting perspiration, in cases of epilepsies, and for expelling poison?" Whatever service rue may be of generally, it undoubtedly has its use in the two last cases: the cohobated water, however, is not the most efficacious preparation.

266. SALIX fragilis. CRACK WILLOW. Bark. L. D.-The bark of the branches of this tree manifests a considerable degree of bitterness to the taste, and is also astringent; hence it has been thought a good subst.i.tute for the Peruvian bark, and, upon trial, was found to stop the paroxysms of intermittents: it is likewise recommended in other cases requiring tonic or astringent remedies. Not only the bark of this species of Salix, but that of several others, possess similar qualities, particularly of the Salix alba pentandria, and capraea, all of which are recommended in foreign Pharmacopoeias. But, in our opinion, the bark of the Salix triandria is more effectual than that of any other of this genus; at least, its sensible qualities give it a decided preference.--Woodville's Med Bot.

267. SALVIA officinalis. GREEN AND RED SAGE. Herb. E. D.--Its effects are, to moderately warm and strengthen the vessels; and hence, in cold phlegmatic habits, it excites appet.i.te, and proves serviceable in debilities of the nervous system.

The red sage, mixed with honey and vinegar, is used for a gargle in sore throats. Aqueous infusions of the leaves, with the addition of a little lemon juice, prove an useful diluting drink in febrile disorders, of an elegant colour, and sufficiently acceptable to the palate.

268. SAMBUCUS nigra. COMMON ELDER. Flowers and Berries. L. E. D.--The parts of the Sambucus which are proposed for medicinal use in the Pharmacopoeias, are the inner bark, the flowers, and the berries. The flowers have an agreeable flavour, which they give over in distillation with water, and impart by infusion, both to water and rectified spirit: on distilling a large quant.i.tiy of them with water, a small portion of a butyraceous essential oil separates. Infusions made from the fresh flowers are gently laxative and aperient; when dry, they are said to promote chiefly the cuticular excretion, and to be particularly serviceable in erysipetalous and eruptive disorders.--Woodville's Med.

Bot. 598.

269. SCILLA maritima. SQUILL. Root. L. E. D.--This root is to the taste very nauseous, intensely bitter and acrimonious; much handled, it exulcerates the skin. With regard to its medical virtues, it powerfully stimulates the solids, and attenuates viscid juices; and by these qualities promotes expectoration, urine, and perspiration: if the dose is considerable, it proves emetic, and sometimes purgative. The princ.i.p.al use of this medicine is where the primae viae abound with mucous matter, and the lungs are oppressed by tenacious phlegm.

270. SCROPHULARIA nodosa. KNOTTY FIGWORT. Herb. D.--The roots are of a white colour, full of little k.n.o.bs or protuberances on the surface: this appearance gained it formerly some repute against scrophulous disorders and the piles; and from hence it received its name: but modern pract.i.tioners expect no such virtues from it. It has a faint unpleasant smell, and a somewhat bitter disagreeable taste.

271. SINAPIS nigra. BLACK MUSTARD. Seeds. L. E. D.--By writers on the Materia Medica, mustard is considered to promote appet.i.te, a.s.sist digestion, attenuate viscid juices, and, by stimulating the fibres, to prove a general remedy in paralytic and rheumatic affections. Joined to its stimulant qualities, it frequently, if taken in considerable quant.i.ty, opens the body, and increases the urinary discharge; and hence has been found useful in dropsical complaints.--Woodville's Med. Bot. p.

404.

272. SINAPIS alba. WHITE MUSTARD. Seeds. L. E. D.--These have been recommended to be taken whole in cases of rheumatism and have been known to produce considerable relief.

273. SISYMBRIUM Nasturtium. WATER-CRESSES. Herb. E.-Hoffman recommends this as of singular efficacy for accelerating the circulation, strengthening the viscera, opening obstructions of the glands, promoting the fluid secretions, and purifying the blood and humours: for these purposes, the expressed juice, which contains the peculiar taste and pungency of the herb, may be taken in doses of an ounce or two, and continued for a considerable time.

274. SIUM nodiflorum. CREEPING WATER-PARSNEP. The Root. D.-This plant has not been admitted into the Materia Medica of any of the Pharmacopoeias which we have seen, except that of the London College, into which it was received in the character of an antis...o...b..tic, or rather as the corrector of acrid humours, especially when manifested by cutaneous eruptions and tumours in the lymphatic system, for which we have the testimony of Beirie and Ray; but the best proofs of its efficacy are the following given by Dr. Withering: "A young lady, six years old, was cured of an obstinate disease by taking three large spoonfuls of the juice twice-a-day; and I have repeatedly given to adults three or four ounces every morning in similar complaints with the greatest advantage. It is not nauseous; and children take it readily if mixed with milk. In the dose I have given, it neither affects the head, the stomach, nor the bowels." Woodville's Med. Bot. 146.

275. SMILAX Sarsaparilla. SARSAPARILLA. Root. L. E. D.--This root was first brought into Europe by the Spaniards, about the year 1565, with the character of a specific for the cure of the lues venerea, which made its appearance a little before that time, and likewise of several obstinate chronic disorders. Whatever good effects it might have produced in the warmer climates, it proved unsuccessful in this. It appears, however, from experience, that though greatly unequal to the character which it bore at first, it is in some cases of considerable use as a sudorific, where more acrid medicines are improper.

276. SOLANUM Dulcamara. BITTERSWEET. Stalk. L. D.--The taste of the twigs and roots, as the name of the plant expresses, is both bitter and sweet; the bitterness being first perceived, and the sweet afterwards.

They are commended for resolving coagulated blood, and as a cathartic, diuretic, and deobstruent.

277. SOLIDAGO Virga aurea. GOLDEN ROD. Flowers and Leaves. D.--The leaves have a moderately astringent bitter taste, and hence prove serviceable in debility and laxity of the viscera, and disorders proceeding from that cause.

278. SPARTIUM scoparium. BROOM. Tops and Seeds. L. D.-These have a nauseous bitter taste: decoctions of them loosen the belly, promote urine, and stand recommended in hydropic cases. The flowers are said to prove cathartic in decoction, and emetic in substance, though in some places, as Lobel informs us, they are commonly used, and in large quant.i.ty, in salads, without producing any effect of this kind. The qualities of the seeds are little better determined: some report that they purge almost as strongly as h.e.l.lebore, in the dose of a dram and a half; whilst the author above mentioned relates, that he has given a decoction of two ounces of them as a gentle emetic.

279. SPIGELLA marylandica. WORM GRa.s.s. Root. L. E. D.-About forty years ago, the anthelmintic virtues of the root of this plant were discovered by the Indians; since which time it has been much used here. I have given it in hundreds of cases, and have been very attentive to its effects. I never found it do much service, except when it proved gently purgative. Its purgative quality naturally led me to give it in febrile diseases which seem to arise from viscidity in the primae viae; and in these cases it succeeded to admiration, even when the sick did not void worms.

To a child of two years of age who had been taking ten grains of the root twice a-day without having any other effect than making her dull and giddy, I prescribed twenty-two grains morning and evening, which purged her briskly, and brought away five large worms. [Communications from Dr. Gardner.]-Woodville's Med. Bot.