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FAMILY HERBAL.
Olive oil, is procured by expression from the fruit of a tree growing inthe warmer climates—sens. prop. Inodorous, insipid, unctuous-—med.virt. Obtunding, emollient.--mode of exhib. Internally, by itself orunited to watery liquids by mucilaginous matters or volatile alkalies.Externally, in liniments, ointments, and plasters.
Opium : The concrete gummy-resinous juice of the white poppy, col-lected in the warm countries of the East—sens. prop. Smell, dis-agreeable; taste, bitter, somewhat acrid—med. virt. Narcotic in largedoses, sedative in smaller—mode of exhib. Pill, tincture, solution.
Opoponax, is a concrete gummy-resinous juice of an umbelliferous plantwhich grows in the Levant and the East Indies. It is attenuant anddeobstruent.
Orange, Seville : A well-known fruit growing in Spain and Portugal-part used, The rind and pulp--.sens. prop. Rind, bitter and aromatic;pulp, acid---med. virt. Rind, tonic; pulp, cooling and antiseptic—-mode of exhib. Infusion of the rind ; juice of the pulp in febrifugedrinks. An elegant stomachic conserve, tincture, and syrup, areformed of the rind, useful to cold phlegmatic habits.
Orris Root: An agreeable perfume, of little use in medicine.
Pareira Brava: The root of an American convolvulus, brought from theBrazils—-sens. prop. It has no smell; the taste is a little bitterish,blended with a sweetness like that of liquorice—med. virt. Useful insuppressions of urine, in ulcers of the kidneys and bladder, in humoralasthma, some species of jaundice, and in nephritic disorders—modeof exhib. Half an ounce of the root, boiled in three pints of water toone, sweetened with honey; a cupful to be taken every three or fourhours: in substance, powdered, fifteen to thirty grains twice or thricea-day.
Parsley: An umbelliferous plant, cultivated in gardens—part used, Theseed, and roots—sens. prop. Roots, sweet, and lightly warm; seeds,aromatic and bitter—med. virt. Stimulant, mildly diuretic—mode ofexhib. The root in decoction, against jaundice, gravel, and suppres-sion of urine.
Pellitory of Spain: The root is used as a masticatory (i. e. chewed) topromote the evacuation of viscid humours from the head and neigh-bouring parts; to relieve the tooth-ach, some kinds of pain of thehead, and lethargic complaints. An infusion of five to ten grains ofthis root in wine may be employed as a gargle in debility, or paralysisof the tongue.
Pellitory of the Wall: This is a small plant growing upon old walls, olan herbaceous sub saline taste, without any smell-—med. virt. Theherb diuretic, emollient; externally, diseutient—mode of exhib. Ininfusion, decoction, and the expressed juice against gravel and stone.
Pennyroyal: A plant cultivated in gardens. The leaves smell strong,not agreeable; taste, warm and pungent—med. virt. Stimulant,aromatic—mode of exhib. In infusion, as tea, against uterine ob-structions. A water is distilled from it, and an essential oil.
Pepper, black: The fruit of a trailing shrub growing in the East Indies,of a heating and stimulating quality.
Pimento: The dry berry of a tree growing in Jamaica-—sens. prop.Smell, grateful and aromatic; taste, moderately warm-—med. virt.