138

FAMILY HERBAL.

ternally, oil of turpentine is with some practitioners a favourite appli-cation in cases of burns and scalds. Turpentine is an ingredient iuointments and plasters.

Valerian, Wild : A perennial plant with aggregated flowers, growing botfcin dry and moist situations; in the former it is the most powerful asmedicino—part used, The root—sens. prop. Smell, strong and un.grateful, taste, warm, bitterish, and sub-acrid—med. virt. Tonic,anthelmintic, antispasmodic—mode of exhib. Powder, infusion, tinc-ture. The powder (which has been highly recommended also for dim-ness of sight) may be given in doses of a scruple to two drachms: aninfusion, as tea, witli one or two drachms, may be taken, with the ad-dition of a little mace, which conceals the unpleasant flavour ofvalerian.

Uva Ursi, or Bear-Berries: An ever-green trailing plant, growing on highmountains—part used, The leaves—sens. prop. Bitterish, and sub-astringent—med. virt. Tonic, anti-nephritic--mode of exhib. Powder.In calculus, and most disorders of the urinary passages. We have al-ready noticed (p. 105) its successful exhibition in some cases of incip-ient consumption.

Walnut: The unripe fruit of this well-known tree is acrid, bitterish, andstyptic to the taste. Smell, not disagreeable—med. virt. Opening andvermifuge. To expel worms, two drachms of the inspissated juice owalnuts may be dissolved in half an ounce of cinnamon-water; of thilsolution, twenty, thirty, forty to fifty drops may be exhibited, two olthree times a-day for a week, or more, giving every fourth morningpurging dose of vitriolated magnesia.

Water-Cress: The leaves of this plant of the cruciform class, growingcommon in wet situations, have a pungent taste and penetrating smell.They are stimulant and antiseptic when eaten crude, or the expressesjuice may be taken in doses of half an ounce to two ounces.

Wolf's Bane Blue: Monk's hood, or Aconite: It is a perennial plantfound in the Alpine forests and other mountainous countries in Ger-many, and cultivated in our gardens—part used, The leaves—sens,prop. Acrid, ungrateful-med. virt. Narcotic, and violently evacuantin a large dose ; sedative, diuretic, stimulant, sudorific. One to twograins of the dried leaves in powder are given in glandular swellings,venereal nodes, gouty and rheumatic pains, intermittent fevers, con-vulsive disorders, &c. Under the direction of a skilful physician, thedose may be very gradually increased to six grains. The deleteriouseffects of this plant, when improperly exhibited, act violently on thenervous system. It occasions giddiness, convulsions, violent purgingboth upwards and downwards, fainting, cold sweats, and even deatiitself. The ancients considered the aconitum (i. e. Wolfs Bane) as themost destructive of vegetable productions; therefore we trust that nomodern Domestic Practitioner will presume to exhibit this powerfuland virulent medicine.

Wormseed : Small light seeds, the produce of a species of wormwood.They are brought from the Levant—sens. prop. Smell, strong and un-grateful; taste, very bitter and sub-acrid—med. virt. Anthelmintic-*mode of exhib. In substance. To adults the dose is from a drachmto a drachm and a half twice a-da\: Young patients may have fi\arnins to a scrupl* 5 .