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471

VINEGARS.

Vinegar is an acid produced from vinous liquors by a second fer-mentation. It is an useful medicine both in inflammatory and putrid dis-orders. Its effects are, to cool the blood, quench thirst, counteract atendency to putrefaction, and allay inordinate motions of the system. Iilikewise promotes the natural secretions, and in some cases excites 3copious sweat, where the warm medicines, called alexipharmic, tenorather to prevent that salutary evacuation. Weakness, faintings, vomit-ings, and other hysteric affections, are often relieved by vinegar applieato the mouth and nose, or received into the stomach. It is of excellentuse, also, in correcting many poisonous substances when taken into thestomach; and in promoting their expulsion by the different emunctories,when received into the blood. Vinegar is not only an useful medicinebut serves likewise to extract, in tolerable perfection, the virtues 01several other medicinal substances. Most of the odoriferous flowers im-part to it their fragrance, together with a beautiful purplish or reacolour. It also assists, or coincides with the intention of squills, garlicgum ammoniac, and several other valuable medicines. These effectshowever, are not to be expected from every thing that is sold under thename of vinegar, but from such as is sound and well prepared. Thebest vinegars are those prepared from French wines. It is necessary foisome purposes that the vinegar be distilled; but as this operation re-quires a particular chemical apparatus, we shall not insert it.

Vinegar of Litharge.—Take of litharge, half a pound; strong vinegartwo pints. Infuse them together in a moderate heat for three days, fre-quently shaking the vessel; then filter the liquor for use.—This medi-cine is little used, from a general notion of its being dangerous. Thertis reason, however, to believe that the preparations of lead with vinegaiare possessed of some valuable properties, and that they may be used inmany cases with safety and success.—A preparation of a similar naturtwith the above has of late been extolled by Goulard, a French surgeonas a safe and extensively useful medicine, which he calls the Extractof Saturn, and orders to be made in the following manner; Take oflitharge, one pound; vinegar made of French wine, two pints. Putthem together in a glazed earthen pipkin, and let them boil, or ratheisimmer, for an hour, or an hour and a quarter, taking care to stir themall the while with a wooden spatula. After the whole has stood to settlepour off the liquor which is upon the top into bottles for use. With thisextract Goulard makes his vegeto-mineral water (see Colly-kium of Lead), which he recommends in a great variety of externa)disorders, as inflammations, burns, bruises, sprains, ulcers, &c. Helikewise prepares with it a number of other forms of medicine, as poul-tices, plasters, ointments, powders, &c.

Vinegar of Roses.--Take of red roses, half a pound; strong vinegar,half a gallon. Infuse in a close vessel for several weeks, in a gentle heat;and then strain off the liquor. This is principally used as an embroca-tion for head-achs, &c.

Vinegar of Squills.—Take of dried squills, two ounces; distilled vine-gar, two pints. Infuse for ten days or a fortnight in a gentle degree ofheat, afterwards strain off the liquor, and add to it about a twelfth pari