Chap. XXXIII. Of Tinctures, %e.

587

Volatile oil of aniseed, half a drachm;Ammoniated alcohol, sixteen ounces.Digest for seven days, in a close vessel, and filter throughpaper.

This is a preparation of considerable efficacy in many spas-modic diseases, as chincough, &c. the ammonia removing thespasm immediately, while the opium tends to prevent its re-turn. Each drachm contains about a grain of opium.

Tjnctura valerians ammoniata. Land.Ammoniated '1 incture of Valerian.Take of

Valerian root, four ounces;Aromatic spirit of ammonia, two pints.Macerate for fourteen days, and strain.

Dub,Take of

Valerian root, in powder, two ounces.

Spirit of ammonia, one pint.Digest for seven days, and filter.

The spirit of ammonia, both simple and compound, is herean excellent menstruum, and, at the same time, considerablypromotes the virtues of the valerian, which,, in some cases,wants assistance of this kind. The dose may be a tea-spoon-ful or two.

Chap. XXXIV.- MEDICATED WINES.

Parmentier has occupied thirty-two pages of the Annalesde Chimie, to prove that wine is an extremely bad menstruumfor extracting the virtues of medical substances. His onlyargument is, that, by the infusion of vegetable substances inwine, its natural tendency to decomposition is so much acce-lerated, that at the end of the process, instead of wine, wehave only a lkjuor containing the elements of bad vinegar.As a solvent, diluted alcohol perfectly supersedes the use ofwine ; and if we wish to use wine to cover the taste, or to as-sist the operation of any medicine, M. Parmentier proposes,