Chap. XXXIV. Of Medicated Wines.

599

It appears from long experience to be a very useful medi-cine. The dose, as a purgative, is from one to two ounces.It may be introduced into the habit, so as to be productive ofexcellent affects, as an alterant, by giving it in small doses, atproper intervals. Thus managed, it does not for a consider-able time operate remarkably by stool; but at length provespurgative, and occasions a lax habit, of much longer conti-nuance than that produced by the other common cathartics.

VlNUM GENTIANS COMPOSITUM ; Vulgo VlNUM AMAEUM. Ed,

Compound Wine of Gentian, commonly called Bitter Wine.Take of

Gentian root, half an ounce;

Cinchona bark, one ounce j

Seville orange-peel, dried, two drachms;

Canella alba, one drachm ;

Diluted alcohol, four ounces;

Spanish white wine, two pounds and a half.First .pour the diluted alcohol on the root and barks, sliced

and bruised, and, after twenty-four hours, add the wine;

then macerate for seven days, and strain.

This wine, which is a pleasant bitter, is intended as a sub-stitute for the old Tinctura ad Stomachicos. Wines of thiskind are sometimes introduced at the tables of epicures inItaly, to assist the stomach in digestion.

VlNUM IPECACUANHA. Loild. Dub.

Wine of Ipecacuanha.Take of

The root of ipecacuan, bruised, two ounces j

Spanish white wine, two pints.Digest seven days, (macerate for fourteen days, Lond.), and

strain.

Ed.Take of

Ipecacuan, bruised, one ounce;

Spanish white wine, fifteen ounces.Macerate for seven days, and filter through paper.

Both these wines are very mild and safe emetics, and e-qually serviceable, in dysenteries, with the ipecacuanha insubstance, this root yielding nearly all its virtues to the Spa-nish white wine. The common dose is an ounce, more #rless, according to the age and strength of the patient.