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Materia Medica. — Melissa officinalis, part ii.

soon spontaneously heat and become moist, as if macerated inwater. They are then cut in pieces, infused in water, and leftto ferment for a night; after which they are distilled. Thequantity of oil they yield is very small, scarcely more thanthree fluid drachms being obtained from two bags of leaves. 1When newly drawn it is very limpid, pellucid, and volatile;and Rumphius says, smells strongly of cardamoms, but is morepleasant. It is generally imported in copper flasks or canis-ters ; but lately some has been brought home in quart glassbottles. On account of the high price of real Cajuputi oil, it issaid to be often adulterated with oil of turpentine, and colouredwith resin of milfoil.

Qualities. — The odour of this oil, as it is brought to us, isat first powerful, and similar to that of a mixture of oil of tur-pentine and camphor, but it soon becomes extremely fragrantand agreeable : the taste is pungent, and resembles very muchthat of camphor. It is limpid, transparent, and generally of ablueisb green colour, which is said to be partly derived from thecopper of the flasks. When dropped on the surface of purewater, it diffuses itself over it, and very soon completely evapo-rates, which is a good test of its purity; and it burns rapidly,without leaving any residuum. Like other volatile oils, it issoluble in alcohol, and partially in water.

Medical properties and uses. — Cajuputi oil is a highly dif-fusible stimulant, antispasmodic, and diaphoretic. 3 Whentaken into the stomach, it produces a sensation of beat, fillsand quickens the pulse; and soon afterwards a copious sweatbreaks out. It is efficaciously given in dropsy, chronic rheu-matism, palsy, hysteria, flatulent colic, and other spasmodic andnervous affections. As a local and external stimulant, it is em-ployed diluted with olive oil, as an embrocation to allay the painof gout and rheumatism, and to restore vigour to joints aftersprains. When put into a carious tooth, it lulls the pain oftooth-ach; and we have seen much benefit derived from rub-bing it on the temples, in defective vision from a weakenedstate of the eyes. The dose is three or four drops on a lumpof sugar.

MELISSA. Spec. Plant. Willd.m. 146.CI. 14. Ord.l. Didynamia Gymnospermia. Nat. ord. Verticillata?,

Linn. Labiatae, Juss.G. 1118. Calyx dry, nearly flat above : with the upper lip subfas-

tigiate. Corolla, upper lip somewhat arched, bifid ; lower lip -with

the middle lobe cordate.

1 jRumpkius.

• " Hujus olei binae guttoe cum cerevisia vel vino propinata? stidores excitantvcl.emontes, cui fini apta medicamenta India exhibet perpauca." Rumphius.