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PRUNUS.

The flowers, which are white, have anagreeable odour which is not entirely dissi-pated by desiccation, and a bitter and ratherstyptic taste.

The fruit, called Sloes (Prunelles, Fr.),are round, black drupes, covered witha blue powder ; under a greenish-yellowflesh, each contains a round smooth stone.Their taste is acerb and astringent, but be-comes sweet after frost.

The kernel has the taste of bitter almonds.

The whole plant is astringent. The in-spissated juice of the fruit constitutes theAcacia nostras. The flowers constitute adomestic aperient, in the dose of half anounce in the fresh state, or of two drams inthe dried, infused in six ounces of water.

pulp or PRUNES.

Pulpa Prunorum. (Ant. ; Bavas. ; Dan.;Gall.; Hisp. ; Hann. ; Lipp. ; Olden.;Lusit. ; Pol.; Borus. ; Ross.; Sax.;Herbip. ; Piderit; Sainte-Marie ;Van Mons)

R. Tours Prunes, any quantity.

Soften them in hot water ; pour off theliquor, remove the stones and pass the pulpthrough a hair sieve, pressing it with awooden spoon : preserve it in a coveredpot. (Lipp. ; Van Mons)

Gall. ; and Lusit. ; direct the pulp to bemixed with the water of the infusion, andthe mixture to be evaporated with a gentleheat, to a proper consistence.

R. Prunes, one part.

Water, two parts.

Boil till the fruit becomes soft ; then re-move the stones, strain the pulp through asieve, and evaporate it, adding one sixth ofsugar. (Bavar. ; Hann-. ; Olden. ; Pol. ;Borus. ; Sax. ; Sainte-Marie)

Hisp. ; Lusit. ; and Piderit prescribeone part of sugar and two parts of pulp. —Ant. ; Dan. ; Ross. ; and Herbip.— oneof sugar and three of pulp.

It is a mild laxative.

laxative decoction.

Decoctum purgans anti-phlogisticum. (Bre-ra ; Spielmann)

R. Prunes, two ounces.

Bruise them with the stones, and add,

Water, three pounds.

Boil down to one third, and add to thestrained liquor,

Simple Syrup, one ounce.

Mix.—To be taken at twice. (Brera)R. Prunes, four ounces.

Water, three pounds.

Boil down to one-fifth, and add towardsthe end,

Liquorice, four drams.

Strain when cold. (Spielmann)

conserve of sloes. (Sard. ; Brugna-telli)

R. Sloes, any quantity.

Digest them in water over a slow fire tillthey become soft ; then pass the pulpthrough a silk sieve, add three parts of su-gar, and evaporate to the proper consist-ence, constantly stirring. (Sard.)

Brugnatelli directs one part of sloesto be bruised with two parts of sugar, soas to form a homogeneous paste.

ROB OF SLOES.

Acacia nostras, Rob Prunorum sglves-trium seu Fructuum Acaciai Germanica.(Austr. ; Sard.)

R. Sloes, nearly ripe, any quantity.

Bruise them, express the juice, and eva-porate it in a water-bath, constantly stirring with a spatula, till it is of the consist-ence of an electuary.

water of sloe-flowers.

Aqua Florum Acacia'. (Fuld. ; Lipp. ;Palat. ; Sax. ; Herbip. ; Sainte-Marie)

R. Dried Sloe-flowers, two parts.

Water, a sufficient quantity.

Distil twenty parts. (Sainte-Marie)

Palat. prescribes one part of flowersand three parts of water ; one half to bedistilled. — Lipp.; and Herbip. — one offlowers and six of water. — Sax. — one offlowers and eight of water ; one half to bedistilled.

R. Dried Sloe-flowers, three pounds.

Suspend them, in a bag, in the middle ofa cucurbit containing,

Water, twelve pounds.

Distil one pound and a half withoutmaking the water boil. (Fuid.)

syrup of sloe-flowers.

Syrupus Acaciarum seu Aciarum Florum.(Palat. ; Wirtem.)

R. Fresh Sloe-flowers, of each,

Boiling Water, J two pounds.

Digest for one night in a covered vessel.Add to nineteen ounces of the strained li-quor,

White Sugar, thirty-two ounces.

Boil, and strain. (Wirtem.)