24

AMYK

Medicinally they are chiefly used in form of emulsion, for fever, cough,&c, or as a vehicle for more active remedies.

Enters into Mist. Amygdalarum. L. E. D. Oleum Amygdalae.L. E. D. Emul. Camphorata. £. Emul. Arabic. E. D. Confec.Amygdalarum. L.Amygdalae Placenta. Almond cake, the substance which remainsafter expressing the oil of almonds. This, ground with or withoutabout a fourth of its weight of olive oil, and finely sifted, forms thecommon almond powder ; but a better sort is made by blanching sixpounds of picked bitter almonds, drying and beating them, express-ing about a pint only of oil from them, beating them again in aniron mortar, and then passing them through a wire sieve. Thepowder should be kept from air and moisture, in glass jars. It is-used instead of soap for washing the hands. The almond cake, whendistilled, yields the oil of bitter almonds.Amylate of Baryta, &c. See next article.

Amylic Acid. New. Procured by distilling starch mixed with equalparts of black oxide of manganese, and moistened with water. Ittastes sour, reddens vegetable blues, and, w T ith bases, forms neutralsalts, very soluble and deliquescent.Amyline. The same as Amidine.

Amylum. L. E. D. P. Starch. Prepared from wheat flour, by washingit in running water, by means of sacks, to separate the gluten whichremains in the sacks, while the starch is washed away and receivedin troughs, where, by fermentation, it is freed from saccharine andextractive matter, and is left in a very pure state.

Adulterated with potato starch, and other substances; but its genuine-ness may be proved by adding a drop or two of the alcoholic solutionof iodine to its aqueous solution; when, if pure, a blue compoundwill form, and afterwards precipitate.

Medicinally starch is a useful demulcent in form of enema, in diarr-hoea, dysentery, tenesmus, and disorders of the rectum. Frequently~,ss to y of tincture of opium is added. Internally in cough as anemollient, ^j boiled in fbj of water. The ordinary starch beingmixed with smalt and alum, is improper for medicinal purposes.

Enters into Pulv. Tragacanthfe Comp. L. Mucilago Amyli. L. E. D.Pil. Hydrarg. E. Trochisci Gummosi. E.Amyrims Gileadensis Resina Liquida. E. Balsam of Gilead.Produced by incision from the Amijris Gileadensis, a tree which is anative of Abyssinia, and naturalized in Syria. The incision of abranch yields only three or four drops a day; whence its high price.

Medicinally it is stimulant and expectorant, in doses of gr. XV to Vj ;but is seldom used.