DRES

117

this plant is of an acrid taste, and highly recommended in America,as an expectorant and antispasmodic for asthma, hooping-cough, ejji-lepsy, and chronic rheumatism.Dragon's Blood. A vegetable gum brought from the Canary Islands,the East Indies, and America. It exudes from the Dracaena Dracochiefly when the tree is full grown ; for when very young or veryold the gum is in small quantity. The produce is increased by inci-sions. Berthollet has given an interesting account of the tree in theAnn. des Scien. Nat. for June 1828. The finest sort is in tears, ordrops of an oval form ; the ordinary sort is in cakes and masses, con-taining man} 7 impurities. The fine sort also is very light, friable,and of a beautiful deep crimson colour. Used in the arts, and byfarriers, for the disease called red water, but without effect.

Adulterated with cheaper gums and resins, tinged with cochineal and

Brazil wood. If genuine, it will dissolve entirely in spirits of wine,

without sediment. When heated it smells like henzoin, which it

contains. See Sanguis Draconis.

Draughts, or Potions, differ from mixtures in being prepared in the

quantity of a single dose. See Effervescing, Saline, &c.Drench. In veterinary pharmacy the same as draughts, or drafts. Aninconvenient form of giving medicine to cattle, as some of the drenchis always wasted, but it is sometimes the best form for producinga speedy effect. Cordial drenches have ale for their basis, others areprepared with gruel.

Anodune Drench. Dissolve ^j of opium in Jviij of warm water, andadd Oij of boiled starch.

Carminative Drench. Mix jij of tincture of cardamoms with 5x1) ofmint water.

Colic Drench. Dissolve Jv of sulphate of magnesia, }ijss of Castilesoap, and 5y of tincture of opium, in cinnamon water q. s.

Cordial Drench for Cows. Mix 51V of Barbadoes aloes, "^iv of salts, jjof powdered ginger, Oij of water, and jij of carminative tincture.

Cough Drench. Soak §iij of fresh squills in Oj of vinegar for a fewhours, press out the liquid, and add tbj of treacle :—^v of garlic maybe substituted for the squills. One-fourth the quantity a dose.

Clater's Drench for Sheep. Boil 51J of red oxide of iron, Jvj of ni-trate of potass, §iv of ginger in powder, ibiij of common salt in threegallons of water. Let it cool, and add 5XXXVJ of oil of turpentine.Dose 3J to Jij once every four days.

Drench for Calves. Dissolve Jvj of sulphate of magnesia in Oiv ofwater, and 51J of castor oil.

Drench for Cows. Mix flour of mustard and a little salt with a quartof water, given in what is called the chill, and the yellows.