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LINUM CATHARTICUM. L.D. Purging Flax.

The qualities of this plant reside in extractive matter, hence water ex-tracts, but long decoction injures them. Medicinal Uses. It is strong-ly purgative. Forms of Exhibition. 3ij of the dried herb infused inoj of boiling water. Dose, f3ij.

LIN I USITATISSIMI SEMINA. L. E. D

Linseed, or Common Flax Seed,

These seeds contain a large proportion of mucilage, and one sixth oftheir weight of fixed oil ; the former of which resides principally in thecuticle, the latter, in the parenchymatous portion of the seed ; by infu-sion in boiling water, a clear, colourless, inodorous, and nearly insipid mu-cilage is obtained ; 3ss of the unbruised seed is sufficient for oj of water ;cold water does not extract any mucilage from them when unbruised ;the farina of the seeds is well adapted for cataplasms. Officinal Prep.hfus. Lini cornp. L. Oleum Lini. L.E.D.

LIQUOR ALUMINIS COMPOSITUS. L.

AquaAluminosaBateana. P. L. 1745.

This is a compouud solution of alum and sulphate of zinc ; a fluid-ouncecontaining about seven grains of each ingredient. It is powerfully as-tringent, and is successfully u-ed as a detergent lotion to old ulcers ; as acollyrium, or as an injection in gleet and fluor albus ; it will also often an-swer in removing chilblains, and in curing slight excoriations.

LIQUOR AMMONIA. L. Ao.ua Ammonia-. E.

Ao.ua Ammomia; Caustics. D.

Solution of Ammonia.

Qualities. Form, a limpid, colourless fluid ; specific gravity, -960, orf 3j weighs about 438 grs. Odour, strong and pungent ; Tabic, extreme-ly caustic. Chemical Composition. A solution of ammoniacal gas in wa-ter, which varies considerably in strength in the different pharmacopoei-as. When prepared according to the London and Edinburgh Colleges, itcontains nearly 25 per cent, of ammonia, whereas the Dublin preparationdoes not contain more than 16. Solvent Powers. It is an active sol-vent of many vegetable principles, e. g. oils, resins, &c. With alcohol itunites in every proportion ; it assists the oxidizemenl of copper andzinc, and dissolves many of the metallic oxides. Med. Uses. Stimu-lant, rubefacient, and ant-acid. Forms of Exhibition. In milk, or anyliquid vehicle ; if in decoctions, or infusions, they must be previouslycooled ; for at 130° the ammonia will escape in the form of gas. Dose,TTJ.X to xxx. Officinal Prep. Linimentum Ammonia; L.D. Oleum Am-mon. E. Spir. Ammonia. L. Spir. Ammonia comp. L. Spir. Amman,succinat. L. Liniment. Camphor, comp. L. Adulterations. The pre-sence of other salts in the solution may be discovered by saturating a por-tion with pure nitric acid, and applying the test for sulphuric acid, (Bary-tei) and that for muriatic acid, (Nitrate of silver.) Carbonic acid is de-tected by its effervescing with acids, or by its forming with lime water aprecipitate, soluble with effervescence in nitric acid ; it ought to be

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