PAP

44K

OXYMEL SIMPLEX. L.D. MelAcetatum. P.L. 1787.

Simple Oxymel.*

This composition of honey and acetic acid has been long valued on ac-count of its detergent qualities, and lias accordingly been much used asthe basis of gargles, and expectorant remedies.

OXYMEL SCILLjE. L.D. Oxymel Scilliticum. P.L. 1720. 1746,

Oxymel of Sguills.

This preparation certainly possesses considerable powers as an expec-torant ; especially if allowed to pass slowly over the fauces, as when ap-plied in the form of a linctus, (Form ; 135,) which by stimulating the topof the trachea may possibly act, by a kind of " contiguous sympathy,"upon the pulmonary structure, f and thereby increase the activity of theexhalant vessels, and so dilute the mucus contained in the follicles as tocause it to be poured out in a less viscid form, and consequently in a stateto be more easily brought up by expectoration. Its action will alsoadmit of another explanation, but for this see page 105. Dose fromf3ss to f3ij. In larger doses it is given for the purpose of exciting vo-miting, especially in hooping cough.

PAPAVERIS CAPSULM L.E.D.

(Papaver Somniferum. Capsula Maturie.)

Poppy Capsules, or Poppy heads.

These capsules are employed in medicine for the purpose of affordinga decoction, to be applied as an anodyne fomentation, see Decoctum Pa-paveris, and as a syrup of hypnotic qualities, see Syrupus Papaveris.

The seeds of the poppy capsules are not directly used for any medici-nal purposes, but they yield a fixed oil which is daily met with in themarket, and is frequently used to adulterate Olive Oil, which see. As anarticle of trade it is considered very inferior to the other fixed oils ; itburns very badly, and yields a great quantity of smoke. To the pharma-ceutic chemist it is an article of interest from the controversies to whichit has given origin!.

* Godbold's Vegetable Balsam. In the specification of the Patent for thisnostrum forty-two different vegetables are directed to be distilled " for the purpose ofextracting their essences, which are to be preserved separately and apart from eachother, in syrups, and are to be mixed with the following gums and drugs, viz. GumDragon, Gum Guaiacum, Gum Arabic, and Gum Canada, these being dissolved indouble distilled vinegar, with a quantity of Storax dissolved in Spirits of Wine andOil of Cinnamon. It is to be bottled off, and kept three years before it is fit to be ad-ministered forthe Ccre of Consumption, or any Asthmatic Complaint." It is hard-ly necessary to observe, that no such directions ever are, or indeed ever could befollowed; in short the " Balsam," is little else than simple oxymel. It is, how-ever, not a little curious that amongst the forty-two plants enumerated, there shouldbe several that would on distillation yield Prussic acid, such as the Bays. We won-der that this accidental circumstance has not been noticed, and turned to account, bysome of those worthy disciples of Escuiapius who live liy the credulity of mankind,and,as Falstaff expresses it," Turn diseases to a commodity."

t It is in this manner, I apprehend, that stimulating syrups will frequently removehoarseness.

| Although it lias been long known that the seeds of the poppy, and the oil obtained•■"imthem bv exprp«j P n, do ret possess anv of the narcotic properties of the plant, and

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