Part II. the Mate)

appears to be very coafiderablydifferent.

The leaves of fennel are weakerthan either the roots or feeds, andhav-e very rarely been employedfor any medicinal ufe. A fimplewater is dircfted to be preparedfrom them in the Edinburgh phar-macopoeia.

FCENI GRyECI femcn ; Fccnigraci J'ativi C. B. Fosnugreek ;the feeds [/,. E.~\

This plant is cultivated chieflyin the fouthern parts of France,Germany, and in Italy ; fromwhence the feeds are brought tous. They are of a yellow colour,a rhomboidal figure ; a difagree-able ftrong fmell, and a muci-laginous tafte. Their principalufe is in cataplafms, fomentations,and the like, and in emollientglyfters. They enter the oleume mucilaginibus of the fhops ; towhich they communicate a con-iiierable fhare of their fmell.

FOLIUM INDUM, vide Ma-

labathrum.

FORMIC JE. Ants ; theirbodies and eggs.

Thefe infefts are at prefent ofno ufe with us in medicine, thoughformerly much celebrated foraphrodifiac virtues, and itill em-ployed in the aqua magnaaimltatis,and other like compofitions offoreign difpenfatories. It is re-markable, that thefe animals con-tain a truly acid juice, which theyfiled in fmall drops upon beingirritated : by infufing a quantityof live and vigorous ants in water,an acid liquor is obtained nearlyas ftrong as good vinegar. Neu-mann obferves, that on diftillingthem either with water or purefpirit, a clear limpid (oil arifes,which has fcarce any tafte, or at

la Med'ica. 143

leaft is not hot or pungent like theeJTential oils of vegetables.

FR AG ARI£ foil#, fruflus :Fragaria fertntisfragra rubra J. B.The ftrawberry bufli; its leaves andfruit [£.]

The leaves are fomewhat ftyp-tic, and bitteriih ; and hence maybe of fome fervice in debility andlaxity of the vifcera ; and im-moderate fecretions, or a fuppref-fion of the natural evacuations,depending thereon : they are re-commended in hemorrhages andfluxes ; and likewife as aperients,in fupprefiions of urine, obftruc-tions of the vifcera, in the jaun-dice, &c. The fruit is in generalvery grateful both to the palateand ftomach : like other fruits ofthe dulco-acid kind, they abateheat, quench thirft, Joofen thebelly, and promote urine ; butdo uot afford much nourifhment.Geoftroy obferves, that the urineof thofe who eat liberally of thisfruit, becomes impregnated with itsfragrant fmell.

FRANGULA, vide Alnus

nigra. ,

FRAXINELLiE, feu DiSlamnialb I, radix : Ditfamni vulgo Jii'ifraxinella! C. B. White or baliarddittany ; the root [£.]

This plant grows wild in themountainous parts of France, Italy,and Germany ; from whence thecortical part of the root, dried androlled up into quills, is -fome-times brought to us. This is ofa white colour, a weak, not veryagreeable fmell ; and a durablebitter, lightly pungent tafte. Itis recommended as an alexiphar-mac ; but not regarded by com-mon practice, nor often kept in thefhops.

FRAX1NI