Part II.

The Materia Medic a.

or mother-of-pearl fi(h T as alfo ofcertain oyfters, muflels, and otherihcll -fillies. The pearls moll e-iteemed are brought from the Eaftand Well Indies, and diftinguifhedby the names of oriental and oc-cidental : the oriental, which arevalued mod, have a more fhiningfilver hue than the occidental ;thefe laft are fomewhat milky-: afort inferior to both thefe is fome-times met with in our own teas,paiticularly on the coafts of Scot-Land. The coarfe, rough pearls,and the very fmall ones which areunfit for other ufes, are thofe ge-nerally employed in medicine.They have been greatly celebratedas cordial, alexipharmac, and com-forting the nerves : but the onlyvirtue that can be reafonably ex-pefted from them is, that of ab-lorbing acidities in the primx viae,in which intention they enter threeof the officinal powders. Theircomparative ftrength, with regardto the other abforbents, may be feenamong the tables at the beginningof this work : fee p. 63.

MARRUBII folia: Marruhii albi•vulgaris C. B. White horehound ;the leaves [L. £.}

Thefe have a very ftrong, notdifagreeable fmell, and a roughilhvery bitter tafle. Befides the vir-tues which they poflefs in commonwith other ftrong bitters, they arefuppofed to be peculiarly ferviceablein hunioura! afthmas and coughs, theyellow jaundice proceeding from avifcidity of the bile, and other chro-nical diforders. They are doubt-lefs an ufeful aperient and de-obltruen:, promote the fluid fecre-tions in general, and liberally takenlooferi the belly. They are an in-gredient only in the theriaca [L.]

MAR! SYRIACI folia: Martcortuji J, B. Chamad'yoi maritime

incance frutefcentis foliis lanctolatislourn. Syrian herb taaltich ; theleaves [Z.. £.]

This is a fmall fhrubby plant,growing fpontaneouflv in Syria,Candy, and other warm climates,and cultivated with us in gardens.The leaves have an aromatic bit-terifh tafle ; and, when rubbed be-twixt the fingers, a quick pungentfmell, which loon affefts the head,and occafions fneezing : di-ftilledwith water, they yield a very acrid,penetrating effential oil, refemblingone obtained by the fame meansfrom fcurvy-grafs. Thefe qualitiesEfficiently point out the ufes towhich this plant might be applied ;at prefent, it is little otherwife cm-ployed than in cephalic fnufts. Itis an ingredient in th s pnlvis flernre-tatoriu1 of the London pharmaco-peia.

MARI VULGARIS folia:fuci Jive mari maftichcn redol. nt'tsC. B. Thymbrtt Hifpanica major anafolio Tourti. Herb maftich ; theleaves [Z,. ZT.]

This pungent aromatic plant alfois become almoft a ftranger to prac-tice.

MA STIC HE [L. £.] Maftich ;a refin exuding from the lentii'c tree(fee Lt ntiscus) and brought fromChio, in fmall, yellowilh, tranfpa-rent grains or tears, of an agree-able fmell. efpecially when heatedor fet on fire. This refin is re-commended in old coughs, dysen-teries, liaemoptoes, weaknefs of theftomach, and in general in all de-bilities and laxity cf the fibres.Geoffroy directs an aqueous decoc-tion of it to be ufed for thefe pur-pofes : but water extrafts little ornothing from this refin ; reilifiedfpirit almoft entirely diffolves it :the folution taftes very warm andpungent.

MATRI-