Part II.

The Materia Medica.

211

This (hrub is common in ourgardens; and has likewife, in fomeparts of England,been found wild :it flowers in May, and ripens itsfruit in July. Rafpberries have apleafant fweet tafte, accompaniedwith a peculiarly grateful flavour;On account of which they are chief-ly valued. As to their virtues, theymoderately quench third, abateheat, ftrengthen the vifcera, andpromote the natural excretions.An agreeable fyrup, prepared fromthe juice, is dire&ed to be kept inthe lhops.

RUBI VULGARIS folia,frue-tus: Rubi •vulgaris Jive rubi fruliiunigroC.B. The bramble, or black-berry bulh; its leaves and fruit.

The lhrub is frequently foundwild in woods and hedges. Theberries have a faint taite withoutany thing of the agreeable flavourof the foregoing : the leaves arefomewhat aftringent.

R U SCI ,fi<ve Brufci radix: Rufcimyrtifolii aculeati Tourn. Butchers-broom, or knee-holly; the root[£.]

This is a fmall prickly plant,fometimes found wild in woods.The root has a foft fweetilh tafte,which is followed by a bitteriihone: it is one of the five aperi-ent roots; and in this intention isfometimes roade an ingredient inapozems and diet drinks, for open-ing flight obftruttions of the vifce-ra, purifying the blood andjuices,2nd promoting the fluid fecretions.

RUTiE folia femen : Rutse hor-tenf.s latfolitz C. B. Broad leavedJue; the leaves [£.£.] and feeds

[£.]

1'his is a fmall fhrubby plant,met with in gardens, where it flow-ers in June, and holds its greenleaves all the winter: we frequentlyfuid in the markets a narroxv-leaved

fort, which is cultivated by fomein preference to the other, on ac-count of its leaves appearing va-riegated during the winter, withwhite ilreaks.

Rue has a ftrong Ungrateful fitiell,and a bitterifti; penetrating tafte:thfe leaves, when in full vigour, areextremely acrid, iniomuch as toin-flame and blifter the (kin, if muchhandled. With regard to their me-dicinal virtues, they are powerfullySimulating, attenuating anddeter-gent; andhence,in cold phlegmatichabits, they quicken the circula-lion, diflolve tenaciousjuices.open.obftrud'tions of the excretory glands,and promote the fluid fecretions.The writers on the materia medicain general, have entertained a veryhigh opinion of the virtues of thisplant. Boerhaave is full of itspraifes, particularly of the eflentialoil, and the diftilled water cohobat-ed or re-diftilled feveral times fromfielh parcels of the herb : afterfome what extravagan tlycommend-ing other waters prepared in thismanner, he adds, with regard tothat of rue, that the greateft com-mendations he can beftow upon it,fall (hort of its merit: " What me-dicine (fays he) can be more effica-cious for promoting fweat and per-fpiration, for the cure of the hy-iteric paflion, and of epilepiies,andfor expelling poifon r" Whateverfervice rue may be of in the twolaft cafes, it undoubtedly has itsufe in the others: the cohobatedwater, however, is not the moltefficacious preparation of it. (SeePart iii. chap, v.) Anextraftmadeby redlified fpirit, contains, in a.fmall compafs, the whole virtue'sof the rue; this menftruum takingup by infufiOD all the pungency andflavour of the plant, and elevatingnothing in dijiillation. With wa-ter, its peculiar flavour and warmtharife ; the bitternefs, and a conii-

P » derablc