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Show 626 MARSHMALLOW. leaves afford scarcely one-fourth of their weight, and the flowers and seeds still less. Decoctions of this plant have been foundex. ceedingly useful where the natural mucus has been abradedfrom the coats of the intestines; in catarrhs from a thin rheum; in nephritic and calculous disorders ; in cases where the lochia have been too thin and sharp after childbirth; in the heat of urine attending gonorrheeas, and in many other cases: however,it ought to be remarked, that we ought not to make these decoce tions too thick and viscid, by too long boiling or infusion; for then they become nauseous and disagreeable, andpatients cannot be prevailed on to take themin sufficient quantity. OFFICINAL PREPARATIONS. Decocrion of Marsumattow. (Decoctum Althez Officinalis. E.) Take of dried marshmallow roots, bruised, four ounces; — raisins of the sun, stoned, two ounces; COMMON FUMITORY. FUMARIA OFFICINALIS. water, seven pounds: Boil down to five pounds ; strain the decoction, and after the feces have subsided, pour off the clear liquor. Marshmallowroots contain nothing soluble in water, except mucilage, which is very abundant in them. This decoction is therefore to be considered merely as an emollient, rendered more pleasant by the acidulous sweetness of the raisins. Syrup or MarsuMattow. Class XVII. Diadelphia. (Syrupus Althea. L.) Take of fresh root of marshmallow, bruised, one pound; double refined sugar, four pounds ; —— distilled water, one gallon: Boil the water with the marshmallow root to one half, and press out the liquor when cold. Set it by twelve hours ; and, after the faces have subsided, pour off the liquor. Add the sugar, andboil it to the weight of six pounds. This is merely a mucilaginous syrup, andis chiefly usedin nephrific cases, for sweetening emollient decoctions, and the like. The common mallow (malva sylvestris) has somewhatsimilar virtues. Order 11. Hexandria. Essent. Gen. Cnar. Calyx two-leaved: Corolla ringent: Filaments two, membranaceous, each with three anthers. Srec.Cuar., Pericarps with one seed: Stem branched. BS DESCRIPTION. Wie plant rises a foot. The leaves are compound, doubly pinnated ; the smaller pinne three-lobed, of a pale green. The flowers are of a reddish purple, and grow in spikes, which arise fromtheaxilla of the leaves. The corolla has the appearance Somewhat, and is in reality ringent. HISTORY. This plant is common in our corn-fields, and usually flowers in May. MEDICAL VIRTUE. Dr. Cullen says, ‘ This plant is a tonic; it is omitted in the London Dispensatory, but retained in ours, and in every other that knowof. I have foundit useful in many cases in which * M. Mz. vol. ii. p. 77. 282 |