The officinal preparations are:-Decoctio Althaeae officinalis, and Syrupus
Althaeae.
Similar Plants.--Malva officinalis; M. rotundifolia; M. mauritanica;
Lavatera arborscens.
This root gives name to an officinal syrup [L. E.] and ointment [L.] and
is likewise an ingredient in the compound powder of gum tragacanth [L.
E.] and the oil and plaster of mucilages [L.] though it does not appear
to communicate any particular virtue to the two last, its mucilaginous
matter not being dissoluble in oils.--Lewis's Mat. Med.
167. AMYGDALUS communis. SWEET and BITTER ALMONDS. L. E. D.--The oils
obtained by expression from both sorts of almonds are in their sensible
qualities the same. The general virtues of these oils are, to blunt
acrimonious humours, and to soften and relax the solids: hence their use
internally, in tickling coughs, heat of urine, pains and inflammations:
and externally in tension and rigidity of particular parts.
168. ANCHUSA tinctoria. ALKANET-ROOT. E. D.--Alkanet-root has little or
no smell: when recent, it has a bitterish astringent taste, but when
dried scarcely any. As to its virtues, the present practice expects not
any from it. Its chief use is for colouring oils, unguents, and
plasters. As the colour is confined to the cortical part, the small
roots are best, these having proportionally more bark than the large.
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