COMMON ELDER. Flowers and Berries. L. E. D.--The
parts of the Sambucus which are proposed for medicinal use in the
Pharmacopoeias, are the inner bark, the flowers, and the berries. The
flowers have an agreeable flavour, which they give over in distillation
with water, and impart by infusion, both to water and rectified spirit:
on distilling a large quantitiy of them with water, a small portion of a
butyraceous essential oil separates. Infusions made from the fresh
flowers are gently laxative and aperient; when dry, they are said to
promote chiefly the cuticular excretion, and to be particularly
serviceable in erysipetalous and eruptive disorders.--Woodville's Med.
Bot. 598.
269. SCILLA maritima. SQUILL. Root. L. E. D.--This root is to the taste
very nauseous, intensely bitter and acrimonious; much handled, it
exulcerates the skin. With regard to its medical virtues, it powerfully
stimulates the solids, and attenuates viscid juices; and by these
qualities promotes expectoration, urine, and perspiration: if the dose
is considerable, it proves emetic, and sometimes purgative. The
principal use of this medicine is where the primae viae abound with mucous
matter, and the lungs are oppressed by tenacious phlegm.
270. SCROPHULARIA nodosa. KNOTTY FIGWORT. Herb. D.--The roots are of a
white colour, full of little knobs or protuberances on the surface: this
appearance gained it formerly some repute against scrophulous disorders
and the piles; and from hence it received its name: but modern
practitioners expect no such virtues from it.
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