The leaves of the plant discover a viscid
sweetishness, accompanied with a more durable saponaceous pungency and
warmth: these seem capable of answering some useful purposes, as a
stimulating, aperient, antiscorbutic medicine.
320. CANNABIS sativa. HEMP. The Seeds.--These have some smell of the
herb; their taste is unctuous and sweetish; on expression they yield a
considerable quantity of insipid oil: hence they are recommended (boiled
in milk, or triturated with water into an emulsion) against coughs, heat
of urine, and the like. They are also said to be useful in incontinence
of urine; but experience does not warrant their having any virtues of
this kind.
321. CARTHAMUS tinctorius. SAFFLOWER. The Seeds.--These have been
celebrated as a cathartic: they operate very slowly, and for the most
part disorder the bowels, especially when given in substance; triturated
with aromatic distilled waters, they form an emulsion less offensive,
yet inferior in efficacy to more common purgatives.
322. CENTAUREA Cyanus. BLUE-BOTTLE. The Flowers.--As to their virtues,
notwithstanding the present practice expects not any from them, they
have been formerly celebrated against the bites of poisonous animals,
contagious diseases, palpitations of the heart, and many other
distempers.
323. CENTAUREA rhapontica. GREATER CENTAURY.
Pages:
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171