3^5 



particular tafle or flavour : in fome properties it differs confidera- 

 bly from mod of the other oils of this kind ; not congealing in 

 \vinter; not forming a folid foap with fixed alkahne falts ;* ading 

 more powerfully as a inenftruum on fulphureous bodies, than any 

 other expreiTed oil that has been tried. The feeds, boiled in water, 

 yield a large proportion of a ftrong flavourlefs mucilage : to reaified 

 fpirit they give out little or nothing." *= 



Linfeed appears to afford but little nourifhment, and when taken 

 as food has been found to impair the llomach, and produce great 

 flatulency: efFeds, which are noticed of thefe feeds by Galen,'' and 

 fmce amply confirmed by Tragus, who relates ' that, in confequence 

 of a fcarcity of corn in Zealand, the inhabitants were urged to the 

 necefTity of eating boiled Linfeed, which occafioned a remarkable 

 diftentipn of the hypochondria, fwellings of the face and other parts, 

 which in feveral inflances proved fatal. 



; Infufions and decodions of thefe feeds, like other vegetable muci- 

 lages, are ufed as emollients or demulcents in hoarfenelTes, coughs, 

 and pleuretic fymptoms, which frequently prevail in catarrhal affec 



they are alfo recommended in nephritic pains and ftranguries: 



for thefe purpofes, a fpoonful of the feeds unbruifed is faid to be 

 fuflicient for a quart of water.^ The feeds are alfo much ufed externally 

 in emollient and maturating cataplafms. The exprefTed oil is an 

 officinal preparation, and is fuppofed to be of a more healing and 

 balfamic nature than the other oils of this clafs f it has therefore been 

 very generally employed in pulmonary complaints, alfo in colics,'' and 

 conftipations of the bowels/ 



* GeofFroy, Mem. de Tacad. des fcien. de Paris Vann. 1741.- 



<= Lewis, M. M. p. 397. • 



^ Simp. L. 7. de alim. fac. L i.e. 32. 

 See Raii Hiji. />. 1073. ^ Lewis, I. c. 



^^ This fubje£t is examined on treating of ^.-.. . , . 



__See Sydenham, (Oper. cap. de pleur. p. 265. j Haen, {Rat. Med. P. i. p. 24. 

 i^'U. p. 103. j and others. 



Haen, /. c. P. H. p. 204. V. Swieten, Com. vol. i'l. p. 143. Gallefky mentions 

 leveral cafes of conftipation and colic, proceeding from different caufes, fuccefsfully 

 treated by this oil, See Abhandl. v. Miferere u. d. Kraften d. Leinols in dies. Krankh. 

 P; 75- feq. Alfo Lentin, Beob. einig Krankh. p. 149. Vide Murray, App. Med. vol. 



Olea eurooaea. See Aled^ Bot. voL iiu 



4B5. feq^^It 



a 



GEOFFROYA 



