534- 
grenes, and in the plague, wine is to be confidered a principal remedy; 
And in almoft all cafes of languors, and of great proftation of ftrength, 
wine is experienced to be a more grateful and efficacious cordial than 
can be furniihed from the whole clafs of aromatics. 
The Tartar, which is thrown off from wines to the fides and bottom 
of the cafk, is alfo an officinal article, and confifts of the vegetable 
alkali fuperfaturated with acid. When taken from the cafk, it is found 
mixed with an earthy, oily, and colouring matter : that obtained from 
red wine is of deep brown colour, and commonly called red, and 
when it is of a paler colour, white tartar. It is purified by dinolving 
it in boiling water, and feparating the earthy part by filtering the 
boiling folution. On cooling the folution, it depoiits irregular 
' 
cryftals, containing the colouring matter, which is fep 
boiling the mafs with white clay. The tartar, thus purified, is called 
cream of tartar. If this be expofed to a red heat, its acid flies off, 
and what remains is the vegetable alkali, or fait of tartar. 
: Cryftals of tartar are in common ufe as a laxative and mild cathar- 
tic ; they are alfo efteemed for their cooling and diuretic qualities, 
and therefore have been much employed in dropfies, and other cafes 
requiring an antiphlogiftic treatment. Dr. Cullen fays,, " that in 
large dofes they a& like a purgative in exciting the action of the 
abforbents in every part of the fyftem,. and that more powerfully than 
happens from the operation of any entirely neutral fait;" and hence 
is founded their utility in the cure of dropfy. It muft be remarked, 
however, that they do not readily pafs off by the kidneys, unlefs 
taken with a large quantity of water ; and therefore when intended 
as a diuretic they ought to he given in a liouid form, as Dr. Horn 
has dire&ed. The dofe is to be regulated according to the 
fiances, from a dram 
pol 
Thefe falts enter feveral officinal 
Another article to be noticed here is Vinegar, which, has been 
fteemed of great ufe in almoft all inflammatory and putrid diforders, 
whether internal or external. Bergius fays, it is refrigerans, refol 
vens, antiputridenofa, alexiteria, antiphlogiftica, digeftiva, antifcor- 
butica, diaphoretica. It is very efficacious in counteracting the effect 
of vegetable poifons, efpecially thofe of the narcotic kind. Inhaled 
the form of a vapour, it is found ufeful in the putrid fore 
and 
