COMMON JUNIPER. -~ 45 
vesicles at top, and containing three seeds. It 
requires two seasons to arrive at. Bisse from 
the flower. 
The leaves of the Juniper have a tr: and 
rather unpleasant taste, with a little astringency. 
The peculiar juice of the bark appears to consist 
of resin and. volatile oil. Gum Sandarach, which 
furnishes the material of pounce, is obtained from 
the European Juniper, from which it. exudes 
spontaneously through crevices and_ perforations 
in the bark. teat 
The part principally used in medicine. is the 
berries. These haye a strong peculiar. taste, 
accompanied with considerable sweetness. When 
long chewed, they leave an impression of bitter- 
ness. The sweetness appears to reside in. the 
pulp, the bitterness in the seeds, or in their im- 
mediate investment, and the aromatic flavour in 
the essential oil. Dr. Lewis observes, that  tinc- 
tures, made with these berries, differ according 
as they are prepared with the berries entire or 
bruised. 
_. When of a good quality these bean ‘yield, i in 
distillation, a large quantity of pungent, yolatile 
oil of a peculiar flavour, the same which it com- 
municates to gin. The medicinal powers, for 
which this article is employed, may be considered 
as residing in this oil. 
