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INTRODUCTION. xxxix 



good a ffuid 



will also be a pleasant medicine. If a draught of 

 tincture of roses, which will be described in the 

 following part of this work, under the article 

 red rose, be taken after this, it will increase the 

 power. 



In this manner the charitable lady may supply 

 the place of the apothecary, to those who could 

 not afford such assistance: and experience is so 



Sj that she will be able in most cases 

 to save the expence of the doctor also : and there 

 will be this satisfaction in her own mind, that 

 while she deals principally with those innocent 

 sort of medicines which the fields afibrd her, she 

 will be in very little danger of doing harm. The 

 galenical physic perhaps will be found eiFectual 

 in many more cases, by those who stick to it sole- 



: are aware wllo do not use it ; as to 

 the mischief of medicine^ that is almost entirely 

 chemicaK It would be idle to say that chemical 

 medicines do not do gre'dt good ; but they require 

 to be in skilful hands : when the ignorant employ 

 them, death is more likely to be the consequence, 

 than the relief from the disorder any other 



way. 



One useful observation may serve well to clo«e 

 this introduction. Opiates, and medicines of that 

 kind, to compose persons to rest, and to take off 

 pain, will be often necessary ; but as they are the 

 most powerful medicines the charitable practi- 

 tioner will have to do withal, they are the mostca- 

 pablc of doing harm : the great care will therefore 

 lie in the right use of these. 



As there are three different preparations de- 

 scribed in this book for answering this purpose, 

 beside the opium, and that solution of it in wine, 

 which is called laudanum, I would advise that 

 these two latter be used very seldom. A syrup 



