ABSYNTHIUM. 18 



taken internally on loaf sugar. It is equivalent to tur- 

 pentine and storax. 



Spruce beer is an American beverage, made by the 

 Indians with twigs and cones of spruces, boiled in ma- 

 ple syrup. Now it is chiefly made with molasses and 

 yeast, when no spruce is put in, it is only molasses beer. 

 The proper spruce beer is a palatable and healthy drink, 

 powerfully antiscorbutic. The first discoverers of Ca- 

 nada were cured of the scurvy by it, since which, it has 

 become in common use in Canada, the Northern States, 

 and even in Europe. If the use was still more genera], 

 it might destroy the tad effects of the scorbutic habit or 

 land scurvy, so prevalent among those chiefly feeding 

 on salt meat. The essence or extract of spruce, is an 

 article of exportation, used as naval stores : spruce 

 beer may be made by it in a short time, and any where. 

 ^ The bark of Spruce trees is sudorific, and m exten- 

 sive use for tanning leather, also to die of a brick red 

 color* The inner bark is used by empirics in powder 

 and tea for bowel and stomach complaints, rheumatism* 

 and gravel- The timber is valuable fur masts, spars, 

 rafters, and boards. The resin exudino; from the trees 



is nearly like frankincense. Josselyn says that it 

 very good in powder over wounds, to re-produce the 

 flesh : but as the resin of the European fir is used in 

 plaster to produce itching, rubefaction, and blistering, 

 the resin of all the firs must be heating and irrit-^^ing- ^ 

 ABRUS PRECATORIUS, L Liquorice bus^^. Bed 



bean^ Love pea. A siuall ornam ::'' ' and medi ,1 :5hruH. 

 found from Florida to BraziK also in E^vr^t and Ea^"^ 

 Indies. It belong* to monodelpliia enucandria, and to 

 the leguminose tnoe. Weil known bv its beautiful 

 scarlet seeds w^ith a black spot^ u.-^ed as beads bv the 

 Hindus and Mahometans. The roots and leave:? are 

 equivalents to liquorice, sweet, mucilaginous, demul- 

 cent and expectorant ; a good tea of the leaves used for 

 colds and fevers. Tiie seeds* aUhoue:h farinaceous, aiv, 

 hard and tough, yet they are eaten in i .^vpi. In Atne- 

 ricat they are considered purgative antt ueleterious. 

 Perhaps our American is different from the .Vsiatic kind. 



..Jsia ab'Synthium^h.) Common fVormwood. Inoi 



% t^ fr 



H+ 71 



