598 MEALS MEDICINAL. 
Turkey (the land of Rose attar), and a superior kind from France : 
for this latter the petals of pink roses are placed in a small glass 
pot, which is then filled with pure sugar syrup ; the petals merely 
curl up, but do not become crushed. 
When fully ripe and softened by frost, the hips, after removal 
of their hard seeds, and when plenty of sugar is added, make an 
excellent confection, which has special curative virtues, and 
which apothecaries employ in preparing electuaries; also as a 
basis for several sorts of pills. From Roses the Romans formerly 
concocted wine, and confections, also subtle scents, a sweet- 
smelling oil, and certain medicines. The petals of the crimson 
French Rose, which is grown freely in our gardens, have been 
esteemed of signal efficacy as remedial for consumption of the 
lungs, since the time of Avicenna (A.D. 1020), who states that 
he cured many patients by prescribing as much of the conserve 
thereof as they could manage to swallow daily ; it was combined 
with milk, or with some other light nutriment, and generally from 
thirty to forty pounds of this pleasant medicament had to be 
consumed before the cure was complete. ‘‘ Take,” says an old 
MS. recipe of Lady Somerset’s, “‘ Red Rose buds, and chyp of 
the tops, and put them in a mortar with ye waight of double 
refined sugar, beat them very small together, then put it up; 
it must rest three full months, stirring onces a day. This is 
good likewise against ye falling sickness.” 
The conserve of Red Roses is also helpful for irritability of 
the bladder with scalding urine, if eaten freely as a jam on bread, 
or with warm milk. Our grandmothers were given to place 
fragrant Rose petals over cherry pies before laying on the upper 
crust. The British Pharmacopeia of to-day orders a confection 
to be made of hips, the ripe fruit of the Dog Rose (Rosa canina) ; 
and another conserve of Red Rose petals (Gallica) whilst still 
unexpanded, these petals being beaten to a pulp in a stone 
mortar, and then rubbed well together with refined sugar. A 
small teaspoonful of the conserve is a dose. The petals of the 
Cabbage Rose (Centifolia), which are closely folded over each 
other like the leaves of a cabbage, have a gentle laxative action, 
and are used for making Rose-water by distillation, either when 
freshly gathered, or after being preserved by admixture with 
common salt. This fragrant water has long enjoyed a reputation 
for the cure of inflamed eyes (sometimes with sulphate of zinc, 
or sugar of lead, added in quite small quantities). Attar of 
