X80 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



done) would have been to avoid the causes 

 of delirium tremens. 



Tisanes are easily prepared by travellers 

 on land ; for several of the plants afford- 

 ing them are almost cosmopolite. On 

 board ship, a small packet of dried simples 

 •would supply the ordinary requirements 

 of a crew, a scarcity of water being the 

 only obstacle to be apprehended. Be it re- 

 membered, too, that the herb-teas of our 

 ancestresses, many of their still-room 

 secrets, and the driuks given by ladies 

 benevolent to their well-behaved poor, 

 and by beauties bright to their wounded 

 knights, were neither more nor less than 

 true tisanes. They have all this grand 

 merit, that, if they do no good, they can 

 scarcely do harm. 



The temperature of this class of medi- 

 caments is not a matter of indifference. In 

 general, they are taken warm, or hot ; 

 and, in a great number of cases, the rule 

 is good, but is far from applicable to 

 every derangement of the health. In- 

 flammatory diseases, other than those of 

 the respiratory passages, or the skin — 

 genuine fevers — affections which are ac- 

 companied by a sensation of inward burn- 

 ing, and in which the breathing is im- 

 peded, difficult, or retarded by debility, 

 require cold drinks ; some of them, even 

 iced tisanes. In diseases of the lungs, on 

 the other hand, whether with fever and 

 cough, or even without fever, but of a 

 catarrhal character, cold drinks are inju- 

 rious ; hot tisanes are best, because they 

 facilitate expectoration. Skin diseases 

 also require hot tisanes, for different rea- 

 sons. As to the quantity to be imbibed, 

 the patient is generally permitted to drink 

 at discretion. In a few dropsical cases 

 only would restriction be laid on the 

 daily allowance, which would vary ac- 

 cording to the state, habits, constitution, 

 and complant of the drinker. 



And now for the receipts to make 

 various tisanes, from high scientific and 

 official authority ; they are much less 

 difficult than either Medea's broth or the 

 more modern composition prepared by 

 Macbeth's witches. The weights and 

 measures given are French ; the propor- 

 tions, which is all that need be observed, 

 are easily maintained by remembering 

 that a litre is equal to a pint and three- 

 quarters, and that an ounce avoirdupois 

 weighs twenty-eight grammes and a third, 

 as near as may be. 



Burdock tisane ; a purifyer.— Take of 

 roots of burdock slightly pounded in a 

 mortar, twenty grammes ; of boiling water, 

 one litre. Infuse three hours, strain, and 



decant. Prepare in the same manner 

 tisanes from the roots of smallage, ange- 

 lica, asparagus, elecampane,Roland thistle, 

 male fern, strawberry, marsh-mallow, 

 patience, horse-radish, and soapwood. 

 Exactly the same for baivk tisanes, from 

 gray quinquina, yellow quinquina, fir- 

 tree buds, elder, and simarouba, a Jamai- 

 can tree. 



Polygala tisane. — Take of Virginian 

 polygala eight grammes, of boiling-water 

 one litre. Infuse two hours, and strain. 

 In the same way you may make tisanes 

 from the root3 of bitter quassia, sassafras, 

 valerian, and box. 



Coach-grass tisane; an emollient diu- 

 retic in highji-epute. — Wash twenty gram- 

 mes of couch grass (the roots and plant) 

 in cold water ; bruise them in a marble 

 mortar, and boil them for an hour in a 

 quantity of water sufficient to obtain a 

 litre of tisane ; strain and decant. In the 

 same way, omitting the previous washing, 

 you can obtaiu tisane from the roots of 

 the Provence cane, or Arundo donax, and 

 of comfrey. 



Borage tisane. — Borage leaves twelve 

 grammes, boiling water one litre. Infuse 

 for an hour, and strain. In the same 

 way prepare tisanes from the leaves of 

 mugwort, capidaire or maideu's-hair fern, 

 vernal speedwell, b!es-e:l thistle, chicory, 

 fumitory, orange-tree, parietory, wild 

 pansy, soapwort, scabious, scolopendra, 

 bi'ooklime, senna, rupturewort, and vari- 

 ous specie i of veronica. 



Hyssop tisane. — Hyssop leaves eight 

 grammes, boiling water one litre. Infuse 

 for an hour, and straiu. Proceed simi- 

 larly for tisanes from the leaves of calamint, 

 ground ivy, horehound, balm, marjoram, 



( and sage. Here we are in the category of 



I aromatic herb drinks ; and why need a 



! man die whose garden gives him sage ? 



j Cur moriatur homo cut salvia creseit in 



! horto ? 



Tisane of arnica flowers. — Flowers four 

 grammes, boiling water one litre. Infuse 

 for an hour, and strain through a thick 



: cloth. The same preparation for tisanes 

 of Roman camomile flowers, field-poppy, 



; feverfew, and elder. 



Mullein-flower tisane. — Mullein blos- 



\ soras eight grammes, boiling water one 



, litre. Infuse for an hour and strain. 

 The same for tisanes of flowers of the little 

 centuary, marsh - mallow, hop - mallow, 



' cat's-foot, red roses, lime-tree, colt's- 

 ibot, violets. All these are tonic and 

 muci-laginous bitters, excitants of perspi- 



' ration. 



Auiseed tisanes. — Seed eight grammes, 



