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4 
372 ORD XX. Personate. ANTIRRHINUM LINARIA. 
It is frequent in barren pastures, hedges, and sides of roads, 
flowering from July till September. 
The telaves of Linaria have a bitterish and somewhat saline taste, 
and when rubbed betwixt the fingers yield a faint smell, resembling 
that of elder.’ They are reported to be diuretic and cathartic, and 
in both characters to act so powérfully as to-give names to this 
plant expressive of these qualities. Hence they have been re- 
commended internally in dropsies, and other disorders requiring 
copious evacuations. The Linaria has also been used as a resolvent 
in jaundice, and in such diseases as have been supposed to proceed 
from visceral obstructions. But the plant has been chiefly valued 
for its effects when externally, applied, especially in hemorrhoidal 
affections;’ for which both the leaves and flowers have been em- 
ployed in the various forms of ointment, fomentation, and cata- 
plasm. ae 3 
An infusion of the flowers is said to be very efficacious in cuta- 
neous disorders; and Hammerin® gives an instance in which these 
flowers; with those of verbascum,. used as tea, cured an exanthema- 
tous disorder, which had resisted. various. other remedies tried 
during. the course.of three years. 
An. Unguentum de linaria is to be found in the Wirwebntes 
Brandenburg, and Danish Pharmacopezias.° 
* Viz. Urinalis, Harnkrout,. Kreutierbuch: > Vide Horst. Ons: et. epist. med, 
hb. 4, obs, 50. _ Sim, Paulli. Bot. 415. Chesnau. Obs. 360. 
_* See Chomel. Pl. Usuell. Tom. 3. 34. Geoff. c. 
* © Cited by Murr. 1. c. 
é The inventor of this ointment, for the piles, was a Dr. Wolph, who at that time 
was physician to the Landgrave of Hesse, by whom the doctor was continually in- 
terrogated to discover the composition of this ointment; but Wolph obstinately 
refused, till the prince promised to give him a fat ox annually for the discovery. 
Hence to the following verse, which was made to distinguish the Linaria from the 
Esula, viz.. : 
<¢ Esula lactescit, sine laéie Linaria crescit,” 
The Hereditary Marshal of Hesse, added: ‘ 
‘ Esula nil nobis, sed dat Linaria tanrum,” Horst. l. c. a, Murr, cit, 
Linnzus (Flor, Suec.) says this plant is used as a poison for flies, 
