124 NAT. ORDER. ROSACEyE. 



to the disease. It is also a very useful gargle for sore tnroats, 

 both the simple and malignant. 



Prof. Lindley, speaking of this class of plants, says : " No 

 Rosaceous plants are unwholesome ; they are chiefly remarkable 

 for the presence of an astringent principle, which has caused some 

 of them to be reckoned febrifuges. The root of Tormcntilla is 

 used for tanning in the Faroe Isles. PotentiUa anserina has been 

 used by tanners, and the PotentiUa reptans as a febrifuge. Geum 

 urhanum and rivale have been compared for efficacy to Cinclwna. 

 The petals of Rosa Damascena yield a highly fragrant essential 

 oil, called Otter of Roses ; those of the Rosa gallica are astringent 

 when dried rapidly, and are sometimes found useful in cases of 

 debility, such as leucorrhoea, diarrhoea, &c." The root of Ruhus 

 villosiis is now becoming a very popular astringent medicine, 

 through almost every part of North America. Two or tl. -ee tea- 

 spoonsful of the decoction, administered three or four times a ■*--- 

 has been found useful in cholera infantum, and seldom fails of ef- 

 fecting cures of the most obstinate character. One of the most 

 powerful anthelmintics in the world belongs to this family. It is 

 an Abyssinian plant, known to botanists by the name of Brayera 

 nnthehnintica. Upon the authority of Dr. Brayer, after whom it is 

 named, two or three doses of the infusion are sufficient to cure 

 the most obstinate cases of tcenia. The petals of many of the 

 varieties of Red Rose enter into a compound called the Bread of 

 Life. Take one ounce of the petals of red roses, finely jiulver- 

 ized, two ounces TJlmus fulva, and four ounces each of Populii 

 nigra and white Havana sugar, all made fine, and mixed, by sift- 

 ing them together. Mix this with warm water, sufficient to make 

 it into the consistency of bread : roll it out into flat cakes, and 

 cut it into small squares, for drying. This is an excellent medi- 

 cine for coughs, colds, sore throat, and pains in the chest. It ii 

 also an excellent remedy for bronchitis. 



