200 PARSONS ON THE EOSE. 



cussion between two French chemists, but without decid- 

 ing the fact whether the Mosa Gallica was superior in 

 medical properties to any other rose. It seems to be ac- 

 knowledged that those ciiltiyated at Provence were superi- 

 or to the same kind grown elsewhere, and this superiority 

 is attributed by some to the presence of iron in the soil 

 about that city. It was probably owing, also, to the very 

 careful cultivation practiced there. The petals are used 

 extensively in several medical preparations, as the sugar 

 of roses, the ointment of roses, the treacle of roses, etc. 

 Rose-water is, ho^vever, more extensively used in medi- 

 cine than any other preparation of the rose. This water, 

 when manufactured from Mosa Gallica^ or any other of 

 the section of Centifolice, is employed internally as an 

 astringent, and is sometimes mixed with other medicines 

 to destroy their disagreeable smell and taste. In external 

 applications, it is used principally for affections of the 

 eyes, either alone or with some ointment. 



The alcoholic tincture of roses, or spirit of roses, before 

 mentioned, which was formerly given as a stimulus in 

 many cases, has now fallen very much into disuse, medi- 

 cal opinion being very much ngainst the employment of 

 any alcoholic medicines excepting in very rare cases. 



The syrup o/" roses, manufactured from the pale or Dam- 

 ask Rose, is sometimes employed as a purgative, and was 

 once highly esteemed and recommended as a mild laxa- 

 tive. It is now, however, scai'cely considered purgative, 

 and its laxative properties are probably owing in a great 

 measure to the senna and other articles which enter into 

 its preparation. 



The electuary of roses, which is now no longer used, 

 was also probably indebted for its medical qualities to the 

 addition of scammony, a very strong purgative. 



Vinegar of roses is made by simply infusing dried 

 rose-petals in the best distilled vinegar, to which they 

 communicate their perfume. It is used for cooking and 



