652 BARLEY 



MARSH MALLOW ROOT 



ALTHAEA RADIX. Dried root of Althaea officinalis. Nat. 

 Ord. Malvaceae. (U.S.P). Not official in B.P. 



The Malvaceae are rich in mucilage, and several yield 

 tenacious fibres, from which cordage is obtained. The 

 species Gossypium have their seeds surrounded by delicate, 

 flattened, twisted hairs, which constitute raw cotton, and 

 the seeds by expression yield the bland cotton seed oil 

 often substituted for olive oil. The marsh mallow grows 

 both in this country and on the Continent, generally in 

 the neighbourhood of rivers and salt marshes. Mucilage 

 is yielded by most parts of the plant, notably by the two 

 and three year old roots, which contain about 35 per cent, 

 each of mucin and starch, and a little uncrystallisable sugar. 



ACTIONS AND USES. Marsh, and also common mallow 

 roots, are digested with boiling water, and the mucilage 

 thus extracted, which resembles that of linseed, is used 

 as a demulcent. Of the fluid extract of the bark of Gos- 

 sypium root, horses and cattle may be given 3J V - * J- J 

 dogs, n\xxx. to 3J- 



BARLEY 



HORDEUM. Pearl Barley. Malt. Yeast. Nat. Ord. 

 Graminaceae. 



Barley (Hordeum distichon) is used as food for most of 

 the domesticated animals ; and, when stripped of its outer 

 husk, is recognised as pearl barley. Ground to meal, it is 

 used for making poultices and infusions. Good barley- 

 meal contains 68 per cent, of starch, 14 glutin and albumin, 

 2 fatty matter, 2 saline matter, and 14 water. When 

 moistened and exposed to a temperature of about 100 

 Fahr., barley germinates, the starch in great part being 

 converted into dextrin and sugar, and, if the process be 

 arrested by drying, malt is formed. Decoctum Hordei, or 

 barley water, may be made by boiling one part of washed 

 pearl-barley with 15 parts water for twenty minutes, ard 

 straining. It is nutrient and demulcent. 



