INTRODUCTION. Ul 



ers, and laid evenly in a drawer, pressing them 

 down, and covering them with paper. They 

 arc thus ready for infusions and decoctions, and 

 are better for distillation than when fresh. 



The flowers of plants arc principally used 

 fresh, though several particular kinds retain their 

 virtue very well dried ; they are on these different 

 occasions to be treated differently. 



Lavender flowers, and those of stoecha, keep 

 very well ; they are therefore to be preserved dry ; 

 the lavender flowers are to be stripped off the 

 stalks, husk and all together, and spread upon 

 the floor of a room to dry. The stcechas flowers 

 are to be preserved in the whole head ; this is to 

 be cut off from the top of the stalk, and dried in 

 the same manner : when dry, they are to be kept 

 as the herbs. 



When rosemary flowers are dried, they are ge* 

 nerally taken with some of the leaves about therrr; 

 and this is very right, for the leaves retain more 

 virtue than the flowers. Some dry borage, bu- 

 g-loss, and cowslips, but they retain very little 

 virtue in that condition. Rose buds are to- be 

 dried, and to this purpose, their white heads are 

 to be cut off; and the full blown flowers may be 

 preserved in the same manner. The red roe 

 is always meant,, when we speak of the dried 

 flowers. 



For the rest of tha flowers used in medicine, 

 they are best fresh ; but as they remain only a 

 small part of the year in that state, the method 

 is to preserve them in the form of syrups and 

 conserves. Such as the syrup of cloves and pop- 

 pies, the conserves of cowslips, and the like. Of 

 these, a short general account shall be subjoined, 

 that nothing may be wanting to make this book 



