xvi. INTRODUCTION. 



is only to do good, they are the most to be chosen 

 of any . 



Juices are to be expressed from leaves or roots ; 

 and in order to this, they are to be first beaten 

 <iia mortar. There is no form whatever in which 

 herbs have so much effect, and yet this is in 

 a manner unknown in the common practice ot 

 physic. 



These are to be obtained in some plants from 

 the entire herb, as in water cresses, brook-lime, 

 and others that have juicy stalks ; in others the 

 leaves are to be used, as in nettles, and the like, 

 where the stalk is dry, and yields nothing ; but 

 is troublesome in the preparation. When the 

 juice of a root is to be had, it must be fresh 

 taken up, and thoroughly beaten. A marble 

 mortar and wooden pestle serve best for this pur- 

 pose, for any thing of metal is improper : many 

 plants would take a tincture from it, and the 

 juice would he so impregnated with it, as to 

 become a different medicine, and probably very 

 improper in the case in which it was about to be 

 given. 



As these juices have sometimes an ill taste, and 

 as some of them are apt to be cold upon the 

 stomach, or otherwise to disagree with it, there 

 are methods to he used, to make them sit better up- 

 on it ; and in some cases these increase their v ir- 

 tucs. 



When the thick juice, fresh drawn, is too coarse 

 for the person's stomach, it may he suffered to 

 stlde and grow clear: a little sugar may be ad- 

 ded also in beating the herb, and in many cases, 

 as in those juices given for the scurvy, the juice 

 of a Seville orange may be added, which will 

 greatly improve the flavour. 



