BORAGE. 85 



an alkaline volatile spirit, very penetrating, and 

 then an empyreumatic, fetid, and heavy oil ; 

 there remains a very light coal, which is re- 

 duced with some difficulty into ashes. These 

 give an alkali, such as the most part of vege- 

 tables furnish : the coal itself, before the 

 incineration, furnishes a great deal of nitre, 

 some little marine salt, and an alkaline salt 

 of a deliquescent nature. M. Bucquet says, 

 it is clear, that of all these principles, the 

 juice of the borage contains only the phlegm, 

 the oily part, the nitre, the marine salt, the 

 fixed alkali, and the earthy part. As to the 

 volatile alkali, it is the produce of the fire, 

 which has formed it at the expense of the 

 fixed alkali, and of the oil ; because this pro- 

 duce, though very volatile, only passes after 

 the phlegm, and when the decomposition is 

 already advanced ; for, operate how you may 

 to separate the salts contained in the borage, 

 you will never find volatile alkali. 

 ' This plant divides thick and vulgar hu- 

 mours, attenuates the blood, re-establishes 

 secretions, and excretions, and is useful in all 

 illnesses where it is essential to avoid hot 

 remedies ; as in pleurisy, peripneumony, &c. 

 It is esteemed diuretic, emollient, and ex- 

 pectorant. 



