180 CLKAVEKS. 



The leaves and stalks yield, upon expression, a large quantity 

 of juice, which is green and turbid at first, but when depurated 

 becomes clear and of a reddish colour. Inspissated to the con- 

 sistence of an extract, it manifests a pungent though fugitive 

 saline bitterness. 



Medical Properties and Uses. — Goose-grass, like many other 

 plants, has from time to time had its various advocates, although 

 in the present day its efficacy is much questioned. Its expressed 

 juice, however, has been given with decided advantage as an 

 aperient, diuretic, and antiscorbutic medicine*. The celebrated 

 Theodore Torquet de Mayerne-j- found it extremely serviceable 

 in the cure of dropsies, particularly in the earlier stage of the dis- 

 ease. For this complaint he directed three ounces of the juice 

 to be mixed witli wine, and taken twice a day. Ray attests that 

 a decoction of the plant in white wine was found useful in ne- 

 phritic cases, tended to expel calculi of the kidneys ^, and sub- 

 dued enlargements of the spleen §. Simon Pauli]! says that in 

 Denmark the distilled water proved beneficial in affections of 

 the chest and in hypochondriacal cases, whereas others ^ doubt 

 its utility altogether. Durand** also prescribed it in jaundice, 

 obstructions of the liver, and in diarrhoea. As a remedy in 

 scrofula this plant was long in repute, for which complaint it 

 was especially recommended in Italy by Gaspari -ff, both ex- 

 ternally and internally, but the benefits said to have been de- 

 rived from its use are not confirmed by others JJ. In gravel, 

 Chomel §§ considers a decoction to ameliorate the irritability of 

 the bladder, which opinion appears to be borne out by the re- 

 marks of Ray. In this and other countries the juice of the 



* Dr. CuUen included the Aparine among the astringents, but it does 

 not in any respect agree with the peculiar pi-operties of that class of medi- 

 cines. Cullen's Treat. Mat. Med. vol. ii. p. 37. 



-|- Prax. Med. pars 1. p. 390. 



:j: Ray, in Geoff. Tract. Mat. Med. torn. iii. p. 103. 



§ Ray, in Flore Medieale, torn. iv. p. C8. 



II S. Pauli, in Geoff. Tract. Mat. Med. torn. iii. p. ICS. 



^ Flore ^iedicaJe, torn. iv. p. 68. 



** Flore Economique, p. 238. 



•}--}- Osservazioni Storiche, Mediche, &c. 1731. p. 17- s'l- 



:{::{: Parr's Med. Diet. art. Aparine. 



§^ L'Hist. Plant. Usnell. torn, i, p. 444. 



