GARLIC. 349 



its strong penetrating odour and caustic taste, though peculiarly 

 offensive to most English palates, is much relished by the Rus- 

 sians, Poles, Spaniards, and especially by the Jews. It is eaten 

 with bread, and employed by way of seasoning to various dishes. 

 The juice of this bulb has been used in domestic economy for 

 cementing broken glass and cliina. 



The active properties of Garlic appear to depend on an essen- 

 tial oil, which is readily obtained by distillation with water : it 

 is of a yellowish colour, of a thick and ropy consistence, and 

 sinks in water. The expressed juice of the bulb yields a 

 mucilaginous extract, albumen, fibrous matter, and water of 

 vegetation. Sulphur, vegetable albumen, and sugar have been 

 detected in it, and the ashes furnish several salts of potass, 

 phosphate of lime, oxide of iron, magnesia, lime, silica, &c. 

 Dried till it loses one half of its weight, it preserves all its 

 sensible properties, but by coction in water or vinegar they are 

 completely destroyed, and a viscous mucilage is the result, 

 which may be substituted, according to M. Bodard*, for giun 

 arabic and tragacanth. The odour of Garlic is so penetrating 

 and diffusible, that even the external application of it to the 

 soles of the feet or any other part of the body will cause the 

 lungs to exhale its odour, and the taste may be perceived in tlie 

 mouth. It may be also detected in the flesh and even in the 

 eggs of fowls, geese, Sic, that have eaten it. 



Medicinal Properties and Uses. — Garlic is commended by 

 Dioscorides -i- as a remedy for tape-worm, venomous bites, 

 hoarseness, coughs, obstructed urine, &c., and externally for 

 many cutaneous diseases. Celsus J directs it to be mixed with 

 honey for inveterate coughs ; he also speaks of its efficacy in 

 preventing the paroxysms of intermittents, which is confirmed 

 by Rosen, Bergius §, and others. It lias enjoyed great repu- 

 tation as a preservative against contagious diseases, more parti- 

 cularly the plague || ; hence it formed a principal ingredient in 



* In Flore Medicale, toin. i. p. 30. 



t Mat. Med. lib. ii. c. 182. 



J De Medicina, lib. iv. c. 4. 



§ Mat. Med. torn. i. p. 255. 



II See the authorities in Zorn. Botan. Med. p. 40 ; also Cheiiot de peste, 

 p. 108 ; Diemerbroeck de peste, p. 1C4. Mr. Waller observes, "during the 

 prevalence of a very contagious fever in tlie vicinity (.f Somerj Town and 



