ORCHIS. 197 



effects are recorded by the ancient authors. The Salep of the 

 East is still regarded in the same light, but it can only exert 

 this property in consequence of its eminently nutritive qualities, 

 in which it resembles shell-fish, milk, eggs, and animal food in 

 general. Much also has been written of its efficacy in gout, 

 epilepsy, and palpitation of the heart, which we shall pass over 

 in silence, as being quite imaginary. From its demulcent, mu- 

 cilaginous, emollient, and incrassating properties, it is never- 

 theless useful in various diseases. In dysentery * it has been 

 much praised, also in diarrhoea t, bilious colic J, hectic and 

 nervous fevers, tenesmus, nephritis, calculous affections, stran- 

 gury, and other diseases of the urinary passages. In pulmo- 

 nary phthisis it has been recommended for supporting the vital 

 forces and retarding the progress of colliquation and marasmus. 

 In sea-scurvy it ob tends the acrimony of the fluids, and is 

 easily assimilated into a bland and nutritious chyle §. "In 

 the symptomatic fever which arises from the absorption of pus, 

 from ulcers in the lungs, from wounds, or from amputation, it 

 is an admirable demulcent, and well adapted to resist that 

 crasis of the blood which is so evident in these cases." || 



We have already described the method of preparing Salep. 

 When thoroughly pulverized, it may be given in solution in 

 water, milk, broth, &c, in the dose of a drachm to a pint 

 and a half of fluid, which may be sweetened with sugar 

 or rendered aromatic with orange-flower water, or acidulated 

 with barberries, &c. One drachm of salep, dissolved in a 

 quarter of a pint of hot water, constitutes a jelly, of which a 

 spoonful may be given every two hours. It may also be asso- 

 ciated with oil of almonds to form a linctus, and may be made 

 into lozenges with sugar and mucilage. 



* Degner, Hist, dysent. biblioso-contag. p. 170. 



f Lund, in Vet. Acad. Handl. p. 315. 



+ Ibid. p. 317. 



§ Fritze, Med. Annalen, vol. i. p. 111. 



|| Percival's Essays, Med. and Experimental, vol. ii. p. 48. 



^f Ibid., /. c. 



