168 III. COMPOUND COMBUSTIBLES.— 



irregular masses. These are dried in the sun until quite hard, 

 and then broken into small grains. It is also made in the East 

 Indies. 



Potato TAPIOCA. From potato starch : by boiUng it before 

 it is dried, stirring it to break it into lumps. 



Linseed oil cake, Lini placentcB, Ground linseed cake, Lin- 

 seed powder, Farina lini placentarum. Used for poultices, but 

 requires some oil or fat to be added to keep it from drying up 

 too hard ; used for manure. 



Cochin China lock-soy, Gummi ex oryza arte facta. Rice 

 boiled to a kind of paste, and drawn out into threads; trans- 

 parent; used to thicken soups. — China lock-soy. Opaque, and 

 less esteemed. 



medicinal fecules. 

 Elaterium album. The half-ripe fruit of spurting cucum- 

 ber cut in pieces, so that the juice may drain out, which is left to 

 settle, the liquid part poured off, and the sediment dried in the 

 sun ; hydragogue, gr. ss. to ij. 



Elateeium nigrum, Extractum elaterii, Succus spissatus 

 momordiccB elaterii. From the nearly ripe spurting cucumber, by 

 expressing its juice, and proceeding as before, drying the fecule 

 with a gentle heat. Dr. Clutterbuck has ascertained tliat the 

 active principle of wild cucumber is contained almost exclusively 

 in the juice around the seeds, and that genuine elaterium is the 

 matter which subsides spontaneously from this juice obtained 

 without pressure. The chemical constitution of the elaterium of 

 British commerce has been investigated by Dr. Paris. Its con- 

 stituents, as ascertained by him, are water 4, extractive 26, fecula 

 28, gluten 5, woody matter 25, elatine and bitter principle 12. 

 The bitter principle, though not in itself purgative, quickens the 

 action of the elatine by being combined with it. He considers 

 elatine as a new principle, of a green colour, soft, heavier than 

 water, not at all bitter, insoluble in water, soluble in alcohol. Half 

 a grain or a grain of elaterium acts as a certain drastic hydragogue 

 purge. Officinal preparation. — Extractum elaterii, L. D. 



Fecule of briony, Fecula hryonice alhce. From the root of 

 white briony ; cathartic. 



Terra makemakey. A dark brown fecule, origin not 

 known; used to cure ringworms, in New Spain. 



colouring fecules. 



WoAD, Glastum. From woad leaves, by grinding them to a 

 paste, of which balls are made, placed in heaps, and occasionally 

 sprinkled with water, to promote the fermentation ; when this is 



