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featedon theMoldau, i6 miles S. of DclTau, andiS S.S.W. 

 of Wittenberg. 



BITTERN, BiTTOUR, in Orniiboloj^y, the Linnaean 

 ardeajlellarh ; which fee. 



Bittern, is alfo a name given to the brine fwimming 

 upon the firil concreted fait in the falt-works ; this Hquor is 

 laded off, that the fait may be taken out of the vefiel, and is 

 afterwards put in again, and affords more fait, which is to 

 be feparated hke the reft, by lading off the liquor a fecond 

 time, and fo on. The bittern, according to Mr. Boyle, is 

 a veiy faUne, bitter, fharp, pungent liquor, which drains 

 off in the making of fait from fea-water ; or which remains 

 in the pans, after the coagulation and granulation of the 

 purer and more fahne part by boiling. A bittern alio runs, 

 or oozes, from the heaps of foffile fait at Lymington, and 

 Portfea in Hampfhire. Phil. Tranf. N"' 377. p. 348. 



Bittern makes the bafis oi fal caihartieum ainarum, or Ep- 

 som-salt. 



Bittern is the mother-water which remains after the cryf- 

 tallization of common or marine fait in fea-water, or the 

 water of fait fprings. It abounds with Epfom fait, or the 

 combination of vitriolic acid with magnefia, to which its 

 bitternefs is owing. It is employed in this country for 

 making a purging bitter fait, which proves fimilar in quality 

 to the fait obtained from the Epfom waters, and is com- 

 monly fold under its name. The ley is boiled down to a 

 certain pitch, then filtered and infpitfated; the dry matter is 

 calcined, re-dilTolved, and cryftallized. If the mother-ley 

 be infpiffated and diflilled with vitriohc additions, a fpirit of 

 fait is obtained. Neumann, p. 212. 



BITTERS, in the Materia ATea'ica. The quality of bit- 

 ternefs (a iimple perception familiar to everyone, and which 

 cannot be defined) is much more frequently met with in 

 vegetable matter, than in any other order of natural fub- 

 ftances ; and in this, it moflly refides in a certain foluble 

 matter, with tolerably uniform chemical properties, which 

 has by fome been denominated litter extract. This diftinc- 

 tion, though not perfectly accurate, is of confiderable ufe in 

 pharmacy ; for whenever a bitter tafte is perceived in any 

 part of a vegetable, we may conclude, with much probability, 

 that it refides in this fpecific part of the vegetable, and cfpe- 

 cially that it gives certain medicinal properties, which expe- 

 rience has fhevvn to be in the higheil degree important. 



The bitter principle is found in combination with a variety 

 of other aftive fubltanccs, which modify, alter, correft, or 

 impair its medicinal powers. 



A pure, fimple bitter vegetable {of which gentian, or 

 quaffia are good examples), is entirely void of fmell, has 

 neither acerbnefs nor allringency to the tafte, nor does it ex- 

 cit- naufea, unkfs in excelfive quantity. The bitternefs is 

 readily extracled by almoft every menflruum, aqueous, as well 

 as fpirituous ; and in the fimple bitters, little, if any, dif- 

 ference, is perceived in the fenfible properties of what is ex- 

 tracted, whatever be the medium. The bitter extraft is not 

 volatile by heat : hence, in the diftillation of bitter plants that 

 yield an elTential oil (worm-wood, for example), the dilliiled 

 oil has none of this tafte, the whole remaining in the refidue. 

 A watery, or fpirituous infulion of a bitter plant, infpift'ated 

 nearly to drj-nefs, becoincs intcnfely bitter, often with 

 an empyreumatic, or a fomswhat altered tafte. This, 

 v/hen further dried, becomes folid and pulverulent. The 

 extract is a convenient fonn for thefe fubftances, but the 

 flavour is not lo acceptable to the palate as the fimple infu- 

 fions. 



The bitter ex traifl is confidcrably antifeptic. Experiments 

 have proved that the putridity of animal matters is much 

 retarded by immtrfion ia bitter inlulions, even the watery ; 

 Vol. IV, 



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and fubftances already putrid, in fome degree, lofe their 

 fcctor by tliis addition. The watery infufions of bitter vege- 

 tables mould by long keeping, and become four. This 

 change takes place in fumnier, in five or fix days, when the 

 infufion is not very ftrong. The newly acquired acid tafte 

 in fome degree mafl<s the bitternefs ; but this latter quality 

 remains extremely long, and is hardly ever loft by fpontaneous 

 decompoCtion. 



The effect of the fimple bitter on the human body, is gene- 

 rally confidered as purely Tonic. It does not raifcthe pulfe; 

 nor does it diredtly, or conflantly produce any change in the 

 fecretions or excretions of the body. Its chief and moft ob- 

 vious operation is to increafe the appetite, and promote the 

 digeftive powers ; and hence it is with reafon fuppofed, that 

 its virtues depend on {Simulating the fibres of the ftomach. 

 From this fingle effect may be derived the well known ufe 

 of bitters, in giving general tone and vigour to the fyftem, 

 in a vaft variety of cafes of debility, uiiconnedted with organic 

 difeafe, in checking acefcency of the llomach, heartburn, 

 flatulence, and other fymptoms indicating a del-ciency of 

 the digeftive powers, ar.d in extending its lalutary operation 

 through the whole of the alimentary canal, reftoring the regu- 

 lar and natural action of the bowels impaired by the origin;il 

 defect of the digeftive organ. 



Bitters have been fuppofed by fome to increafe the intoxi- 

 cating powers of fpirituous liquors. This, however, ap- 

 pears to apply only to the narcotic bitters, and to be attribu- 

 table to the narcotic, and not the bitter principle. On the 

 contrary, the fakuary adtion of bitters on the digeftive 

 powers, is well calculated to correct the extreme and pecu- 

 liar debility of the liomach, induced by habitual drinking. 



An anthelmintic virtue (or power of expelling worms from 

 the human body) has been attributed ver)' generally to all 

 bitters indifcriminately. There does not, however, appear to 

 be much foundation for this opinion, unlcfs the bitternefs be 

 combined with a purgative property, as in aloes, or poffibly 

 a narcotic. The contents of the iuteftines being aKvajs in- 

 tenfely bitter by the natural admixture of bile, it does not 

 appear probable that animals, which live and grow in fuch 

 a medium, can be much molefted by a fmall addition of this 

 principle, though from a vegetable matter. 



An excelfive habit of taking bitters, may finally prove de- 

 trimental to the ftomach, by over-excitement, or by inducing 

 a kind of artificial demand for food in greater quantity than 

 is falutary to the general health. A remarkable example of 

 the danger of theie medicines, long perfifted in by perfons of 

 gouty habits, is afforded by the operation of the Portland 

 po'wder in this difeafe. 



The chief combinations of the bitter principle ufed in me- 

 dicine 2iX& Narcotic hitters, fuch as opium, faba San&i Ignatii, 

 bitter almonds, and the kernels of many fruits : Aromatic 

 bitters, as orange-peel, cafcariUa, ai:d wormwocd : Aflringent 

 bitters, a very large clals, and generally combined both with 

 tannin and the gallic acid, of which cinchona, and many other 

 barks are ftriking examples : Acid and f.urgalrje bit';rs; the 

 fquill, colocynth, aloe, and fome other combinations of Icfi 

 frequency. 



For medicinal ufe, the aromslic is always an ufeful addi- 

 tion to the bitter, and is geueraily employed. 



The moft important of the animrJ bitters is the bile, the 

 properties of which have been mentioned under that article. 

 In tonic power, it clofely refembles the vegetable bitters. 

 Late experiments make it {'lobablc, that the Prvjfic acid, 1 

 very peculiar animal bitter, poilVffes properties fimiiar to ths 

 vegetable narcotic bitters. 



A few of the mint ral, or common falir.e combinations, are 



diftinguifticd by bitternefs of tafte ; but it is doubtful hovr 



% T far 



