AVENA SATIVA. 
307 
The common Oat has been long cultivated in Europe, but it 
lias never been satisfactorily ascertained if it be a native, or a natu- 
ralized production. It was found by Commodore Anson growing 
wild upon the Island of Juan Fernandez, on the coast of Chili. In 
the north of Europe many varieties of this species of Avena are cul- 
tivated ; and in Scotland, the northern parts of England, Sweden, 
Siberia, and Norway, oats form the chief part of the vegetable diet 
of the inhabitants. 
The root is annual and fibrous, sending up a straw or culim, which 
rises about two feet in height ; the inflorescence is produced in a 
loose panicle, with the subdivisions on long pendulous peduncles ; the 
two glumes of the calyx are marked with lines, pointed, unequal, and 
longer than the flower ; there are generally two flowers and seeds in 
each calyx : they are alternate, conical, the smaller one awnless, the 
larger puts forth a strong, two-coloured, bent awn, from the middle 
of the back ; both seeds are fertile. There are several varieties of 
this grain cultivated in England, but that which is called thepotatoe 
oat. is considered the best. 
Sensible Qualities, &c. Oats are inodorous, and have a 
very slight bitter taste ; they are chiefly composed of fecula or starch, 
combined with a portion of saccharine matter, bitter principle, and 
fixed oil. Vauquelin found in the ashes of oats, phosphate of lime 
and silica. 
M[5DICAL Properties and Uses. Oats must be considered 
more an article of diet than of medicine. When freed from their, 
cuticle, they are denominated grits, and are much used for making 
gruel, or decoctions, which preparations are considered demulcent, 
cooling, and nutritive ; hence they are much used in all inflammatory 
diseases and febrile afi'ections. Oats when used as a food are com- 
monly ground into meal, and formed into cakes with salt and water, 
and baked, or, with the same additions, boiled to form porridge, &c. 
An infusion of the husks in water, kept till it becomes acidulous, 
when boiled to the consistence of a jelly, is considered nutritious, 
and easy of digestion. The meal boiled in water to a proper thick- 
ness, forms an excellent suppurative poultice. 
Ofl". The Seeds of the Oat decorticated, called Grits. 
