2 
AMYGDALUS COMMUNIS. 
and beset with small glands towards the base : the flowers are 
sessile, and appear before the leaves ; the corolla is composed of 
five rose coloured petals; the calyx tubular, and divided at the 
brim into five obtuse segments; the filaments from twenty to thirty, 
spreading and of equal length, inserted into the calyx ; antherae 
simple ; the germen roundish and downy ; style short, and crowned 
with a round stigma ; the germen becomes a drupe, an oval com- 
pressed large fruit, with a thin tough hairy covering, marked with 
a longitudinal furrow where it opens ; under this is a thick rough 
shell, perforated with pores, containing the kernel. The kernel or 
almond is of a flat form, the skin of which is of a brown colour, 
covered with an acrid powdery substance, when stripped of the 
skin of an ivory white ; taste either sweetish or mildly bitter. The 
kernel of this tree is the only part used, ekher for food or medicine ; 
and the sweet almond chiefly; although it is supposed to possess 
little nourishment, and to be ditficult of digestion. 
Medical Uses. Almonds possess very emollient properties, 
softening and relaxing the solids, obtunding sharp and acrimonious 
humours; hence, in heat of urine, pains and inflammation, coughs, 
&c. it is given with advantage. Almonds are usually prescribed 
in the form of emulsion, by triturating them with water ; this is 
preferable to using the expressed oil, which is apt to become 
rancid, in which case it is improper in inflammatory diseases. 
Almonds form a useful medium, by which many resinous and 
unctious substances become miscible with water. By triturating 
camphor, or resinous purgatives, with almonds, they are suspended 
in the aqueous fluid, and form a commodious and elegant mode of 
exhibiting those substances. 
Off". Nucleus. The kernel ; sweet and bitter almonds. 
Off. Prep. 01. Amygd. L. E, D. Mist, Amygd. L. D. 
Conf. Amygd. L. Emuls. Amygd. E. 
Properties of sweet and bitter Almonds, Almonds 
yield by expression a large proportion of a very fine pale yellow 
oil, almost tasteless when recent, but soon growing rancid. Sweet 
almonds yield nearly half their weight of this oil ; it may also be 
extracted by boiling the almonds, when the oil is gradually col- 
lected upon the surface of the water. Almonds, by trituration 
with water, forms a milky liquid, which soon turns sour in warm 
weather ; this liquid yields a precipitate by acids, but not a curdy 
mass like milk. Almonds yield by fermentation and distillation a 
spirituous liquid, having the smell and taste of the fruit. The 
