Foreign Vegetables. 287 
or tartarous Salt, and a fmall Portion of ammo- 
niacal Salt, involved in a large Quantity of both 
thick and thin fulphur. 
The folutive Virtue of Manna was not known to 
Galen , though Diofcorides feems not to have been ig- 
norant of it, for he afferts that Elaiomeli draws off 
Bile and crude Humours. But Aquarius is the firit 
among the Greeks who exprefsly mentions it as a 
Purge. “ Black Caffia (fays he) and Manna purge 
“ very gently. Cafiia being taken to three or four 
“ Drachms fcarce moves the Belly. Manna mud 
Cc dill be taken in a larger Quantity, and it eva- 
cc cuates yellow Bile.” The Arabians afcribe to it a 
Virtue of purging gently, of lubricating the Throat 
and Bread, and deterging the Stomach. Among 
modern Phyficians its Ufe is very common to relax 
the Belly, to draw off ferous Humours, and to dif- 
charge thick vifcid Matter from the firft Paffages. 
It is reckoned fo mild a Cathartick, that it may be 
given fafely to old People, and Children j likewife 
to pregnant Women, and thofe of the more delicate 
Conftitutions. 
It agrees particularly, fays Rolfincius , in cold 
Difeafes, in the cooler Temperaments, and in tem- 
perate Climates •, it foftens the Acrimony of the Hu- 
mours, and diffolves their Lentor. Wherefore, in 
Catarrhs and Coughs from thin acrid Phlegm, in 
the Beginning, it is given with Succefs ; for it im- 
mediately precipitates the Phlegm through the In- 
teftines. It is ufeful in Diftempers of the Bread, 
efpecially when the Lungs are duffed with a tenaci- 
. ous vifcid Phlegm, as in a humoural Adhma. In 
bilious Affections, and in others which are attended 
with Inflammation, as in the Pleurify, Peripneu- 
mony, and «a Tenfion of the Belly from thick fer- 
menting Bile, it is very ferviceable, by diffolving 
the Humours and carrying them off by Stool ; 
whatever fome may affert to the contrary. 
In 
