[ 228 3 
cortex yields its virtues at leaft as perfe&iy to cold, 
as t6 boiling water; and the iimple infufion hath 
certainly many advantages over the decodtion. It 
is a much more agreeable and elegant preparation, 
and the principles of the Bark remain perfectly un- 
altered in it, retaining the fame proportions to each 
other, as in the fubftance of the drug itfelf. Nature 
hath fo accurately combined and blended together 
the gummy and refinous parts of the cortex, that by 
their union they become foluble in menflrua, with 
which when feparate they refufe to unite. Thus they 
reciprocally promote the folution of each other, in 
water and ardent fpirits ; and both the tindture and 
infufion are found, by Experiment, to be ftrongly 
impregnated with thefe two conftituent principles of 
the Bark. The tindture is, without doubt, an elegant 
and palatable preparation; but it is liable to this 
objection, which indeed hold equally true againfl 
fpirituous tin&ures in general : that a fufficient dofe 
of the medicine cannot be taken, on account of the 
heating nature of its vehicle. In low nervous fevers, 
hyfterical dilorders, and other cafes where it is ne- 
ceflary to join cordials with the Bark, an infufion 
of it in red port may be prefcribed with advantage. 
Under this form the empiric Talbot ufed to adminifter 
the cortex, in the paroxyms of intermittents ; and fo 
fuccefsful was his pradtife, that Lewis the XIVth was 
induced to purchafe, at a large price, the fecret of his 
fpecific. Orange peel is an ufeful ingredient, in pre- 
parations of the Bark ; it gives a grateful warmth to 
the infufion, and adds, 1 think, confiderably to its 
efficacy. The following formula is agreeable to the 
