350 
REVIEWS. 
the species we are able to use in medicine as emollients. 
The most common in Europe, and, consequently, the most 
frequently used, are the large and the small mallow. 
The Large Mallow, or wild mallow ( malva sylvestris) is 
ramous, a foot and a half in height, clothed with alternate 
leaves, with very long petals, soft and tender to the feel, 
&c. &c. 
The Small Mallow, or mallow with round leaves 
(malva rotundifolia) , differs little from the preceding one, 
unless it be for the smaller dimensions of its several parts, 
which are all smaller. 
Both species grow in abundance in uncultivated places 
in the vicinity of towns, by the road side, or in fields rather 
low situated. 
The large quantity of mucilage mallows contain in their 
various parts, fits them very completely for emollient rfiedi- 
cation, fco that they are daily used for that purpose. We make 
decoctions of them for the most part for external use, and 
for lavement: the pulpy residue serving for the preparation of 
poultices. In this last case we frequently mix linseed-meal 
with it, which increases the vicosity of the poultic e, and 
keeps it from drying so soon as it otherwise would. 
The flowers of the mallow, still more soothing than either 
the leaves or the roots, are administered internally in severe 
irritations of the organs of respiration. The dose is a handful 
to a pint and a half of water. The flowers, however, are 
on occasions scarce, and of a rather high price, and when 
this is the case, we substitute frequently other medica- 
mentous substances for them of the same class, less dear and 
generally equally as efficacious, such as marsh mallow and 
other roots. 
Second Division. 
Exciting Medicaments . 
In pharmacology we give the name of excitants to all such 
medicaments as possess the property of augmenting the 
intensity of the vital forces, of arousing the action of organs 
