of the stomach has been irritated by corrosive poisons. By triturating camphor and the resins with al- 
monds, they are rendered miscible with water. Sweet almonds, when fresh and free from rancidity, are 
much used as an article of diet, and when taken in moderate quantities are sufficiently nutritive and whole- 
some. Six or eight blanched almonds relieve heartburn ; yet too freely indulged in, they are of difficult 
solution and digestion, and are very apt to disagree. They occasionally bring on an attack of urticaria fe- 
brilis, (febrile nettle-rash) ; indeed, so powerful is this effect on one of our pupils, that three or four produce 
that disease in a most marked and violent manner ; his whole skin being covered with weals. The late Dr. 
Gregory was also subject to be affected in the same way. 
Almond emulsion (mistura amygdalae of the Pharmacopoeia) agrees in many of its properties with animal 
milk. Thus it is white; when examined by the microscope, is seen to consist of myriads of globules sus- 
pended in a liquid, chemically it is composed of fatty matter (oil), held in suspension by albumen, sugar, 
and gum ; lastly, it agrees with milk in possessing nutritive and emollient properties. 
Almond oil possesses the medical properties of the fixed oils in general. Thus its local action is 
emollient ; swallowed in large doses it acts as a mild laxative, in moderate quantities it is nutritive, but dif- 
ficult of digestion. 
Oil of sweet almonds. — Notwithstanding its name, this oil is procured by pressure indiscriminately 
from sweet and bitter almonds. An expressor of oils informs me that the average produce is about 48 per 
cent., which is rather below the quantity of oil stated by Boullay to reside in their seeds. 
Almond oil, when recently expressed, is turbid, but by rest and filtration becomes quite transparent. 
It usually possesses a slightly yellow tinge, which becomes somewhat paler by exposure to the light. It is 
inodorous, or nearly so, and has a bland sweetish taste. It congeals much less readily by cold than olive 
oil. — Mr. Pereira in the Medical Gazette. 
Officinal Preparations. The Almond confection of the London Pharmacopoeia is composed of 
eight ounces of sweet almonds, an ounce of gum Arabic, and four ounces of white sugar. 
The Mistura Amygdalae, or almond emulsion, is made by rubbing up two ounces and a half of the con- 
fection with an imperial pint of distilled water. 
It is a soothing and agreeable mixture, belonging to the class of demulcents, but is chiefly used as a 
vehicle for more active remedies. When employed as a tisane, it may be farther diluted with cold water. 
The Sirop d’ Amandes, or Sirop d’ Orgeat of the French Codex is made with a pound of sweet almonds, 
five ounces of bitter almonds, six pounds of white sugar, three pounds and four ounces of river water, and 
eight ounces of orange-flower water. 
In the following formula, advantage is taken of the property above mentioned which almonds possess, 
of rendering camphor miscible with water : it is the Mistura Camphorce of the Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia. 
Take of Camphor one scruple ; 
Sweet Almonds and 
Pure Sugar, of each half an ounce. 
Water, one pint. 
Steep the almonds in hot water and peel them ; rub the camphor and sugar well together in a mortar ; 
add the almonds ; beat the whole into a smooth pulp ; add the water gradually, with constant stirring, and 
then strain. 
This medicine cannot be taken ad libitum, like almond emulsion, 'as camphor is a drug of considerable 
power. The dose may be three or four table-spoonfuls four times a day. 
In the language of flowers, the almond is the emblem of a promise. 
