CATHARTICS, 57 
description of them. They are round, smooth, generally 
broken, but when not they are about 6 inches long, black 
outside, dark within; very brittle when dry, no smell, slightly 
bitter taste. When used alone it is best taken in an infusion of 
the powder; from half to a teaspoonful in a cup of boiling 
water, strained and sweetened, will cleanse the intestines; if 
it does not operate in three or four hours it may be repeated. 
In fevers, typhoid and bilious, it acts favourably. In regular 
practice the concentrated powder, obtained in the same way 
as podophyllin, is often prescribed in doses from one to four 
grains. The compound powder in our compounds will be 
found a good medicine for the liver, &c. 
SENNA (Cassta). 
This isan old and popular medicine. It grows in Upper 
Egypt and India. It is described as a small under-scrub, 
two or three feet in height, with a straight woody branching 
stem ; the leaves are sharp-pointed and small, of a yellowish 
colour; the flowers are yellow. The leaves are the part used. 
Senna tea is familiar to us from childhood. It is not held 
in much favour by most juveniles, who think it is often 
prescribed by their mothers as a punishment more than for 
any good it does them; this, however, is a mistake, although 
it must be admitted that sometimes mothers may overdose 
their children. Senna has a tendency to gripe. This, with 
its sickly, nauseous flavour, accounts for its abhorrence by 
young people and some older ones. To prevent both of these 
properties, (1), never boil it; (2) use some aromatic, such as 
cardamons, corianders, or ginger. A comparatively pleasant 
tea may be made thus :— 
Take senna, 1 oz.; cardamon seeds, 4 oz.; sugar, 4 ozs. ; 
ginger, 3 0z. Infuse in 1} pints of hot water till cold or all 
night. Strain and press through a cloth, and take from one 
to four wineglassfuls morning cr morning and night. Where 
it is desirable to thoroughly cleanse the alimentary canal, 
drink freely of warm water or some simple warm liquid, The 
