Family Herbal - Electric Scotland

INTRODUCTION. Ul
ers, and laid evenly in a drawer, pressing them
down, and covering them with paper. They
arc thus ready for infusions and decoctions, and
are better for distillation than when fresh.
The flowers of plants arc principally used
fresh, though several particular
kinds retain their
are on these different
virtue very well dried ; they
occasions to be treated differently.
Lavender flowers, and those of stoecha, keep
very well ; they are therefore to be preserved dry ;
the lavender flowers are to be stripped off the
stalks, husk and all together, and spread upon
the floor of a room to dry. The stcechas flowers
are to be preserved in the whole head ; this is to
be cut off from the top of the stalk, and dried in
the same manner : when dry, they are to be kept
as the herbs.
When rosemary flowers are dried, they are ge*
nerally taken with some of the leaves about therrr;
and this is very right, for the leaves retain more
virtue than the flowers. Some dry borage, bu-
g-loss, and cowslips, but they retain very little
virtue in that condition. Rose buds are to- be
dried, and to this purpose, their white heads are
to be cut off; and the full blown flowers may be
in
preserved the same manner. The red roe
is always meant,, when we speak of the dried
flowers.
For the rest of tha flowers used in medicine,
they are best fresh ; but as they remain only a
small part of the year in that state, the method
is to preserve them in the form of syrups and
conserves. Such as the syrup of cloves and poppies,
the conserves of cowslips, and the like. Of
these, a short general account shall be subjoined,
that nothing may be wanting to make this book