Family Herbal - Electric Scotland

INTRODUCTION. xxxix.
will also be a pleasant medicine. If a draught of
tincture of roses,, which will be described in the
following part of this work, under the article
red rose, be taken after this, it will increase the
power.
In this manner the charitable lady may supply
the place of the apothecary, to those who could
not afford such assistance : and experience is so
good a guide,
that she will be able in most case*
to save the expence of the doctor also : aud there
will be this satisfaction in her own mind, that
while she deals principally with those innocent
sort of medicines which the fields afford her, she
will be in very little danger of doing harm. The
galenical physic perhaps will be found effectual
in many more cases, by those who stick to it solely,
than they are aware who do not use it; as to
the mischief of medicine, that is almost entirely
chemical. It would be idle to say that chemical
medicines do not do great good ; but they require
to be in skilful hands : when the ignorant employ
them, death is more likely to be the consequence,
than the relief from the disorder any other
w ay.
One useful observation may serve well to close
and medicines of that
th'.s introduction. Opiates,
kind, to compose persons to rest, and to take off
pain, wiii be often necessary ; but as they are the
most pov crfu.' medicines the charitable practi-
tioner will have to do withal, they are the most ca-
the great care will therefore
pable of doing harm :
lie in the right use of these.
As there are three different preparations de-
scribed in this book for answering this purpose,
beside the opium, and that solution of it in wine,
which is called laudanum, I would advise that
thrse two latter be used very seldom. A syrup