tal have nearly the
taste of the leaves, and it has been suggested to me, by a very
sensible and judicious friend, that it might be well to fix on the
flower for internal use. I see no objection to the proposition; but I
have not tried it.

SEEDS.--These I believe are equally untried.

From this view of the different parts of the plant, it is sufficiently
obvious why I still continue to prefer the leaves.

These should be gathered after the flowering stem has shot up, and
about the time that the blossoms are coming forth.

The leaf-stalk and mid-rib of the leaves should be rejected, and the
remaining part should be dried, either in the sun-shine, or on a tin
pan or pewter dish before a fire.

If well dried, they readily rub down to a beautiful green powder,
which weighs something less than one-fifth of the original weight of
the leaves. Care must be taken that the leaves be not scorched in
drying, and they should not be dried more than what is requisite to
allow of their being readily reduced to powder.

I give to adults, from one to three grains of this powder twice a day.
In the reduced state in which physicians generally find dropsical
patients, four grains a day are sufficient. I sometimes give the
powder alone; sometimes unite it with aromatics, and sometimes form it
into pills with a sufficient quantity of soap or gum ammoniac.

If a liquid medicine be preferred, I order a dram of these dried
leaves to be infused for four hours in half a pint of boiling water,
adding to the strained liquor an ounce of any spirituous water. One
ounce of this infusion given twice a day, is a medium dose for an
adult patient. If the patient be stronger than usual, or the symptoms
very urgent, this dose may be given once in eight hours; and on the
contrary in many instances half an ounce at a time will be quite
sufficient. About thirty grains of the powder or eight ounces of the
infusion, may generally be taken before the nausea commences.

The ingenuity of man has ever been fond of exerting itself to vary the
forms and combinations of medicines. Hence we have spirituous, vinous,
and acetous tinctures; extracts hard and soft, syrups with sugar or
honey, &c. but the more we multiply the forms of any medicine, the
longer we shall be in ascertaining its real dose. I have no lasting
objection however to any of these formulae except the extract, which,
from the nature of its preparation must ever be uncertain in its
effects; and