(_Pimpinella Anisum._ _Semina._) Anise Seeds.
Like the dill seeds, warm and carminative; water extracts very little of
their flavour; rectified spirit the whole. It may be remarked in this
place that the value of aniseed, as well as all those seeds which yield
essential oil by distillation, may be estimated by their specific
gravity, the heaviest yielding the largest proportion of oil; a
chrondrometer employed by corn-chandlers might be very conveniently
applied to such a purpose.[372] The seeds imported from Spain, which are
smaller than the others, contain most oil, and are to be preferred.