3. (St. Marie.) Powdered madder, 1/2 oz.; hops, 1 dr.; English walnut
leaves, 3 dr.; water, 1 quart; boil to 1-1/2 pint, strain, and when cold,
add of tincture of tartrate of iron, 1 dr.--_Dose_, 2 fl. oz., night and
morning; in scrofula, &c.
=Decoction of Mal'lows.= _Syn._ COMMON DECOCTION; DECOCTUM COM'MUNE, D.
PRO ENEMA'TE (Ph. L. 1787), D. MALVÆ COMPOSITUM (Ph. L. 1836), L. _Prep._
(Ph. L. 1836.) Common mallows (dried), 1 oz.; chamomile flowers (dried),
1/2 oz.; water, 1 pint; boil 15 minutes, and strain. Used chiefly for
fomentations and enemas.
=Decoction of Malt.= _Syn._ DECOCTUM BI'NÆ, D. BYNES, D. MALTI, L. _Prep._
(Swediaur.) Ground malt, 3 oz.; water, 1 quart; boil to a pint, and
strain. An oz. of syrup of lemons, or of saffron, may be added to the cold
decoction; or, a little liquorice root, with the malt. Demulcent and
laxative. A cupful _ad libitum_. Infusion of malt (sweet wort) is a more
convenient and elegant preparation.
=Decoction of Marshmal'low.= _Syn._ DECOCTUM ALTHÆ'Æ (Ph. D. 1826 and Ph.
E. 1813), L. _Prep._ (Ph. D. 1826.) Dried root and herb of marshmallow, 4
oz.; raisins (stoned), 2 oz.; water, 7 pints (wine measure); boil down to
5 pints, strain, allow it to deposit the sediment and decant the clear
liquid. Demulcent.--_Dose._ A cupful _ad libitum_, in coughs, colds,
calculous affections, and other diseases of the urinary organs. See
MIXTURES.
=Decoction of Matico.= _Syn._ DECOCTUM MATICO'NIS, L. _Prep._ (Dr
Jeffreys.) Matico leaves, 1 oz.; water, 1 pint; boil 12 minutes, and
strain. Astringent.--_Dose_, 1 fl. oz., 2 or 3 times a day; in hæmorrhagic
and other discharges.
=Decoction, Mercu''rial.= _Syn._ DECOCTUM HYDRARGYRI, D. MERCURIALE, L.
_Prep._ 1. Quicksilver, 4 oz.; water, 1 pint; boil in a glass or earthen
vessel for an hour, adding water to replace that lost by
evaporation.--_Dose._ A teacupful.
2. Mercurial pill, 1 oz.; water, 1 quart; boil to a pint.--_Dose._ A
wine-glassful. Both were formerly taken for worms and the itch.
3. Corrosive sublimate, 1 gr.; (dissolved in) spirit of wine, 30 drops;
extract of sarsaparilla, 3 dr.; decoction of sarsaparilla, 8 fl. oz.;
mix.--_Dose._ One large table-spoonful, 3 times a day; in syphilis and
obstinate skin diseases.
=Decoction of Mezere'on.= _Syn._ DECOCTUM MEZEREI (Ph. E. and Ph. D.
1826), L. _Prep._ (Ph. E.) Root-bark of mezereon, 2 dr.; liquorice root, 4
dr.; water, 1 quart; simmer to 1-1/2 pint, and strain. Stimulant and
sudorific.--_Dose._ A wine-glassful, or more, three or four times a day;
in chronic rheumatism, scrofula, secondary syphilis, lepra, and some other
cutaneous affections. Much boiling injures the virtues of mezereon. (See
_below_.)
=Decoction of Mezere'on (Compound).= _Syn._ DECOCTUM MEZEREI COMPOSITUM,
L. _Prep._ (Van Mons.) Mezereon, 2 dr.; bitter sweet, 4 dr.; burdock, 2
oz.; water, 2 quarts; boil to 3 pints, add of liquorice root, 2 dr., and
strain. As the last, and in obstinate diseases of the skin.
=Decoction of Mugwort.= _Syn._ DECOCTUM ARTEMISIÆ VULGARIS. Mugwort root,
1 oz.; water, 24 oz. Boil for half an hour. In epilepsy.
=Decoction of Myrrh.= _Syn._ DECOCTUM MYRRHÆ. (Ph. D.) Myrrh, 2 dr.;
water, 8-1/2 oz.; triturate the myrrh with the water gradually added; then
boil for 10 minutes in a covered vessel, and strain.
=Decoction, Narcotic.= _Syn._ DECOCTUM ANODYNUM, D. NARCOTICUM, L. _Prep._
(Hosp. Form.) Common nightshade (dried), 1 oz.; poppy heads, 3 in no.;
water, 1 pint; boil 10 minutes, and strain. As an anodyne fomentation,
used warm.
=Decoction of Ni'tre.= _Syn._ DECOCTUM NITROSUM, D. NITRATUM, D. POTASSÆ
NITRATIS, L. _Prep._ 1. Nitre, 1/2 oz.; white sugar, 2 oz.; cochineal, 20
gr.; water, 1-1/2 pint; boil a few minutes, and strain.
2. (Hosp. Form.) Barley-water, 1 pint; nitre, 5 dr.; dissolve. Diuretic,
diaphoretic, and refrigerant. A wine-glassful, frequently; in
gonorrh[oe]a, sore throat, acute rheumatism, scurvy, &c.
=Decoction of Oak Bark.= _Syn._ DECOCTUM QUERCÛS (Ph. L. E. & D.), L.
_Prep._ 1. (Ph. L. & E.) Oak bark (bruised), 10 dr.; water, 1 quart; boil
down to a pint, and strain.
2. (Ph. D.) Oak bark, 1-1/2 oz.; water, 1-1/2 pint; boil 10 minutes, and
strain. Astringent. Used as a gargle in ulcerated sore throat, relaxation
of the uvula, &c., and as a wash, and as an injection in piles,
leucorrh[oe]a, hæmorrhages, prolapsus ani, &c.
3. (Ph. B.) Oak bark bruised, 1-1/2 oz.; distilled water, 1 pint; boil for
10 minutes, and strain.
=Decoction of Oats.= _Syn._ WATER GRUEL; DECOCTUM AVENÆ, L. _Prep._ 1.
(Cullen.) Oatmeal, 1 oz.; water, 3 quarts; boil to a quart, strain, and
when cold, decant the clear liquid from the sediment.
2. (A. T. Thomson.) Washed groats, 4 oz.; water, 4 pints; boil to a quart.
Nutritious and demulcent. Taken _ad libitum_, to promote the action of
purgatives, and as an enema, either alone, or as a vehicle for more active
substances. It is too thin for food. See GRUEL.
=Decoction of Parei'ra.= _Syn._ DECOCTUM PAREIRÆ (Ph. L.), L. _Prep._ 1.
(Ph. L.) _Pareira brava_ root (sliced), 10 dr.; water, 1-1/2 pint; boil to
a pint, and strain.
2. (Sir B. Brodie.) Pareira, 4 dr.; water, 3 pints; boil to a pint, as
last. The above are given in gonorrh[oe]a, leucorrh[oe]a, and chronic
inflammation of the bladder.--_Dose._ Of the first, 1/2 to 1
wine-glassful, 3 or 4 times a day; of the second, about twice that
quantity, or more. It is commonly combined with some tincture of
hyoscyamus; and when the triple phosphates are present in the urine,
dilute hydrochloric or nitric acid may be added. See PAREIRA.
=Decoction, Pec'toral.= See DECOCTION OF BARLEY.
=Decoction of Pel'litory.= DECOCTUM PYRE''THRI, L. _Prep._ (Guy's Hosp.)
Pellitory root, 1 oz.; water, 1-1/2 pint; boil to a pint, and strain. Used
as a gastric stimulant, and as a gargle in the relaxation of the uvula.
=Decoction of Pome'granate.= _Syn._ DECOCTUM GRANA'TI (Ph. L.), L. _Prep._
(Ph. L.) Pomegranate rind (fruit-bark), 2 oz.; distilled water, 1-1/2
pint; boil to a pint, and strain. Astringent. Used as a gargle and
injection, in sore throat, leucorrh[oe]a, &c.; and internally, in
diarrh[oe]a, dysentery, &c.--_Dose_, 1 fl. oz., or more.
=Decoction of Pomegranate Root.= _Syn._ DECOCTUM GRANATI RADICIS (Ph. L.),
L. _Prep._ 1. (Ph. L.) Root-bark of pomegranate (sliced), 2 oz.; water, 1
quart; boil to a pint, and strain.
2. (Collier.) Bark of the root, 2 oz.; water, 1 pint; boil to one half.
This is the common form used in India.
_Dose, &c._ A wine-glassful, half-hourly, until the whole is taken, a
light diet and a dose of castor oil having been taken the day previously.
In tapeworm, Dr Collier recommends the whole of the last preparation to be
given at 2 doses, at the interval of 2 hours. It purges, and in 5 or 6
hours frequently expels the worm; if this does not take place, it should
be persevered in. "Look for the head of the tænia (tapeworm); for if that
is not expelled, you have done nothing." (Collier.) Oil of turpentine and
kousso are now more frequently given in tænia in this country.
=Decoction of Poppies.= _Syn._ DECOCTION OF POPPY-HEADS, FOMENTATION OF
P.-H.; DECOCTUM PAPAVERIS (Ph. L. E. & D.), L. _Prep._ 1. (Ph. L.)
Poppy-heads (bruised), 4 oz.; water, 2 quarts; boil for 15 minutes, and
strain.
2. (Ph. E. & D.) As the last, but using only 3 pints of water. Used as an
emollient fomentation, in painful swellings, excoriations, &c. The
addition of a 1/4 pint of vinegar is said to promote its efficacy.
3. (Ph. B.) Poppy-heads bruised, 2 oz.; distilled water, 1-1/2 pint. Boil
for 10 minutes and strain. The product should measure a pint.
=Decoction of Quas'sia.= _Syn._ DECOCTUM QUASSIÆ, L. _Prep._ From quassia
chips (small). 1 dr.; water, 1-1/4 pint; boil to a pint, and add syrup of
orange peel, 2 oz.--_Dose._ A wine-glassful, occasionally, as a stomachic
tonic. See INFUSIONS.
=Decoction of Quince.= _Syn._ DECOCTION OF QUINCE SEED, MUCILAGE OF Q. S.;
DECOCTUM CYDONII (Ph. L.), L. _Prep._ From quince seeds, 2 dr.; water, 1
pint; boil for 10 minutes, and strain. Used as an emollient and sheathing
application to abraded or wounded surfaces, as cracked lip, nipples, &c.;
and to the skin in erysipelas, to painful hæmorrhoidal tumours, and the
like. Prepared with a little less water, it is used by the hairdresser as
'bandoline' or 'fixateur.'
=Decoction of Red Gum.= _Syn._ DECOCTUM GUMMI RUBRI (Mr Squire.) Red gum,
1 oz.; water, 2 pints; boil 10 minutes, and strain.
=Decoction of Rice.= _Syn._ RICE WATER, RICE DRINK; DECOCTUM ORY'ZÆ, L.
_Prep._ RICE, 2 oz.; water, 1 quart; boil to one half, and strain.
Demulcent. A good drink in fevers, coughs, &c., either alone or sweetened
and flavoured with a little lemon peel.
=Decoction of Sarsaparil'la.= _Syn._ DECOCTUM SAR'ZÆ (Ph. L. & E.), D.
SARSAPARILLÆ (Ph. D.), L. _Prep._ 1. (Ph. L.) Sarsaparilla (sliced), 5
oz.; water, 2 quarts; boil to a quart, and strain.
2. (Ph. E.) Sarsaparilla, 5 oz.; boiling distilled water, 4 pints;
macerate for 2 hours, in a vessel lightly covered, and placed in a warm
situation; then take out the root, bruise it, return it again to the
liquor, boil down to a quart, and strain.
3. (Ph. D.) Sarsaparilla, 2 oz.; boiling water, 1-1/2 pint; digest an
hour, boil 10 minutes, cool, and strain.
4. (Ph. B.) Digest 2-1/2 _oz._ of Jamaica sarsaparilla cut transversely in
1-1/2 pint of boiling water for an hour, boil for 10 minutes, cool, and
strain. Make up to one pint.
_Obs._ The medicinal virtues of sarsaparilla root reside wholly in the
bark, or cortical portion; it is therefore quite unnecessary to bruise it,
as directed in the Ph. E. By those houses which do largely in decoction of
sarsaparilla, the root is seldom split or cut; the bundles in which it is
made up being simply untied and spread open, to allow of the free exposure
of every part to the solvent action of the water. By this plan the whole
of the soluble portion of the bark is extracted, whilst the feculent
matter that pervades the wood is only partially dissolved out. According
to Soubeiran, a mere infusion is preferable. The dose is a teacupful to
half a pint, 3 or 4 times a day.
An extemporaneous decoction of sarsaparilla is made by dissolving 3/4 oz.
of the simplest extract in 1 pint of hot water. See SARSAPARILLA, and
_below_.
=Decoction of Sarsaparilla (Concentrated).= _Syn._ DECOCTUM SARZÆ
CONCENTRATUM, L. _Prep._ 1. (Wholesale.) Sarsaparilla (Jamaica) 10-1/2
lbs., is placed in a large and well-cleaned copper boiler, and enough
boiling water added to cover it; it is then left to macerate, without
boiling, for 3 or 4 hours, after which it is boiled for about an hour, and
the clear liquor drawn off into another clean copper pan; the root (after
it has well drained) is then washed or 'sparged'[255] with boiling water,
until the latter runs off scarcely coloured; the washings are added to the
decoction, and the whole evaporated as quickly as possible to 6-1/2 pints;
it is then set to cool, and rectified spirit of wine, 1-1/2 pint, further
added; after agitation, the whole is set aside in a well-corked bottle, in
a cool place, for a week. In a few days it is usually found as clear and
brilliant as brandy, with very little sediment, and will keep for any
length of time uninjured. Some manufacturers, instead of washing the root,
give it a second and third water, boiling it each time and evaporating the
mixed liquors.
[Footnote 255: For an explanation of the operation of 'sparging' see page
356.]
2. (Extemporaneous.) Extract of sarsaparilla, 6-1/2 oz.; water, 12 fl.
oz.; dissolve, add rectified spirit, 2-1/2 fl. oz., and water, q. s. to
make the whole exactly measure a pint.
_Obs._ 1 drachm of this decoction, mixed with 7 drachms of water, forms a
similar preparation to the Decoctum Sarzæ of the Ph. L., and is now very
frequently substituted for it in dispensing. See SARSAPARILLA, EXTRACTS,
and _below_.
=Decoction of Sarsaparilla (Compound).= _Syn._ DECOCTUM SARZÆ COMPOSITUM
(Ph. L. & E.), D. SARSAPARILLÆ C. (Ph. D.), L. _Prep._ 1. (Ph. L.)
Decoction of sarsaparilla (boiling), 4 pints; sassafras chips, guaiacum
wood (rasped), and fresh liquorice root (bruised), of each 10 dr.;
mezereon (root-bark), 3 dr.; boil for 15 minutes, and strain.