258.  Ricinus communis.  Palma Christi.  Seeds and Oil.  L. E. D.—­The oil, commonly called nut or castor oil, is got by expression, retains somewhat of the mawkishness and acrimony of the nut; but is, in general, a safe and mild laxative in cases where we wish to avoid irritation, as in those of colic, calculus, gonorrhoea, &c. and some likewise use it as a purgative in worm-cases.  Half an ounce or an ounce commonly answers with an adult, and a dram or two with an infant.  The castor oil which is imported is not so good as the expressed oil from the nut made in this country.  The disagreeable taste is from the coats of the seeds; the best kind is pressed out after the seeds are decorticated.

259.  Rosa centifolia.  Damask rose.  Petals.  L. E. D.—­In distillation with water, it yields a small portion of a butyraceous oil, whose flavour exactly resembles that of the roses.  This oil, and the distilled water, are very useful and agreeable cordials.  Hoffmann strongly recommends them as of singular efficacy for raising the strength, cheering and recruiting the spirits, and allaying pain; which they perform without raising any heat in the constitution, rather abating it when inordinate.  Although the damask rose is recommended by Dr. Woodville, yet, having grown this article for sale, I find that the preference is always given to the Provence rose by those who distil them.

260.  Rosa gallica.  Red officinal rose.  Petals.  L. E. D.-This has very little of the fragrance of the foregoing sort; it is a mild and grateful astringent, especially before the flower has opened:  this is considerably improved by hasty exsiccation, but both the astringency and colour are impaired by slow drying.  In the shops are prepared a conserve and a tincture.

261.  Rosa canina.  Dog-rose.  The Pulp of the Fruit.  L. E.-The fruit, called heps or hips, has a sourish taste, and obtains a place in the London Pharmacopoeia in the form of a conserve:  for this purpose, the seeds and chaffy fibres are to be carefully removed; for, if these prickly fibres are not entirely scraped off from the internal surface of the hips, the conserve is liable to produce considerable irritation on the primae viae.

262.  ROSMARINUS officinalis.  Rosemary.  Tops.  L. E. D.—­Rosemary has a fragrant smell and a warm pungent bitterish taste, approaching to those of lavender:  the leaves and tender tops are strongest; next to these the cup of the flower; the flowers themselves are considerably the weakest, but most pleasant.  Aqueous liquors extract great share of the virtues of rosemary leaves by infusion, and elevate them in distillation:  along with the water arises a considerable quantity of essential oil, of an agreeable strong penetrating smell.  Pure spirit extracts in great perfection the whole aromatic flavour of the rosemary, and elevates very little of it in distillation:  hence the resinous mass left upon abstracting the spirit, proves an elegant aromatic, very rich in the peculiar qualities of the plant.  The flowers of rosemary give over great part of their flavour in distillation with pure spirit; by watery liquors, their fragrance is much injured; by beating, destroyed.