267.  Salvia officinalis.  Green and red sage.  Herb.  E. D.—­Its effects are, to moderately warm and strengthen the vessels; and hence, in cold phlegmatic habits, it excites appetite, and proves serviceable in debilities of the nervous system.

The red sage, mixed with honey and vinegar, is used for a gargle in sore throats.  Aqueous infusions of the leaves, with the addition of a little lemon juice, prove an useful diluting drink in febrile disorders, of an elegant colour, and sufficiently acceptable to the palate.

268.  Sambucus nigra.  Common elder.  Flowers and Berries.  L. E. D.—­The parts of the Sambucus which are proposed for medicinal use in the Pharmacopoeias, are the inner bark, the flowers, and the berries.  The flowers have an agreeable flavour, which they give over in distillation with water, and impart by infusion, both to water and rectified spirit:  on distilling a large quantitiy of them with water, a small portion of a butyraceous essential oil separates.  Infusions made from the fresh flowers are gently laxative and aperient; when dry, they are said to promote chiefly the cuticular excretion, and to be particularly serviceable in erysipetalous and eruptive disorders.—­Woodville’s Med.  Bot. 598.

269.  Scilla maritima.  Squill.  Root.  L. E. D.—­This root is to the taste very nauseous, intensely bitter and acrimonious; much handled, it exulcerates the skin.  With regard to its medical virtues, it powerfully stimulates the solids, and attenuates viscid juices; and by these qualities promotes expectoration, urine, and perspiration:  if the dose is considerable, it proves emetic, and sometimes purgative.  The principal use of this medicine is where the primae viae abound with mucous matter, and the lungs are oppressed by tenacious phlegm.

270.  Scrophularia nodosa.  Knotty figwort.  Herb.  D.—­The roots are of a white colour, full of little knobs or protuberances on the surface:  this appearance gained it formerly some repute against scrophulous disorders and the piles; and from hence it received its name:  but modern practitioners expect no such virtues from it.  It has a faint unpleasant smell, and a somewhat bitter disagreeable taste.

271.  Sinapis nigra.  Black mustard.  Seeds.  L. E. D.—­By writers on the Materia Medica, mustard is considered to promote appetite, assist digestion, attenuate viscid juices, and, by stimulating the fibres, to prove a general remedy in paralytic and rheumatic affections.  Joined to its stimulant qualities, it frequently, if taken in considerable quantity, opens the body, and increases the urinary discharge; and hence has been found useful in dropsical complaints.—­Woodville’s Med.  Bot. p. 404.

272.  Sinapis alba.  White mustard.  Seeds.  L. E. D.—­These have been recommended to be taken whole in cases of rheumatism and have been known to produce considerable relief.