bowels.  By boiling they become (like the other drastics) milder, and more safe in operation.  Fernelius relates, that by long coction they entirely lose their purgative virtue.  The berries of this plant are likewise purgative, but less virulent than the other parts.  A rob prepared from them may be given to the quantity of an ounce, as a cathartic; and in smaller ones as an aperient and deobstruent in chronic disorders:  in this last intention, it is said by Haller to be frequently used in Switzerland, in the dose of a dram.

389.  SANICULA officinalis.  Sanicle.  The Leaves.—­These have an herbaceous, roughish taste:  they have long been celebrated for sanative virtues, both internally and externally; nevertheless their effects, in any intention, are not considerable enough to gain them a place in the present practice.

390.  Saponaria officinalis.  Soapwort.  The Herb and Root.—­The roots taste sweetish and somewhat pungent; and have a light smell like those of liquorice:  digested in rectified spirit they yield a strong tincture, which loses nothing of its taste or flavour in being inspissated to the consistence of an extract.  This elegant root has not come much into practice among us, though it promises, from its sensible qualities, to be a medicine of considerable utility:  it is greatly esteemed by the German physicians as an aperient, corroborant, and sudorific; and preferred by the College of Wirtemberg, by Stahl, Neumann, and others, to sarsaparilla.

391.  Saxifraga granulata.—­Linnaeus describes the taste of this plant to be acrid and pungent, which we have not been able to discover.  Neither the tubercles of this root, nor the leaves, manifest to the organs of taste any quality likely to be of medicinal use; and therefore, though this species of Saxifraga has been long employed as a popular remedy in nephritic and gravelly disorders, yet we do not find, either from its sensible qualities or from any published instances of its efficacy, that it deserves a place in the Materia Medica.—­Woodville’s Med.  Bot. p. 551.

392.  Scabiosa succisa.  Devil’s bit.  The Leaves and Roots.—­These stand recommended as alexipharmics, but they have long given place to medicines of greater efficacy.

393.  Scandix Cerefolium.  Chervil.  The Leaves.—­Geoffroy assures us, that he has found it from experience to be of excellent service in dropsies:  that in this disorder it promotes the discharge of urine when suppressed, renders it clear when feculent and turbid, and when high and fiery of a paler colour; that it acts midly without irritation, and tends rather to allay than excite inflammation.  He goes so far as to say, that dropsies which do not yield to this medicine are scarce capable of being cured by any other.  He directs the juice to be given in the dose of three or four ounces every fourth hour, and continued for some time, either alone, or in conjunction with nitre and syrup.