s reign Oranges were made into pies, or the
juice was squeezed out, and mixed with wine. This fruit when
peeled, and torn into sections, after removing the white pith, and the
pips, and sprinkling over it two or three spoonfuls of powdered loaf
sugar, makes a most wholesome salad. A few candied orange-flower
petals will impart a fine flavour to tea when infused with it.

ORCHIDS.

Our common English Orchids are the "Early Purple," which is
abundant in our woods and pastures; the "Meadow Orchis"; and the
"Spotted Orchis" of our heaths and commons. Less frequent are the
"Bee Orchis," the "Butterfly Orchis," "Lady's Tresses," and the
"Tway blade."

[405] Two roundish tubers form the root of an Orchid, and give its
name to the plant from the Greek _orchis_, testicle. A nutritive
starchy product named Salep, or Saloop, is prepared from the roots
of the common Male Orchis, and its infusion or decoction was taken
generally in this country as a beverage before the introduction of tea
and coffee. Sassafras chips were sometimes added for giving the
drink a flavour. Salep obtained from the tubers of foreign Orchids
was specially esteemed; and even now that sold in Indian bazaars is
so highly valued for its fine qualities that most extravagant prices
are paid for it by wealthy Orientals. Also in Persia and Turkey it is
in great repute for recruiting the exhausted vitality of aged, and
enervated persons. In this country it may be purchased as a powder,
but not readily miscible with water, so that many persons fail in
making the decoction. The powder should be first stirred with a
little spirit of wine: then the water should be added suddenly, and
the mixture boiled. One dram by weight of the salep powder in a
fluid dram and a half of the spirit, to half-a-pint of water, are the
proper proportions. Sometimes amber, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger
are added.

Dr. Lind, in the middle of the last century, strongly advised that
ships, and soldiers on long marches, should be provided with Salep
made into a paste or cake. This (with a little portable soup added)
will allay hunger and thirst if made liquid. An ounce in two quarts
of boiling water will sufficiently sustain a man for one day, being a
combination of animal and vegetable foods. Among the early
Romans the Orchis was often called "Satyrion," because it was
thought to be the food of the Satyrs, exciting them to their sexual
orgies. Hence the Orchis root became famous as all