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. Aque