"Take of extract of liquorice, seven drachms; carbonate of potassa, a drachm; aloes powdered, myrrh powdered, saffron, of each a drachm and a half; compound tincture of cardamoms, seven fluid ounces; water, a pint and a half. Boil down the liquorice, carbonate of potassa, aloes, myrrh, and saffron, with the water, to a pint, and strain; then add the compound tincture of cardamoms.

By the addition of the alkali in this preparation, the water is enabled to hold in solution a greater portion of the aloes than it could otherwise hold, while another portion is suspended by the mucilage of the liquorice and the myrrh. The trncture prevents any spontaneous decomposition from taking place. The taste of the decoction is extremely nauseous, notwithstanding the bitter of the aloes is in some degree covered by the liquorice: but patients, even children, are soon reconciled to it; and in some instances it is preferred to all other purgatives simply on account of its flavour. It is decomposed, and precipitated by all the strong acids; bichloride of mercury, tartarized antimony, sulphate of zinc, and acetate and diacetate of lead; thence these substances are incompatible in formulae with this decoction. It may be kept for a much longer time than any other decoction, without spoiling.

Medical properties and uses. - It is a warm cathartic, anal-agous in its action to the well-known beaume de vie; which, however, contained no alkali. It may be given with advantage in habitual costiveness, dyspepsia, hypochondriasis, jaundice, and chlorosis, in the dose of from f ss. to f ij. taken in the morning.