(From the same). A confection; called also aligulus. In general it is any thing prepared with sugar, and the same with conditum. The latter is usually dry; the confectio a soft electuary. The dry confects are now a branch of the confectioner's business, and are the roots of eringo, the peels of oranges, etc. which are incrusted with sugar, and are called candied root, or peel. The London college prescribes the following soft electuary: the cordial confection, now called the aromatic confection.

Take of zedoary in coarse powder, saffron, of each half a pound; distilled water, three pints; let them macerate for twenty-four hours, then press and strain them. Evaporate the strained liquor to a pint and a half, to which add the subsequent ingredients reduced to very fine powder; compound powder of crab's claws, sixteenounces; cinnamon, nutmegs,of each two ounces; cloves, one ounce; lesser cardamom seeds husked, half an ounce; double refined sugar, two pounds; and thus form the confection. Pharm. Lond. 1788. This is altered from the last Dispensatory, and may be considered as an improvement. It is certainly an agreeable cordial and carminative, but should not be long kept, as it loses its efficacy. It is substituted for the confect or cordial of Sir Walter Raleigh.

Confectio alkermes. See Chermes.

Confectio anacardii. Sec Anacardium.

Confectio aromatica. See Confectio cardiaca.

Confectio Damocratis. Damocrates's confection.-this was formerly called mithridatium, from Mithri-datcs, king of Pontus and Bithynia, who, after the example of Attalus of Pergamus, is said first to have experienced the virtues of simples separately, and then to have combined them. But it should be noted that the original compound, as prepared by Mithridates, consisted of but a few ingredients. Serenus Sammonicus says, that when Pompey took the baggage of this prince, he was surprised to find that this antidote consisted of only twenty leaves of rue, two walnuts, two figs, and a little salt. Of this he took a dose every morning, to guard himself from the effects of poisons. It is, however, probable this was designed to deceive, as the preparation used by the king of Pontus has been handed down with great care, and is a combination of aromatics and nervous medicines with opium. If, as Dr. Fordyce alleges, a variety of aromatics is more useful than a large dose of a single one, we cannot see with what propriety the mithridate is rejected, except on the common principle, "Est modus in rebus et certi denique fines."at all events, the mithridate-for we well remember its use, and its being faithfully, at least with tolerable fidelity, prepared-was a warm useful opiate. It is now, however, thrown out of the London Dispensatory of 1778.

Confectio opiata. See Philonium.

Confectio sapientum. See Anacardium.