Medicines (Aperient). Spring Aperients. For children, nothing is better than: - 1. Brimstone and treacle; to each tea-cupful of this, when mixed, add a tea-spoonful of cream of tartar. As this sometimes produces sickness, the following may be used : - 2. Take of tartrate of soda, one drachm and a-half; powdered jalap and powdered rhubarb, each fifteen grains; ginger, two grains. Mix. Dose for a child above five years, one small tea-spoonful ; above ten years, a large tea-spoonful; above fifteen, half the whole, or two tea-spoonsful ; and for a person above twenty, three tea-spoonsful, or the whole, as may be required by the habit of the person. This medicine may be dissolved in warm water, common, or mint tea This powder can be kept for use in a wide-mouthed bottle, and be in readiness for any emergency. The druggist may be directed to treble or quadruple the quantities as convenient.

Aperient Pills. To some adults, all liquid medicines produce such nausea that pills are the only form in which laxative medicines can be exhibited ; the following is a useful formula: - 3. Take of compound rhubarb pill, a drachm and one scruple; of powdered ipecacuanha, six grains ; and of extract of hyoscyamus, one scruple. Mix and beat into a mass, and divide into twenty-four pills. Take one, or two, or if of a ver-costive habit, three at bed-time. 4. For persons requiring a more powerful purge, the same formula, with ten grains of compound extract of colocynth, will form a good purgative pill. The mass receiving this addition, must be divided into thirty, instead of twenty -four pills.

Tonic Aperient 5. Take of Epsom salts, one ounce; diluted sulphuric acid, one drachm ; infusion of quassia chips, half an imperial pint; compound tincture of rhubarb, two drachms. Half a wine-glassful for a dose twice a-day.

Black Draught. 6. The common aperient medicine known as black draught is made in the following manner : - Take of senna leaves, six drachms; bruised ginger, half a drachm, sliced liquorice-root, four drachma; boiling water half an imperial pint. Keep this standing on the hob, or near the fire. for three hours, then strain, and after allowing it to grow cool, add of sal volatile, one drachm and a-ha!f; of tincture of senna, and of tincture of cardamoms ; each half an ounce. This mixture will keep a long time in a cool place. Dose, a wine-glassful for an adult; two table-spoonsful for young persons above fifteen years of age. It is not a suitable medicine for children.

Infants' Aperient. 7. Take of rhubarb, five grains; magnesia, three grains; white, sugar a scruple ; manna, five grains ; mix. Dose, varying from a piece half the size of a sweet-pea to a piece the size of an ordinary pea. 8. A useful laxative for children is composed of calomel, two grains ; and sugar, a scruple; made into five powders; half of one of these for a child from birth to one year and a-half, and a whole one from that age to five years.