MUCILAGES.
Mucilages are soft, bland substances, made by dissolving gum arabic in hot water; or by boiling marshmallows, slippery elm, or lily roots, until their mucilaginous properties are extracted. A table-spoonful of either of the above articles, when powdered, will generally suffice for a quart of water.
Use.—In all cases of catarrh, diarrhœa, inflammation of the kidneys, womb, bladder, and intestines. They shield the mucous membranes, and defend them from the action of poisons and drastic cathartics.