Attempts have been made by Mr Robert Moore, and others to introduce into general consumption in this country a home-made liquor, resembling and prepared in the same manner as foreign geneva, “but the palates of our gin-drinkers were too corrupted to relish so pure a spirit.”
HOMŒOP′ATHY. Syn. Homœopathia, L. A medical hypothesis promulgated at the commencement of the present century by the late Dr Hahnemann, of Leipsic, according to which diseases may be cured by the administration of minute doses of medicines capable of producing in healthy persons affections similar to those it is intended to remove. The doctrine that “similia similibus curantur” had long previously been practically acted on, to a limited extent, in certain cases, in legitimate medicine (allopathy, heteropathy), although not verbally recognised as belonging to its system. The administration of infinitesimal doses is an absurdity which homœopathy, however, alone can claim. According to this method, the millionth of a grain is often an excessive dose; whilst billionths and decillionths, quantities so small as to be vastly beyond human perception, form the common doses. This reduces the whole practice of homœopathy to a system of doing nothing beyond regulating the diet and habits of the patient. “All judicious practitioners have long been agreed that there are many cases which are best treated in the manner just mentioned, and in which physic does more harm than good; in which, in short, a sensible physician endeavours to amuse the patient, whilst nature cures the disorder; so that the frequent success of homœopathic treatment may be explained, without admitting the principle upon which it is presumed to be founded.” (Brande.)
HON′EY. Syn. Mel (B. P.), L. The sweet substance elaborated by the domestic bee from the juices of the nectaries of flowers, and deposited in the cells of wax forming the honeycomb.
Var. Pure honey consists of a syrup of uncrystallisable sugar and crystalline saccharine grains, resembling grape sugar.—‘Virgin honey’ is that which flows spontaneously from the comb.—‘Ordinary honey,’ that obtained by heat and pressure. The former is pale and fragrant; the latter darker, and possessing a less agreeable taste and smell.—‘English honey’ is chiefly collected from furze and broom flowers, and is more waxy than that from the South of Europe;—‘Narbonne honey,’ chiefly from rosemary, and other labiate flowers, very fine;—‘Poisonous honey’ is found near Trebizond, in Asia, its toxic effects being due to the bees having collected it from a poisonous plant, the Azalea pontica.
Pur. Honey is frequently adulterated with treacle, potato-sugar syrup, potato farina, starch, and wheat flour. The first may be detected by the colour and odour; the second in the way noticed under Sugar; and the others by the honey not forming a nearly clear solution with cold water, and striking a blue colour with iodine. When it contains wheat flour, and is heated, it at first liquefies, but on cooling it becomes solid and tough. The absence of starchy matter or flour is easily proved by the following test:—Boiled with water for five minutes, and allowed to cool, it should not become blue with iodine water—indicating absence of flour.
Uses, &c. Honey is nutritive and laxative, but rather apt to gripe. It is employed in the preparation of OXYMELS and GARGLES, and also to cover the taste of nauseous medicines, which it does better than sugar. Clarified honey is alone ordered to be used in medicine.
Honey, Clarified. Syn. Refined honey, Strained h.; Mel depuratum (Ph. D.), Mel præparatum, L. The honey is simply melted by the heat of a water bath, and strained whilst hot through flannel (Ph. D.); or—it is melted as last, and the scum removed (Ph. U. S.); or—it is melted with 1-3rd its weight of water, skimmed, strained through flannel, and evaporated until it reaches the sp. gr. 1·261. (P. Cod.) Honey is not to be employed without being desquamated. (Ph. L.)
Obs. Clarified honey is less agreeable than
raw honey, and has lost the crystalline character of the latter; but it is less liable to ferment and gripe. The use of copper and iron vessels or implements should be avoided, as honey acquires a dark colour by contact with them. Berlin-ware, stone-ware, or well-silvered or tin copper pans, should alone be used. On the large scale, one or other of the following plans are adopted:—
1. The honey is mixed with an equal weight of water and allowed to boil up 5 or 6 times without skimming; it is then removed from the fire, and after being cooled, brought on several strong linen strainers, stretched horizontally, and covered with a layer of clean and well-washed sand, an inch in depth; the sand is rinsed with a little cold water, and the mixed liquor is finally evaporated to the thickness of syrup.