[116] Finlay Dun.
POACH′ING. Amongst cooks, a peculiar method of cooking small articles by a slight boiling or stewing process.
Poached eggs are prepared by breaking
them into a small saucepan or stewpan containing about 1⁄2 a pint of boiling water, to which a teaspoonful of common salt, and, occasionally, a little vinegar, is added, and gently simmering them for 3 or 4 minutes, or until sufficiently firm to bear removal with a spoon or ‘slice.’ Another method is to employ melted butter instead of water, and to dress them either with or without stirring.
Poached eggs are commonly served on toast, or with fried ham or bacon, with spice or vegetable seasoning at will. They form an excellent breakfast, or ‘make-shift dinner.’
PODOPH′YLLIN. Syn. Resin of podophyllum; Resina podophylli (B. P.). Obtained from the root of the Podophyllum peltatum (Linn.), or may-apple, a substance officinal in the Ph. U. S.
Prep. 1. The alcoholic extract of may-apple is digested in cold ether to remove fatty matter, and is then dissolved in rectified spirit; the solution is decoloured with a little animal charcoal, and filtered; it is, lastly, allowed to evaporate spontaneously.
2. (B. P.) Podophyllum, in coarse powder, 1; rectified spirit, 33⁄4, or a sufficiency; distilled water and hydrochloric acid, of each a sufficiency; exhaust the podophyllum by percolation with the spirit; distil over the spirit; slowly pour the liquid remaining after the distillation of the tincture into three times its volume of water acidulated with 1⁄24th part of its weight of hydrochloric acid, constantly stirring; let it stand 24 hours; collect the resin which falls, wash on a filter with distilled water, and dry in a stove. Cholagogue purgative; used as a substitute for calomel.—Dose, 1⁄6 to 1⁄2 gr., or even 2 gr. It is best to begin with 1⁄8 gr. (Squire.)
Prop., &c. An amorphous, greyish-white mass, soluble in alcohol, and slightly soluble in water. It is a safe and certain cathartic, superior in activity to resin of jalap.—Dose, 1⁄2 to 3 gr. See Extract of May-apple.
PODOPHYLLUM ROOT. Syn. Podophylli radix (B. P.) The dried rhizome of the Podophyllum peltatum; imported from North America. Active and certain cathartic.—Dose, 10 to 20 gr.