MYRRH, in the materia medica, a concrete, gummy, resinous juice, brought from the East Indies in globes or drops, of various colours and magnitudes. The best sort is of a brown reddish or yellow colour, somewhat transparent; of a lightly pungent bitter taste, with an aromatic flavour, though not sufficient to prevent its proving nauseous to the palate; and a strong disagreeable smell. The medical effects of this aromatic bitter are, to warm and strengthen the viscera, and dissolve thick tenacious juices: it frequently occasions a mild diaphoresis, and promotes the fluid secretions in general. Hence it proves serviceable in languid cases; diseases arising from a simple inactivity; those female disorders which proceed from a cold, mucous, sluggish indisposition of the humours; suppressions of the uterine discharges; cachectic disorders, where the lungs and thorax are oppressed by viscid phlegm. Myrrh is likewise supposed in a peculiar manner to resist putrefaction in all parts of the body; and in this light stands recommended in malignant, putrid, and pestilential fevers, and in the small-pox;
Myrtiform, pox; in which last it is said to accelerate the eruption.—
Myrtus. Rectified spirit extracts the fine aromatic flavour and bitterness of this drug, and does not elevate any thing of either in evaporation: the gummy substance left by this menstruum has a disagreeable taste, with scarce any thing of the peculiar flavour of the myrrh; and dissolves in water, excepting some impurities which remain. In distillation with water, a considerable quantity of a ponderous essential oil arises, resembling in flavour the original drug.