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Linseed

This is the seed of the flax plant. It is small, oval, oblong, acute at the extremities, glossy, and brown. Internally it is white. The taste of linseed is mucilaginous and oily. The infusion of linseed in boiling water yields a demulcent mucilage, which is much used as a domestic medicine in coughs (see LINSEED TEA). The linseed should not be boiled in the water, as that extracts the oil contained in the linseed as well as the mucilage, and renders the decoction nauseating.