ELDER, Sambucus, a genus of plants of the natural order caprifoliacece, consisting chiefly of shrubs and trees, with pinnate leaves, small flowers of which the corolla is wheel-shaped and 5-cleft, and 3-seeded berries. The wood of the young shoots contains a very large pith. The species are very widely distributed.—The COMMON E. (S. nigra), the bourtree of the Scotch, is a native of Europe, the n. of Asia, and the n. of Africa. It is found in all parts of Britain. It is a very large shrub, sometimes a small tree, with rather large leaves, and large terminal cymes of cream-colored flowers, which arc followed by small black—or rarely whitish—berries. Its leaves and young shoots dif fuse a narcotic ordor, and it is said to be dangerous to sleep under its shade. The inner bark has a bitter acrid taste. The leaves possess the same properties in a rather milder degree. The flowers have a peculiar sweetish and rather sickening smell, hut are much used for making a distilled water—elder-flower water—which has a very agreeable odor, and is employed both in perfumery and confectionery. Distilled with water alone, they yield a volatile oil, which, on cooling, assumes a buttery consistence. A popular cooling ointment is made by boiling them in lard. They are also used for imparting a flavor to currant-wine and jelly, being added at the time of a slight fermentation which takes place in the spring of the year. after the currant-wine is made; and a wine is made from them which in scent and flavor resembles Frontignac. The clustered flower buds are pickled, and used like capers. A grateful wine, well known in England, especially about Christmas, is made from the berries; and in sonic parts of Kent there are large plantations of E. to supply the London market for its manufacture. It is gen erally drunk hot or mulled. The berries are subacid and sweetish, with a rather unpleas ant flavor. A rob made from them is a gentle aperient, diuretic, and sudorific, easily administered to children. In some parts of Germany, the poorer, people use them as an ingredient intjmilt. They are said to be used to AO small extent'in England in the adulteration of port wine, and the manufacture of spurious port wine.—The wood of . the E. is yellow; that of old trees is very hard and tough, takes a fine polish, is used by turners, and as a substitute for bo-x-wood in making mathematical instruments and other articles. Tops of fishing-rods are sometimes made of it. The pith of the young shoots, being very light, is generally used to make pith-balls for electrical experiments.
Toys for children are also made of it; and few boys are unacquainted with the use of E. branches, from which it has been expelled, for making pop-guns. The E. is very useful as a screen-fence near the sea and in other exposed situations, as it grows with remarkable vigor, and makes great shoots, the destruction of the more tender and less matured parts of which in winter only tends to make it more bushy and useful for shel ter. It is readily propagated by portions of its shoots stuck into the ground.—The SCARLET-FRUITED E. (S. racemosa), a native of the s. of Europe and of Siberia, much resembles the common E., but has softer and more herbaceous shoots, remarkably large buds, which are conspicuous in winter, and racemes of greenish-white flowers, which are followed by scarlet berries, the racemes of ripe fruit having much the appearance of beautiful pieces of corn]. It is a frequent ornament of shrubberies in Britain, and when in full-fruit, is almost unrivaled in beauty, but more frequently produces its fruit in cold districts than in those where the milder winter induces it to flower before the spring frosts are over. The juice of its berries is a powerful sudorific. —The DWARF' E., or DANEWORT (S. ebulus), is a rather rare British plant, a coarse, herbaceous plant, with fetid smell. The inner bark has been employed in dropsical complaints as a hydra gogue cathartic, and is given in the form of a decoction prepared by boiling down 1 oz. of the bark in 2 pints of water till the whole is concentrated to 1 pint. The dose is about 4 fluid ounces. In smaller quantities, it is useful as an aperient in certain chronic disorders. The flowers are white when freshly plucked, but become yellow in drying, and consist of a volatile oil, certain gummy, resinous, albuminous, and saline matters, and are stimulant and sudorific. They are employed in the preparation of elder-flower water :by adding 2 gallons of water and 3 ozs. of rectified spirit to 10 lbs. of the flowers, and distilling off about 1 gallon. It is a good perfume. White elder ointment is procured by boiling equal weights of lard and elder flowers, and pressing through a. cloth. It has an agreeable odor, and is employed as a cooling application to surfaces. which are irritable. When the berries are expressed, they yield a purple juice named. elder rob, which, when diluted with water, is useful in inflammatory and febrile com plaints as a cooling drink. It contains malic and citric acids, sugar, gum, etc.