ACcording to your Desire, I have made many Experiments with the Barbado Seeds you sent me, and I find them wonderful serviceable against Dropsies; they open the Sluces of Nature, and let the wate­ry [Page 4] Humours run away both by Seige and Urine, and that in a very plentiful manner, with very little disturbance to Nature. If you have any more Indian Specificks, I pray send them into the Countrey, and I will make Observations upon them, and I hope with as good Success; for by this Method the Art of Physick is likely to be much improved, and in time we may be able to Answer the Lord Bacon's Desire, viz. to write a History of the Cures of Diseases thought to be incu­rable.

I was lately sent for six Miles from my own House to a Countrey Farmer, who was miserably swelled by the Dropsie, not only his Belly, but his Leggs and whole Habit of Body; I had given him many Medicines, but I found that his stubborn Disease would not give way, and at length trying your Speci­fick in several forms, I perceived a plentiful Evacuation of Water by Seige and Urine, he is become very lank, and his Colour begins to return, and I hope by the Use of good Volatile Salts and bitter Medicines to restore [Page 5] the ferments to the several parts, and prevent the danger of a Relapse.

Another Person who was a Servant, was so exceedingly swelled, that his Friends had all concluded that he must be tapp'd, but having heard of the former Cure, came ten Miles to my House, being brought in his Master's Coach; I used the same Method, and in due time Cured him.

I must needs own, as Mr. Boyle saith, that the Theories of divers Diseases are so hotly disputed amongst many Eminent Physitians, that in many Cases a Man may discern more probability of the Success of the Reme­dy, than of the Truth of the received Notion of the Disease. And as the Controverted Me­thods are not to this Day agreed on, nor establisht in the Schools themselves, so divers who are not acquainted with the Schools, do by the help of Experience and good Speci­ficks, and the Method their mother Wit and other Emergency prompts them to take, do very great and extraordinary Cures; the [Page 6] Causes of Diseases are much less certain, and much more disputed than the Uninquisitive imagine: Nor are the Methods of Curing, which depends upon those Causes, settled as they should be; and therefore he fears that the generality of Physitians have but an im­perfect Method in the Cure of many Diseases; and therefore he observes that the Commu­nicating some good Medicines in an unpo­lished manner, though they may disparage an Author, yet they may save the Life of a Patient.

These Considerations have encouraged me to communicate my Observations of this Na­ture, which may a little gratifie the inquisi­tive part of Mankind, until the Learned Dr. Sloan, from whom we expect considerable Informations, gives us a more compleat Ac­count of American Rarities, and their Medici­nal Opperations.

This I must say, that after universal Eva­cuations by Purging, Vomitting, Sweating, which ought to be left to the Prudence of [Page 7] able and experienced Physitians: I have ever found Specifick Allerative Remedies wonder­ful Advantagious.

Many Persons of different Ages and Sexes have been Cured of Dropsies by these Seeds, taking only the Spirit, the Tincture, and the Extract of the same, sometimes in Broom-Beer, and sometimes in Rhenish-Wine, only observing an agreeable Dyet, and enduring Thirst as much as may be.