I Perceive that Petrus de Ossma tells us of an Indian Doctor who cured all Diseases with the juice of one Plant.

And Piso saith, that the Brasilian Botanists [Page 4]make all their secret Remedies out of simples, with which they work wonders.

Dr. Willis, in his Treatise of Epilepsys, saith, That Specifick Remedies, although they cure Diseases without any sensible Evacuation, yet not without some formal Reason or Virtue of acting proper to themselves, which may be wondered at, but not described ; they resist the Heterogenious matter, causing the Diseases just as Gun-powder sprinkled with Oyl of Vitriol looseth its thundering Virtue.

My Design in this Sheet is only to give the World an account of a particular Plant brought from India, that hath a Specifick qua­lity against Deafness, and hath cured many who have been thought to be incurable; it's called Em-wort, the Indian Name I know not: One of your London Quacks, who in his Print­ed Bills promiseth great matters, and performs little; for when many Deaf People have been tyred out by his pretended Secrets, and found no advantage, they have been relieved by this Herb, partly by drinking the Spirits drawn [Page 5]out of it, and mingled in all their Drink, and partly by Syringing the Ear with the Tincture of the same, and taking as much as a Pea of the Extract at Night going to rest.

The Herb is of an excellent Aromatique Quality, it tasts warm like a Nutmeg, and yet cool like Niter; it mightily comforts the Brain, and quickens the Senses, and hath been found wonderful useful to Deaf Persons, as might be proved by many Examples.

Its real use and admirable virtue much excels the two costly Jewels that the Queen of Egypt wore in her Ears for Ornament, It must be confess'd, that many Bruit Creatures, whose Ears are suffer'd to grow large, and according to Nature are much quicker in hearing than many Men, forasmuch as Midwifes and Nurses by the Fillets and straight binding of the Ears close to the Heads of Chil­dren, they hinder the Contraction of the Air.

In a Battel between the Turks and the Christi­ans the General gave order that one of the [Page 6]Ears of the slain Christians should be cut off, and put into a sack, that the Number of them might certainly be known. Such dreadful Ef­fects are many times produced by extremity of cold Weather in some Northern Climates, which rotts off the very Ears of People, and then the remedy is a Silver Trumpet, or the hollow Shell of a Fish applyed to the Ear.

The account which you have given the World of the Nature of Specifick. Remedies, and the manner how they opperate is very satis­factory: And we find by Experience that this Plant opperates strangely upon the Sense of Hearing; if the Deafness proceed from the Obstructions of the Auditory Nerves, this Spe­cifick removes those stoppages; it also wipes off those moist clammy Humours which co­ver the Drum of the Ear, and hinder the pe­netration of sounds; it also disperseth windy Vapours, which by their Noise in the Head cause Deafness: The Spirit of this Herb held in the Mouth by a secret passage from the Ear, purge them by Salivation; that there is such a passage is evident, forasmuch as many People [Page 7]hear best when their Mouths are open.

I knew an old Man who was exceeding deaf, that he could not hear the Bells ring, although he were near the Church, yet upon the use of this Herb taken inwardly, and the fume of it received into the Ear through a Funnel, was wonderfully restored to his Hearing.

A young Person who by standing at a Win­dow lost his Hearing, that he could not go to Church for many Weeks, at last being recom­mended to this Herb, he was restored to his Hearing in one Months time after he had purg­ed his Head with some proper agreeable Pills.

If the Deafness comes and goes by intermissi­ons, the Cure is the more probable; but if the Membranes of the Ear are broken or eaten through by corroding Humours, the Case is incurable, and it's best to acquaint the Patient with the true state of the Case, and not deceive him with false hopes, as many Pretenders do.

I knew an old Lady, who went to the Bath [Page 8]to have those Waters pumpt upon her Head, to Cure her Deafness, but proved very ineffectual, (although I have known them do service to others) the Tincture of this Plant drank once a day in Sack cured her.

I knew another who had used Oyl of Al­monds and Civet, and Oyl of Ants Eggs, and all the other usual Remedies, but to no purpose, until she applyed her self unto the use of the Medicines drawn out of this Herb, and then she could hear the least Noise, and the Watch­men knocking at the Doors in the Night was a great disturbance to her.

As I have promised to give you an account of the Virtues and Specifick Qualities of seve­ral Indian Rarities, I shall continue to gratifie your Learned Curiosity, and approve my self