I Am sorry to hear that the Small Pox is so rise at London, it's the less Wonder to find you so Inquisitive after a good Specifick Remedy in that Distemper: I must tell you, I know no better Medicine in that Case than [Page 4] the Famous Carolina Herb called Cassiny.

There are abundance of Persons now Dye of the Small Pox in our Town and Coun­trey, but I attribute it very much to ill Ma­nagement of Nurses and Ignorant People, who give many hot Medicines, under the pre­tence of driving out, as Sack, and Saffron, and Mithridate, and Venice Treacle; by this means they fire the Blood into a Feavor, and that kills them. I only give a few Drops of the Tincture of this temperate Herb in Water-gruel, or in Panado, or Posset-drink, and do nothing else all the while, but leave it to Nature, and I find better Success.

I have had many in one Family down at one time of this loathsome Distemper, and all recover'd with this Method; but if any desire to dye with more pompous Prescripti­ons, much good may it do them.

The Medicines made of this Herb do not in the least heat the Blood, but rather moderate and gently allay the violent Fer­mentation [Page 5] of it, if it be too high, and yet safely help the Expulsive Faculty if it be too weak. This Specifick keeps them out of the Head and Throat, and secures the Lungs, by helping Expectoration.

I have often observed, that the slower they are in coming forth, the more dange­rous; and if the Salivation or Spitting ceas­eth before the eleventh Day, especially in a Flux Pox, there is then much more reason to fear the Patients being poysoned by the return of the purulent Matter inwards: And yet in this extream hazard the Tincture of this Herb in Small Beer, and some times in Tare Broath, hath saved the Lives of many.

I being once sent for to a Boarding-School, where several young Gentlewomen, who high­ly valued their Beauty, were surprized with the Small Pox, I only gave them the Drops drawn out of this Herb in all their liquid Aliment, as Water-gruel, and Posset-drink, and Small Beer, and caused them to keep their Faces co­ver'd with their Masks all the time, and they [Page 6] recover'd, and preserv'd their Complections.

I remember that an Eminent Physitian of London told me an extraordinary Case of a Court Lady of great Beauty, a Patient of his, who was much afflicted at the Death of ma­ny who dyed of the Small Pox, and he was resolved to try a contrary Method to what had been taken with those, he kept her mo­derately warm cover'd with Scarlet Blankets, omitted Bleeding, and caused her to take no more Nourishment than would keep her from starving; her Drink was Posset-drink, with Figgs in it; her Food only Bread and Water boyl'd together, with seven Drops of this Spe­cifick which came out of Carlina; he caused a live Sheep to be kept in the Chamber all the time of her Illness, to draw away the ma­lignity; the Sheep dyed, but the Lady reco­ver'd, although it was a very unkindly sort, which much threaten'd her Life; the Dr. told me he durst never give her any Opiate Me­dicine, lest it should stop her Spitting, which is the most proper way of Evacuation in all sorts of Poxes, both great and small.

[Page 7]The Virtues of this excellent Plant are at large mentioned in an Account of Carolina, and also in the History of the West Indies, a Latine Book written by John Delait of Antwerp, many Years since, who tells us that it's an Admira­ble Dioretick, it also greatly corroborates Na­ture, and helps her to cast off whatever is offensive to the Animal and Vital Spirits, and also it promotes genuine easie Sweats, and mild friendly transpirations, preserving the Mind se­rene, and the Body active and lively a long while after, without any other Nourishment, and none but Persons of great Quality are per­mitted to use this Noble Beverage, which they drink as we do Tea and Coffee.

Purchas in his Pilgrimage tells us, that at Flo­rida, now called Carolina, they live to a very great Age, and speaks of one of their Kings who was three Hundred years old; and whenever the Inhabitants of that Countrey meet with Mourn­ful Accidents, or Subjects of Lamentation, they drink Cassiny to chear their Hearts.

[Page 8]A famous Sea-Chyrurgeon who came from those Parts, had most of his Ships Passengers taken sick of the Small Pox, and recover'd them with Medicines made with this Herb.

I have so great an Opinion of this Plant, that if I had an Only Child who had the Small Pox, I would give him the Tincture of it in all his Drink, and depend upon it under God, as much as I would upon the Peruvian Bark in a Quar­tan Ague.