YOU may remember that when I was last at London, we had a close Dis­course concerning that deplorable Distemper called The Rickets, which Cripples so many poor Children, and you told me of a Doctor [Page 4] of Physick, and one of the Famousest in Europe, had not been able to Cure it in several of his own Children; indeed it may be called a new Disease, for it's wonderfully encreased a­mongst us of late, as we find by the Bills of Mortality. I am very much of your Mind, that the Knowledge of Physitians would be much encreased, and their Success would be much greater, were they more Curious in making Experiments and Observations of the Success of simple Medicines, for they cannot so easily do it upon Compositions. I'le now tell you what great Cures I have done in my Countrey Practice, amongst Children who have been over-grown with the Rickets: The Specifick that I make use of, is a small white Seed that comes from Russia, by some called Seed Manna, I draw a Tincture, a Spirit and an Ex­tract out of it, and give twenty Drops at a time in all the Childrens Meat and Drink, they take it with Pleasure, because it's not ungrateful to the Pallat; Morning, Noon and Night, is often enough.

It opens Obstructions of the Liver and [Page 5] Spleen, strengthens the Brain and Spinal Mar­row, and causeth a free Distribution of the Nourishments into all the Nervous Parts of the Body, whereby Nature becomes strong and vigorous, and the Spirits chearful and lively.

You are pleased to tell the World, in your Excellent Discourse of the use of simple Me­dicines, that you hope to enlarge the Minds of Physitians, and invite them to make use of se­veral Remedies which they never thought on, or against which they were prejudiced. You also tell us, that Specificks, where they may be had, are wont to be free from any immode­rate manifest Quality, and for the most part work more benignly as well as more effectu­ally than other Medicines; and therefore you endeavour to bring them into Request, that so thereby Cures may be performed more speedily, safely and pleasantly.

Your Tenderness and Caution is highly to be commended, in desiring your Reader not to be too credulous, or rely too much upon any Medicines that you commend, until they [Page 6] have been frequently tried upon Persons of different Sexes, Complections and Ages.

I am sure that this Seed, and other Specificks which I have written on, have been tried suffi­ciently, in a multitude of Examples, and with great Success, which gives great Encouragement to depend upon it in difficult Cases, with God Almighty's Blessing.

I am much of your Mind, that one Reason why so many Distempers prove incurable, is, because Physitians do all they can to discou­rage the use of Specifick Medicines; so that if they do not always work Wonders, they pre­sently tell People that they do nothing at all.

In Compliance with your Request, I have found out a Specifick Remedy in almost eve­ry Distemper, which in time may prove as ef­ficacious as the Cortex in an Ague, for ought I know.

I must say, if at any time I have found Spe­cifick Remedies prove ineffectual, it was when [Page 7] they were compounded with some insignifi­cant Remedies, or given too late, or administred in too small a Dose, or left off too soon.

This small Seed may be given boiled in all the Childrens Broth or Spoon-meat, or in a Liquid Form, as the other Specificks use to be.

I have cured several Children in one Gen­tlemans Family, after gentle Evacuations, when the Ribbs have been knotted, the Head very large, the Leggs crooked, the Joynts much extended, only with this Remedy.

This Distemper hath spoiled as many Chil­dren as ever Herod did, its high time if we would prevent the destruction of our Innocents, to find out some more effectual Remedies. The Method that Dr. Glisson and &c. found out, was very good, but this simple Specifick added to it may make it more effectual.

You are pleased in your Discourse of spe­cifick Medicines, to mention the Prickly Indian Pear that I told you of, that communicates its [Page 8] Tincture so speedily to the Bladder, that it makes the Eaters think they piss Blood, which gives a clear Example of the Penetrating Qualities of some simple Specificks, which have no sen­sible Operation by Vomiting, Purging or Sweating.

One of our Judges in his Reports, tells us of a Learned Doctor who travelled a hundred Miles, to learn a Specifick of an old Woman to Cure an Ague. I am sure I have travelled many thousand Miles to learn all these Re­medies, and my design is Publick Good: For although I am particularly known to you, I desire to be known to the World by no other Name, but