I Remember that the Reverend Dr. Spratt, the present Bishop of Rochester, in his Elo­quent History of the Royal Society, tells us, that we are extreamly beholding unto my Lord Bacon, for his Communicating to the World the Remedies which were Experimen­tally [Page 4] found advantageous in the Cure of the Sweating Sickness, in the time of Henry the Se­venth; and therefore I hope I may deserve thanks for informing my Countrey-men what I have after long Experience found useful in the Cure of the Scurvy, which now proves as troublesome to England as that Disease did then, though not so mortal.

And the Remedy is the Virginean Nutts, or rather Kernels, which grow upon the Lo­cus-Tree, described by Mr. Ray, and by Lygon, and several other Authors: But none have made those particular Experiments I have done upon the use of the Nutts, and I find them to answer the same Intentions that the Gum Animi doth, which flows from the same Tree. It mightily opens Obstructions of the Liver, and Refines the whole Mass of Blood, and mends a Scorbutick ill habit of Body, by impregnating that Vital Liquor with such volatile Salts, as restore it when flat and lan­guishing, to a more pure and spirituous State, and thereby preserves it from Fixation, and clears the Skin from Spots and all Impurities.

[Page 5] I knew a Gentlewoman who was highly Scorbutical, and much afflicted with various Fermentations in her Blood, which caused the Eruption of strange Pimples and trouble­some Blemishes in her Face and Hands, with great Faintings, Weariness and Indisposition to Motion, and wandering Pains in her Limbs, her Teeth loose, and Gums sore; her Body cover'd with Scurf like a Leprosie; and yet by the use of this Medicine mixed with all her Drink and Spoon-meat, in one Months time she was perfectly recovered.

Mr. Grant observes, that this Disease of the Scurvy doth wonderfully encrease every year in our Bills of Mortality, and thereupon wish­eth that some effectual Remedies might be found out by Physicians, and I am well sa­tisfied that this is one.

I could tell you of a Man about Fifty years of Age, who by living in a Gross Air, and using an ill Dyet, and wanting Exercise, had his whole Mass of Blood so corrupted, and [Page 6] the Spirits so evaporated, that they became dead and flat, like decayed Drinks, and Eager and sharp like Vinegar: And yet notwith­standing by the use of a Tincture, Spirit and Extract drawn out of these Nutts, he became strong, lively and chearful, and was fit for all Employments both of Body and Mind.

An old Gentlewoman, who by a long fit of Sickness was brought into the Scurvy, the fine parts of her Blood were run into a fluid Salt, and she found a universal Languor up­on her Spirits, which made her Life uncom­fortable; she used many Medicines, and had much Advice, and at length a Friend told her of these Drops, which any one may make if they please to procure the Nuts, for the Medicins are drawn out only with small Wines. These Medicines perfectly recover'd her to a state of Health, and good Habit of Body.

A middle-aged Person who was much af­flicted with the Scurvy, and had many blew Spots in his Skin, great Weariness and Faint­ness [Page 7] upon his Spirits, with wandering Pains in divers parts of his Body, very bad decayed Teeth, and little or no Appetite to Food, with sowre Belchings and offensive Fumes arising up to his Nostrils, and several other scorbutical Symptoms; he had taken great Quantities of Spirits of Scurvy-grass, and still found himself grow worse and worse; at length I gave him the Drops drawn out of these Nuts, about twelve at a time, the Yel­low in the Morning, the White at Noon, and the Black at Night: They may be given in Purging Waters, or in Mum, or in any agreeable Spoon-meat.

I could give many more Examples, of Cures wrought by them, but 'twill be need­less.