152 
might use it instead of the Aristolochia serpentaria, especially 
against nervous, intermittent, and putrid fevers. 
A short time after having remitted to Lima some stalks aiid 
roots to the celebrated Dr. Cosme Bueno, with a‘ notice on the 
use made of them by the Indians, and on that to which this new 
medicine might be applied, I had the satisfaction to receive re- 
peated thanks from him, with an intimation that the Star-reed 
operated with greater efficacy and cure than the ~eeoep 
Snake-root. 
From that period I diligently continued to make daily obser- 
vations and experiments on the Star-reed ; and having a few 
months before my departure from Peru for Spain, remarked that. 
on being masticated it caused an abundant and viscous saliva, 
I inferred that it might be useful against tooth-ache, and ad_- 
vised several persons, frequently subject to that complaint, to 
make use of this new medicine. The patients in-a few hours 
after taking a smal] piece into the mouth, and repeatedly emit- 
ting the saliva, actually experienced considerable relief, and, by 
continuing the 1 use of it, were cured for ihe time of this disagree- 
able pain. 
Well assured i repeated ES of its odontalgic, anti- 
septic; and soothing properties, I transmitted to R. P. Francisco 
Gonzalez Laguna, a member of the religions order of the Ago- 
nizantes of Lima, and a commissioned correspondent of the Royal 
Botanic expedition, a packet of the Star-reed from the mountains of 
Pozuzo, in-order that observations and experts ment be 
made upon it in the capital of Peru. __ 
_So many persons daily flocked to the cell of this friar, as soon 
as the remedy became known, that in a short time the packet 
of Star-reed was consumed, and the father requested of me an- 
other packet, that he might distribute gratuitously, as he had 
