344 



RUBIACEvE. 



The drug began to Ibe known in England about 1655,' The Mer- 

 curius Politicus, one of the earliest English newspapers, contains in 

 several of its numbers for IGoS,^ a year remarkable for the preva- 

 lence in England of an epidemic remittent fever, advertisements 



offering for sale — " the excellent ijowder known 



i 



Jesuit's Powder " 

 Antwerp 



•brought 



over by James Thomson, merchant of 



« 



Brady, professor of physic at Cambridge, prescribed bark about this 

 time ; and in 1660, Willis, a physician of great eminence, reported it as 

 coming into daily use. This is also evidenced, with regard to the 

 continent, by the pharmaceutical tariffs of the cities of Leipzig and Frank- 

 furt of the year 1669, where "China Chinee " has a place. |- of an ounce 

 (a " quint ") is quoted in the latter at 50 kreuzers (about Is. 6d.), whereas 

 the same quantity of opium is valued at 4 kreuzers,^ camphor 2 kreuzers, 

 balsam of Peru 8 kreuzers. 



Amon^., those who contributed powerfully to the diffusion of the 

 new medicine, was Robert Talbor alias Tabor. In his "Pyretologia" (see 

 Appendix, T.) he by no means intimates that his method of cure depends 

 on the use of bark. On the contrary, he cautions his readers against 

 the dangerous effects of Jesuits' Powder when administered by unskil- 

 ful persons, yet admits that, properly given, it is a " noble and sate 

 medicine." 



Talbor's reputation increasing, he was appointed in 1G78 physician 

 in ordinary to Charles II., and in 1679, the king being ill of tertian 

 fever at Windsor, Talbor cured him by his secret remedy.* He acquired 

 similar favour in France, and upon Talbor's death (1681), Louis Xlv • 

 ordered the publication of his method of cure, which accordingly 

 appeared by Nicolas de Blegny, surgeon to the king.* 

 mediately translated into English, under the title of The 

 Remedy : or, Talbor's Wonderful Secret for Ctireing of Ague3_ ana 

 Feavers.~Sold hy the Author Sir Robert Talbor to the most Christian 



This was ini- 



English 



King, and since his Death, ordered by his Maj 

 French, for the benefit of his subjects, and now t 

 for Puhlick Good (Lond. 1682). 



^^^chona bark was now accepted into the domain of regular medicine, 

 though its efficacy was by no means universally acknowledged. It ni's^ 

 appeared in the " ' ~" " ' 



Cortex PervAinus. 



1G77 



quella sia fermata in stato di molti glor- 

 Uesperienza continua, hi Uberata quasi 



pnma Bene U corpo, e per quattro giorai 

 doppo non p.gliar' niuna sorte di mldica- 

 mento, ma auvertasi di non darla se non 



examin 



ed 



No. 545. Dec. 9-16.— We have 

 the copy at the British Museum. 



» Ph. Journ. vi. (1876) 1022. 



*In the Recueil for 1680, V-.^l^^,^ 

 appendix, Talbor) the king is said to j^ ^ 

 had another attack of fever at ^\f^,,^ 

 for which lie took "du Quinquina pr^P'^'' ' 



which again cured him. ,„,/,.;,o» des 



» Le RemhU mijMs pour %(l"f"' Us 



observathm de Monsieur lepr^^^f^ 



de sa Majesty, sur la compo.sition,Le^ ^^ 



r usage de ce remade, par ^^_'f^^^^ je 



Blegny, Chirurgien o^dmaire du co P ^^^_ 



Monsieur, et Directeur ^\} ,T7:^%w\^' 

 nouvelles d(5couverte3 de Medecme. 



1682. 12". 



