ROUGH NOTES, FROM THE WEST. 



545 



ceive and turn it to good account. That 

 time has now arrived, and we cannot be 

 denied. 



Your remarks on the progress of horticul- 

 tural science, and the benefits to be derived 

 therefrom, are not overstrained — I think not 

 quite up to the mark even, though I am 

 perhaps ultra-enthusiastic on this subject. 

 Still my extreme views have been, very re- 

 cently, adopted by high authority. Would 

 you have believed it possible that a learned 

 professor in one of our most flourishing 

 medical colleges — and no pomologist, by 

 the way — could have had the hardihood, 

 as well as the liberality, to review the pro- 

 ceedings of our convention at Syracuse, in 

 an old school medical journal, of high re- 

 pute, and, moreover, endorse, in his edito- 

 rial capacity, my very unorthodox notions 

 "on the prophylactic and curative proper- 

 ties of ripe fruits?" And yet, such is the 

 fact ; and further, I have received declara- 

 tions from many eminent physicians, not 

 only endorsing, but adding new evidence 

 and greater weight to my broad assertions. 

 From all of which, I am led to believe, that 

 the day is not distant when this doctrine 

 will be that of our books and our schools of 

 medicine. 



The science of medicine, as well as all the 

 useful arts, has made giant strides towards 

 perfection within this nineteenth century. 

 Free air and cold water, now considered 

 indispensable in the treatment of febrile af- 

 fections, you may well remember were 

 strictly prohibited not long since, — and 

 fruits were deemed still more dangerous ; 

 and now they are often permitted, and, in- 

 deed their juices, from the lemon to the 

 watermelon, are freely prescribed by our 

 best physicians. 



In the western country, a great majority 

 of persons either suffer from habitual con- 



stipation, or the reverse. These conditions 

 of the digestive organs are produced by 

 faults of diet, especially eating too much 

 fat pork, whiskey drinking, and the use oj 

 purgatices. The quantity of cathartic m< - 

 dicines vended in the west is enormous; 

 and their mischievous effects are sufficiently 

 obvious, though incalculable, and unknown 

 to all, save the observing physician. 



For all this wide spread misery, on which 

 quacks fatten — this waste of health and 

 life — we offer a cheap, safe, and efficient 

 remedy, in fresh garden vegetables, (seldom 

 eaten west,) and ripe fruits. 



All cultivated fruits are wholesome, and 

 remedial in their season, and their climate. 

 In some countries, however, particular sorts 

 are not perfected. In England, for exam- 

 ple, apples are often too acid and immature, 

 and in southern climes too dry and prema- 

 ture, to be either very delicious or very 

 wholesome. And occasionally the best fruits 

 will be found to disagree with particular 

 individuals, from constitutional idiosyn- 

 crasy. 



During my residence in New- Orleans, I 

 observed that the " Creoles" who ate libe- 

 rally of fruits and fresh vegetables were 

 seldom ill, and never liable to febrile af- 

 fections, in comparison with our other popu- 

 lation. The usual, and indeed the best, 

 breakfast for a hot climate is a " French 

 roll," ripe berries, peaches, grapes, figs, 

 oranges, tomatoes, cantaloupes, bananas, 

 &c, as they come in season, and the uni- 

 versal bottle of good " table claret," with- 

 out animal food. The same for dinner, 

 with the addition of soups, or gombo, a lit- 

 tle exquisitely dressed fish or flesh, and 

 plenty of vegetables, prepared as no one 

 better than a Creole can do it. For Hip- 

 per — nothing. Yours, J. A. K. 



The Grove, III., April, 1?50. 



