290 MEDICAL HISTORY or tne 
thinking it might be agreeable to you to hear of any new 
improvements in the healing art. It is called Red Bark. 
According to his account it poflefles fo much virtue, and 
is of fuch certain efficacy, that, compared with it, the com- 
mon bark is an inert mafs. It contains a much larger 
portion of refin, has a much ftronger aromatic tafte than 
the common bark, and does not require half the quantity 
for a dofe. Amongft other particulars, he mentioned the 
following proof of its fuperior virtue, namely, that of this 
medicine, when adminiftered in a fimple cold infufion, 
any given quantity is much ftronger and effetual to re-’ 
move the fever than a chemical extract from the fame 
quantity of the other. I now fend you a fpecimen, by 
which you will be able to make a trial and form fome 
judgment of its virtues.” 
a 2S: Ducue. 
Soon after the receipt of the foregoing letter, I received 
the following valuable communication from Dr. George 
Davidfon of St. Lucia, which it affords me great pleafure 
to lay before this fociety. 
St. Lucia, Auguft 29, 1783. 
To Dodtor Jonn MorGAN, at Philadelphia. 
SrR, 
IF the fubje& upon which I have the honour to write 
you, fhould be found to merit attention, and prove in any 
refpect ufeful and advantageous to mankind, I fhall eafily 
ftand excufed in addrefling you, perfonally unacquainted 
as I am. 
I have by this opportunity fent a fmall fpecimen of the 
Cinchona of this ifland, refembling the Peruvian bark in 
its botanical chara€ter, and from the trial made here fur- 
pafling it in medical virtues. It is now nearly four years 
fince the Caribean bark was difcovered upon the heights 
adjoining 
