456 ESSAYS and OBSERVATIONS 



and rheumatic pains about twenty-eight 

 years ago. About fifteen years ago, he 

 tvas attacked by a regular gout, which 

 tifed to confine him every winter from 

 one to four months. He tried feveral re- 

 medies, with a view to prevent or leflen 

 the fits ; but the one which he found of 

 moft ufe, was a tincflure of gum guaiac 

 in brandy, twenty drops of which, taken 

 evening and morning when the fit was 

 upon him,ufedto put it away in three or 

 four days. As he was told, that this me- 

 thod of cure might be attended with dan- 

 ger, on account of its fudden operation, 

 without producing any remarkable eva- . 

 cuation, he only ufed it in feme fits ; be- 

 fides, he never took it in the intervals. At 

 laft, having accidentally met with Culpe- 

 per's Pharmacopoeia Londinenfis, printed 

 Lond. 1659, and obfervinginit, thatranfy 

 was recommended for the gout, he imme- 

 diately began to eat frefli tanfy leaves everj^ 

 morning; and,when he had gotfome of the 

 lame dried, he drank a weak infufion of it 

 with milk and fugar every morning to 

 breakfaft, in place of common tea. This 



method 



