384 ANNUAL RE 
chymists, Hoffman, Boerhaave; and 
our most eminent physicians, Hux- 
ham, Fothergill, and innumerable 
other practitioners, not to name the 
wonderful combination of rhubarb, 
with the different preparations from 
tartar, which is more than sufficient 
to justify my saying that, until an 
universal febrifuge be discovered, it 
is as a second alkahest for the cure 
of the most afflicting and stubborn 
diseases, whether acute or chronic. 
5th. Mix a quarter of an ounce 
of rhubarb in powder, with three 
quarters of an ounce of the cream 
of tartar, into the form of a linctus, 
with oxymel of squills. A tea-spoon- 
ful of this, taken twice or thrice a 
day, is one of the best medicines for 
a dropsy hitherto known. 
6th. Add sixty grains of our rhu- 
barb to as much of the salt of tartar, 
boil them for a quarter of an hour in 
stx ounces of water in a tin saucepan, 
strain it through blotting paper, and 
you have what one of the best wri- 
ters on the* Materia Medica calls 
anima rhabarlari. One tea-spoon- 
ful of this, given once a day toa child 
of a year old, twice a day to one 
of twenty-four months old, and three 
times a day to onea year older, is» 
one of the best compositions as yet 
known for strengthening the sto- 
mach and boweis of little children, 
and preventing the big bellies, rick- 
ety joints and limbs, incident to 
their age. 
7th. Put half an ounce of the fi- 
brous roots of our rhubarb, mention- 
ed above, with two drachms of this 
same salt of tartar, into a bottle of 
brandy, or as much aniseed-water, 
and you have an excellent tincture 
and domestic medicine for the wind- 
colick. 
GISTER, 1!792. 
An Account of the Uses and Value of 
' the Chesnut Tree. 
From the Transactions of the Society 
for the Encouragement of Arts, 
Manufactures, and Commerce. 
Sir, 
Gince I have had the honour of 
becoming a member of the So- 
ciety for the Encouragement of Arts, 
Manufactures, and Commerce, I 
have read, with great satisfaction, 
Mr. Majendie’s judicious remarks 
upon the Spanish Chesnut, in the 
ninth volume of their Transactions, 
page 17; and observation and expe- 
rience have long convinced me that 
it is the most profitable tree that 
can be planted. Although the cha- 
racter which he gives of it has, in a 
great measure, anticipated what I 
had to say in its favour, still 1 am 
persuaded a few more particulars re- 
lative to it will not be considered as 
impertinent or ill-timed, though it 
may in some instances carry the ap- | 
pearance of repetition. 
I entirely agree with Mr. Majen- 
die that, for hop-poles and stakes, it 
has no equal in point of durability, 
and consequently no underwood can 
be applied to those purposes with 
equal profit. He seems to think, 
indeed, that it is not so quick in 
its growth as ash, upon a moist soil: 
I think it is not; but upon a sand 
or loam, I apprehend it will keep 
full pace with the ash, and attain 
a sufficient size for hop-poles in 
fourteen years, and be worth, at 
that age, two guineas a hundred, 
and last, with proper care, twenty 
years; whilst ash, which seldom 
comes to sufficient size in less than 
twenty years, will only bear two 
# Wolfgangii Wedelii Amcenitates Materie Medice. 
thirds 
oe ee 
