Medical Botany. 53 
brought to light, at a subsequent period, it seems to- Shes 
been viewed, as a remnant of the credulity of an ignorant, 
and superstitiou us age. As it was reserved however, for the 
illustrious Jenner to investigate and promulgate to the world, 
the ome discovery of Vaccination, so it has fallen to 
the lot of our countryman Dr. Stearns, first to search into, 
and eauseien by experiment : to reduce to scientific ti 
and make public the powers of the Clavus, and at the 
time, to prescribe the true restrictions, and limitations, w “hich 
should always regulate its use ;—a discovery, which, next 
to Vaccination, may be ae as the greatest of the 
present age, in the science of Medi 
With respect to the poisonous siahiad of the Clavus, and 
its power of pees, malignant and epidemic diseases, 
there seems to The 
ae 
“3 
FS 
BBs 
2.8 
EB 
must be sala in such a quantity of flour, and so changed 
by the fermentation, as to become completely i tek 
Beside, i must have been eaten, from time immemorial, 
as well since, as before tl:e occurrence of the diseases, that 
have been attributed to it, whilst their appearance has been 
so rare, as to cause them to be looked upon as phenomena. 
n this country, the Clavus seems always to have been 
abundant, and till of late, there has been no suspicion of its 
im deleterious qualities to bread. Even here, the 
diseases which have been ascribed to it, have occurred as 
frequently, prevailed as extensively, and proved as mortal, 
im parts, in which nothing but Maize and Wheat are used 
for bread. 
The fact that epidemic causes have never been satisfac- 
torily epestenied, has left an unbounded field for conjec- 
ture esis ; and, unfortunately for the credit of 
the ae understanding, the one in question, is not the 
most absurd. 
eee m Brigdes Journal of “Seieute 
and the > sn a auguelin in Do.—Dyckman’s Duncan’s 
carat od 
