4 Proceedings of the Society. 



that of a strong seafaring man. I ordered forty drops, which 

 proving inert, I increased the dose to a full drachm, which 

 opened the bowels very gently. The third and fourth cases were 

 very similar to the last, one drachm acting two or three times. 

 The fifth case was that of a youth, about sixteen years of age, 

 with lax fibre, and habitually constipated. I gave one drachm 

 m mucilage, which acted freely five times in the course of 

 twelve hours. I generally observed it began to operate between 

 five and six hours subsequent to its administration, and its ef- 

 fects ceased after the fifteenth or sixteenth hour. Its operation 

 is very similar to that of 01. Ricini, producing no griping. In 

 one case nausea was excited, but I am in doubt, whether in the 

 existing state of the stomach any medicine would not have pro- 

 duced similar effects." 



A specimen of the fruit of LoDoicEA Sechellarum, or double 

 Cocoa Nut, was exhibited by William Huttmann, Esq. 



March the 14th. Specimens of an Extract of Cinchona, of 

 a resinous Extract of Cubebs, and of the Essential Oil of Co- 

 paiba, prepared by Mr. Battley, and of an Extract of Senna, 

 prepared by Mr. Bass, were exhibited. 



A letter was read from W. II. Read, Esq. His Majesty's 

 Consul-General at the Azores, dated 28th January, 1828, ex- 

 pressing his ardent desire to promote the views of the Institution, 

 and to contribute, by all the means in his power, to its success. 

 He transmitted with this letter a list of the medicinal plants 

 found in the Azores. 



May the 9th. A paper, by J. Leslie, Esq. was read, re- 

 lating to the plants employed as poisons by the Bushmen of the 

 Cape of Good Hope. 



June the 13lh. The following letters were read : 



Berkeley-street, June 9, 1828. 

 Sir, — I beg you will communicate to the Council of the Me- 

 dico-Botanical Society, and to the Society at large, that, agree- 

 ably to the desire of the Council, I waited on Mr. Peel, Prin- 

 cipal Secretary for the Home Department, who readily agreed 



