82 September 1748. 



burnt to charcoal, and hog's lard, upon the 

 fwelled parts. Some arTerted that they had 

 really tried this remedy. In fome places 

 this tree is rooted out on purpofe, that 

 its poifon may not affect the workmen. 



1 received to day, feveral curiofities 

 belonging to the mineral kingdom, which 

 were collected in the country. The fol- 

 lowing were thofe which were moft worth 

 attention. The firft was a white, and quite 

 tranfparent cryftal.* Many of this kind 

 are found in Penfylvania, in feveral kinds of 

 Hone, efpecially in a pale-grey limeftone. 

 The pieces are of the thicknefs and length 

 of the little finger, and commonly as tran- 

 fparent as poffible. But I have likewife 

 got cryftals here, of the length of a foot, 

 and of the thicknefs of a middie-iized man's 

 leg. They were not fo tranfparent as the 

 former. 



The cubic Pyrites of Bijhop Browallius,-\ 

 was of a very regular texture. But its 

 cubes were different in fize, for in fome of 



the 



*_Nitrum Cryftallus montana, Linn. Syft. nat. 3. p. 84. 

 Cryjlallus bexagona pellucida non Colorata. Wallerius'% Minera- 

 logy, p. loo. Cryjiallus montana, colourlefs cryftal. For- 

 fiet\ Introd to Mineralogy, p. 13. 



f Pyrites cryjlallinus, Linn. Syft. nat. 3. p. 1 13. Mareha- 

 fita bexaedrica tejfelares. Wallerius's Mineralogy, p. 21 1. 

 Marcafitte, ■ve/ cry ft alii pyritacei, Marcafites. Forfar's IntroeL 

 to Mineralogy, p. 39. 



