336 DOCTOR FOTHERGILL [1743-4. 



Blaxd had sent me a very little bit, which was the only specimen 

 I had, till thine came to hand. 



The fossil shells were likewise very acceptable. Whatever of this 

 kind comes to hand, will always he welcome. Elias likewise sent 

 me a little hit or two of holar earth. I should he glad to know 

 whether you have it in plenty, and to have a pound weight or two 

 sent, for experiment. He sent me, likewise, a small, square, black 

 Pyrites. Have you these in plenty ? If you have, please to send 

 a few of them. Crystals, spars, ores, sulphureous matters, as 

 liquid or solid bitumen, if you have any Marcasites, very singular 

 earths, stones, and fossil shells, will be agreeable. 



But there is another affair of more consequence than these, in 

 which I should be glad of thy assistance. 'Tis possible I may now 

 and then have occasion to prescribe for persons in your country. 

 I should be glad to be informed of what helps I might expect, 

 which are peculiar to your country. In the first class of which, I 

 must mention mineral waters. Have you any of considerable note? 

 and near the inhabited part ? Hot, or cold ? Chalybeate, sul- 

 phureous, or not manifestly either, but salt and purgative ? Tinc- 

 ture of galls, oak bark, or green tea leaves made in water, will 

 discover the first. If sulphureous, the smell will discover it, and 

 its changing silver black ; if salt, the taste will manifest it. After 

 I am informed of these circumstances, I can easily give the direc- 

 tions how to acquire a still more accurate knowledge of their 

 nature and effects. 



The next thing I should be glad to be informed about, is, what 

 simples of considerable efficacy, peculiar to your clime, at least in- 

 digenous, are in use among your practitioners ; or even celebrated 

 among the vulgar. I should be glad of some specimens of such, 

 whether roots, leaves, fruits, or what else ; not barely as specimens 

 to know the plants by, but a handful or two of each, carefully 

 dried, for experiments, with the names they are commonly known 



by. 



I am told that the Sassafras tree, when in bloom, casts a most 

 delightful fragrance around it. Pray, has ever any trial been 

 made to procure a distilled water from the flowers ? I fancy they 

 would afford a grateful and efficacious one, unless the odoriferous 

 particles are extremely fugitive indeed. I think, if the experi- 

 ment has not been made, it would be worth while to have some 

 gathered at the proper season, and distilled ; some with water 



