CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 67 



the history in Philosophical Transactions. I joy you of 

 the condition offered you. If you accept it, I wish you 

 all the satisfaction and comfort in the world of it ; and I 

 pray God of his infinite mercy to preserve you in your 

 travels, and to send me home again my dear friend well. 

 Fix not long with them in any place, for the gentry of 

 France are very proud, and will soon (when acquainted) 

 learn them to despise their tutors, however well deserv- 

 ing. I pray take special care how I may entertain a 

 correspondence with you abroad. 



From my House without Michel-gate Bar, in York, Oct. 8, 70. 



Mr. JESSOP to Mr. WRAY. 



SIR, In answer to your last, I give you this following 

 account of those things you inquired after, from Mr. 

 Fisher's own mouth. A weak spirit of pismires turned 

 borage flowers red in an instant. Vinegar did the same 

 a little heated. This I saw. 



Generally spirit of vitriol, spirit of salt, and all acid 

 spirits, turn the leaves of herbs, flowers, and berries, of 

 what colour soever they be, into red. Any alkali will 

 restore them into their former colour, as was shown me 

 in several experiments. 



Pismires distilled by themselves, or with water, yield a 

 spirit like spirit of vinegar, or rather like the spirit of 

 viride teris. 



Of this they have distilled great quantities, and given 

 it inwardly and outwardly in consumptions, with good 

 success. 



Lead put into the spirit, or fair water, together with 

 the animals themselves, being alive, makes a good sac- 

 charum saturni. Iron put into the spirit affords an 

 astringent tincture, and, by repetition, a crocus martis. 



Take saccharum saturni thus made, and distil it, and 



