CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 265 



find no remission of pain or abatement of the running of 

 my sores. Yesterday I, by the advice of Dr. Robinson, 

 applied the emplastrum, and ranis cum mercurio, which 

 is so far from giving any present ease, that it aggravates 

 the pain, especially in the night, so that my rest was 

 much interrupted by it. What good it may do for the 

 future I know not, but in other plasters that 'l have used 

 at first they have been most easy, and afterwards more 

 troublesome and afflictive ; only this which I have used 

 all this summer and part of the spring gave me present 

 ease the first night I applied it, and so hath done ever 

 since, my ulcers never disturbing or interrupting my rest, 

 which^Jjey did very much before. 



I have this summer made use of a decoction of sassa- 

 fras sarsa, and china with some sage and hypericon, and 

 shavings of hartshorn, but without guaiacum, for a short 

 time : I found that it heated and dried my body, but gave 

 me no sensible relief, so I gave it over because it was 

 nauseous and ungrateful to my stomach ; but upon your 

 recommendation I will make another trial of it. 



I thank you for your kindness in expressing so great a 

 readiness to comply with my desires in communicating 

 your undescribed birds and fishes of Jamaica, towards 

 the perfecting of my Synopses of those genera. I shall 

 desire (they being new things) the entire description of 

 them. They will be the greatest ornament of my book, 

 there being nothing besides new in it. Indeed I under- 

 took it only at the instance of my bookseller, and to gra- 

 tify him, not without some regret. It will be of little 

 use to those who have Mr. WiUughby's Ornithology and 

 Ichthyology. I have the copy of this book ready for the 

 press, wanting only your contributions : I suppose it 

 cannot yet be printed for want of paper. 



I cannot but wonder at the relation you sent of the 

 effect of Cynocrambe. I never read or heard of any 

 such noxious or deleterious quality in it, yet possibly 

 there may be, for I doubt much whether any of our 

 herbarists ever made trial of it. I believe what they have 



