LETTER CLXXVII 277 



Letter 177. 

 Reverend Mr White, Winchester. 



Selbourne near Alton, Hants. Feb : 12, 1778. 



Dear Gil, 



I hope your Accounts still mend from poor John, and 

 that Mrs White will be able to go thro' this severe Tryal of 

 her Tenderness without much Suffering in her health. I should 

 be very glad to hear that he was got home, and there found the 

 Benefit of the Waters, which is said often to take Place when 

 You have left the Spring-head. 



You are so taken up as a Builder, that You do not yet speak 

 in your old Stile of a Gardener : I am sorry to hear that Thomas, 

 who is your first hand, is in One of his bad Ways. If Thomas's 

 Complaint is chiefly a Cough, & he has a mind to try a Medicine 

 which We have prescribed with great Success here, we will send 

 him the Eeceipt : I assure You that my Neighbour Mr Hare 

 has cured a Cough by it, which used to return annually at this 

 Time of Year, which took away All appetite & Sleep 'till 4 or 5 

 in ye Morning & tore him to Pieces. If You accept of this & are 

 going from home, Let me know Thomas's Sir-Name & I will 

 direct it to him at your House. I ought to condole wth You, 

 as a Botanist, on the Death of Father Linnaeus, and I do. — 

 The shortest and wisest way will be to send You the Eeceipt 

 now, & here it follows. Mem : he may lose a little Blood before 

 he takes it. 



For a Cough. 



One Pound of Eaisins stoned and chop'd and pounded. Add 

 a Drachm of Olibanum. Two Ounces of Conserve of Hips, ditto 

 of Eoses. Fifty Drops of Spirit of Sulphur, & half an Ounce of 

 Syrrup of white Poppies. Beat All these to an Electuary. 



Take ye Quantity of a Nutmeg when the Cough is trouble- 

 some, especially when going to Bed. 



I wish the above may be serviceable. 



I have alter'd my Plan about my eldest Son, or rather I have 

 diverted him from his own, by the Dislike of all our Friends to 

 ye Military Life. I purpose to enter him at Worcester College 

 in this Term, & to let him feel out a little of the Academical 

 Turn of Life between his Entrance ye July next. You might 

 give a good Word to Sheffield, (who is just going to be a Doctor) 

 the Provost. Mr. Nott, who is intimate, settles my Son wth 

 him ; but I think it would still add to his attention & Friendship 

 to my Son, if You seconded the Motion. I beleive Mr Nott 

 writes on the Subject today. You know that Jack must be led 

 by the Hand of a Friend, & a Veil must be artfully drawn over 

 many Deficiencies, So that he may not be exposed or discouraged. 

 It is in this View that I want the Friend, more than ye Tutor, 



