86 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNN0 1714. 



4 fingers in breadth: the bones crumbled to pieces in the air after dug up; they 

 were found near a place called Cluverack, about 30 miles on this side of Albany. 

 He then gives the description of one, which he resembles to the eye-tooth of a 

 man ; he says it has 4 prongs, or roots, flat, and somewhat worn on the top ; 

 it was 5-1- inches high, as it stood upright on its root, and almost 13 inches in 

 circumference; it weighed 2lbs. 4 oz. Troy weight: there was another, near a 

 pound heavier, found under the bank of Hudson's River, about 50 leagues 

 from the sea, a great way below the surface of the earth, where the ground is 

 of a different colour and substance from the other ground, for 75 feet long, 

 which they suppose to be from the rotting of the body, to which these bones 

 and teeth he supposes once belonged. 



The Doctor conjectures that the Shittim wood, mentioned in the Scriptures, 

 to be made use of for the Ark, &c. and said not to be subject to rot, like most 

 other woods, was the black Acacia; that the Gopher wood, was the Juniperus 

 arbor tetragonophyllos, frequent in the East Indies, &c. He observes that the 

 Indians often perform great cures with their plants ; of which there is a great 

 variety, differing from the European. He instances in some ; as, a plant 

 efficacious in curing inflammations, whence they call it antierisypelas, which 

 grows plentifully in the woods : a chemical oil extracted from it, taken inwardly, 

 performs wonders in absorbing scorbutic salts. Another plant, which goes by 

 the name of partridge-berries, is excellent in curing the dropsy; a decoction of 

 the leaves, being drank several days as a tea, discharging a vast quantity of 

 urine, as long as the disease lasts; after which it may be drank without ob- 

 servably provoking urine: gouty persons drink it with benefit. The root called 

 the bleeding root, curing the jaundice in 5 or 6 days. Another for gangrenes, 

 which he does not name. Another specific for the bite of the rattle-snake, and 

 another for quinsies, or sore throats. A plant, called by the Indians, taututti- 

 pang; infallible for the lues venerea, the root being used in a decoction, and 

 half a pint drunk ; a cataplasm of the same root, bruised, applied to the ulcers, 

 cures them also. A thistle, called the boar-thistle ; very short and prickly, 

 with a large and long root. To this they add a root, called the cancer root, 

 and a sort of devils-bit : a decoction of which three roots is a cure for the king's 

 evil, though very far gone : a small quantity being drunk every day, and the 

 bruised roots applied to the scrophulous tumours. 



As to the birds, they have many of the same species with those in England. 

 He mentions very large wild turkies, some weighing 50 or 6olb. but the flesh 

 is very tough and hard. He takes notice of a very large eagle with a great 

 head, soaring very high, as all of that genus do. As to the itinerants, or birds 



