Medicai Botany. 5a 
brought to light, at a subsequent period, it seems to have 
been viewed, as a remnant of the credulity of an ignorant, 
and superstitious age. As it was reserved however, for the 
illustrious Jenner to investigate and promulgate to the world, 
the important discovery of Vaccination, so it has fallen to 
the lot of our countryman Dr. Stearns, first to search into, 
and ascertain by experiment: to reduce to scientific form, 
and make public the powers of the Clavus, and at the same 
time, to prescribe the true restrictions, and limitations, which 
should always regulate its use ;—a Spend which, next 
to Vaccination, may be regarded as the greatest of the 
present age, in the science ae Medicine. 
With respect to the poisonous qualities of the Clavus, and 
its power of producing malignant and epidemic diseases, 
there seems to be no foundation, for such opinions. The 
quantity taken with bread, must of necessity be so small, it 
must be diffused in such a quantity of flour, and so changed 
by the panary fermentation, as to become completely inert. 
Besides, it must have been eaten, from time immemorial, 
as well since, as before the occurrence of the diseases, that 
have been attributed to it, whilst their appearance has been 
so rare, as to cause them to be looked upon as phenomena. 
In this country, the Clavus seems always to have been 
abundant, and till of late, there has been no suspicion of its 
imparting deleterious qualities to bread. Even here, the 
diseases which have been ascribed to it, have occurred as 
frequently, prevailed as extensively, and proved as mortal, 
im parts, in which perhing:! but Maize and Wheat are used 
for bread. 
The fact that epidemic causes have never been satisfac- 
torily investigated, has left an unbounded field for conjec- 
ture and hypothesis ; and, unfortunately for the credit of 
the human understanding, the one in question, is not the 
most absurd. 
Vide New-York Medical Repository, 1807. Uhh s 
Dispensetory.— New-England Journal passim.—Prescott’s 
Dissertation.—Decandolle in Brande’s Journal of Science 
and the Arts.—Vauguelin in Do. es ak s Duncan’s 
Dispensatory. 
