86 CORRESPONDENCE Of RAY. 



Lynn into the country crossetli Norwich road, and in the 

 way on the other side of Elden, as you go up that hill 

 towards Norwich. 



Mr. B,AY to Dr. Lister. 



Dear and honoured Friend, — For my part, I am, 

 God be thanked, in good health. The jaundice, which 

 seized me here this spring, by sticking to one medicine 

 for four or five days (that was an infusion of stone-horse 

 dung with saffron in ale) I got pretty well rid of before I 

 began my journey, as I think I formerly acquainted you. 

 I believe any other medicine (of which for that disease 

 there are good store), if I had been constant to the use 

 of it for some time, would have wrought the same effect. 

 One thing I cannot but wonder at in that disease, that 

 many astringent things, as plantain-water, &c. shoidd be 

 good for it. I am glad that you have been prevailed with 

 to communicate your observations and discoveries to the 

 public. I remember you formerly acquainted me by letter, 

 that you had found out an insect which yielded a purple 

 tincture; but I did not then suspect it to be anything 

 akin to the kermes kind. I have not yet found those 

 membranous husks you mention sticking to rose-tree 

 twigs; indeed I have not searched for them. I had 

 thought that the kermes berry had been a bhster of the 

 bark of the oak, and not a thing merely contiguous or 

 adhering, as a patella to a rock. I am sure the matrices 

 of many insects bred on the leaves and branches of trees 

 are excrescences of the plant itself; howbeit I will not 

 say, but that they might be first caused or raised by the 

 mother insect wounding the bark or leaf, either by punc- 

 ture or distilling thereon some vu-ulent juice. Mr. Olden- 

 burgh hath written to me for a sight of your letter, wherein 

 you give an account of your opinion concerning vegetable 

 excrescences ; but truly all my letters which I had here I 



