CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 443 



me in the use of the chalybeate medicme, yet I stuck to 

 my diet-drink ; but observing lately that I was still in a 

 pm-ging condition, so that I was forced several times to 

 rise in the night, and that this purging happened those 

 nights I had taken a draught of my diet-drink at or after 

 supper, I began to suspect, and am now fully persuaded, 

 that this diet-drink is purgative by reason of the dock 

 roots, those that prepared it boihng too many in the 

 wort ; so now I am returned to my chalybeate drink, and 

 have moderated the use of my D. D. Notwithstanding 

 the interrupted and irregular use of this method, my 

 smaller sores on my legs and feet are most of them healed 

 and dried, and I have cleared my legs of a great part of 

 the scabs and scurf wherewith they were almost covered ; 

 but yet the pain continues still, and I am as unable to 

 walk as before. Pardon this tedious Trs^iavtvXyoia, which 

 yet I should not have troubled you with but in obedience 

 to your command. I am, 



Sir, 

 Yours in all service, 



John Ray. 



My wife and girls give you their very humble services. 



For his lionoured friend, Dr. Hans Sloaue, at Ms 

 house at the comer of Southampton street, 

 towards Bloomsbury square, London. 



Mr. Ray to [Mr. Petiver?]. 



Sir, — The pains I do almost constantly labour under 

 make it somewhat uneasy to me to write, else 1 had not 

 deferred thus long to return you many thanks for the 

 great pains you have taken to enrich my history with 

 such a multitude of rare and nondescript plants from 

 China, India, Africa, and America, as the many friends 



