74 MEDICAL ACCOUNT of 



the roots, (fays he), is thought to be the fimarouba of the 

 fhops. 



In 1763, Linn^us makes the fimaruba to be the burfera 

 gummifera, and refers to the piflacia of former editions of the 

 Species Plantarum ; and to Sloan and Browne, as above 

 cited. In the appendix, a reference is made to the terebinthi- 

 nus Americana polyphylla. Commelin. Hort. 1. p. 149. and to 

 Catesby's gum elemi tree. 



M. Jacquin vifited all the Weft India iflands, and 

 made many difcoveries of new plants. He examined the roots 

 of the burfera gummifera, and found their bark very different 

 from the fimaruba bark. 



In 1772, I employed all my fpare hours in examining the 

 plants of Jamaica. In this delightful walk of fcience, I difco- 

 vered and afcertained many hundreds of new plants which had 

 efcaped the diligence of former botanifts. Amongft others, the 

 tree which produces the fimaruba bark. 



In 1773, fpecimens of the fructification were fent in fpirits, 

 accompanied with a botanical account of the tree, to my late 

 worthy friend Dr Hope, ProfefTor of Botany in the Univerfity 

 of Edinburgh ; alfo fome dried bark from the roots. The fol- 

 lowing year, fpecimens, with fimilar defcription, were tranf- 

 mitted to my late learned and valuable friend Dr John Fother- 

 gill of London ; who fent them to the celebrated Linn^us at 

 Upfal, as appears .by ProfefTor Murray's Apparatus Medica- 

 minum, vol. iii. p. 458. *, article Simaruba. Dr Fothergill 

 caufed elegant drawings to be made of this plant ; and thefe 

 drawings I now have the honour of prefenting to the Royal So- 

 ciety of Edinburgh. 



It 



* Qualis vera ejufdem arbor fit, jamjam aubletii indagine cognofcimus, ut tamen et 

 mihi monere incumbat. b. Linn^am equitem, litteris jam anno 1776, ineunte mihi da- 

 tis, antiquam aubletii elegantiflimum opus illi innotefceret. fignificafle, Simarubam 

 Quafiise fpecies a fe haberi. Ille autem fimarubae cortex quo CI. Wright, arborem 

 in Jamaica, vulgarem veflitam efle innuit ; pariter in alvi profluviis efficaci, &c. 



