THE ACTION OF MATICO. 
567 
hope of being able to stop the bleeding; the inference being 
that if they did not a fatal termination might be expected, (a 
proximate result, indeed, judging from the condition of the 
sufferer.) This friend having faith in a medical practitioner, 
although a 66 quack,” requested that he might be allowed to 
see the patient, and after a certain repugnance was overcome, 
the family consented, but without entertaining the slightest 
hope of any benefit resulting. He visited and examined the 
patient, and informed his friends that he could arrest the 
hemorrhage in from twenty minutes to half an hour, and 
ordered food and warmth to be allowed. The latter part of 
his directions were attended to through the intercessions of 
the friend, but he was not allowed to try his remedy, which 
he made no secret of, nay said, in fact, he should use Matico. 
The medical men w^ere summoned and told of the opinion 
of the ee quack.” They strongly condemned the disobedience 
to their orders regarding temperature, etc. ; but as the case 
was getting desperate, they professed their willingness to 
confer with the practitioner who had promised to do so 
much, but on hearing his name they would not degrade 
themselves by such companionship. They were then pressed 
for an opinion as to the termination of the case, to which an 
unfavorable answer was given, adding that all that could be 
done had been, and again ordering the old regime , cold, etc. 
On hearing this, the friend replied, “ As he is to die he shall 
not do so without another effort being made, and as you 
can do nothing more, Dr. C. shall try his Matico .” Being 
informed of this they consulted, and asked for a further 
time, (twelve hours), and said that if the patient was not 
relieved in that time they would give up the case. This 
was agreed to, and after some hours had elapsed they re- 
turned and ordered all persons out of the room ; but the 
friend pertinaciously refused to quit, and was of necessity 
allowed to remain. A small box was produced by one of the 
number (four being present), and a portion of a powder it 
contained was applied. On their being pressed for the 
name of the remedy they reluctantly owned it was “ Matico,” 
which they had sent to London for, thus adroitly profiting 
by the old herbalist’s experience, or why not have used it 
before? It proved perfectly successful, and the patient 
rapidly recovered his usual robust health. 
The second case is a friend of mine and once a schoolmate. 
He has long suffered from weakness of the chest, accom- 
panied with spitting of blood, cough, &c. After returning 
from college, I put in force my resolution to test the power 
of “ Matico” practically; and as, in my opinion, the san- 
