410 
TIBET. 
other specific than mercury, and its different preparations. In defence 
of the opinion of other specifics being in use, it has always been urged, 
that the disease is frequent in many parts of the world, where it could 
not be supposed they were acquainted with quicksilver, and the pro¬ 
per method of preparing it as a medicine. I must own, that I expected 
to have been able to have added one other specific for this disease, to 
our list in the Materia Medica, being informed that the disease \yas 
common, and their method of treating it successful; nor could I allow 
myself to think that they were acquainted with the method of preparing 
quicksilver, so as to render it a safe and efficacious medicine. In this, 
however, I was mistaken. 
The disease seems in this country to make a more rapid pro¬ 
gress, and rage with more violence, than in any other. This is to be 
accounted for from the grossness of their food, and little attention to 
cleanliness. 
There is one preparation of mercury in common use with them, and 
made after the following manner. A portion of alum, nitre, vermi¬ 
lion, and quicksilver, are placed" at the bottom of an earthen pot, with 
a smaller one inverted, put over the materials, and well luted to the 
bottom of the larger pot. Over the small one, and within the large 
one, the fuel is placed, and the fire continued for about forty minutes. 
A certain quantity of fuel, carefully weighed out, is what regulates 
them with respect to the degree of heat, as they cannot see the mate¬ 
rials during the operation. When the vessel is cool, the small inverted 
pot is taken off, and the materials are collected for use. I attended the 
whole of the process, and afterwards examined the materials. The 
