Fruit of tfio Sassafras Tree^ 
[Nov. 
sas 
nr.ated and lively Miss Seward; what 
judgment niay be formed of them, or of 
their writini^s, by the inhabitants of a 
world which they will not a^ain revisit. 
It is nut therefore on their account that 
the writer of this paper takes up her 
pen; but if those, wlio have left the 
scene, are no longer interested in its 
atTairs, it is not so with those who still 
remain in it; with many others who are 
entering into life, and with myriads of 
liuinan beings yet unborn, whose mental 
and religious progress will be impeded or 
forwarded in proportion as their prin¬ 
ciples and opinions are just, or erro¬ 
neous. If the diligent enquirer after 
truth, “ through evil report and good 
report,’' is thus to be reprobated, with¬ 
out any real knowledge of liis character, 
by the heedless dash of a fashionable 
pen, what is it but to render useless the 
indefatigable labours ol a great and 
powerful mind ; and to deter others, as 
far a§ the iiiduence can extend, from 
pursuing a like honourable path? What 
IS it but to gain new subjects to the reign 
of prejudice and • error ; to arm in their 
defence the vindictive and malignant 
passions; to put sliackles upon the men¬ 
tal and moral powers; and to prevent 
their expansion in the laudable pursuit 
*)f wiratever may enlarge the knowledge, 
ameliorate the condition, and increase 
the respectability and happiness of 
man. 
Yorky August 27, 13H. C. C. 
To the Kdilur of Lite Magazine, 
SIR, 
EUMIT me to solicit an explanation 
from some of your well-informed 
pliilosophlcai correspondents, respecting 
the morbid propensity which is known to 
exist among some domesticated animals, 
to devour their own young; and parti¬ 
cularly among such animals (the A-abbit 
for instance) as are not by nature carni¬ 
vorous? E. T. Pilgrim. 
lVobur7i, August 11, 1811. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Ahgazine. 
SIR, 
T la somewhat strange that tlie fruit 
of the sassalias tree, which is highly 
esteemed in many parts of Soutfi Ame¬ 
rica, as a nutritious article of diet, should 
not have been noticed by any of our bo¬ 
tanical or medical writers. As the nut 
has lately beei) iiupocted into tbi^J^ouiHry' 
in considerable quantity, 'some account 
(if it may be acceptable Co many of your 
readers. The nut is about the size of a 
large kidney-bean; it contains the fine 
fragrant property of the sassafras wood ; 
its substance is the same as that of cocoa, 
and by means of heat is convertible into 
chocolate; but in this process its aromatic 
quality is dissipated ; lienee it is named 
sassafras cocoa. This nut in a ground 
state is employed in the same manner as 
cocoa or coffee, by boiling it in water or 
jnilk; hut,on account of its aromatic qua¬ 
lity being very volatile, it requires to be 
boiled in a pot with a close cover, and 
not for so long a time as is requisite for 
cocoa. Its aromatic quality renders it 
very pleasant to the palate, and agreeable 
to the stomach ; and at the same time 
possessing the well-known correcting pro¬ 
perties of the sassafras root, and tlie nu¬ 
tritious virtues of cocoa, it becomes a va¬ 
luable article of diet for a great variety of 
invalids. It has been found to recruit 
exhausted strength more rapidly than 
either cocoa, chocolate, or any farinace¬ 
ous substance, and to sit ligiiter on the 
stomach than cither animal or vegetable 
jellies. The cases in which it is most 
esteemed are, weakness of the stomach, 
indigestion, cutaneous foulness, consump¬ 
tion, asthma, and screphula; but, as it 
contains the property of correcting the 
vitiated habit as well as imparting nou¬ 
rishment to it, there is scarcely a disease, 
especially of a chronic nature, in which it 
may not be employed with advantage. 
39, Strandy William Wilson. 
Sept. 18 , rail, 
^0 the Editor of the Monthly Magazine^ 
SIR, 
A?,I persuaded tliat great good has 
resulted from your very excellent 
work, it has long been the vehicle of 
much valuable information; and, ifyoa 
think the following merits insertion, 1 
send it for the satisfaction of your cor- 
respondent who enquires how to take 
honey from the hive without destroying 
the bees; a cruel ^ practice, which too 
generally obtains in this country; a more 
humane method has long been adopted 
in France, and it is to be hoped will, ere 
Jong, become genera! in England. 
A Mr. Manley has tried the following 
plan, and with success; he says, ‘‘I never 
destroy the old stock of bees; but, after 
lifting them, to examine what honey 
there is, if I think the hive is full, I put 
another under it wjth a fiat top, having 
a square hole in the centre. \Vlien the 
bees are in the under hivC; I place a 
shutter. 
