1809.] 2. Receipts for the Cure of Cancers and Scalds. 573 
Lo the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
SHALL be much obliged to you to 
A insert in your Magazine, the follow- 
ing most excellent receipt for a cancer; 
as I have recently known two cases, in 
which it has effectually cured that most 
dreadful and fatal disorder, even in al- 
most its latest stage. I consider the 
accompanying letter of Dr. Bacon to 
be so direct a proof of its etlicacy, that 
I cannot but fecl an earnest wish, that 
through the medium of your valuable 
Magazine, the receipt may become uni- 
versally circulated. 
As the Cleavers, (or Goose-grass) can- 
not be procured in the winter, (unless it 
is very mild,) I would recommend a 
strong distillation being made of it, in 
the summer, that there should be no in-. 
terruption to the continuance of the 
medicine, Your’s, &c. 
A Constant Reaper. 
February 27, 1809, 
An extraordinary cure for a Cancer, by 
the Rev. Dr. Bacon, by the use of 
Cleavers, (or Goose-Grass, ) in a letter 
to a friend. 
An aged woman, in my parish, who 
had what she called a Bloody Cancer, 
continuing-to eat away the flesh several 
years, had a relation at Abingdon, to 
which place ‘she went, for the sake of-a 
surgeon, who could not come to her, 
His visits were an act of charity; and 
while she was near him, he often called 
on her, and gave her his medicines, 
without any good effect; when at last, 
desnairing of a cure, she was sent home 
with the comfortable assurance, that she 
would be eased of her misery in a fort- 
night, or less. 
On her return to my parish, [ was 
sent for, to pray by her, and never met 
with a more deplorable object in my 
life; nothing could be so offensive as the 
smell, and nothing so terrible as her 
shrieks! Just at that time, I had been 
desired to write Dr. Dillenius’s diploma 
(our professor of botany) ;.and to acquaint 
myself with some botanical expressions, 
referred to some books of that kind in 
our library, at Magdalen coliege; and 
after I had finished iny compilement, I 
amused myself some time with reading 
the virtues of several plants, and parti- 
cularly Cleavers. . And the manner I re- 
commended, and which was strictly fol- 
lowed by the patient, was as follows: 
-~~She first took a common mercurial 
purge, was charged to abstain from salt-_ 
meats, and to use only thin diets; and 
twice a day, between meals, to drink 
about a quarter of a pint of the juice of 
Cleavers, which she got by pounding and 
squeezing them, At the sane time, I 
directed her to. take of the same juice 
boiled, and mixed with hog’s lard, so as 
to make avery soft ointment, and con- 
stantly apply it to the wound, laying also, 
the bruised cleavers over it, and to refresh 
it so often as it dried, taking particular 
care to keep the wound clean, This was 
immediately put in practice, and con- 
tinued for six months, partly by com- 
pulsion and importuuity; for the benefit 
was so gradual, that L-could hardly per- 
suade the woman she was better for it. 
Indeed, I should have been doubtful my- 
self, but that the offensive smell abated ; 
and her being still alive, were convincing 
proofs to me that a cure would be 
effected. Accordingly, I pressed and 
insisted on her continuing the same 
practice; and it being a very mild winter, 
the Cleavers were procured in warm 
hedges, the same course was pursued, 
and in three months after, the wound was 
perfectly healed. 1 advised her to take 
them every spring after; which she did, 
and thus prevented a return of her dis- 
order, - 
eee 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
| AVING observed in vour Maga- 
zine, page 139, a dilference of 
opinion respecting the method of curing 
burns, and scalds, I beg to recommend 
to the public the following receipt, which 
will have the desired effect : _ 
Put five ounces of hog’s lard, one ounce 
and a half of bees-wax, one ounce of red 
lead, and one ounce of camphor, inte 
a small pot, or pipkin, and dissolve them 
over a slow fire. When cold, apply the 
salve to the part affected. 
Deptford, Your’s, &c. 
March 6, 1809. G. E. Towry. 
MEMOIRS- 
