SMALL-POX  REMEDY. 
309 
from  the  Botanic  Garden  of  Mr.  Gates,  at  Mt.  Lebanon,  N.  Y., 
of  course  in  a  dried  state,  and  consisting  only  of  stem,  leaves,  and 
flowers,  but  no  roots ;  and  this  I  distributed  among  my  medical 
friends,  requesting  they  would  report  to  me  the  effects  of  the 
medicine,  if  any,  that  I  might  compare  them  with  my  own  expe- 
rience. But  I  never  received  but  one  answer,  which  agreed 
with  my  own  judgment,  that  the  medicine  did  no  harm,  but  was 
not  as  highly  beneficial  as  the  printed  description  gave  us  reason 
to  expect. 
I  took  no  further  trouble  about  it.    But  the  Memphis  Daily 
Avalanche ;  of  10th  inst.  prints  a  copy  of  a  letter  to  the  editor  of 
the  Evening  Mail,  of  London,  England,  that  is  so  important 
that  I  send  you  a  copy  of  it  for  publication ;  and  remain 
Yours,  most  respectfully, 
John  Millington,  M.  D. 
"  Sir, — Some  time  ago  seeing  a  paper  written  by  Assistant 
Surgeon  Miles,  of  the  Royal  Artillery,  on  the  efficacy  of  the 
North  American  plant  Sarracenia  purpurea,  or  pitcher  plant,  in 
the  treatment  of  small-pox  among  the  Indians,  my  colleague  Mr. 
Agnis  and  myself  have  given  this  remedy,  which  has  been  im- 
ported into  this  country  by  Dr.  Miles,  a  fair  trial  ;  and  I  am 
happy  to  say  the  eleven  cases  in  our  hands  have  recovered  under 
its  peculiar  influence. 
"This  remedy  I  consider  a  boon  to  the  public,  for  this  reason  : 
it  is  so  easily  managed,  any  person  can  make  a  decoction  or  in- 
fusion of  ihe  root,  like  tea.  One  ounce  of  the  root  is  sliced  and 
infused  m  a  quart  of  water,  and  allowed  to  simmer  down  to  a 
pint,  and  given  in  two  table-spoonful  doses  every  four  hours, 
while  the  patient  is  well  nourished  with  beef  tea  and  arrow-root.' 
Four  of  the  cases  in  my  hospital  have  been  severely  confluent, 
the  pustules  thickly  running  into  each  other.  They  have 
throughout  the  disease  all  been  perfectly  sensible  and  free  from 
pain,  and  have  not  felt  weak.  I  have  carefully  watched  the 
effects  of  the  medicine,  which  seemed  to  arrest  the  development 
of  the  pustules,  killing,  as  it  were,  the  virus  from  within,  and 
thereby  changing  the  character  of  the  disease ;  and  doing  away 
•  with  the  cause  of  pitting  without  opening  the  pustules.    In  my 
opinion  all  anticipation  of  disfigurement  may  now  be  calmed, 
