A DISSERTATION Concerning MISLETOE: A most Wonderful Specifick Remedy for the Cure of Convulsive Distempers. Calculated for the Benefit of the Poor as well as the Rich, and heartily recommended for the Common Good of Mankind. ― The Fifth Edition. ― To which is added, A SECOND PART, containing farther Remarks and Observations. ― By Sir JOHN COLBATCH, late Member of the College of Physicians. ― LONDON, Printed for Dan. Browne, at the Black-Swan without Temple-Bar. M.DCC.XXX.

THE PREFACE.

&Iic; Have been many Years a Debtor to the World, and since I have not as yet been able to pay off my old Scores to my own Satis&rehy;faction, the following Disser&rehy;tation comes out by way of Composition: which I hope will be accepted in part of Payment, till the Original Debt can be discharged.

That this comes out alone, is from an Impression that I have had upon my Spirits for some Weeks past, that it would be highly criminal in me to let another Misletoe&rehy;Season pass, without inform&rehy;ing the World what a Trea&rehy;sure God Almighty has eve&rehy;ry Year presented to their View; and that nobody, at least very few, have received any Benefit from it.

The Article of Convulsions, in the Bills of Mortality of this Great City, is by much the largest of any, very com&rehy;monly amounting to about a fifth Part of the whole; and, as I have been credibly inform'd, happens principal&rehy;ly amongst Infant Children: from whence it seems plain, that a Generous Anti-Con&rehy;vulsive Remedy is wanting. I have publish'd the Noble Qualities of this Wonderful Medicine, in the most plain and familiar manner, that thereby it may be render'd of more publick Use; and I am not without the great&rehy;est Hopes, that People of all Ranks will receive Bene&rehy;fit from it.

I hope I shall not be blam'd for the Earnestness of my Recommendation of this Neg&rehy;lected, but Extraordinary Plant; because my own Aim in so doing, is to press Peo&rehy;ple to the Use of that, which every Family may, one time or other, receive Advantage from.

The Performance is rough and unpolished; but I have chosen rather to suffer Re&rehy;proach upon that Account, than let another Season slip, which I am satisfied would be to the Detriment of many.

A DISSERTATION Concerning MISLETOE.

&Tic;HE Impression of the first Part of the Dissertation concerning Misletoe having been kindly received, and sold off; I have thought fit to add some farther Observations, and like&rehy;wise to be more particular in my Di&rehy;rections for the Use of this amazing Remedy, some People having com&rehy;plained of my being defective in that matter.

Now since I had nothing but the common Good in my View, in the publishing my Observations of the Qualities of this extraordinary Plant, I shall endeavour to make every thing as plain as I am able. And since the Poor are those whom I chiefly aim at serving, what is farther to be added, I have thought fit to do by itself, that those who have the first, may buy this apart.

It has been no small Grief to me to observe, that when a Fever has reigned within the limits of London to a greater degree than ever I have known it; when the Bills of Morta&rehy;lity have been at the highest, the Ar&rehy;ticle of Convulsions has been double to that of the Fever.

It is not improbable, but that ma&rehy;ny of those Convulsions were the Consequences of the Fever. Now, supposing that true, I have sometimes observ'd, that Misletoe being brought in as an Aid, and given in large Quantities, will prevent the Fatality of even those Convulsions.

The far greatest number of Sick, not only in the Country, but even in London itself, are committed to the Care of the most ignorant Pretenders: now even these People would most certainly be glad to recover their Pa&rehy;tients, for thereby they would esta&rehy;blish a Reputation, and secure a Live&rehy;lihood: For the meanest of these In&rehy;truders, Misletoe is a proper Remedy; it costs little, will do no hurt, and, as even they are here instructed in the Use of it, will do eminent Good, and gain them Fame. If it fails of Suc&rehy;cess, since their Patients are sure not to be Sufferers by it, they can receive little Damage.

I have met with three or four in the compass of this Year that Misletoe has not had the desir'd effect upon; one of which was a young Gentle&rehy;man, whose Fits attack'd him only in his Sleep; (he formerly had had them when he was awake.) The Fits that attack People in their Sleep, I have always found most difficult to be o&rehy;vercome, as also to be accounted for: however, I am in my own Mind sa&rehy;tisfy'd, that by a long-continu'd Use of this Medicine, or by taking it in a different Form from what he did, he is still to be made well.

The reason for this my Opinion is, that the Texture of his Brain and Nerves is not yet so far broken, but that they still seem capable of being repaired.

Another of which was a poor Youth of fifteen, who had had the Distemper from his Cradle; and tho' he had his Medicines for nothing, yet he wanted Clothes to secure him against Cold, and I doubt the common Necessaries at home.

His Fits were frequently stav'd off for whole Moons, which had never been known before; but upon return of cold Weather, for want of being well cloth'd, and other Accidents, the Fits would return again, and so I sup&rehy;pose continue to do: the Carelessness of the Parents having discourag'd me from doing any thing more for him.

A third was a young Gentleman, who had only a Fit or two a Month; and in his Fits there was something peculiar; but was not well made in three or four Months: so I left off vi&rehy;siting him, there seeming a sort of uneasiness that he was not free from his Fits in that time.

The fourth was a young Woman about twenty-three, whose good Mo&rehy;ther had spent her whole Substance in seven Years Attempts to make her well. In the four Months I have had her under my Care, there has been several times an appearance as if she would be made well: but Distress of Mind from her miserable reduced Circumstances, having before liv'd well, has, I believe, eluded the force of the Medicine; tho I am still in hopes to recover her, notwithstanding her Case is most miserable.

But these four Instances, where Suc&rehy;cess has been wanting, are nothing in comparison to the great numbers that have been made well.

I have lately come to the know&rehy;ledge, that Misletoe will, with very little trouble, yield its Tincture in Spirit of Wine. But, not to arrogate to myself what is not my due, I shall here declare the way how I came to the knowledge of it, which is as fol&rehy;lows.

Mr. Small the Surgeon, being in the Shop of Mr. Riddle an Apothecary in Villers-Street, York-Buildings, as they were talking about the wonderful Ef&rehy;fects of Misletoe, Mr. Small said, That it was great pity that the Powder was disagreeable to some very nice Stomachs, as indeed I have sometimes found it to be; he therefore desir'd the other to try whether it would not yield a Tincture in highly rectify'd Spirit of Wine, as the Jesuits Bark and Virginian Snake-Root did: If so, he did not see why it might not be more efficacious than the Powder, as the Tinctures of the other two were.

Mr. Riddle immediately set about it, and in a quarter of the time that ei&rehy;ther of the others would emit their Tincture, it afforded a rich and noble one: so he immediately brought me a Bottle of it, with which I was highly delighted.

Several of the Chymical Writers have recommended the Spirit of Misle&rehy;toe as an excellent Menstruum to ex&rehy;tract a Tincture from Red Coral. Now it being usual for too many of those Authors to publish things upon Trust, or the bare Whimsies of their own Brains, I resolv'd to try this Affair myself, and not trust it to any one else.

I filled a glass Retort as full of Misletoe as it would contain, by cram&rehy;ming of it in. I then put the Retort into a Sand-Furnace. For twenty&rehy;four Hours I made such a Fire as would heat the Sand well, but not make it red-hot: in this time, little or nothing at all came over into the Re&rehy;ceiver. It is to be observ'd, that the Misletoe was perfectly well dry'd, so that all its aqueous Humidity was gone. Afterwards I augmented the Fire, so as to make the Sand red-hot; and from about eight Ounces of Misle&rehy;toe, I had near two Ounces of acid Spirit, much about the same Strength, and not much differing in Taste from the common Spirit of Vinegar.

What this acid Spirit will do as a Medicine, I have not yet tried; but may do it hereafter. This Spirit I poured upon two Drams of red Coral finely powder'd: it immediately fell to work upon the Coral, as any other acid Spirit of the same Strength would do. I let it stand so for some time, without the Assistance of any external Heat. I afterwards put it into the Sand-Furnace, where I kept it about forty eight hours, in a pretty strong Heat, in a Bolt-head with a very long Neck, that nothing might evaporate. It had in that time dissolv'd a good Part of the Coral, as other acid Spi&rehy;rits of the same Strength would do; but extracted nothing out of the Co&rehy;ral, that might be called a Tincture.

From the nicest Observations I have been hitherto able to make, the prin&rehy;cipal Life and Energy of Misletoe consists in its Resin, as does that of the Peruvian Bark, and Virginian Snake&rehy;Root; and therefore by the means of highly rectify'd Spirit of Wine, a Tincture may be extracted from it, that contains all, or the greatest part of its Virtues.

I am sure that the Tincture of the Peruvian Bark, from many Years Ex&rehy;perience, will cure an inveterate Quartan Ague, better and more effectually than the Powder will do. Now when the Tincture is extracted from the Bark, what remains is no better than Saw-Dust, which can never be di&rehy;gested by a human Stomach, and may lodge there, and in the Plicæ of the Guts, and do much mischief: But with the Powder of Misletoe it is not so, it being of a more lax and muci&rehy;laginous nature, and therefore can lodge no where to do hurt.

But it's not improbable that that Mucilage which is in the Powder, and hinders it from doing hurt, may so invelope the resinous Part of it, as sometimes to hinder its doing that Good, which it will do alone, when dissolved in Spirit of Wine.

Observe, that Spirit of Wine high&rehy;ly rectify'd, will no more touch the mucilaginous Part of the Misletoe, than it will the Saw-dust Part of the Peruvian Bark.

I am now fully convinced, that Misletoe is almost, if not altogether, as certain a Specifick in the Cure of Epilepsies, and other convulsive Dis&rehy;tempers, as the Bark is in curing Inter&rehy;mitting Fevers; and so, thanks to Pro&rehy;vidence, we have another Specifick.

In old and obstinate Quartan A&rehy;gues, the Bark will not overcome them without Difficulty, and Length of Time; and sometimes not at all, with&rehy;out the Assistance of the Salt of Steel, and some other Helps: and after all, upon any Irregularity, or taking Cold, the Ague will return with as great Violence as ever.

So it is in old inveterate Epilep&rehy;sies, and other convulsive Distempers, Misletoe alone will not sometimes take place, but wants the Assistance of Assa-fœtida, and sometimes of other things; which things, by themselves, would prove of no effect at all. Up&rehy;on Accidents, or Cold-taking, the Distemper will be apt to return; as it is with obstinate Quartans.

If it sometimes happen to fail in the curing of old inveterate Epilep&rehy;sies; that may proceed from the Tex&rehy;ture of the Brain and Nerves being so broken and destroy'd, as never to be able to admit of being repaired: This is no Argument against the Me&rehy;dicine's being a Specifick for the Cure of the Distemper in general, as it most certainly is, and will even do good to the Incurable.

But in recent Epilepsies, and even in the St. Vitis's Dance itself, it will, as far as I have seen, as certainly cure, as the Bark will a Quartan Ague; and is therefore by much the greater Reme&rehy;dy, by how much the one Disease is greater and more formidable than the other. But as it is so, a much greater Space of time is necessarily required for the extirpating of it, than of the other.

In Consumptive Cases, proceeding from a Decay of the Lungs, or any of the Noble Parts, it's very common to see, during the time that Matter is forming, a regular Paroxism of a Fe&rehy;ver, so exactly resembling that of a common Ague, that no one thing can be more like another; beginning first with a cold shivering Rigour, after that with a hot burning Fit, and when that is gone off, with profuse Sweats.

The Bark will rarely fail to stave off these Fits for a time, but would never, that I could yet observe, prevent their Return; and when they have return'd, it has been with greater Violence, and I fear with worse Consequence to the Patient, than if it had never been given. I am inclin'd to think I can assign a Reason for it; but that does not belong to this Place.

It very commonly happens, that E&rehy;pilepsies, and other Convulsive Dis&rehy;orders, are not original Diseases, but Symptoms and Consequences of some other Distemper or Accident.

As for instance, Worms corroding the most sensible Membranes of the Guts, impassable Stones in the Ure&rehy;ters, wounded Nerves and Tendons, &c.

Misletoe will frequently relieve People under all these Circumstances, but will not cure them: But that may be said of this, which cannot be said of the Bark, That if it does not cure them, it will do no hurt. By the means of it, both Physicians and Sur&rehy;geons may gain time, which is a thing of the greatest consequence: (Qui dat Tempus, dat Vitam.) By which means the greatest Diseases, and most terrible Accidents, may some&rehy;times be overcome.

I shall here give an Account of a Couple of Cases which have fallen in my way, since the publishing of the First Part of this Dissertation, and very extraordinary ones they are.

About the middle of December, a very worthy Man in the City brought his Son to me, an only Child, of about eight Years of Age. About a Year and a half before, he had the Confluent Small-pox: Soon after the Small-Pox was over, he was at&rehy;tacked with Epileptick Fits. The Father immediately had recourse to a Physician of Eminence; he not succeeding, he applied to another, and so to a third: but whatever was done, had no effect, for he every day grew worse and worse; so that at last his Parents determined to give him no more Medicines, despairing of a Cure. Notwithstanding which, upon the Father's reading the Disser&rehy;tation upon Misletoe, he alter'd his Mind, and immediately brought the Child to me.

It was as melancholy a Spectacle as could be beheld. From being a Child of lively Temper, and quick Under&rehy;standing, he was become stupid. When he had no Fit upon him, his Muscles were always in motion. If he were sitting, he would dart himself out of his Chair, like an Arrow out of a Bow, hitting his Head against the Wall, or any thing else that was before him; so that they were forced to have one always with him, for fear he should dash out his Brains, or dart himself into the Fire, and destroy himself that way.

I prescrib'd for him as follows:

"Take of the Powder of Misletoe, dried in the manner before directed, an Ounce; Assa-Fœtida, a Dram; Syrup of Pioneys, a sufficient Quan&rehy;tity to make an Electuary."

Of this I ordered him to take the Quantity of a Nutmeg, first in the Morning, at five in the Afternoon, and last at Night; and to drink after each Dose a Draught of the following Infusion.

"Take of the whole Plant, Leaves, Berries, small Twigs and large ones, grossly bruis'd in a Mortar, four Ounces; of the Flowers of red Pio&rehy;neys, one Handful; boiling Water, a full Quart: Infuse in a Pot close stopt by the Fire-side, for two Hours; then strain out, and sweeten with two Ounces of Syrup of Pioneys."

For a Month, or something more, he found little or no Benefit; nay, sometimes the Fits would be more frequent and violent than they had been before: However this did not discourage the honest Parents, but on they proceeded, and had their Wishes and Expectations effectually answer'd. When he began to mend, he sensibly grew better every day, and by the end of March was perfectly recover'd, as brisk in his Temper, and as quick in his Understanding, as any Child, I think, I ever saw in my Life.

For Security-sake, I desired that he might take the Medicines Night and Morning for two or three Months longer, which was readily comply'd with; and he has never had a Fit since.

Misletoe generally keeps the Body open; but when it does not do it, it is necessary, once in three or four Days, to give some very gentle leni&rehy;tive Medicine; but never any strong Purge, which always does Mischief in Epileptical Cases.

It always kept this Child regularly open, so he had never any thing given him, from beginning to end, but what is here mentioned.

I own, that when I first saw this Child, I did apprehend his Case to be so very desperate, that I did not think it possible for him ever to be made perfectly well: but, thro' God's Mercy, I was deceived.

On the twenty seventh Day of De&rehy;cember, I was sent for to a most beau&rehy;tiful young Lady of about eleven Years of Age, whose Circumstances were most deplorable. She had the St. Vitis's Dance in as extreme a manner, as, perhaps ever any one had: I had never seen any thing before like it.

Her Understanding was greatly im&rehy;pair'd; such a Faultring in her Speech, that she could scarce speak a Word so as to be understood. All the Mus&rehy;cles of her Body were continually convulsed, both in Bed and up. She could neither stand, nor use her Hands so much as to feed herself. For three or four Nights in the Week she would never sleep at all, but pass the whole Nights in the most hideous Shrieks and Lamentations.

She was attack'd about three Years before with slight Epileptical Fits; upon which her tender Mother sent for as able and honest a Physician as any of the Faculty. I am sure he treated her with the utmost Compas&rehy;sion and Care; however all his At&rehy;tempts proved ineffectual, for want of being thorowly acquainted with this glorious Specifick. The Disease got ground of him, till it arrived to the Height before-mention'd, in spight of all he could do.

When I was called in, I earnestly press'd that the former Physician might be continu'd, but that was refus'd: so I went on in the following manner.

I shall recite the whole in English, that the meanest Capacity may comprehend it.

It is to be observed in this young Lady, that in less than a Week there were manifest Signs of her growing better.

December 27. 1718. I order'd as follows:

"Powder of Misletoe, a Scruple; Syrup of Pioneys a sufficient Quan&rehy;tity to make a Bolus, to be taken every six Hours; drinking after each, six or seven Spoonfuls of the following Infusion.

The whole Misletoe, bruised as is before directed, three Ounces; Pioney-Flowers, half an Handful; Boiling-Water, twenty Ounces: In&rehy;fuse in a Pot close stopt, by the Fire-side, for an Hour; then strain out. To the strain'd Liquor add Compound Pioney-Water, and Sy&rehy;rup of Pioneys, of each an Ounce."

Twenty-ninth, I order'd the follow&rehy;ing the Purge; and as soon as that had done working, to proceed in the Use of the Bolus, and Infusion. And for an Aid, to give her the most speedy Relief possible under her miserable Circum&rehy;stances, I directed Plasters for her Feet, which I have frequently known to be of great use in Disorders of the Head and Nerves.

The Purging Infusion.

"Take of the Decoctum Sennæ Gereonis, two Ounces; Manna, half an Ounce; Compound Pioney-Water, two Drams: mix and make a Potion, to be given early in the Morning.

Strain'd Galbanum, three Drams; Powder of Nutmeg, one Dram: mix them together, and spread upon Leather, to be applied to the Soles of the Feet."

December the last, I order'd the Purging Potion to be repeated, and that she should go on with the Bolus and Infusion: The Distress in the Night continued, but the Convulsions in her Nerves abated; so I order'd, that during the Time of those Pa&rehy;roxisms, she should frequently take a Spoonful of the following Mixture; and that a Plaster of strain'd Galbanum should be applied to her Navel; and that the Plasters to her Feet should be renewed.

"Assa-fœtida, two Scruples; Rue and Pennyroyal Water, of each four Ounces; Compound Pioney-Water, an Ounce; Compound Spirit of La&rehy;vender, a Dram; fine Sugar, half an Ounce: mix them well together in a Mortar."

January the third, she was much better every way; I then order'd "three Grains of Assa-fœtida, and one Drop of Oil of Rosemary to be added to each Bolus."

In this Method she continued to the end of January, sensibly mending every Day; I then order'd that she should take the Bolus and Infusion but three times a Day, which she continued to do till the end of February.

By that time she was as well as ever she was in her whole Life; she could walk and speak perfectly well; she could not only feed herself, but sew for her Diversion.

For Security-sake, I order'd the continuance of the Bolus and Infu&rehy;sion, Night and Morning, till the End of April, which was readily com&rehy;plied with.

She continues perfectly well, with&rehy;out the least Appearance, that ever she had so long labour'd under such a terrible Illness.

I was in March last called to a Gen&rehy;tleman, who was in as distressed a Condition as a human Creature could possibly be, labouring under a Compli&rehy;cation of Distempers, one of which was a Convulsive Asthma; which was so grievous to him, that he told me he had not been able to keep his Bed for a whole Night together, of three Months; and sometimes for several Nights together, not to be able to lie down in his Bed at all, but to sit up with Windows open upon him.

I shall not trouble you with his o&rehy;ther Circumstances, which were very grievous (from all which he is very well got over) but only give an ac&rehy;count what Misletoe did in the Cure of his Asthma.

I order'd him to drink a large Draught of the following Emulsion every Night before he went to Bed, and at times to drink the whole Bot&rehy;tle before he rose, if Sleep did not prevent it.

Helmont, I remember, calls the convulsive Asthma Caducus Pulmonum, which coming into my Mind, occa&rehy;sion'd my giving him this Medicine.

"I order'd four Ounces of bruis'd Misletoe to be infus'd in a Quart of boiling Water for an Hour, then to be strain'd out; when per&rehy;fectly cold, to add half a Pint of Lisbon White-wine: afterwards, with two Ounces of blanch'd Almonds to make an Emulsion, and to be sweet&rehy;ned with a sufficient quantity of fine Sugar."

To the best of my remembrance he never had one Fit of the Asthma afterwards.

But observe what a quantity of Misletoe he took every Night, even as much as could be got out of four Ounces by Infusion in Water.

Tho' I have observ'd before, that now it evidently appears to me, that the most active Part of the Misletoe consists in its Resin, which is only to be extracted with Spirit of Wine; yet it not being so rugged a harsh Body as the Bark is, the Resin being inve&rehy;lop'd in a slimy Mucilage, it will, by being infus'd in Water, part with some proportion of its Resin, which the Bark will not; and, for ought I know, its Mucilage may be of great Use in many Cases, especially in young Children, to obtund the A&rehy;crimony of the Bile, which is apt to gripe them, and so the Powder may be better for them, than given any other way: But this must be left to Time and further Experience.

What I have hitherto done, till very lately, has been by the means of the Powder and Infusion, and great things they are. If by the use of the Tincture I shall be enabled to make a farther Progress, the World may expect to be inform'd of it in due time. It's but a few Weeks that I have been Master of the Tincture, but I already see that great things may be expected from it.

What I have observ'd, as to the Quantities the Gentleman before&rehy;mention'd took every Night, brings to my Mind what I often thought of; which is, that I believe many noble Medicines are laid aside as useless, for want of having been given in due Quantities.

In recent Epilepsies, and ordina&rehy;ry Convulsions, which are Diseases that were formerly wont to give me great Uneasiness, especially the Epi&rehy;leptical ones; being conscious to my&rehy;self, from the most careful Observa&rehy;tion, that there was little Prospect of getting the Mastery of them: I now look upon them as little more formidable than a Quartan Ague; tho' in their outward Appearance and real Nature much more terrible.

The Cases just now recited are suf&rehy;ficient to demonstrate to the World, that common Misletoe is a great Me&rehy;dicine, and highly to be esteem'd. As for Misletoe of the Oak, I have never yet seen any.

Those of the Antients, that were Men of Virtue and Compassion, whenever they had any thing to com&rehy;municate to the World that might be of publick Advantage, always did it in the known and common Lan&rehy;guage: And as I design this for the common Good, were I able to write Latin in as elegant a Stile as Cicero did, that should not induce me to send it abroad in any other way, than in the homely manner in which it is done.

I have turned over many Books, since I published the first Part of this Dissertation, to see whether I could pro&rehy;cure any farther light into the natural History of this wonderful Plant, but at present see no cause to retract what I have there advanced, nor indeed to add any thing, or very little.

Johannes Bauhinus has treated more copiously of it, than any of the Mo&rehy;derns I have read. Scaliger, in his way, has treated it very subtlely, but I think advances nothing but Para&rehy;doxes. To be short, there is no one that takes notice of it, except Car&rehy;dan, but thinks there is something ve&rehy;ry extraordinary in it; yet the Druids alone, tho' they did not explain them&rehy;selves, seem to be the only Persons who understood its real Worth.

In other Trees that are propagated, either by Grafting or Inoculating, the Grafts or Buds seem to become of the very same Substance with the Stock into which they are inserted. But with Misletoe it's quite otherwise, as appears plainly to the naked Eye; which I can shew to any one.

I have it from Dr. Willis, that it was the earnest Wish of the great Crato, That a Specifick for the Cure of the Epilepsy might be discover'd before he died.

I do verily and indeed think, from the Tryals I have made in a Multi&rehy;tude of Cases, besides those publish'd, that Misletoe is in reality a Specifick for the Cure of Epilepsies and con&rehy;vulsive Diseases.

Why it should be so, I can as easily account for, from the Hypothesis of Dr. Willis, as from that of Marcus Marci.

Whilst I was writing this, I was cal&rehy;led to a Gentleman in a Fever, that they said was dying, and indeed he appear'd so to be; he had a trembling Pulse, clammy cold Sweats, with a Convulsion of the Tendons, and a Faultring in his Speech, that he was scarce able to express himself so as to be understood. I gave him the Misle&rehy;toe in Powder, mix'd with Cochineal and the Tincture in a Julep, both in large quantities. This was late at Night, and next Morning he was re&rehy;cover'd to my Amazement. I verily believe the Patient would have died that Night, had it not been for the Misletoe; not to disparage Cochineal, which is a Medicine highly to be va&rehy;lued, and beyond all others that I ever saw, in Fevers of all sorts. But of this perhaps another time.

I desire, for the future, that the Bark of the large Stalks may be dry'd and powder'd with the Leaves, Berries, and small Twigs, as being equal to, if not superior in Virtue to either of them; but all together are best.

What there is particular in the Woody Part, I cannot at present tell; but have hitherto order'd it to be bruised promiscuously with the rest for Infusions.

I have not yet dared to rob the Misletoe of but few of its Berries; but from some Observations I have made of them, I am inclin'd to think, that they are the greatest Restorers of decay'd Nature, swallow'd whole as they are, either green or dry, and a Draught of generous Wine to be drank after them; ten or a dozen every Night at going to Bed.

The greatest Article of Convulsions in the Bills of Mortality, I take to be of Infant Children: The way of giv&rehy;ing them the Misletoe, is as follows; and most prodigious things I have seen done by it.

"Take of the Powder of Misletoe, as before directed, two Drams; Rue and Penny-royal Water, of each, two Ounces; Syrup of Pioneys, half an Ounce: Mix them together, and give half a Spoonful, as oft as you can get them to take it."

If they cannot be got to take it that way, mix a little of the Powder with some Panada.

If they are exceedingly griped and loose, apply also the following Plai&rehy;ster to their Bellies:

"Venice-Treacle, and Oil of Nut&rehy;megs by Expression, of each two Drams: mix them together, and spread upon soft Leather."

If the Looseness continues, give the following Glister:

"Diascordium made with Diaco&rehy;dium instead of Honey, a Dram; Powder of Misletoe, half a Dram; Penny-royal Water, three or four Ounces; mix, and make a Glister, which give warm."

If they are bound, which they rarely are when they are convuls'd, give them a little Manna in some of the Misletoe Julep, and if that don't open them, the following Glister:

"Manna, two Drams; Misletoe&rehy;Powder, half a Dram; Penny-royal Water, three Ounces; Oil of Ca&rehy;momile, two Drams: mix and make a Glister."

To Children of about ten Years of Age may be given half a Dram of the Powder, with three Grains of Assa&rehy;Fœtida, three times a Day, and a Draught of the Infusion afterwards.

Men and Women may take a Dram of the Powder, with five or six Grains of Assa-Fœtida, three or four times a day, according to the Urgency of the Case; drinking a large Draught of Infusion afterwards, and may drink a Draught of the Infusion betwixt whiles: Now the stronger the Infu&rehy;sion is made, the better; so that it be not made so strong as to nauseate the Stomach.

Having for a great many Years seen the most convincing Proofs of the wonderful Effects of the Misletoe itself, being only gather'd in a proper time, and carefully dry'd and powder'd; it never enter'd into my Head to make any Tryals about extracting a Tincture from it, tho' I had long ago been con&rehy;vinced that its chief Excellence con&rehy;sisted in its Birdlime, which is a most wonderful, tractable, soft Resin, and I knew dissolvable in Spirit of Wine: nay, I have given the Birdlime alone, join'd with some proper Pow&rehy;der to make it into Pills, in a deplo&rehy;rable Case, with Success.

But since the Tincture has been pre&rehy;par'd, which is but a few Weeks since, I have reason to believe, from some Observations that I have already made, that in particular extraordinary Cases, join'd with a small Proportion of Tincture of Assa-Fœtida, that it will take place in a shorter time than the Powder will do; but I shall not give an Account of the Method how to extract the Tincture, till I have had a larger Experience of it.

However, both it, and the Misletoe gather'd in due time, and carefully dry'd and powder'd, may be had at Mr. Shorthose's, an Apothecary, over against the Hungerford-Market, in the Strand, and at Mr. Riddle's, an Apothecary in Villars-street, York-Buildings.

About the beginning of the last October I was sent for to a Child of about eight Years of Age, who had the St. Vitis's Dance.

She neither could stand nor sit; her Hands were in continual Motion, that she could not feed herself, nor hold any thing in them; her Head was continually thrown from side to side, or backwards or forwards; and her Speech entirely lost.

This was a recent Case, of not a&rehy;bove a Month's standing, and by the beginning of this present November she was made perfectly well.

To prevent Mistakes, I shall here a&rehy;gain give an Account how People may furnish themselves with Powder of Misletoe for the whole Year in Per&rehy;fection.

Take of the Leaves, Berries, ten&rehy;der Twigs, and the Bark of the large Branches, gather'd at the latter end of December. Let them be dried over a Baker's Oven, which is a mild, con&rehy;stant and gentle Heat. When it is perfectly dried, let it be put into a Glass Jar, which must be cover'd with Leather, or stopt with a Cork, and kept in a warm and dry Place, that it may not grow mouldy.

Observe, that its being scorch'd in drying, or growing mouldy after it has been carefully dried, renders it of no value.

The Stalks that are preserv'd for In&rehy;fusion, must, after they are dried, be carefully kept in a warm and dry Place.

Since this is come out in due time, I hope, for the future, that I shall find every Apothecary's Shop furnish'd with Misletoe, gather'd at the proper Season, and dry'd and powder'd accord&rehy;ing to Direction.

However, if what I have said be disregarded, and it prove otherwise, I have before given an account where People may furnish themselves with it.

I had it in my thoughts to have publish'd at this time, my Observa&rehy;tions upon the noble Qualities of some other simple Remedies, viz. Cochineal, Virginian Snake-Root, and the very common Herb Prunella; but want of Leisure has prevented it.

POSTSCRIPT.

&Sic;INCE the first Publication of the foregoing Dissertation, I have had Presents from two Persons of a small Quantity of true Misletoe of the Oak. By the best Observation I can make, I don't ap&rehy;prehend that it deserves in any Re&rehy;spect to be preferr'd before the Misle&rehy;toe that grows upon other Trees.

I could have greatly swell'd the Number of Observations, but thought it altogether needless.

FINIS.