SOME OBSERVATIONS Made upon the Barbado Seeds, SHOWING Their Admirable Virtue in Curing Dropsies.  
Written by a Physician in the Country to Sir George Ent at London.  
LONDON, Printed in the Year 1694.   

SOME OBSERVATIONS Made upon the Barbado Seeds, SHOWING Their Admirable Virtue in Curing Dropsies. In a LETTER, etc.  
SIR,  
ACcording to your Desire, I have made many Experiments with the Barbado Seeds you sent me, and I find them wonderful serviceable against Dropsies; they open the Sluices of Nature, and let the watery Humours run away both by Siege and Urine, and that in a very plentiful manner, with very little disturbance to Nature. If you have any more Indian Specificks, I pray send them into the Country, and I will make Observations upon them, and I hope with as good Success; for by this Method the Art of Physic is likely to be much improved, and in time we may be able to Answer the Lord Bacon's Desire, viz. to write a History of the Cures of Diseases thought to be incurable.  
I was lately sent for six Miles from my own House to a Country Farmer, who was miserably swelled by the Dropsy, not only his Belly, but his Legs and whole Habit of Body; I had given him many Medicines, but I found that his stubborn Disease would not give way, and at length trying your Specific in several forms, I perceived a plentiful Evacuation of Water by Siege and Urine, he is become very lank, and his Colour begins to return, and I hope by the Use of good Volatile Salts and bitter Medicines to restore the ferments to the several parts, and prevent the danger of a Relapse.  
Another Person who was a Servant, was so exceedingly swelled, that his Friends had all concluded that he must be tapped, but having heard of the former Cure, came ten Miles to my House, being brought in his Master's Coach; I used the same Method, and in due time Cured him.  
I must needs own, as Mr. boil saith, that the Theories of divers Diseases are so hotly disputed amongst many Eminent Physicians, that in many Cases a Man may discern more probability of the Success of the Remedy, than of the Truth of the received Notion of the Disease. And as the Controverted Methods are not to this Day agreed on, nor established in the Schools themselves, so divers who are not acquainted with the Schools, do by the help of Experience and good Specificks, and the Method their mother Wit and other Emergency prompts them to take, do very great and extraordinary Cures; the Causes of Diseases are much less certain, and much more disputed than the Uninquisitive imagine: Nor are the Methods of Curing, which depends upon those Causes, settled as they should be; and therefore he fears that the generality of Physicians have but an imperfect Method in the Cure of many Diseases; and therefore he observes that the Communicating some good Medicines in an unpolished manner, though they may disparage an Author, yet they may save the Life of a Patient.  
These Considerations have encouraged me to communicate my Observations of this Nature, which may a little gratify the inquisitive part of Mankind, until the Learned Dr. Sloan, from whom we expect considerable Informations, gives us a more complete Account of American Rarities, and their Medicinal Opperations.  
This I must say, that after universal Evacuations by Purging, Vomiting, Sweeting, which ought to be left to the Prudence of able and experienced Physicians: I have ever found Specific Allerative Remedies wonderful Advantageous.  
Many Persons of different Ages and Sexes have been Cured of Dropsies by these Seeds, taking only the Spirit, the Tincture, and the Extract of the same, sometimes in Broom-Beer, and sometimes in Rhenish-Wine, only observing an agreeable Diet, and enduring Thirst as much as may be.  
FINIS.