SOME OBSERVATIONS Made upon the Cylonian Plant.  
SHOWING Its Admirable VIRTUES against DEAFNESS.  
Written by a Physician to the Honourable Esq boil.  
LONDON, Printed in the Year 1695.   

SOME OBSERVATIONS Made upon the Cylonian Plant.  
SHOWING Its Admirable VIRTUES against DEAFNESS. In a LETTER, etc.  
SIR,  
I Perceive that Petrus de Ossma tells us of an Indian Doctor who cured all Diseases with the juice of one Plant.  
And Piso saith, that the Brasilian Botanists make all their secret Remedies out of simples, with which they work wonders.  
Dr. Willis, in his Treatise of Epilepsys, saith, That Specific Remedies, although they cure Diseases without any sensible Evacuation, yet not without some formal Reason or Virtue of acting proper to themselves, which may be wondered at, but not described; they resist the Heterogeneous matter, causing the Diseases just as Gunpowder sprinkled with Oil of Vitriol looseth its thundering Virtue.  
My Design in this Sheet is only to give the World an account of a particular Plant brought from India, that hath a Specific quality against Deafness, and hath cured many who have been thought to be incurable; it's called Em-wort, the Indian Name I know not: One of your London Quacks, who in his Printed Bills promiseth great matters, and performs little; for when many Deaf People have been tired out by his pretended Secrets, and found no advantage, they have been relieved by this Herb, partly by drinking the Spirits drawn out of it, and mingled in all their Drink, and partly by Syringing the Ear with the Tincture of the same, and taking as much as a Pea of the Extract at Night going to rest.  
The Herb is of an excellent Aromatic Quality, it tastes warm like a Nutmeg, and yet cool like Niter; it mightily comforts the Brain, and quickens the Senses, and hath been found wonderful useful to Deaf Persons, as might be proved by many Examples.  
It's real use and admirable virtue much excels the two costly Jewels that the Queen of Egypt wore in her Ears for Ornament, It must be confessed, that many Bruit Creatures, whose Ears are suffered to grow large, and according to Nature are much quicker in hearing than many Men, forasmuch as Midwives and Nurses by the Fillets and strait binding of the Ears close to the Heads of Children, they hinder the Contraction of the Air.  
In a Battle between the Turks and the Christians the General gave order that one of the Ears of the slain Christians should be cut off, and put into a sack, that the Number of them might certainly be known. Such dreadful Effects are many times produced by extremity of cold Wether in some Northern Climates, which rots off the very Ears of People, and then the remedy is a Silver Trumpet, or the hollow Shell of a Fish applied to the Ear.  
The account which you have given the World of the Nature of Specific. Remedies, and the manner how they opperate is very satisfactory: And we find by Experience that this Plant opperates strangely upon the Sense of Hearing; if the Deafness proceed from the Obstructions of the Auditory Nerves, this Specific removes those stoppages; it also wipes off those moist clammy Humours which cover the Drum of the Ear, and hinder the penetration of sounds; it also disperseth windy Vapours, which by their Noise in the Head cause Deafness: The Spirit of this Herb held in the Mouth by a secret passage from the Ear, purge them by Salivation; that there is such a passage is evident, forasmuch as many People hear best when their Mouths are open.  
I knew an old Man who was exceeding deaf, that he could not hear the Bells ring, although he were near the Church, yet upon the use of this Herb taken inwardly, and the fume of it received into the Ear through a Funnel, was wonderfully restored to his Hearing.  
A young Person who by standing at a Window lost his Hearing, that he could not go to Church for many Weeks, at last being recommended to this Herb, he was restored to his Hearing in one months' time after he had purged his Head with some proper agreeable Pills.  
If the Deafness comes and goes by intermissions, the Cure is the more probable; but if the Membranes of the Ear are broken or eaten through by corroding Humours, the Case is incurable, and it's best to acquaint the Patient with the true state of the Case, and not deceive him with false hopes, as many Pretenders do.  
I knew an old Lady, who went to the Bath to have those Waters pumped upon her Head, to Cure her Deafness, but proved very ineffectual, (although I have known them do service to others) the Tincture of this Plant drank once a day in Sack cured her.  
I knew another who had used Oil of Almonds and Civet, and Oil of Aunt's Eggs, and all the other usual Remedies, but to no purpose, until she applied herself unto the use of the Medicines drawn out of this Herb, and then she could hear the least Noise, and the Watchmen knocking at the Doors in the Night was a great disturbance to her.  
As I have promised to give you an account of the Virtues and Specific Qualities of several Indian Rarities, I shall continue to gratify your Learned Curiosity, and approve myself  
Your Faithful Friend, James Mullins.  
FINIS.