SOME OBSERVATIONS Made upon the ROOT called Nean, or Ninsing, IMPORTED From the EASTINDIES.  
SHOWING Its wonderful Virtue, in curing Consumptions, Ptissicks, Shortness of Breath, Distillation of Rheum, and restoring Nature after it hath been Impaired by Languishing Distempers, and long Fits of Sickness.  
Published by a Doctor of Physic in Yorkshire, in a Letter to Mr. Colwell, a Member of the Royal Society, 1680.  
LONDON, Printed for the Author.   

SOME OBSERVATIONS Made upon The ROOT called NEAN, or NINSING, etc.  
SIR,  
I Have read that some famous Divines have not spared to report in Print, that they believed Cardan Physician to King Edward the Sixth, was now in Hell, because he refused to tell the World a Secret with which he wrought great Cures. And therefore for my part, I am resolved to prevent the Occasion of any such Censure, and freely Communicate this Noble and Excellent Medicine, that hath done such great Cures in China, Japan, and many other parts of the World, when abundance of compounded Elaborate Remedies have proved ineffectual.  
When I lived at Hull in Yorkshire, a parcel of it was given me for a Present, which I used with wonderful success: And particularly, to a Relation of Mr. Andrew Marvel's, who was much emaciated, and reduced unto a perfect Skeleton, a mere Bag of Bones, by a long Hectic Fever, joined with an Ulcer of the Lungs; being despaired of by all Friends, I was resolved to try what the Tincture of this Root would do, which I gave every Morning in Red Cow's Milk, warm from her Duggs, (which my worthy Friend and intimate Acquaintance, Dr. Primrose, prefers before Ass' Milk, as you may see in his Book called Popular Errors): And I found his Flesh to come again like that of a Child, and his lost Appetite restored, and his natural Ruddy Complexion revived in his Cheeks, to the Amazement of his desponding Relations, that he was called Lazarus the Second.  
I solemnly profess, that I hate all Pretences to Secrets, and I look upon the Printed Bills of Quacks, who pretend to Nostrums, and private Medicines, to be mere Cheats, and Tricks to amuse the common People, and to pick their Pockets: But if any Man can communicate a good Medicine, he shows himself a Lover of his Country more than of himself, and deserves Thanks of Mankind.  
And for my part, I verily believe, that next unto the Virtue of Scarborough Spa, (which I suppose I have sufficiently recommended) I think this is one of the best Medicines in the World, and in many cases better against Consumptions and Distempers of the Lungs than that.  
Ogleby in his Natural History of China, tells the World, that a Pound of this Root is sold in the Country wherein it grows, for three times its weight in Silver, it is looked upon as so great a Cordial.  
And Piso that Learned Physician esteems it a mighty Restorer of Nature, and as far as may be a Renewer of Youth.  
Public Fame saith, that the Popes of Rome, who are chosen to that Office when they are very Old, do make great use of this Root, to preserve their Radical Moisture and natural Heat, that so they may the longer enjoy their Comfortable Preferments.  
I once recommended this Root to my good Friend Mr. Steel the Minister, with singular advantage to his Health, as he told me; but finding him under the Care of an Excellent Physician, I advised him to lay aside all Medecins but what he prescribed.  
When I read the Bills of Mortality, and find three or four Thousand dye in a Year of Consumptions, notwithstanding all the rational Methods of Physicians, and the boasting Pretences of Quacks and Mountebanks, I could no longer conceal this Excellent Specific..  
A very considerable Person at Hull, who was very much pined away, had a Cough and Shortness of Breath, a Quick Pulse, and an intense Heat, at some certain times, with wandering Pains in several parts of his Body, and restless Nights, and no Appetite to Food; my Advice being desired, I wished him to take the Extract made with this Root every Night in Almond-Milk, and in a Month's time he gtew fat and plump, and all his ill symptoms left him, and he is yet alive, to the Glory of God, and the Comfort of his Relations.  
One thing is very remarkable, that let the Cause of the Consumption be what it will, viz. an Ulcer of the Lungs, or a Scorbutic sharp Humour in the Blood, or a Hectic Fever, or the Infection of the Spermatick Vessels, which in time and in various Disguises spoils the whole Habit of the Body, and by disabling the parts to digest their Nourishment, bring Leanness and Consumption; I say let any of these, or all of them, be Causes, yet this Root proves advantageous, as Experience testifies.  
The Case of the Gentlewoman at Leeds in Yorkshire is very remarkable, who catching cold in her Lying in, fell under great Weakness, a dry Cough, Stitches in her Breast and Sides, Heat in her Palms and Feet, pining away insensibly; many Physicians were consulted, but all in vain; at last I advised her to take the Spirit made of this Root, about ten Drops at a time, in a Glass of old Mallago after Dinner. In a short time after she gathered her Flesh, and had Five Children.  
At Rippon there was a Good Friend of mine, of a considerable Estate, whose only Child falling into a deep Consumption upon his Breeding of Teeth, the Parents being almost distracted for want of an Heir, nothing else being expected but Death, and the Child being tired out with other Medicines, I recommended the Tincture, Spirit and Extract made of this Root; and in six Weeks time the Child mended and grew strong and lusty, and is like to be a Man.  
These and many such Examples might be given, which are great Encouragement to make use of such a known, safe, and experienced Remedy, and so very pleasant as this is, being taken only in Drops, whereby it becomes extremely agreeable unto Children, who pine away upon breeding their Teeth, as daily Experience shows, to the great Grief of many tender Mothers.  
A Friend of mine at York who buried Six Children, preserved the seventh (under God) with this Root; for it hath no manner of Heat, but is exceeding temperate, and may be given in all their Victuals and Spoon-meat.  
Mr. Boil once told me, he thought it was a Medicine sent from Heaven, to save the Lives of Thousands of Men, Women and Children.  
FINIS.