SOME OBSERVATIONS Made upon the Russia Seed, SHOWING Its Admirable Virtues in Curing the Rickets in Children.  
Written by a Doctor of Physic in the Country to Esq Boil at London, 1674.  
LONDON, Printed in the Year 1694.   

SOME OBSERVATIONS Made upon the Russia Seed; SHOWING Its Admirable Virtues in Curing the Rickets in Children.  
In a LETTER, etc.  
SIR,  
YOU may remember that when I was last at London, we had a close Discourse concerning that deplorable Distemper called The Rickets, which Cripples so many poor Children, and you told me of a Doctor of Physic, and one of the Famousest in Europe, had not been able to Cure it in several of his own Children; indeed it may be called a new Disease, for it's wonderfully increased amongst us of late, as we find by the Bills of Mortality. I am very much of your Mind, that the Knowledge of Physicians would be much increased, and their Success would be much greater, were they more Curious in making Experiments and Observations of the Success of simple Medicines, for they cannot so easily do it upon Compositions. I'll now tell you what great Cures I have done in my Country Practice, amongst Children who have been overgrown with the Rickets: The Specific that I make use of, is a small white Seed that comes from Russia, by some called Seed Manna, I draw a Tincture, a Spirit and an Extract out of it, and give twenty Drops at a time in all the children's Meat and Drink, they take it with Pleasure, because it's not ungrateful to the palate; Morning, Noon and Night, is often enough.  
It opens Obstructions of the Liver and Spleen, strengthens the Brain and Spinal Marrow, and causeth a free Distribution of the Nourishments into all the Nervous Parts of the Body, whereby Nature becomes strong and vigorous, and the Spirits cheerful and lively.  
You are pleased to tell the World, in your Excellent Discourse of the use of simple Medicines, that you hope to enlarge the Minds of Physicians, and invite them to make use of several Remedies which they never thought on, or against which they were prejudiced. You also tell us, that Specificks, where they may be had, are wont to be free from any immoderate manifest Quality, and for the most part work more benignly as well as more effectually than other Medicines; and therefore you endeavour to bring them into Request, that so thereby Cures may be performed more speedily, safely and pleasantly.  
Your Tenderness and Caution is highly to be commended, in desiring your Reader not to be too credulous, or rely too much upon any Medicines that you commend, until they have been frequently tried upon Persons of different Sexes, Complexions and Ages.  
I am sure that this Seed, and other Specificks which I have written on, have been tried sufficiently, in a multitude of Examples, and with great Success, which gives great Encouragement to depend upon it in difficult Cases, with God Almighty's Blessing.  
I am much of your Mind, that one Reason why so many Distempers prove incurable, is, because Physicians do all they can to discourage the use of Specific Medicines; so that if they do not always work Wonders, they presently tell People that they do nothing at all.  
In Compliance with your Request, I have found out a Specific Remedy in almost every Distemper, which in time may prove as efficacious as the Cortex in an Ague, for aught I know.  
I must say, if at any time I have found Specific Remedies prove ineffectual, it was when they were compounded with some insignificant Remedies, or given too late, or administered in too small a Dose, or left off too soon.  
This small Seed may be given boiled in all the children's Broth or Spoon-meat, or in a Liquid Form, as the other Specificks use to be.  
I have cured several Children in one Gentleman's Family, after gentle Evacuations, when the Ribs have been knotted, the Head very large, the Legs crooked, the Joints much extended, only with this Remedy.  
This Distemper hath spoiled as many Children as ever Herod did, its high time if we would prevent the destruction of our Innocents', to find out some more effectual Remedies. The Method that Dr. Glisson and etc. found out, was very good, but this simple Specific added to it may make it more effectual.  
You are pleased in your Discourse of specific Medicines, to mention the Prickly Indian Pear that I told you of, that communicates its Tincture so speedily to the Bladder, that it makes the Eaters think they piss Blood, which gives a clear Example of the Penetrating Qualities of some simple Specificks, which have no sensible Operation by Vomiting, Purging or Sweeting.  
One of our Judges in his Reports, tells us of a Learned Doctor who traveled a hundred Miles, to learn a Specific of an old Woman to Cure an Ague. I am sure I have traveled many thousand Miles to learn all these Remedies, and my design is Public Good: For although I am particularly known to you, I desire to be known to the World by no other Name, but  
MEDICUS INDICUS.  
FINIS.