SOME OBSERVATIONS Made upon the Serpent Stones, Imported from the INDIES: SHOWING Their Admirable Virtues in Curing Malignant Spotted Fevers.  
Written by a Country Physician to Dr. Burwell, Precedent of the College of Physicians in London.  
LONDON, Printed in the Year 1694.   

SOME OBSERVATIONS Made upon the Serpent Stones, SHOWING Their Admirable Virtues in Curing Malignant Spotted Fevers. In a LETTER, etc.  
SIR,  
I Received your Letter of Thanks for the last Specific I communicated to you, and that hath proved so successful, that I find you very importunate with me to acquaint you with what I have found most effectual against Malignant Spotted Favours.  
I am sorry to hear that London Physicians are so often disappointed in the use of vulgar Medicines. The great Dr. Sidenham in his Discourse of Favours, tells the World his Art is defective in that Distemper; and that if any Man can be found who can propose a better Method, or Communicate a good Specific, for the more effectual Cure of that Distemper which carrieth so many thousand to their Graves, he will prove himself a good Citizen.  
For my own part I declare, I knew no better Remedy than the Indian Serpent Stones, for it powerfully expels Poisons of all sorts, both externally and internally applied, it resists Putrefaction, promotes insensible transpiration, raiseth the Vital Spirits, comforts the Heart, and gives a new Fermentation to the Blood, and helps Nature to cast off all Malignity. I have found it more serviceable than any sort of Alexipharmics.  
Mr. Boyl in his Discourse of Specific Remedies, gives very strange Accounts of the Extraordinary Virtues of these Stoney Concretions, said to be found in the Heads of Indian Serpents, and particularly of an Experiment he made himself upon a Cat bitten by an enraged Viper, which caused its Tongue and Head to swell, and made the Cat raving mad, yet upon giving it a little of the Powder of this Stone inwardly, it had recovered, had not the rude People killed it by Violence. He confesseth that there are many of them Counterfeits, and such were those that Mounsieur Redi made Experiments upon. He also tells us, that an Eminent Physician of the College performed a very great Cure by the External Application of one of the Stones.  
I was sent for unto a young Man who had a very dangerous Favour, and all the Symptoms of Malignity very well known to Physicians; I gave the usual Remedies prescribed in that Case; his Distemper threatened every Day more and more, and all Friends despaired of Recovery; at length I gave him a Tincture drawn out of these Stones, with the Powder in substance, and it powerfully expels all the Malignity by gentle breathing Sweats, and the Patient speedily recovered, and gained his Strength beyond Humane Expectation.  
An Ancient Gentlewoman who had a high Malignant Favour, being first surprised with a Rigour, and shivering Coldness in her Back, and afterwards a hot burning Fit, which lasted many Hours without any intermission, a low weak Pulse, cold, clammy, faint Sweats, Purple Spots in the Skin, little or no Thirst, a pale thin Urine, and very delirious, but no Complaint of any Pains in the Head, or other parts; a Hitch-cough, frequent Sighing and Dozeing; I finding all Remedies fruitless, gave this Specific, and found a speedy Recovery attend it.  
I could tell you of several Families in our Country that have been seized with these Malignant Favours, that have been secured from the Dangers, by the Use of this Specific Remedy: But I find People generally displeased when Physicians mention their Names in print, if it be in English; they are prone to suspect the World never thinks them sound afterwards, and therefore I omit Names.  
I knew one Man about Fifty, who was seized as if he had been infected with the Plague, had Swellings under his Arms, and all other Pestilential symptoms upon him; and only giving him a few Drops of a Mixture made with the Powder of this Stone, he was restored to Health in a miraculous manner.  
I could Name one Patient who was saved from Death, when two in the same Family died of the Spotted Fever, after they had taken large Quantities of Bezoar and Goa Stones.  
I can truly say with Dr. Sidenham, in his Discourse of Pestilential Favours, that I have delivered faithfully all things relating to Practice, and never proposed any thing but what I had often and sufficiently tried; and when I come to Die, I hope I shall have a cheerful Witness within my own Breast I have done my Duty.  
FINIS.