SOME OBSERVATIONS Made upon the WOOD CALLED Lignum Nephriticum, Imported from HISPANIOLA: SHOWING Its Admirable VIRTUES In Dissolving The STONE in the REINS and BLADDER, Helping the Strangury, and Stops in the Water, and Easing all Pains proceeding from thence, etc.  
Written by a Doctor of Physic in the Country to the Precedent of the College of Physicians in London.  
Printed in the Year 1694.   

SOME OBSERVATIONS Made upon the Nephritick Wood, IMPORTED FROM The INDIES: In a LETTER, etc.  
SIR,  
YOu may justly wonder that I who am a Stranger to you, should communicate a Specific Medicine to one whose Experience can furnish him with many; but the Reason why I do it, is, because your Eminent Station in the College renders you the more capable of recommending it to the Practice of other Physicians. I confess the thing hath been known by Name a long time, but it hath not been brought into general use; and this was the Fate of the Peruvian Bark, until we know who made successful Experiments of it, and brought it into Great Reputation.  
I have in my Travels through several Parts of the World, made many curious Observations upon the use of specific Remedies, and I have Communicated several, as some at London can tell you. I know no more need of Publishing my Name, than the Author of The Whole Duty of Man had for Not-divulging his. I am sure my Design is not private Advantage, but Public Benefit.  
I hear of very considerable Cures that have been wrought at London by the Use of some Spicificks that I have made made Public, and that encourages me to tell the World of more, in Imitation of the Example of the great Esquire boil, who was my particular Friend.  
The Learned and Curious Sir John Floyer at Litchfield, hath been wonderful Kind in Communicating many Specificks, and put us in a way to find out the Nature and Quality of Drugs by their tastes and smells; and he saith that he doth not question but that the Artificial Jumbles of many Medicines together will in time be rejected, and every Ingenious Practiser will chiefly make use of Simple Medicines, by which his Patient will be more suddenly, safely and pleasantly Cured.  
When I call to mind the Practice of Hypocrates and Galen, who wrote their Books and Published their Receipts in the Language of the Country where they dwelled, I judge I may well be excused from Blame.  
The Specific that I recommend is the Tincture drawn from the true Nephrittick Wood, which comes from Hyspaniola; it may be known from the spurious sort by its communicating a Blue Sky-coloured Tincture unto Spring-water, which the other will not do: By its peculiar quality it resists the Petrifactive Disposition of the Reins and Bladder, it cleanseth those parts from mucilaginous slimy Humours, which are apt to lodge in the Urinary Passages, and by its Abstersive Property it prevents the Coagulation of Sand and Gravel, it dilates and lubrifies the Uretors, and causeth an easy expulsion of small Stones, and cures a Suppression of Urine and Strangury; it heals the Excoriation, caused by the Acrimony of the Humours, and easeth Pain in making Water; it cools the Reins, and mitigates the scalding Heat of Urine, and dissolves the Stone as far as any Medicine is capable of doing it.  
I could give you many strange Examples of great Cures wrought with it: And particularly a Woman much afflicted with the Strangury, with an acute Pain in her Hip, and frequent reaching to Vomit, she took Sixty Drops of the Tincture, Morning, Noon, and Night, in Ale and White-wine dulcified with Syrup of Marsh-mallows, she voided in a Month's time Nine Ounces of Gravel, and thirty small Stones like great Pins-heads, and found great Ease.  
A young Gentleman who was so exceedingly wracked with the Stone that he was advised to be Cut, but a Friend coming in advised him to take the Drops of the Tincture drawn out of this Wood in Oil of Walnuts, and it gave him Relief, and prevented the Return of his Pains, he continued it two Months.  
I myself frequently take the Spirit, and sometimes the Extract, in all my Drink, fifty or sixty Drops at a time, and find great advantage: I draw the Spirit and Extract with Rhenish Wine.  
An old Man who had frequent stopping in his Water, with twitching smart Pains, and sometimes bloody Urine and great scalding, was wonderfully eased by the use of this Tincture, taken in Spaw-waters, and sometimes in Milk sweetened with Honey. It's endless to give Instances, I therefore take leave to Subscribe myself  
Your Humble Servant, etc.