us　hope　as　a　last　resort；an　electuary　of　millipedes；sowbugs；　if　we　must　give　them　their　homely　English　name。　　One　or　two　other　prescriptions；　of　the　many　unmentionable　ones　which　disgraced　the　pharmacopoeia　of　the　seventeenth　century；　are　to　be　found；　but　only　in　very　rare　instances；　in　the　faded　characters　of　the　manuscript。
  The　excellent　Governor's　accounts　of　diseases　are　so　brief；　that　we　get　only　a　very　general　notion　of　the　complaints　for　which　he　prescribed。　　Measles　and　their　consequences　are　at　first　more　prominent　than　any　other　one　affection；　but　the　common　infirmities　of　both　sexes　and　of　all　ages　seem　to　have　come　under　his　healing　hand。　Fever　and　ague　appears　to　have　been　of　frequent　occurrence。
  His　published　correspondence　shows　that　many　noted　people　were　in　communication　with　him　as　his　patients。　　Roger　Williams　wants　a　little　of　his　medicine　for　Mrs。　Weekes's　daughter；　worshipful　John　Haynes　is　in　receipt　of　his　powders；　troublesome　Captain　Underhill　wants　〃a　little　white　vitterall〃　for　his　wife；　and　something　to　cure　his　wife's　friend's　neuralgia；　（I　think　his　wife's　friend's　husband　had　a　little　rather　have　had　it　sent　by　the　hands　of　Mrs。　Underhill；　than　by　those　of　the　gallant　and　discursive　captain）；　and　pious　John　Davenport　says；　his　wife　〃tooke　but　one　halfe　of　one　of　the　papers〃　（which　probably　contained　the　medicine　he　called　rubila）；　〃but　could　not　beare　the　taste　of　it；　and　is　discouraged　from　taking　any　more；〃　and　honored　William　Leete　asks　for　more　powders　for　his　〃poore　little　daughter　Graciana；　though　he　found　it　〃hard　to　make　her　take　it；〃　delicate；　and　of　course　sensitive；　child　as　she　was；　languishing　and　dying　before　her　time；　in　spite　of　all　the　bitter　things　she　swallowed；God　help　all　little　children　in　the　hands　of　dosing　doctors　and　howling　dervishes！　　Restless　Samuel　Gorton；　now　tamed　by　the　burden　of　fourscore　and　two　years；　writes　so　touching　an　account　of　his　infirmities；　and　expresses　such　overflowing　gratitude　for　the　relief　he　has　obtained　from　the　Governor's　prescriptions；　wondering　how　〃a　thing　so　little　in　quantity；　so　little　in　sent；　so　little　in　taste；　and　so　little　to　sence　in　operation；　should　beget　and　bring　forth　such　efects；〃　that　we　repent　our　hasty　exclamation；　and　bless　the　memory　of　the　good　Governor；　who　gave　relief　to　the　worn…out　frame　of　our　long…departed　brother；　the　sturdy　old　heretic　of　Rhode　Island。
  What　was　that　medicine　which　so　frequently　occurs　in　the　printed　letters　under　the　name　of　〃rubila〃？　　It　is　evidently　a　secret　remedy；　and；　so　far　as　I　know；　has　not　yet　been　made　out。　　I　had　almost　given　it　up　in　despair；　when　I　found　what　appears　to　be　a　key　to　the　mystery。　　In　the　vast　multitude　of　prescriptions　contained　in　the　manuscripts；　most　of　them　written　in　symbols；　I　find　one　which　I　thus　interpret：
  〃Four　grains　of　（diaphoretic）　antimony；　with　twenty　grains　of　nitre；　with　a　little　salt　of　tin；　making　rubila。〃　　Perhaps　something　was　added　to　redden　the　powder；　as　he　constantly　speaks　of　〃rubifying　〃　or　〃viridating〃　his　prescriptions；　a　very　common　practice　of　prescribers；　when　their　powders　look　a　little　too　much　like　plain　salt　or　sugar。
  Waitstill　Winthrop；　the　Governor's　son；　〃was　a　skilful　physician；〃　says　Mr。　Sewall；　in　his　funeral　sermon；　〃and　generously　gave；　not　only　his　advice；　but　also　his　Medicines；　for　the　healing　of　the　Sick；　which；　by　the　Blessing　of　God；　were　made　successful　for　the　recovery　of　many。〃　　〃His　son　John；　a　member　of　the　Royal　Society；　speaks　of　himself　as　〃Dr。　Winthrop；〃　and　mentions　one　of　his　own　prescriptions　in　a　letter　to　Cotton　Mather。　　Our　President　tells　me　that　there　was　an　heirloom　of　the　ancient　skill　in　his　family；　within　his　own　remembrance；　in　the　form　of　a　certain　precious　eye…water；　to　which　the　late　President　John　Quincy　Adams　ascribed　rare　virtue；　and　which　he　used　to　obtain　from　the　possessor　of　the　ancient　recipe。
  These　inherited　prescriptions　are　often　treasured　in　families；　I　do　not　doubt；　for　many　generations。　　When　I　was　yet　of　trivial　age；　and　suffering　occasionally；　as　many　children　do；　from　what　one　of　my　Cambridgeport　schoolmates　used　to　call　the　〃ager；〃meaning　thereby　toothache　or　face…ache；I　used　to　get　relief　from　a　certain　plaster　which　never　went　by　any　other　name　in　the　family　than　〃Dr。　Oliver。〃
  Dr。　James　Oliver　was　my　great…great…grandfather；　graduated　in　1680；　and　died　in　1703。　　This　was；　no　doubt；　one　of　his　nostrums；　for　nostrum；　as　is　well　known；　means　nothing　more　than　our　own　or　my　own　particular　medicine；　or　other　possession　or　secret；　and　physicians　in　old　times　used　to　keep　their　choice　recipes　to　themselves　a　good　deal；　as　we　have　had　occasion　to　see。
  Some　years　ago　I　found　among　my　old　books　a　small　manuscript　marked　〃James　Oliver。　　This　Book　Begun　Aug。　12；　1685。〃　　It　is　a　rough　sort　of　account…book；　containing　among　other　things　prescriptions　for　patients；　and　charges　for　the　same；　with　counter…charges　for　the　purchase　of　medicines　and　other　matters。　　Dr。　Oliver　practised　in　Cambridge；　where　may　be　seen　his　tomb　with　inscriptions；　and　with　sculptured　figures　that　look　more　like　Diana　of　the　Ephesians；　as　given　in　Calmet's　Dictionary；　than　like　any　angels　admitted　into　good　society　here　or　elsewhere。
  I　do　not　find　any　particular　record　of　what　his　patients　suffered　from；　but　I　have　carefully　copied　out　the　remedies　he　mentions；　and　find　that　they　form　a　very　respectable　catalogue。　　Besides　the　usual　simples；　elder；　parsley；　fennel；　saffron；　snake…root；　wormwood；　I　find　the　Elixir　Proprietatis；　with　other　elixire　and　cordials；　as　if　he　rather　fancied　warming　medicines；　but　he　called　in　the　aid　of　some　of　the　more　energetic　remedies；　including　iron；　and　probably　mercury；　as　he　bought　two　pounds　of　it　at　one　time。
  The　most　interesting　item　is　his　bill　against　the　estate　of　Samuel　Pason　of　Roxbury；　for　services　during　his　last　illness。　　He　attended　this　gentleman；for　such　he　must　have　been；　by　the　amount　of　physic　which　he　took；　and　which　his　heirs　paid　for；from　June　4th；　1696；　to　September　3d　of　the　same　year；　three　months。　　I　observe　he　charges　for　visits　as　well　as　for　medicines；　which　is　not　the　case　in　most　of　his　bills。　　He　opens　the　attack　with　a　carminative　appeal　to　the　visceral　conscience；　and　follows　it　up　with　good　hard…hitting　remedies　for　dropsy；as　I　suppose　the　disease　would　have　been　called；and　finishes　off　with　a　rallying　dose　of　hartshorn　and　iron。
  It　is　a　source　of　honest　pride　to　his　descendant　that　his　bill；　which　was　honestly　paid；　as　it　seems　to　have　been　honorably　earned；　amounted　to　the　handsome　total　of　seven　pounds　and　two　shillings。　Let　me　add　that　he　repeatedly　prescribes　plaster；　one　of　which　was　very　probably　the　〃Dr。　Oliver〃　that　soothed　my　infant　griefs；　and　for　which　I　blush　to　say　that　my　venerated　ancestor　received　from　Goodman　Hancock　the　painfully　exiguous　sum　of　no　pounds；　no　shillings；　and　sixpence。
  I　have　illustrated　the　practice　of　the　first　century；　from　the　two　manuscripts　I　have　examined；　as　giving　an　impartial　idea　of　its　every…day　methods。　　The　Governor；　Johannes　Secundus；　it　is　fair　to　remember；　was　an　amateur　practitioner；　while　my　ancestor　was　a　professed　physician。　　Comparing　their　modes　of　treatment　with　the　many　scientific　follies　still　prevailing　in　the　Old　World；　and　still　more　with　the　extraordinary　theological　superstitions　of　the　community　in　which　they　lived；　we　shall　find　reason；　I　think；　to　consider　the　art　of　healing　as　in　a　comparatively　creditable　state　during　the　first　century　of　New　England。
  In　addition　to　the　evidence　as　to　methods　of　treatment　furnished　by　the　manuscripts　I　have　cited；　I　subjoin　the　following　document；　to　which　my　attention　was　called　by　Dr。　Shurtleff；　our　present　Mayor。　This　is　a　letter　of　which　the　original　is　to　be　found　in　vol。　　lxix。　page　10　of　the　〃Archives〃　preserved　at　the　State　House　in　Boston。　　It　will　be　seen　that　what　the　surgeon　wanted　consisted　chiefly　of　opiates；　stimulants；　cathartics；　plasters；　and　materials　for　bandages。　　The　complex　and　varied　formulae　have　given　place　to　simpler　and　often　more　effective　forms　of　the　same　remedies；　but　the　list　and　the　manner　in　which　it　is　made　out　are　proofs　of　the　good　sense　and　schooling　of　the　surgeon；　who；　it　may　be　noted；　was　in　such　haste　that　he　neglected　all　his　stops。　　He　might　well　be　in　a　hurry；　as　on　the　very　day　upon　which　he　wrote；　a　great　body　of　Indians　supposed　to　be　six　or　seven　hundredappeared　before　Hatfield；　and　twenty…five　resolute　young　men　of　Hadley；　from　which　town　he　wrote；　crossed　the　river　and　drove　them　away。
  HADLY　May　30：　76
  Mr　RAWSON　Sr
  What　we　have　recd　by　Tho：　Houey　the　past　month　is　not　the　cheifest　of　our　wants　as　you　have　love　for　poor　wounded　I　pray　let　us　not　want　for　these　following　medicines　if　you　have　not　a　speedy　conveyance　of　them　I　pray　send　on　purpose　they　are　those　things　mentioned　in　my　former　letter　but　to　prevent　future　mistakes　I　have　wrote　them　att　large　wee　have　great　want　with　the　greatest　halt　and　speed　let　us　be　supplyed。　Sr　Yr　Sert　WILL　LOCHS
  （Endorsed
  Mr。　Lockes　Letter　Recd　from　the　Governor　13　Jane　&　acquainted　ye　Council　with　it　but　could　not　obtaine　any　thing　to　be　sent　in　answer　thereto　13　June　1676
  I　have　given　some　idea　of　the　chie