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　chief　remedies　used　by　our　earlier　physicians；　which　were　both　Galenic　and　chemical；　that　is；　vegetable　and　mineral。　　They；　of　course；　employed　the　usual　perturbing　medicines　which　Montaigne　says　are　the　chief　reliance　of　their　craft。　There　were；　doubtless；　individual　practitioners　who　employed　special　remedies　with　exceptional　boldness　and　perhaps　success。　　Mr。　Eliot　is　spoken　of；　in　a　letter　of　William　Leete　to　Winthrop；　Junior；　as　being　under　Mr。　Greenland's　mercurial　administrations。　　The　latter　was　probably　enough　one　of　these　specialists。
  There　is　another　class　of　remedies　which　appears　to　have　been　employed　occasionally；　but；　on　the　whole；　is　so　little　prominent　as　to　imply　a　good　deal　of　common　sense　among　the　medical　practitioners；　as　compared　with　the　superstitions　prevailing　around　them。　　I　have　said　that　I　have　caught　the　good　Governor；　now　and　then；　prescribing　the　electuary　of　millipedes；　but　he　is　entirely　excused　by　the　almost　incredible　fact　that　they　were　retained　in　the　materia　medica　so　late　as　when　Rees's　Cyclopaedia　was　published；　and　we　there　find　the　directions　formerly　given　by　the　College　of　Edinburgh　for　their　preparation。　　Once　or　twice　we　have　found　him　admitting　still　more　objectionable　articles　into　his　materia　medica；　in　doing　which；　I　am　sorry　to　say　that　he　could　plead　grave　and　learned　authority。　　But　these　instances　are　very　rare　exceptions　in　a　medical　practice　of　many　years；　which　is；　on　the　whole；　very　respectable；　considering　the　time　and　circumstances。
  Some　remedies　of　questionable　though　not　odious　character　appear　occasionally　to　have　been　employed　by　the　early　practitioners；　but　they　were　such　as　still　had　the　support　of　the　medical　profession。　Governor　John　Winthrop；　the　first；　sends　for　East　Indian　bezoar；　with　other　commodities　he　is　writing　for。　　Governor　Endicott　sends　him　one　he　had　of　Mr。　Humfrey。　　I　hope　it　was　genuine；　for　they　cheated　infamously　in　the　matter　of　this　concretion；　which　ought　to　come　out　of　an　animal's　stomach；　but　the　real　history　of　which　resembles　what　is　sometimes　told　of　modern　sausages。
  There　is　a　famous　law…case　of　James　the　First's　time；　in　which　a　goldsmith　sold　a　hundred　pounds'　worth　of　what　he　called　bezoar；　which　was　proved　to　be　false；　and　the　purchaser　got　a　verdict　against　him。　　Governor　Endicott　also　sends　Winthrop　a　unicorn's　horn；　which　was　the　property　of　a　certain　Mrs。　Beggarly；　who；　in　spite　of　her　name；　seems　to　have　been　rich　in　medical　knowledge　and　possessions。　The　famous　Thomas　Bartholinus　wrote　a　treatise　on　the　virtues　of　this　fabulous…sounding　remedy；　which　was　published　in　1641；　and　republished　in　1678。
  The　〃antimonial　cup；〃　a　drinking　vessel　made　of　that　metal；　which；　like　our　quassia…wood　cups；　might　be　filled　and　emptied　in　saecula　saeculorum　without　exhausting　its　virtues；　is　mentioned　by　Matthew　Cradock；　in　a　letter　to　the　elder　Winthrop；　but　in　a　doubtful　way；　as　it　was　thought；　he　says；　to　have　shortened　the　days　of　Sir　Nathaniel　Riche；　and　Winthrop　himself；　as　I　think；　refers　to　its　use；　calling　it　simply　〃the　cup。〃　　　An　antimonial　cup　is　included　in　the　inventory　of　Samuel　Seabury；　who　died　1680；　and　is　valued　at　five　shillings。°　There　is　a　treatise　entitled　〃The　Universall　Remedy；　or　the　Vertues　of　the　Antimoniall　Cup；　By　John　Evans；　Minister　and　Preacher　of　God's　Word；　London；　1634；〃　in　our　own　Society's　library。
  One　other　special　remedy　deserves　notice；　because　of　native　growth。　I　do　not　know　when　Culver's　root；　Leptandra　Virginica　of　our　National　Pharmacopoeia；　became　noted；　but　Cotton　Mather；　writing　in　1716　to　John　Winthrop　of　New　London；　speaks　of　it　as　famous　for　the　cure　of　consumptions；　and　wishes　to　get　some　of　it；　through　his　mediation；　for　Katharine；　his　eldest　daughter。　　He　gets　it；　and　gives　it　to　the　〃poor　damsel；〃　who　is　languishing；　as　he　says；　and　who　dies　the　next　month；all　the　sooner；　I　have　little　doubt；　for　this　uncertain　and　violent　drug；　with　which　the　meddlesome　pedant　tormented　her　in　that　spirit　of　well…meant　but　restless　quackery；　which　could　touch　nothing　without　making　mischief；　not　even　a　quotation；　and　yet　proved　at　length　the　means　of　bringing　a　great　blessing　to　our　community；　as　we　shall　see　by　and　by；　so　does　Providence　use　our　very　vanities　and　infirmities　for　its　wise　purposes。
  Externally；　I　find　the　practitioners　on　whom　I　have　chiefly　relied　used　the　plasters　of　Paracelsus；　of　melilot；　diachylon；　and　probably　diaphoenicon；　all　well　known　to　the　old　pharmacopoeias；　and　some　of　them　to　the　modern　ones；to　say　nothing　of　〃my　yellow　salve；〃　of　Governor　John；　the　second；　for　the　composition　of　which　we　must　apply　to　his　respected　descendant。
  The　authors　I　find　quoted　are　Barbette's　Surgery；　Camerarius　on　Gout；　and　Wecherus；　of　all　whom　notices　may　be　found　in　the　pages　of　Haller　and　Vanderlinden；　also；　Reed's　Surgery；　and　Nicholas　Culpeper's　Practice　of　Physic　and　Anatomy；　the　last　as　belonging　to　Samuel　Seabury；　chirurgeon；　before　mentioned。　　Nicholas　Culpeper　was　a　shrewd　charlatan；　and　as　impudent　a　varlet　as　ever　prescribed　for　a　colic；　but　knew　very　well　what　he　was　about；　and　badgers　the　College　with　great　vigor。　　A　copy　of　Spigelius's　famous　Anatomy；　in　the　Boston　Athenaeum；　has　the　names　of　Increase　and　Samuel　Mather　written　in　it；　and　was　doubtless　early　overhauled　by　the　youthful　Cotton；　who　refers　to　the　great　anatomist's　singular　death；　among　his　curious　stories　in　the　〃Magnalia；〃　and　quotes　him　among　nearly　a　hundred　authors　whom　he　cites　in　his　manuscript　〃The　Angel　of　Bethesda。〃　　Dr。　John　Clark's　〃books　and　instruments；　with　several　chirurgery　materials　in　the　closet；〃　a　were　valued　in　his　inventory　at　sixty　pounds；　Dr。　Matthew　Fuller；　who　died　in　1678；　left　a　library　valued　at　ten　pounds；　and　a　surgeon's　chest　and　drugs　valued　at　sixteen　pounds。'
  Here　we　leave　the　first　century　and　all　attempts　at　any　further　detailed　accounts　of　medicine　and　its　practitioners。　　It　is　necessary　to　show　in　a　brief　glance　what　had　been　going　on　in　Europe　during　the　latter　part　of　that　century；　the　first　quarter　of　which　had　been　made　illustrious　in　the　history　of　medical　science　by　the　discovery　of　the　circulation。
  Charles　Barbeyrac；　a　Protestant　in　his　religion；　was　a　practitioner　and　teacher　of　medicine　at　Montpellier。　　His　creed　was　in　the　way　of　his　obtaining　office；　but　the　young　men　followed　his　instructions　with　enthusiasm。　　Religious　and　scientific　freedom　breed　in　and　in；　until　it　becomes　hard　to　tell　the　family　of　one　from　that　of　the　other。　　Barbeyrac　threw　overboard　the　old　complex　medical　farragos　of　the　pharmacopoeias；　as　his　church　had　disburdened　itself　of　the　popish　ceremonies。
  Among　the　students　who　followed　his　instructions　were　two　Englishmen：　one　of　them；　John　Locke；　afterwards　author　of　an　〃Essay　on　the　Human　Understanding；〃　three　years　younger　than　his　teacher；　the　other；　Thomas　Sydenham；　five　years　older。　　Both　returned　to　England。　　Locke；　whose　medical　knowledge　is　borne　witness　to　by　Sydenham；　had　the　good　fortune　to　form　a　correct　opinion　on　a　disease　from　which　the　Earl　of　Shaftesbury　was　suffering；　which　led　to　an　operation　that　saved　his　life。　　Less　felicitous　was　his　experience　with　a　certain　ancilla　culinaria　virgo；which　I　am　afraid　would　in　those　days　have　been　translated　kitchen…wench；　instead　of　lady　of　the　culinary　department；who　turned　him　off　after　she　had　got　tired　of　him；　and　called　in　another　practitioner。　＇Locke　and　Sydenham；　p。　124。　　By　John　Brown；　M。　　D。　　Edinburgh；　1866。＇　　This　helped；　perhaps；　to　spoil　a　promising　doctor；　and　make　an　immortal　metaphysician。　　At　any　rate；　Locke　laid　down　the　professional　wig　and　cane；　and　took　to　other　studies。
  The　name　of　Thomas　Sydenham　is　as　distinguished　in　the　history　of　medicine　as　that　of　John　Locke　in　philosophy。　　As　Barbeyrac　was　found　in　opposition　to　the　established　religion；　as　Locke　took　the　rational　side　against　orthodox　Bishop　Stillingfleet；　so　Sydenham　went　with　Parliament　against　Charles；　and　was　never　admitted　a　Fellow　by　the　College　of　Physicians；　which；　after　he　was　dead；　placed　his　bust　in　their　hall　by　the　side　of　that　of　Harvey。
  What　Sydenham　did　for　medicine　was　briefly　this　he　studied　the　course　of　diseases　carefully；　and　especially　as　affected　by　the　particular　season；　to　patients　with　fever　he　gave　air　and　cooling　drinks；　instead　of　smothering　and　heating　them；　with　the　idea　of　sweating　out　their　disease；　he　ordered　horseback　exercise　to　consumptives；　he；　like　his　teacher；　used　few　and　comparatively　simple　remedies；　he　did　not　give　any　drug　at　all；　if　he　thought　none　was　needed；　but　let　well　enough　alone。　　He　was　a　sensible　man；　in　short；　who　applied　his　common　sense　to　diseases　which　he　had　studied　with　the　best　light　of　science　that　he　could　obtain。
  The　influence　of　the　reform　he　introduced　must　have　been　more　or　less　felt　in　this　country；　but　not　much　before　the　beginning　of　the　eighteenth　century；　as　his　great　work　was　not　published　until　1675；　and　then　in　Latin。　　I　very　strongly　suspect　that　there　was　not　so　much　to　reform　in　the　simple　practice　of　the　physician