The Virginia magazine of history and biography

LETTERS OF COLONEL WILLIAM BYRD, 2D. 121passions that they wont see when they are well offered. Godsend your trip to Scarbrough may restore that precious healthwhich is so valuable to your Family and your Friends. And ifthose healing Springs should make you well I shall think theydeserve all the Himms & Panygericks which the Poets have latelylavished upon them. Nay upon so pleasing a Provocation Ishould almost venture to bestride Pegasus myself and renew myacquaintance with the muses which like some other of my goodFriends I fear have forgot us.But Pray good sir what may the Distemper be that provokesyou to make all those experiments ? Doth any thing affect vourHead, your Stomach, or your Liver, or doth your Blood circulatetoo Sluggishly ? Do your spirits run low or nutter aboutyour Heart ? If you have any of these complaints pray try whatGinsing that Plant of Life can do for you. I have with great difficultyprocured an ounce of it which this gentleman will deliversafe to you and the best way of taking it is after the followingmanner:Divide the ounce into seven equal parts and cut each part verysmall before you use it. Put into a Small Silver Tea pot andhaving poured boiling water upon it cover it close and let it Simmergently over live coals till the third part of the water be consumed,with what remain fill a large coffee cup and drink it earlyin the morning Sweetened with sugar candy. At night boil thesame over again but let it stand longer over the Fire, to draw outall the Virtue and drink it just as you step into bed. Continuethis for seven days till you have taken the whole ounce, livingtemperately all the while and riding out every day * * *I wish you may be recovered perfectly before this Remedycomes but tho' you be, take it to make your Health more boistrous,and if it prove any Benefit to you or any pleasure to mySister, 'twill all the same time be a great Joy to Dear Sir, etc.To Mr. Otway.(5)To Mrs. Otway.Virginia, the 2nd of Octob'r, 1735.All the Dudgeon I had conceived for my Dear Sister's Si-