KALM'S   TRAVELS  IN  NORTH   AMERICA.                                  49.5
The number of thofe ftrong plants occafioned a pleafant fcent to rife in the woods every
morning and evening. It is therefore not unreafonable to think that the noxioufhefs
of the effluvia from putrifying fubftances was then prevented, fo that they were not fo
dangerous to the inhabitants.
Several remedies are employed againft this difeafe : the jefuit's bark was formerly
a certain one, but at prefent it has not always this effect, though they fell it genuine,
and for the very beft. Many people accufed it of leaving fomething noxious in the
body. Yet it was commonly obferved, that when the bark was good, and it was
taken as foon as the fever made its appearance, and before the body was weakened,
it was almoft fure to conquer the fever, fo that the cold fits never returned, and no
pain or ftiffnefs remained in the limbs ; but when the difeafe is rooted in, and has
confiderably weakened the patients, or they are naturally very weak, the fever leaves
them after ufing the jefuit's bark, but returns again in a fortnight's time, and obliges
them to take the bark again ; but the confequence frequently is a pain and a ftiffnefs
in their limbs, and fometimes in their bowels, which almoft hinders them from walk-
ing : this pain continues for feveral years together, and even accompanies fome to the
grave. This bad effect is partly attributed to the bark, which can fe'dom be got ge-
nuine here, and partly to the little care which the patients take in ufing the bark. A
man of my acquaintance was particularly dexterous in expelling the ague by the ufe
of the jefuit's bark. His manner of proceeding was as follows : when it was poffibley
the patient muft ufe the remedy as foon as the fever begun, and before it was fettled
in his body ; but before he took the medicine he was to take a diaphoretic remedy,
as that had been found very falutary ; and as the fever is frequently of fuch a nature
here as not to make the patient fweat, even when the hot fit is upon him, a per-
fpiration was to be brought about by fome other means. To that purpofe the pa-
tient took his dofe on the day when he had his cold fit, and was not allowed to eat
any thing at night. The next morning he continued in a warm bed, drank a quan-
tity of tea, and was well covered, that he might perfpire plentifully. He continued
fo till the perfpiration ceafed, and then left the bed in a hot room, and waflied his
body with milk-warm water, in order to cleanfe it from the impurities that fettled on
it from the perfpiration, and to prevent their flopping up of the pores. The patient
was then dried again, and at laft he took the bark feveral times in one day. This
was repeated twice or thrice on the days after he had the ague, and it commonly left
him without returning, and moft people recover fo well that they do not look pale
after their ficknefs.
The bark of the root of the tulip tree, or liriodendron tulipifera, taken in the fame
manner as the jefuit's bark, fometimes had a fimilar effect.
Several people peeled the roots of the cornus florida, or dog-wood, and gave this
peel to patients ; and even fome people, who could not be cured by the jefuit's bark,
have recovered by the help of this. I have likewife feen people cured of the fever
by taking brimftone reduced to powder, and mixed with fugar, every night before
they went to bed, and every morning before they got Up : they took it three or four
times in the intervals, and at each time drank fome warm liquor, to wafh the
powder down. However, others that tried the fame remedy did not find much relief
from it.
Some people collected the yellow bark of the peach tree, efpecially that which is
on the root, and boiled it in water, till half of it was evaporated by boiling. Of this
decoction the patient took every morning about a wine glafs full before he had eaten
any thing.    This liquor has a difagreeable tafte, and contracts the mouth and tongue
like