A fine autograph letter signed discussing botanical and medical matters, 3 1/2-pages folio. [ 105-lines, 900 words] London,13th July 1769.

"Dear Sir, I received very safe the volumes of the Hortus ........I believe I informed you that the four volumes were formerly the property of Dr. Tancred Robinson at whose sale I purchased them. I thank you for the specimens of plants you sent me. The Museus Arboreus is very curious, a considerable quantity of the North Amercan Oxycoccus was brought to me two years since as Maidenhair by Mr Phipps who was with Mr Bankes at Labrador. I told Mr Phipps of this mistake at the time. Of the Labrador Mr Bankes likewise brought some fine specimens in flower. It grows upon Newfoundland, Labrador & in the neighbourhood of Hudsons bay in great plenty where it is used by the natives & inhabitants both as a grateful liquor & as a medicine in....rheumatic cases. A quantity of it was given me by Capt. Middleton who went to discover the North West passage near thirty years since............It thrives very well here & Dr. Fothergill has besides others a very large plant of it now in fruit which I saw & examined last week. Dr Pitcairn has likewise a plant of it growing in his garden at Islington. It is not only in your neighbourhood but here in London that great quantities of the spurious North American sarsparilla are sold for the true..." and continues by discussing the origins of various types of sarsa, and continues ".....I have not yet sent for the new edition of Haller as my various necessary engagements leave me scarce time for study though I always rise early. I shall take an early opportunity of examining it as I was much pleased & informed by the first. Besides being a physiologist, anatomist & botanist Baron Haller is a first rate German poet.....Sir Joshua Pringle & Dr. Franklin set out in a few days for Switzerland wherein a visit to Baron Haller is not an inconsiderable object. I should not be sorry to make a third in this expedition. ..................... I have seen Mr Cribb with whom I have already had two patients. One ...... I only saw when he was dying of an Opisthotonos as for some hours before I saw him he had not been able to swallow any thing. Mr Cribb was suspicious of the Hydrophobia but I know the disease though I had never seen it before..........I ..believed it must be owing to some wounded nervous tendinous part. Upon enquiring it was found that about a week before he had cut the nail of one of his fingers through with a chissel & that the end of this divided nail had by being improperly managed pressed upon the tender parts underneath. The patient was well & abroad on Friday & dyed on Sunday morning..........." etc. He finishes by describing the progress of his son's medical training "at Spa...there are a great many English there ....he is exceedingly well received............." . 3 1/2 sides folio. Usual folds with address panel "To Dr. Pulteney, F.R.S. Physician, at Blandford". Several splits on folds but with no loss. A rare autograph.