and about one the other; there were no roads, and they had to go by marked trees. The snow was very deep when they moved there, and my mother had to travel over a mile on snow shoes through the woods to get to their habitation. My parents were poor, having nothing to begin the world with; but had to depend upon their labor for support. My father had bought a piece of wild land on credit, and had to pay for it by his labor in what he could make off the land, which caused us great hardships and deprivations for a long time.

As soon as I began to form any correct ideas of things, my mind was much irritated by the impressions made on it by my parents, who, no doubt with very good intentions, filled my young head with all kinds of hob-goblin and witchstories, which made a very deep impression on my mind, and which were not entirely eradicated for many years. I mention this as a caution to parents, not to tell their children any thing but the truth; for young children naturally believe whatever their parents tell them, and when they frighten them with such stories, for the purpose of making them behave well, it will most generally have a very bad effect; for when they arrive at years of discretion, and find that all those stories are falsehoods, they will naturally form very unfavorable opinions of their parents, whose duty it is to set them better examples.

Domestic Medicine in Thomson's Day.

When I was between three and four years old, my father took me out with him to work. The first business I was set to do was to drive the cows to pasture, and watch the geese, with other small chores, which occupation kept me all day in the fields. I was very curious to know the names of all the herbs which I saw growing, and what they were good for; and, to satisfy my curiosity was constantly making inquiries of the persons I happened to be with, for that purpose. All the information I thus obtained, or by my own observation, I carefully laid up in my memory, and never forgot. There was an old lady by the name of Benton lived near us, who used to attend our family when there was any sickness. At that time there was no such thing as a Doctor known among us, there not being any within ten miles. The whole of her practice was with roots and herbs, applied to the patient, or given in hot drinks, to produce sweating; which always answered the purpose. When one thing did not produce the desired effect, she would try something else, till they were relieved. By her attention to the family, and the benefits they received from her skill, we became very much attached to her; and when she used to go out to collect roots and herbs, she would take me with her, and learn me their names, with what they were good for; and I used to be very curious in my inquiries, and in tasting every thing that I found. The information I thus obtained at this early age, was afterwards of great use to me.

Discovery of Lobella.

Sometime in the summer, after I was four years old, being out in the fields in search of the cows, I discovered a plant which had a singular branch and pods, that I had never before seen, and I had the curiosity to pick some of the pods and chew them; the taste and operation produced was so remarkable, that I never forgot it. I afterwards used to induce other boys to chew it, merely by way of sport, to see them vomit. I tried this herb in this way for nearly twenty years, without knowing any thing of its medical virtues. This plant is what I have called the Emetic Herb, and is the most important article I make use of in my practice. It is very common in most parts of this country, and may be prepared and used

in almost any manner. It is a certain counter poison, having never been known to fail to counteract the effects of the most deadly poison, even when taken in large quantities for self-destruction. There is no danger to be apprehended from its use, as it is perfectly harmless in its operation, even when a large quantity is taken; it operates as an emetic, cleanses the stomach from all improper aliment, promotes an internal heat, which is immediately felt at the extremities, and produces perspiration.

The Lobelia Patent, “My Right to the Discovery."

The exclusive right of using this plant for medical purposes is secured to me by patent, and my right to the discovery has never been disputed; though the Doctors have done every thing they could to destroy the credit of it, by false statemente, representing it to be a deadly poison, and at the same time they knew to the contrary, for they have made use of it themselves for several years, and have tried to defraud me of the discovery. I feel perfectly convinced from near forty years' experience of its medical properties, that the discovery is of incalculable importance, and if properly understood by the people will be more useful in curing the diseases incident to this climate, than the drugs and medicines sold by all the apothecaries in the country.

Experimentation with Lobelia on Child Friends.

The winter I was eight years old, I was very sick with the canker-rash; but was attended by the widow Benton, who cured me by making use of such medicine as our country afforded, and I was in a short time able to be about. After I had got well, my mind was more attentive to the use of roots and herbs as medicine, than ever. I had at that time a very good knowledge of the principal roots and herbs to be found in that part of the country, with their names and medical uses; and the neighbors were in the habit of getting me to go with them to show them such roots and herbs as the doctors ordered to be made use of in sickness, for syrups, &c. and by way of sport they used to call me doctor. While in the field at work I used often to find the herb, which I tasted when four years old, and gave it to those who worked with me, to see them spit and often vomit; but I never observed any bad effect produced by it, which simple experiments eventually led me to observe the value of it in disease.

Hope of Becoming a Physician and Subsequent Disappointment.

Sometime during the year that I was sixteen years old, I heard my parents say, that as my mind was so much taken up with roots and herbs, they thought it best to send me to live with a Doctor Fuller, of Westmoreland, who was called a root doctor. This pleased me very much, and in some measure raised my ambition; but I was soon after disappointed in my hopes, for they said I had not learning enough, and they did not know how to spare me from my work, which depressed my spirits, and was very discouraging to me. I now gave up all hopes of going to any other business, and tried to reconcile myself to spend my days in working on a farm, which made me very unhappy. I had little learning, and was awkward and ignorant of the world, as my father had never given me any chance to go into company, to learn how to behave, which caused me great uneasiness.

A Wound and Its Results Illustrating the Terrible Methods of Medical Practice, Domestic, Empirical, and Regular at that Date. "My father in dressing my wound had drawn a string through between the heel-cord and the bone, and another between that and the skin; so that two-thirds of the way round my ancle was hollow." In the year 1788, when I was in my nineteenth year, my father purchased a piece of land on Onion river, in the state of Vermont, and on the 12th day of October, he started from Alstead, and took me with him, to go to work on the land and clear up some of it to build a house on, as it was all covered with wood. In about four days after our arrival, we were enabled to clear a small spot and to build us a camp to live in; we had to do our own cooking and washing; our fare was poor, and we had to work very hard; but we got along tolerably well till the 2d of December, when I had the misfortune to cut my ancle very badly, which accident prevented me from doing any labor for a long time, and almost deprived me of life. The wound was a very bad one, as it split the joint and laid the bone entirely bare, so as to lose the juices of my ancle joint to such a degree as to reduce my strength very much. My father sent for a Doctor Cole, of Jericho, who ordered sweet apple-tree bark to be boiled, and the wound to be washed with it, which caused great pain, and made it much worse, so that in eight days my strength was almost exhausted; the flesh on my leg and thigh was mostly gone, and my life was despaired of; the doctor said he could do no more for me; my father was greatly alarmed about me, and said that if Dr. Kitteridge, of Walpole, could be sent for, he thought he might help me; but I told him it would be in vain to send for him, for I could not live so long as it would take to go after him, without some immediate assistance. He said he did not know what to do; I told him that there was one thing I had thought of which I wished to have tried, if it could be obtained, that I thought would help me. He anxiously inquired what it was, and I told him if he could find some comfrey root, I would try a plaster made of that and turpentine. He immediately went to an old place that was settled before the war, and had the good luck to find some; a plaster was prepared by my directions and applied to my ancle, the side opposite to the wound, and had the desired effect; the juices stopped running in about six hours, and I was very much relieved; though the pain continued to be very severe and the inflammation was great; the juices settled between the skin and bone, and caused a suppuration, which broke in about three weeks; during which time I did not have three nights sleep, nor did I eat any thing. This accidental remedy was found through necessity, and was the first time the mother of invention held forth her hand to me. The success which attended this experiment, and the natural turn of my mind to those things, I think was a principal cause of my continuing to practice the healing art to this time.

Our stock of provisions being now exhausted, and my wound somewhat better, my father was very anxious to return to Alstead. He asked me if I thought I could bear the journey, if he should place me on a bed laid in a sled. I answered that I was willing to try. He immediately went to work and fixed a sled, and put me in it on a straw bed; and on the first day of January, 1789, we began our journey. There was very little snow, and the road rough, which caused the sled to jolt very much, and my sufferings were great. It was very doubtful with my father, and likewise with me, whether I should live to perform the journey; but we proceeded on, however, without any thing important happening, except wearing out the runners of our sled, and having to make new ones, and accomplished twenty

miles the first day. At a place where we stopped all night, there was a woman whose situation apppeared to me so much worse than my own, that I felt much encouraged. She had been sick with a fever, and the doctor had given so much poisonous medicine, to break the fever, as he called it, she was left in a most miserable situation. Her side and shoulder were in a putrid state, and in full as bad a condition as my ancle. My father in dressing my wound had drawn a string through between the heel-cord and bone, and another between that and the skin; so that two-thirds of the way round my ancle was hollow.

Discouraged to Desperation. Dr. Kitteridge Becomes a Good Samaritan.

When we got on to the high land there was considerable snow, and we got along much more comfortably. I had to be carried in on the bed and laid by the fire, every night during the journey. The people generally, where we stopped, treated me with kindness, and showed much pity for me in my distressed situation; but they all thought that I should not live to get through the journey. The doctors had advised to have my leg cut off, as the only means of saving my life, and all those who saw me during our journey, expressed the same opinion; and I think it would have been done had I given my consent; but I positively refused to agree to it, so the plan was given up. I preferred to take my chance with my leg on, to having it taken off; which resolution I have never repented of, to this day.

On arriving in Walpole, my father proceeded immediately to the house of the famous Dr. Kitteridge, to have him dress my wound, and get his opinion of my situation; he not being at home, and it being nearly dark, we concluded to put up for the night, and I was carried in on my bed and laid by the fire. The doctor soon came home, and on entering the room where I was, cried out in a very rough manner, Who have you here? His wife answered, a sick man. The devil, replied he, I want no sick man here. I was much terrified by his coarse manner of speaking, and thought if he was so rough in his conversation, what will he be when he comes to dress my wound; but I was happily disappointed, for he took off the dressing with great care, and handled me very tenderly. On seeing the strings that were in the wound, he exclaimed, What the devil are these halters here for? My father told him they were put in to keep the sore open. He said he thought the sore open enough now, for it is all rotten. Being anxious to know his opinion of me, my father asked him what he thought of my situation. What do I think? said he, why I think he will die; and then looking very pleasantly at me, said, though I think young man, you will get well first. In the morning he dressed my ancle again, and gave me some salve to use in future; and my father asked him for his bill, which was, I think, for our keeping and his attending me, about fifty cents. A great contrast between this and what is charged at the present time by our regular physicians; for they will hardly look at a person without making them pay two or three dollars. I have been more particular in describing this interview with Dr. Kitteridge, on account of his extraordinary skill in surgery, and the great name he acquired, and justly deserved, among the people throughout the country. His system of practice was peculiarly his own, and all the medicines he used were prepared by himself, from the roots and herbs of our own country. He was a very eccentric character, and uncouth in his manners; but he possessed a good heart, and a benevolent disposition. He was governed in his practice by that great plan which is dictated by nature; and the uncommon success he met with is evidence enough to satisfy any reasonable mind, of the

superiority of it over what is the practice of those who become doctors by reading only, with their poisons and their instruments of torture.

Empirical Study of Field and Forest Plants.

My mind was bent on learning the medical properties of such vegetables as I met with, and was constantly in the habit of tasting every thing of the kind I saw; and having a retentive memory, I have always recollected the taste and use of all that were ever shown me by others, and likewise of all that I discovered myself. This practice of tasting of herbs and roots has been of great advantage to me, as I have always been able to ascertain what is useful for any particular disease, by that means. I was often told that I should poison myself by tasting every thing I saw; but I thought I ought to have as much knowledge as a beast, for they possess an instinct to discover what is good for food, and what is necessary for medicine. I had but very little knowledge of disease at this time; but had a great inclination to learn whatever I had an opportunity; and my own experience, which is the best school, had often called my attention to the subject.

First Overdose of Lobella and Its Results.

The herb which I had discovered when four years old, I had often met with; but it had never occurred to me that it was of any value as medicine, until about this time, when mowing in the field with a number of men, one day, I cut a sprig of it, and gave it to the man next to me, who ate it; when he had got to the end of the piece, which was about six rods, he said that he believed what I had given him would kill him, for he never felt so in his life. I looked at him and saw that he was in a most profuse perspiration, being as wet all over as he could be; he trembled very much, and there was no more color in him than a corpse. I told him to go to the spring and drink some water; he attempted to go, and got as far as the wall, but was unable to get over it, and laid down on the ground and vomited several times. He said he thought he threw off his stomach two quarts. I then helped him into the house, and in about two hours he ate a very hearty dinner, and in the afternoon was able to do a good half day's labor. He afterwards told me that he never had anything do him so much good in his life; his appetite was remarkably good, and he felt better than he had for a long time. This circumstance gave me the first idea of the medical virtues of this valuable plant, which I have since found by forty years' experience, in which time I have made use of it in every disease I have met with, to great advantage, that it is a discovery of the greatest importance.

First Use of "Steaming" by Thomson.

When my second daugher was about two years old she was taken sick, and had what is called the canker-rash. Dr. Bliss, who lived on my farm, was sent for, and he said she had that disorder as bad as any one he ever saw. He tried his utmost skill to prevent putrefaction, which he feared would take place; but after using every exertion in his power, without doing her any good, he said he could do no more, she must die. She was senseless, and the canker was to be seen in her mouth, nose, and ears, and one of her eyes was covered with it and closed; the other began to swell and turn purple also. I asked the doctor if he could not keep the canker out of this eye; but he said it would be of no use, for she could not live. I told him that if he could do no more, I would try what I