dical botany of our own country should have been so much neglected;
and I am not singular in this opinion, as many eminent medical men
have expressed themselves to the same effect; and, indeed, many of the
plants which I use are now frequently resorted to by the faculty. I
claim _no specific_ in the treatment of those diseases which come
under my cognizance; I merely state that my mode of managing those
cases has been extremely successful, and refer the reader to the
following cases as a proof of my assertion.

It will be seen that many of these cases have been of long standing.
This has been done for the purpose of showing that the medicines and
treatment generally exert a permanent effect on the constitution of
the patient, thus allaying the scruples of many persons, that although
they may be successful for a certain period, they may not prevent a
relapse. This may be perfectly true in some cases; all the patients in
these cases were perfectly well when this pamphlet went to press; yet
I will not positively assert that they shall always continue so. This
assurance would be foolish and indiscreet, because there is scarcely
one disease to which the human frame is subject, which may not, on
some peculiar exciting cause being applied, be again brought into
action, although the person may have been perfectly relieved from the
first attack. Instances of this description frequently occur in
secondary attacks of measles, small-pox, scarlet fever, &c.; and
surely it may occur in a disease like scrofula, the nature and
treatment of which has "_perplexed the researches and baffled the
efforts of the most eminent writers and practitioners of Europe_." At
any rate, when we see cases of twenty years' standing, and upwards,
there is but little room for suspicion of a relapse.

In conclusion, I have to beg that the reader will attentively peruse
the observations on Scrofula and Cancer; as I consider it highly
important that every individual should be fully acquainted with the
symptoms of these, too often, intractable diseases, and that their
approaches should be crushed at the onset. As to the cases, the reader
is at full liberty to make every inquiry; and being based upon the
foundation of truth, I have no apprehension as to the result proving
perfectly satisfactory, whether such inquiry be directed by an honest
impulse, or by feelings of a more questionable description.

JOHN KENT
_Stanton, Aug. 10, 1833._

ON
STRUMA, S