I have not the smallest doubt that Dr. Solander has admirably described his scarce plants, as he was one of the most solid Botanists amongst my pupils: I beg you to give my best respects to him. I lament, beyond measure, the untimely end of Mr. Forscalleus; and it was not in my power to refrain from tears. In his death the best interests of science have sustained a greater loss than I can bear to think of. Continue to inform me of your movements; let me know what countries you visit, and what you meet with worthy of observation; and remain my stedfast friend, as I shall ever remain yours. Farewell, continue to remember me. No. IV. Upsal, February 20, 1767. MR. ADAM KUHN, MY DEAR FRIEND, I have learnt from your letter, that you are about to produce the first proof of your acquirements, in an essay, On the power and efficacy of the Cold Bath on the Human body; I therefore cannot refrain from heartily congratulating you on this little work, since I shall ever regard what occurs favourable and fortunately for you, in the same light as if it had happened to myself; for, from the period in which, having set sail from the shores of your favoured Pennsylvania, you reached our city of Upsal, I have ever cherished you as a beloved son, for your correct and engaging deportment, in which none of the foreigners excelled you; for your unwearied ardor and application in cultivating the sciences, in which you were surpassed by no one; for your undisguised friendship, in which none could have equalled you. Nothing will be more ardently desired by me than that, being speedily restored to your friends, you may long prosperously flourish and collect the wonderful treasures of your country; where I may hope to see, with your eyes, a most beautiful region, abounding with as many rare Mammalia, Birds, Amphibia, Fishes, Insects, &c.* as perhaps any other country in the world. For I seem to myself to behold you wandering in your native woods, amongst Liriodendrons, &c. interspersed with Liquidambars, &c.* amongst which the ground is strewed and covered with Helianthuses, &c. while the Humming Birds, shaking their • It was not thought necessary to repeat all these particulars in the translation: they will be found in the original. golden wings, sip the nectar of the Chelone, and the different kinds of Mocking Birds, join in a thousand melodious notes, amongst hosts of winged songsters, from the tops of the trees. But a year would scarcely suffice to enumerate, much less to describe the enjoyments of your paradise. Finally I beg, that when on your return, your eyes are feasting on the delights of your flowers, you may still remember me. No. V. MR. ADAM KUHN, MY DEAR FRiend, Upsal, 26th February, 1767. I this day received your letter dated 12th of January, and observed with the greatest pleasure, that you have been appointed Professor of Botany, and Materia Medica in the College of Philadelphia; on which I most cordially congratulate you.* I mentioned this circumstance to my wife and children, and they all participate the great joy, which your good fortune has occasioned me. I shall attend to your request respecting the societies, as soon as you write to me from your own country. Within these few days, I have brought to a conclusion, the first volume of the Systema Naturæ, which contains about ninety sheets; a second volume is now in the press, in which Mr. Hope will see his Hopea sent to me by Mr. Garden. My Clavis Medicinæ, which was published upwards of a year ago, might possibly be of service to you in the Materia Medica; I wish I knew how it could reach you; it consists of two sheets only, containing thirty-two pages. I am well acquainted with Mr. Walker from his writings, and have frequently quoted him when treating on the zoophytes. He is a most ingenious man, and I beg you to make my respects to him. I have indeed seen the eyes of the cuttle-fish, and you will find that I have not denied their existence; but still I am not convinced that they are really eyes; perhaps some organ of sense, to us unknown. I wrote, if I mistake not, that we last year, celebrated the nuptials of Miss Gran Caissa. She now resides at Huggby; not in your house, but in the adjoining one. She married Andrew Ersen, *There must be some mistake here; Doctor Kuhn was appointed Professor of Materia Medica and Botany in January, 1768. the son of a farmer at that place. At her wedding we drank to your health. My whole family desires to be most affectionately remembered to you. If you should meet the celebrated Hope, beg from him some American seeds for me; many of those formerly sent, through his kindness, germinated and sprouted. Mr. Bæckman, who succeeded to your place and chamber, and remained with me a year and a half, has already been appointed Professor of Natural History, at Göttingen. Mr. Konig, a former pupil of mine, returned last year from Iceland, with many new things in natural science. When you next write, address your letter to the Royal Society of Sciences, Upsal; for I open all the letters myself; therefore there is no occasion for a cover. No. VI. Upsal, 20th November, 1772. MR. ADAM KUнN. MY DEAR FRIEND, As a good opportunity offers of sending a letter to you by a young clergyman* of ours, who is going to your favoured Pennsylvania, I cannot let it pass without writing, to pay my respects to you, and to recommend him to you, as a truly learned man. I am very much obliged to you for the transactions of your society,† and for having admitted me into the number of your memEbers. This is evidently owing to your warm attachment to me, which I shall ever highly value. Your brother now resides at Upsal. He has been with me but three times. He resembles you extremely, both in his appearance and engaging manners. I send with this, my second Mantissa, which perhaps you have not yet seen. I wish you would give to the world a dissertation on the Asteres of your country, which are very numerous; and that you would mark * Doctor Nicholas Collin, the present pastor of the Swedish Church at Philadelphia. The American Philosophical Society. Daniel Kuhn, appointed pastor of the Swedish Church at Christiana, near Wilmington, Delaware; who died at London, without returning to his native country. VOL. VIII. 2 I No. 30. accurately their specific characters, as this genus is extremely dif ficult to us Europeans. On the arrival of this clergyman of ours, another may possibly come to us from you; in that case, I pray and intreat you, to send me some dried plants and some seeds; amongst which I most ardently wish for the seeds of the Kuhnia, which perished in our garden. I have at present two pupils at the Cape of Good Hope, Messrs. Tunberg and Sparmann; who are assiduously engaged in collecting plants. Next year, Tunberg will go to Japan, with the Dutch Logation. My whole family unites in wishes for your welfare. I am yours, whilst I live. Farewell. MEDICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL INTELLIGENCE. Extract of a Letter from a Physician, at Florence, to his Friend in Philadelphia, dated October 12, 1817; on the state of Medical Science in Italy. MY DEAR SIR, PERMIT me to give a brief sketch of the principal medical schools, and a slight notice of the leading professors; imperfect 'tis true, but given with the hope that it may not be displeasing to you. Pavia, Bologna, and Pisa, are the three most celebrated cities of the day, for medical instruction. The ancient fame of the first, is supported by the genius and exertions of Scarpa, aided by his fellow professors Borda, Buccellati, and Racchetti; the last is teacher of Pathological Institutes. The very extensive collection of morbid subjects, showing every stage of disease with its corresponding effects, enables this last branch of medicine to be taught with peculiar advantage. Bologna may vie with Pavia, in the antiquity and celebrity of her university; which could, at one time, boast of twelve thousand scholars, in all the branches of science; but, in common with all other similar establishments in Italy, declined very much; and at present, the number of young men who attend does not exceed five hundred. The names of Malpighi and Galvani, are however, of themselves, sufficient to entitle her to our respect, nor do the zeal and talents of her sons suffer any diminution; for at this moment she can boast of having one of the first physicians of Italy, in the person of Tommasini, professor of the Institutes and Practice. He has contributed much by his labours to improve our science, and is now one of the leaders in bringing about a reform of it. He has written on the Yellow Fever, on Diathesis, Inflammation, &c. His coadjutors are, in Anatomy, Mondini, and in Midwifery, Terminini; also Rubini, who has written on Irritation. I had heard much of the |