Abraham ArgillanderArgillander, Abraham
(1722-1800). Swedish. Director of the
saltpetre works at Stockholm.
Correspondent of Linnaeus. thanks for a recent letter from Linnaeus [this letter has not come down to us]. He says that he is sorry and ashamed about the dessert almond in his earlier letter [1 August 1752Letter L2432], that turned into a sloe.

The Heinola Astragalus varies with yellow and blue flowers. He has already sent the yellow variety, and is now enclosing the blue one.

It is difficult to procure seeds of the new Arabis, that grows in sand, preferably over rock. He encloses a couple.

This spring Argillander has tried the effect of bird-cherry cortex on intermittent fevers and found it fairly good. He has used the dried bark and boiled it in water for 12 hours. The decoct is administrated to the patient just before the paroxysm after one or two fits of ague. The regime of administration and the dosage has varied considerably. The result, however, is regarded as favourable. The only disadvantage is the abominable taste of the medicine. It cannot be used on delicate patients, whereas country folk, and those who judge the effectiveness of the medicine by its stinging and burning taste, can accept it very well.

A peasant in Savolax in Finland, named HeiskanenHeiskanen, Swedish. Farmer,
Savolax, Finland. , made some local fame out of it and cured a lot of sick people, especially those infected by veneric diseases.

Argillander knows nothing about the effect of the pulverised bark or the extract. That has to be tried.