Part of a Letter from Dr. Ashe, Lord Bishop of Cloyne, Dated March the 26th 1687. Concerning the Effects of Imagination the Vertues of Mackenboy, etc.

IX. Part of a Letter from Dr. Ashe, Lord Bishop of Cloyne, dated March the 26th 1687, concerning the Effects of Imagination the Vertues of Mackenboy, &c. Last January in the County of Kilkenny I observed a very remarkable Instance of the Force of Imagination upon the Fœtus, 'twas a Girl called Elizabeth Dooly; of about Thirteen Years of Age, whose Mother being with Child of her, was frighted by a Cow as she milked it, and hit with the Teat on the left Temple within One Eighth of an Inch from her Eye, in which very Place the Girl has a piece of Flesh growing exactly like a Cows Teat in Bignets, Shape, &c. except that it has a Bone in the Midst of it, which reaches above half the length, this Piece of Flesh is perforated, and she weeps through it, when she laughs it wrinkles up, it grows in Proportion to the rest of her Body, she is as sensible there as in any other Part. March the Third in the Evening we had very much Thunder, and that and the next Day the Mercury in the Barometer was much lower than ever I observed it, viz. but \( \frac{4}{5} \) above Twenty Eight Inches. On Friday Night, the 18th of this Month, I observed here the Occultation of Saturn by the Moon, which happened at 12 h. 13'. 55''. it pas'd directly under the midst of the Moon's Discus, the spightful Clouds hindered our Emerion. Dr. Mullen tryed lately an Experiment upon the famous Irish Herb called, Mackenboy, or Tithimalus Hibernicus, which is by the Natives reported to be so strong a Purge, that even the carrying it about one in their Cloaths is sufficient to produce the Effect; this fabulous Story which has long prevail'd, he prov'd false, by carrying its Roots for Three Days in his Pocket, without any Alteration of that sort. A Quarry of white Marble is lately discovered in the County of Antrim, a Specimen of which was brought to us; 'tis of an extremely fine Grain, soft at first, but grows very hard afterwards, like your Portland Stone.