AN 
ANSWER 
TO A 
Late SCURRILOUS PAMPHLET, 
Published by 
One BAKER and his ACCOMPLICES
Respecting Dr. James's Powder, 
AND 
Sold at a PUBLIC-HOUSE in the Liberties of 
the Fleet. 
--Moveat: cornicula risum 
Furtivis nudata coloribus. HOR. 
LONDON: 
Printed for J. BOUQUET, in Pater-noster-Row, 
[Price Six-pence.](1)
AN 
ANSWER, &c. 
FOR some Time past a Pamphlet has been sold 
at a Punch-House, (probably because no Book- 
seller would be concerned in it) more replete 
with Scandal, Malice, and Untruths, than perhaps 
any one that ever yet appear’d in the World. And 
tho’ Dr. James, the Subject of this notorious Per- 
formance, may not think it worthy of an Answer, 
yet I, as a Friend to Truth, and to prevent the Pub- 
lic from being most egregiously impos’d upon, the 
Thing principally aimed at in that Essay, must in 
few Words relate some Facts which have come to 
my Knowledge, and which are attested in the Man- 
ner that will be seen hereafter. It gives me Concern 
that in this Undertaking, I am obliged to rake up 
the Ashes of the Dead; and if Baker had the Re- 
gard he pretends to for the deceased Schwanberg he 
would never have put me under a Necessity of doing 
it. But his Attachment to his dear Friend and the 
Public seems to be utterly superseded by that Regard 
which he pays to his dearer self. 
I am unwilling to trouble the Reader with any Part 
of that idle Performance, but as this Pamphlet would 
not be intelligible without it, I must ask his Pardon 
for introducing him to such an Acquaintance; and 
that it may give him as little Disgust as possible, I 
promise to be as short as the Nature of the Subject 
will permit. 
We begin then with giving a most glaring Instance 
of the virtuous Mr. Baker’s Truth and Integrity, 
which you will please to take from his Address to the 
Public. 
‘ As the Public in general may be interested in the 
‘ following(2)
‘ following extraordinary Proceedings, I think it a 
‘ Duty incumbent upon me, to communicate to them 
‘ the Truth, and nothing but Truth; in order to 
‘ vindicate the Ashes of, perhaps, as great a Man, as 
‘ ever graced and served this Island for Centuries past. 
‘ And that the Public may no longer be deceived, and 
‘ without Reason prejudiced against these most valu- 
‘ able Medicines, it is no more than expedient that 
‘ we should give some Account, not only of the In- 
‘ ventor, but also of the Right the Proprietor has to 
‘ both the Medicines, and the Opportunities he had 
‘ of learning how to prepare and administer them for 
‘ several Years, in consequence of an intimate Ac- 
‘ quaintance that subsisted between them, till the 
‘ time of the Inventor’s Death. 
‘ As for the Inventor then, he was no less a Man 
‘ than the ingenious and truly learned Baron Schwan- 
‘ berg, who, at his first Appearance on the Stage of 
‘ Life, surprized Mankind with his uncommon Judg- 
‘ ment, and was, in Germany, universally accounted, 
‘ what in England we call a First rate Genius. As 
‘ the Generality of my Countrymen, however, have 
‘ a natural Dislike to foreign Genealogy, we shall 
‘ instead of tracing his lineal Descent from one of the 
‘ noblest Families in Germany, content ourselves with 
‘ giving a brief, tho’ impartial Account of his moral 
‘ Dispositions and acquired Learning; since the for- 
‘ mer evince him a Man of the strictest Virtue and 
‘ Integrity; and the latter proves not only the Ex- 
‘ tent of his Genius, but also his indefatigable Indus- 
‘ try and incomparable Advances in abstruse Chemis- 
‘ try. As for his moral Dispositions the most rigid 
‘ and devout Casuist could only have found fault with 
‘ one of them, which was Credulity; a Vice in most 
‘ other Men, but in him, only a constitutional Im- 
‘ perfection, which never exerted itself except to 
‘ the Prejudice of himself and Family; for tho he let
‘ no [3]
‘ no Phenomenon in Nature escape, without exploring 
‘ its Properties, and investigating its Causes accord- 
‘ ing to the strictest Principles of modern Philosophy; 
‘ yet if an artful or designing Man happened to ply 
‘ him with specious Promises, and unbounded As- 
‘ surances of Friendship and Honesty, he forthwith 
‘ fell, in some respect or other, a Victim to the Chi- 
‘ canery and Baseness of his supposed worthy Ac- 
‘ quaintance. 
‘ This Gentleman, whose Integrity was equal to 
‘ his Learning, both of which were as great as ever 
‘ concurred to adorn a human Mind, never, wilfully, 
‘ broke his Word, and spared no Pains instruct me 
‘ in making, and In safely administring those invalu- 
‘ able Medicines, which he had the greatest Happiness 
‘ to be the Inventor of, and which I did, with Suc- 
‘ cess, for several Years, in the Life-time of this 
‘ worthy and ingenious Man; for he appeared at a 
‘ Time when Chymistry so much engrossed the Study 
‘ of the German Nobility, that the Man who was not 
‘ an expert Chymist was not thought to have had the 
‘ Advantages of a liberal Education, and consequently 
‘ could not have free Access into the most polite 
‘ Company and Conversation. This Circumstance
‘ raised his natural Emulation, and soon enabled him 
‘ to excel his Cotemporaries in that great Science, the 
‘ Advantages of which are now sufficiently known to 
‘ Mankind.’ 
Now to give a Specimen of Mr. Baker's Veraci- 
ty, it may not be improper to insert the following 
Affidavit. 
JOHN BEVIS, of the Parish of St. James, Cler- 
kenwell, in the County of Middlesex, Doctor in 
Physic, maketh Oath, and saith, that in or about the 
Year one thousand seven hundred and thirty-one, he 
this Deponent well knew a Person called Mr.Schwan- 
berg, and sometimes the Baron Schwanberg, who as 
a poor, indigent Man, visited this Deponet at his 
B 2 House[4]
House in Buckingham-Street, York-buildings, where 
he was often relieved by Money, Victuals and Cloaths, 
till he behaved dishonestly, Mr. Schwanberg having 
then, as he solemnly declared to this Deponent, no 
other Way of Supporting himself but by cleaning 
Lac’d Cloaths; and this Deponent saith, that he ob- 
served that the said Schwanberg’s Thoughts were much 
set on Chemical Processes, for finding the Philoso- 
pher’s Stone, but no ways with a View to Medicine, 
to which he did never once in this Deponent’s Hear- 
ing, offer the least Pretences, but on the contrary 
proved himself to this Deponent to be very ignorant 
thereof; that having got a venereal Distemper, he 
had suffered it to proceed to such a length as obliged 
him to disclose his Case to this Deponent, and asked 
his Advice, and this Deponent did order and paid for 
the Medicines which cured the said Schwanberg out of 
his own Pocket, without expecting or receiving any 
Gratification or Repayment for so doing.* And this 
Deponent further saith, that he was informed by 
Dr. Sigismund Frobenius, Fellow of the Royal-So- 
ciety of London, that he well knew the said Schwan- 
berg in Germany, that he was a Native of the Mar- 
quisate of Baruth, a younger Brother of a Notary, 
and that he had falsely affirmed the Side of a Baron 
and a near Relation of Prince Eugene of Savoy; and 
this Deponent saith, that he received much the same 
Accounts of the said Mr. Schwanberg’s Birth-place, 
Family and Imposture, from one Mr. Solomon He- 
nerici, a German, and a man of good Repute and 
Character, as he had received from Dr. Frobenius; 
which said Informations of the said Frobenius and He- 
nerici, this Deponent believes to be true; and this 
Deponent further saith, that the said Schwanberg did 
shew this Deponent a Manuscript, which he, Schwan- 
* If SCHWANBERG’s Aurum Horizontale, is, as Baker asserts, an 
infallible Cure for this Disease, ’tis amasing to me that he did not 
take it himself. 
berg,
[5]
berg, pretended to be Author of, on the Duties of a 
Prince, and of a Minister of State, written in Latin, 
with which Language the said Schwanberg appeared 
to this Deponent to be but very little acquainted; but 
this Deponent was informed by the said Dr. Frobe- 
nius and Solomon Henerici aforesaid, and which he 
believes to be true, that the said Manuscript was not 
composed and written by the said Schwanberg, but 
had been stolen by the said Schwanberg from an Ita- 
lian Gentleman who lodged in the said Schwanberg’s 
Brother’s House. 
J. Bevis. 
Sworn at my Chambers the 18th Day 
of Nov. 1752, before me, P. Holford. 
Dr. Bevis being desired to explain what he meant 
by Schwanberg’s behaving dishonestly in the preceding 
Affidavit, gave an Answer which bears so hard on 
the moral Character of the deceased Schwanberg, that 
the Author of this Pamphlet does not chuse to publish 
it: But in order to let the Public into the State of 
this pretended Nobleman’s Affairs, to whose Estate 
Baker administer’d, we shall insert the following Cer- 
tificate from Mr. Marchant. Master of the Work- 
house of St, Martin’s in the Fields. 
THIS is to certify, that upon Application made 
to the Church-wardens and Overseers of St. Mar- 
tin in the Fields, in the Year 1744, on the Behalf of 
William Schwanberg a Lunatic, I received their Or- 
ders to take him to a House at Bethnal-Green, a 
Place where we send our Lunatics; accordingly I took 
him from his Lodgings in Exeter-street to Bethnal- 
Green, in the Company of a Person who said he was 
his Relation or Friend: And there in a few Weeks he 
died and was buried at the Parish Expence. 
Witness my Hand, 
J. Marchant.
So 
[6]
So that after all Mr. Baker's Parade and Grimace, 
this illustrious Nobleman, whose Genealogy he de- 
clines entering into, as not suiting the Taste of the 
English, this first-rate Genius, and Man possessed of 
all Virtues, turns out a Person of very obscure Birth, 
extremely illiterate, a common Impostor (of which 
another notorious Instance will be given in the Se- 
quel) and so destitute of Friends, tho’ Mr. Baker was 
his Intimate, that he was kept and buried by the Parish. 
In the Summer of 1726 or 1727, Dr. James being 
then a Student at Oxford, resided for some Months at 
the House of Mr. Bruch, an Apothecary at Walling- 
ford in Berkshire. At this Time an epidemical Fever 
raged extremely in that Country, as well as in many 
Parts of England, which by no Means yielded to the 
common Methods of Treatment, and carried off great 
Numbers of the working People during the Harvest, 
and for some Time after it. The Doctor, upon 
reading the Works of the ever celebrated Sydenham, 
had observ’d, that Antimonial Vomits, mentioned by 
that great Author, were attended with much better 
Effects than any he had ever seen from those of Ipe- 
cacuanha, which the reigning Practice of that Time 
had substituted in the Room of Antimonials. This 
made Dr. James suspect, that, besides the Emetic 
Quality of some Antimonial Preparations, this Mineral 
was possess’d of certain Properties, which rendered it 
capable of extinguishing continual Fevers, as readily as 
the Bark cures Intermittents, and in this Opinion he 
was farther confirmed by a very remarkable Passage 
in Boerhaave’s Aphorisms, The Author is speaking 
of the Small Pox, and says, ‘ Correctio specifica niti 
‘ debet invento remedio opposito illi Veneno contagioso, 
‘ quod tum parva mole susceptum reliqua parit, ut effecta; 
‘ quale inveniri posse, comparatio Historiæ Antidotorum 
‘ et Indoles Mali, faciunt sperare; et ad indagandum 
‘ impellit, maxima hinc futura humano generi utilitas. 
‘ In Stibio et Mercurio ad magnam penetrabilitatem arte 
‘ deductis,[7]
‘ deductis, nec tamen falina acrimonia nimium corrosivis 
‘ sed bone unitis, ut quœramus incitat aliquis horum 
‘ aliquando successus.’ 
As neither Baker nor any of his Adherents can be 
supposed to understand Latin, I shall for their Satis- 
faction translate the whole Passage into English. 
‘ The specific Correction of tins (Variolose) Poison, 
‘ ought to depend upon the discovery of a Remedy 
‘ opposite in its Nature to that contagious Poison, 
‘ which received into the Body in so small a Bulk, 
‘ produces such Effects; such as the comparing the 
‘ History of Antidotes with the Nature of this Disor- 
‘ der give room to hope may one day be discovered, 
‘ and the great Use it would be of to the human 
‘ Species, should be a motive to our making such an 
‘ Enquiry. The Success which has sometimes at- 
‘ tended the Use of Antimony and Mercury brought 
‘ by Art to a great degree of Penetrability, not ren- 
‘ dered too corrosive by acrimonious Salts, but inti- 
‘ mately united, incites us to seek for such an Antidote 
‘ in these.’ 
Boerhaave is here speaking of such an Antidote as 
is capable of effectually putting a flop to the variolose 
Fevers and absolutely preventing the Eruptions, and 
all their Consequences, so as to cure the distemper in 
the first Stage, without suffering it to proceed any 
farther. 
A thousand Hints in the old Chemical Writers, too 
long to take particular Notice of in this Place, con- 
tributed to confirm Dr. James farther in the Opinion 
he had conceived of these Remedies; tho’ the above 
mentioned should seem to be sufficient, for a Remedy 
capable of curing the Fever of the Small Pox in this 
manner, must undoubtedly promise fair for the Cure 
of other Fevers of the inflammatory Kind. 
The Doctor communicated the Suspicions he had 
of the Febrifuge Virtues of Antimony and Mercury to 
Mr. Bruch who, being a Person of very good Under-
standing,[8]
Standing, was prevailed upon to try Antimonials of 
various Kinds, both with and without Mercurials; 
and these Methods were attended with such Success, 
that tho’ before scarce one in seven recovered, Mr. 
Bruch lost very few Patients after the Knowledge of 
these Medicines, and perhaps not one of the Epidemi- 
cal Fever, it being taken off or rendered intermittent, 
in almost every Instance. 
This Success was sufficient to encourage the Doctor 
to proceed in his Enquiries relative to the antifebrile 
Virtues of Antimony. Accordingly for about ten 
Years, he employ’d a great deal of his Time in mak- 
ing Experiments upon all the known Preparations of 
Antimony, and combining that Mineral with various 
other Substances, in different manners, in order to 
bridle the too exorbitant Operation of some of its 
Preparations on the one hand, and on the other to 
avoid reducing it to an inactive Calx, as is the 
Case in some of its Preparations. When the Doc- 
tor had arrived at a due Knowledge of the proper 
medium, in or about the Year 1737, and four Years 
before he ever heard of Schwanberg’s Name, he 
actually articled with a Person in the Country, or at 
least a Draught of Articles was drawn up, for the 
public Sale of the very Medicine in Question. And 
the late Mr. Ford perused the said draught which he 
well remembred, and spoke of it not a Fortnight be- 
fore his death, and the Attorney who drew it is 
ready to make an Affidavit of the Fact. 
In September 1740, Dr. James remov’d to London, 
and on the icth. of June 1741, sign’d Articles for 
writing the Medicinal Dictionary, Some few Months 
after this. Captain Morke, a Person who at that time 
added as a Sort of Steward or Agent for one Mr. 
Winthrop of New-York, being at Dr James’s Lodg- 
ings, the Doctor shew’d Captain Morke so me of his 
Medicine, made up into a Pill, which the Doctor 
intended to take that Night; upon which Morke pro-
duced 
[9]
duced some small Pills out of a Phial, and told the 
Doctor they were made by one Baron Schwanberg, 
a German, who was in such indigent Circumstances 
as to be almost starving. Upon this the Doctor de- 
sired Morke to bring this Person to him which he ac- 
cordingly did some Days after. Every one who un- 
derstands Physic must be sensible that the Explication, 
of the Jargon of the old Chemists is the most difficult 
part to execute of a Medicinal Dictionary. The great- 
est Help the Doctor had in the Execution of this Part 
of his Work was from Rulandus, who wrote a Che- 
mical Dictionary on purpose to explain the old Che- 
mical Terms. But as these were explained partly in 
Latin, partly in High Dutch; the Doctor being ut- 
terly unacquainted with the last mentioned Language, 
thought it very fortunate that he had met with a Ger- 
man, who at last pretended to understand Chemistry, 
that would for a Stipend of Ten Shillings a Week, 
attend him, in order to facilitate this part of his 
Work. In this, however, he found himself in a 
great Measure disappointed, for Schwanberg was only 
capable of explaining the Words, and understood no- 
thing of the Things. His principal Employment 
therefore was to translate Bartholomœ Zoru Botamlo- 
gia from German into bad French, which the Doctor 
translated into English for the use of the Medicinal 
Dictionary. 
During the time of Schwanberg’s being with the 
Doctor on the Occasion above mentioned, he had 
often asserted, that he knew how to prepare the Medi- 
cine called by Paracelsus Mercurius Corallinus or 
Corallatus, which Helmont, and after him Glauber, 
called sometimes Aurum Horizontale, and sometimes 
Mercurius Diaphoreticus. Upon which the Doctor 
told him, that if he was acquainted with that Medi- 
cine, it was astonishing to him that he should want 
Money; and said he would give him a Thousand 
Pounds for the Secret of preparing it. Schwanberg 
close
[10]
closed with this Proposition, and the conditional Bond 
was given which Baker has made so much Noise 
about, and at last Printed. But the Conditions of 
the Bond were performed on neither Side, because 
Schwanberg, as will appear was no more acquainted 
with the Aurum Horizontal than his Friend Baker 
is with Truth and Decency. 
’Tis unnecessary to embarrass the Reader in this 
Place with a Volume of Quotations from Paracelsus 
and Helmont; it may suffice to say in general that 
the Characters of the Mercury, which is thus ex- 
toll’d by the above mentioned Authors, are, that it 
is fix’d in the Fire, so as to bear any Degree of Heat 
without flying of as that it never salivates; that it ads 
only as a very mild Diaphoretic; that it cures all 
Manner of Scurvies, Consumptions, Gout, and the 
Venereal Disease, without causing any the least vio- 
lent Efforts; and that it is an universal Medicine. 
How far the Aurum Horizontale of Schwanberg and 
Baker answer these Characters, will be seen in the 
Sequel. In the mean time if Baker will produce 
Twenty Grains of such a Medicine, or, as one of the 
Characters says in the Alchymist, “ as much as 
will cure the Itch,” he shall receive from the Author 
of this Pamphlet twenty Guineas a Grain; and Dr. 
James shall pay him the thousand Pounds he talks of 
so abundantly. 
By the way, any one who has seen the Alchymist 
acted, will the more readily understand Baker’s 
Pamphlet, and upon being introduced to this great 
Chemist, will probably trace many of the Features 
of his Elder Brother FACE. 
As what Glauber says of the Aurum Horizontale is 
but short, I shall give it the Reader as it stands in 
his Works. 
“ Vulgar Mercury, by virtue of our secret Salmiae, 
“ may be so purified in the Space of one Day, as the 
“ Day following, by one only Abstraction of the
Water [11]
� Water of Saltaberis, it may be coagulated into a 
� red fix'd Medicine, which swift Mortification, 
� Coagulation, or Fixation, was highly esteemed by 
� Paracelsus and Helmont. This Mercury Paracel- 
� sus insignized with the Title of Coralline Mercury, 
� and celebrated the same with this illustrious Phrase, 
� that in the whole Nature of Things, there was not 
� any Remedy more excellent for yielding Relief 
� in the Gout and French Disease; adding, that it 
� recreates the Mind of the Artist, because it hath 
� entrance into Gold, and with the same is convert- 
� ed into Gold, and so not a few impoverished Che- 
� mists may again be stored with Riches---But since 
� the Death of this Philosopher, you shall not 
� find, that there hath been one or other of the Pro- 
� fessors of Chymistry unto this Day, who could 
� prepare such a red fixed Mercury. The Reason 
� hereof is, because none of the Sons of Art could 
� comprehend the Water of Saltaberis, by which 
� Mercury is to be brought to a fixed redness; none, 
� I say, untill Helmont, that most Learned Philo-  
� sopher of our Age, discovered himself, witnessing 
� that he also could prepare such Mercury, which 
� he insignized with the Name of Horizontal Gold,  
� affirming it would sufficiently supply whatsoever 
� the Physician and Surgeon should need. 
� In like manner that most expert Philosopher 
� Nuysemantius wrote of such a Mercury, testifying 
� that two or three Grains of it only being taken in 
� some Consortative, would purge out all Impurities 
� from the Human Body. Indeed Helmont expresses 
� this in other Words, yet by them intimates, that 
� it purgeth out all Filth from the Veins. Behold 
� three famous Men serving instead of the Marpesian 
� Columns of all Hermetic Philosophy and Medi- 
� cine; for they have excellently written of this 
� Mercury; yet to the Inventions of these none of 
their Successors have added any Thing, but have 
been 
[12]
“ been still and quiet, shunning the Labour of pre- 
“ paring an Universal Medicine. Whosoever is seiz- 
“ ed with a Desire of succouring the Misery of the 
“ Sick, he will do better for Publick Good, in using 
“ such a fixed Mercury, rather for expelling the 
“ Cruelty of a Tyrannical Gout, and the French 
“ Disease, than for Goldmaking, unless so far as he 
“ hath Need to use the same for necessary Ali- 
“ ments.” 
Having premised thus much of the Properties of 
the Mercurius Corallinus, Mercurius Diaphoreticus, 
or Aurum Horizontale. I shall in the next Place give 
the exact Process of that Preparation which Schwan- 
berg thought himself capable of imposing on Dr. 
James for this celebrated Medicine, and I expect 
that Baker should return me thanks for this kind In- 
formation, because at the Death of Schwanberg he 
did not know it. And when he does, I wish him 
much Joy of the Secret. 
The DISSOLVENT. 
TAKE of pure Nitre twelve Pounds; Powder of 
Bricks, very dry, thirty six Pounds, let them 
be well mixed, and divided into three equal Parts, 
the which put into well coated Retorts and place them 
in a Reverberating Furnace, gradually encreasing 
the Fire until the Operation is finished; let your Vessel 
cool, break your Retorts, and powder the Magma and 
put it again into coated Retorts, and pour on each the 
Spirit which was before distilled urging the Fire 
gradually to the last Degree, as in the preceding 
Operation. Take Care of the Spirit, and put it alto- 
gether into a Bottle well stop’d. Then take six Pounds 
of fresh Nitre and calcine it gently, until it be ready 
to melt, then let it cool, powder and fist it thro’ a 
Hair Sieve, then put it into a well coated Retort, and 
pour upon it gradually the whole Quantity of Spirit 
you hadbefore drawn off, and let it stand in Digestion 
in[13]
in a gentle Heat twenty four Hours. Afterwards gently 
abstract the Phlegm, which you may compute about 
one eighth Part; change your Receiver and lute on 
another, and gradually encrease your Fire for about 
twelve Hours to the highest Degree.” 
N.B. If you would encrease the fuming, reiterate 
the Operation and put into your Retort 3 Pounds 
of the Filings of Iron, and draw of as before, and 
you will have the most exalted and most concen- 
trated Spirit that can be drawn from Nitre. 
The PRECIPITANT. 
“ FILL a large Retort about one third full of Urine 
which has stood some Days, or Weeks, or of 
fresh Urine. Put into it a few small Lumps of the 
best Stone Quick-Lime fresh made, which will make 
the Urine hiss, then put in more Lime till the Urine 
rises in the Vessel about one half, but let the Quick 
Lime be put in gradually. Place the Retort in a 
Sand Heat, lute on a Receiver with Flower and Wa- 
ter spread on brown Paper, encrease the Fire gradu- 
ally, till the Urine boils gently, taking care it doe- 
not rise into the Receiver, Continue this Heat till 
near the one half of the Urine is distill’d into the 
Receiver. Let all cool, and put the Spirit in the 
Receiver into a Glass Vessel, which stop with a Glass 
Stopper. 
Take about the same Quantity of this Spirit as be- 
fore, which is very Alkaline and Acrid, put to it 
Quick-Lime as before, lute the Receiver to the Re- 
tort well, and carefully, with a wet Bladder, distil 
with the same Cautions as before, and keep the Spi- 
rit well stopped, with a Glass Stopper, over which 
tye a wet Bladder. 
This is made stronger if distilled with fresh Lime 
again, and the more so the oftener the Distillation
C is(14)
is repeated. But it is said, that no Vessels are strong 
enough to contain it in the seventh Distillation.” 
AURUM HORIZONTALE, 
according to SCHAWNBERG. 
“ TAKE two Pounds of the above described sum- 
ing Siprit of Nitre, and an equal Weight of 
crude Quick Silver, Let the Quick Silver dissolve in 
the Spirit, avoiding the Fumes which are very perni- 
cious. When the Heat, Ebullition, and Fuming are 
over, and only a very small Globule of Quick-Silver 
remains to be dissolved, pour in a very small Quantity 
of Water, to prevent the Quick-Silver from running 
into Chrystals. Then immediately pour in a suffici- 
ent Quantity of the above describ’d urinous Spirit. 
Filtre the whole thro’ Paper, pour more of the Spi- 
rit of Urine upon the Filter’d Liquor, and a Pre- 
cipitation will ensue; filtre the Liquor as before; and 
precipitate again till little or no Precipitation ensues 
upon the Affusious of the Spirit of Urine. When 
the precipitated Matter, which is white, is pretty dry, 
put it into a Pipkin made of Earth, set it over the 
Fire, and let it calcine, stirring all the time with a 
Knife or Spatula, till it is very red.” 
Every one the least versed in Chemical Knowledge 
must know, that this Preparation of Mercury is pos- 
sessed of very virulent and drastic Qualities, because 
the stronger the Spirit in which Mercury is dissolv’d, 
the more stimulating the Medicine thence produced 
must be. Now the Menstruum or Dissolvent here 
made use of is the strongest that can be produced 
from Nitre. And so far is it from answering to the 
Characters of the Aurum Horizontale, that every 
particle of it flies off in a moderate Degree of Heat; 
A very few Grains will raise a Salivation; and it is 
so violent a Vomit and Purge, that it very often
wounds 
(15)
wounds the Stomach and Intestines so as to produce 
a Discharge of Blood by Vomit, but generally by 
Stool. A Gentleman is now with me, who was one 
Night with Dr. James at the Goat at Charing Cross, 
which was then a Tavern, when Schwanhberg came 
in a most violent Hurry and Fright, and informed 
the Doctor that he had given a Dose of this Medicine to 
a very weak Woman in a Consumption, and it had 
given her above two hundred Stools, a great Num- 
ber of which were bloody. And Schwanberg was very 
severely reprimanded by Dr. James in this Gentle- 
man’s presence for his Imprudence and Temerity. 
It is either true that the Process above describ’d 
was that communicated to Dr. James by Schwanberg, 
or it is not true. If it is true, no less a Man than 
Baker or Face, could have the Impudence to hint, 
much less to assert that the Mercurial Medicine de- 
ferred in the Doctor’s Specification, is the same as 
that of Schwanberg’s, which he calls the Aurum Hori- 
zontale. If it is not true, or the Doctor was deceived 
and imposed upon as the celebrated Boyle and many 
others hare been, we shall leave Baker in the quiet 
Possession of his Secret, and freely declare, that the 
Doctor knows nothing of the Matter. 
But as Baker’s Curiosity may lead him to desire to 
know whence the Doctor learn’d the laborious Purifi- 
cation of Mercury, publish’d in his Specification, I will 
give him a Quotation from a very celebrated Author, 
who wrote many Years before the Doctor ever saw 
Schwanberg, and this, ’tis hoped, will convince every 
rational Creature, that the honour of this Invention 
at least is not due to Schwanberg. 
“ In order to produce a Stable and permanent Mix- 
ture of Gold with Mercury, the first Thing necessa- 
ry is, to separate from the latter that Mineral Earth 
with which it abounds, and is as it were, loaded, 
that by this means the ethereal Fluid may afterwards 
act more forcibly on the more pure and subtile Glo- 
bules(16)
bules of the Mercury, and by forcing them effectu- 
ally into the Pores of the Gold mix them intimately 
with the pure Earth contained in that Metal. The 
Mercury prepared in this manner is sometimes call- 
ed Virgin Mercury: and at other times distinguished 
by the Epithets Animated, and Philosophical. Tho’ 
this Mercury is with great Expence prepared in 
different Methods by the Chemists, yet we shall not 
pretend to form a Judgment of any of them. That 
Method however describ’d, tho’ in Mystical Terms, 
by the Author who assumes the name of Philaletha, 
in his Introitus apertus ad occlusum Regis Palatium
and from him, as the Literati think, tho’ somewhat 
more distinctly, taken by the Author of Ripleus Re- 
divious, is found to answer upon making the Expe- 
riment; and is therefore highly celebrated by the 
more skilful Chemists. But as the Mystical Style 
of these Authors is not to be comprehended without 
some thought and Consideration, I Shall in plain and 
intelligible Language, give the Description of anima- 
ted Mercury, communicated by Stahl, and which, 
from my own Experience, I have found to be accurate 
and just. This Author then orders common 
Quick-Silver to be amalgamated with genuine Marti- 
al Regulus of Antimony, (for the common Sort does 
not attract the smalless Particle of Iron) by means of 
the two Doves of Diana, which many of the Mysti- 
cal Chemists take to be two Parts of Silver; to 
which they have been perhaps induced, by some 
imaginary and hieroglyphical Analogy between Silver 
and Doves, or, perhaps, by the Authority of Alex- 
ander Suchtenius, who formerly attempted the Cor- 
rection of this Species of Mercury, as we may see 
in his Tractat, de A dim. 2. But others, and especi- 
ally Becher in Supplement, Phys. Subter, asserts, that 
by these two Doves are meant two Salts, Alkaline 
Salt, for Instance, and Sal Ammoniac. Both these 
Opinions are agreeable to Reason and confirmed by 
Experience;(17)
Experience; but the Process will proceed more expe- 
ditiously, if one Part of Regulus of Antimony and 
two parts of Silver, are melted by means of Fire; 
and if to these when united, we add Mercury, with 
a due Quantity of these Salts; and thus make an 
Amalgama. Then the Amalgama is to be strongly 
triturated in a Glass Mortar, pouring upon it, at 
proper Intervals, a sufficient Quantity of Rain Water; 
which by that means becomes black, and when 
poured off, exhibits a Powder of the same Colour, 
which, when kindled, diffuses a fetid Smell, tho’ Salts 
were not used in the Amalgamation. But this Tri- 
turation with frequent Affusions of the Rain Water 
is to be continued, till all the Regulus of Antimony 
is so effectually washed off, that nothing but the 
pure Amalgama is left. After this the Amalgama is 
to be put into a Glass Retort, and the Mercury ab- 
stracted by a Sand Heat. By this means the pure 
Silver is left in the Bottom of the Retort; and this. 
Silver, when mixed with the Regulus of Antimony is 
again to be amalgamated by the Addition of the Salts, 
afterwards depurated by the like Trituration, and 
last of all distilled. When these measures are re- 
peated for at least seven or nine times, a much more 
pure and subtile Mercury is afforded, which not on- 
ly acts more powerfully upon other Metals, but also 
produces more conspicuous and salutary Effects on 
the human Body. The Mercury must be exalted 
in this manner, in order to render it fit for the pre- 
paration of this celebrated and efficacious Medicine. 
The Discovery, tho’ originally made perfect by 
Experiments, is nevertheless supported by Reasons, 
which greatly illustrate it; for whilst the Martial 
Regulus of Antimony is by its Colliquation, inti- 
mately mixed with the minuted Globules of the Sil- 
ver, the Substance of that Fluid, which was before 
smooth and polished, is, by the angular and irregular 
parts of the Regulus so changed, that the minuted 
D 3 parts[18]
Parts of the Silver not only acquire unequal Surfaces, 
but also, have their Interstices rendered smaller, into 
which, when the Mercury is, by a due Amalgama- 
tion, and the mutual Conflict of the Salts, violently 
and impetuously forced, the gross and impure Earth 
of the Mercury is, as it were, separated, and torn 
from its Adhesion with the other Parts, and is after- 
wards, when the Globules of the Mercury enter 
smaller and more tortuous Pores, to be absterg’d and 
removed, together with the heterogeneous Parts of 
the Regulus, by means of frequent Triturations and 
Washings.” 
Whilst Schwanherg was employed for Dr. James in 
translating Passages out of German Authors, for the 
Use of the Medicinal Dictionary, he often mentioned 
to the Doctor two Chemical Medicines which he had 
learned from Dr. Frobenius, a very ingenious Chemist; 
one of which was, the Lixivium of Oister-Shells, 
which Baker, (to use his own Phrase) has since in- 
signiz'd the LIQUIDSHELL; another was, a Powder 
for Fevers. And so little did he make a Secret of these, 
that he has many times in the Presence of Dr. James, 
lent the Doctor’s Servants, as they are ready to testi- 
fy, to buy the Ingredients, and directed them to 
make them. This Fever Powder, Dr. Frobenius sold 
to Mr. Lile of Hampshire, for a hundred Guineas, at 
least ten Years before Dr. James and Schwanberg ever 
saw each other; and about three or four Years before 
the Doctor removed out of the Country to London, 
and before he knew there was such a Man in the 
World as Schwanherg, the Doctor was made ac- 
quainted with the Process, and then knew it to be the 
same as is described by Glauber, by Tournefort, and 
by Frederic Hoffman, before Schwanherg was born. 
This Medicine, Mr. Goland an Apothecary in Bond- 
street, now prepares, and has done some Years, from 
a Receipt he procured from a Domestic of Mr.Lile's; 
and I am informed, Mr. Shelborn a Chemist, in 
Brewer-[19]
Brewer-street, does the same. Now this Medicine is 
nearly the same as that which Dr. James, in his Affi- 
davit, says he saw made by Schwanberg, But he 
(Schwanberg) for want of knowing how to regulate 
the Fire, and proportion the Ingredients, instead of 
making a Medicine, made Glass of Antimony, which 
Boerhaave says, is (sere lethaliter Emeticum) almost a 
deadly Vomit; and as such it has operated in many 
Instances, one of which is set forth in an Affidavit 
made by Mrs. Pringle. 
Baker, in Page the 5th of his Address, plumes 
himself much on Dr. James’s speaking well of Schwan- 
berg in the Medicinal Dictionary. The Fact is, that 
Dr. James had then, and has at this Time, a good 
Opinion of that Lixivium of Oister-Shells, which 
Baker, as he says, has insigniz’d the LIQUID SHELL. 
At that time, also, the Doctor had no Experience of 
Schwanberg’s Chemical Knowledge, but believ’d him 
possessed of some from his own Report and Pretences, 
having been acquainted with him but a very little 
time. And Schwanberg having represented to the 
Doctor that he often went to the George Alehouse, in 
George-Yard, Lombard street, where he got a little 
Money by selling this Lixivium, and that it would 
be of Service to him to have him mentioned under 
that Article with Respect, the Doctor permitted that 
Paragraph to be inserted in the Medicinal Dictionary, 
perhaps with too little Caution, and too much Good- 
nature; for the very Process for making this Lix- 
ivium is in Limery. 
In p. 5. and some subsequent Pages of Baker’s Ad- 
dress to the Public, he quotes some Passages from Dr. 
James’s Treatise on the Gout and Rheumatism, on 
which he makes several very arch Remarks. 
The Doctor says there,  that some Years ago 
‘ there was a Person in Town, utterly ignorant of 
‘ Physic, who made it his Employment to cure Rheu- 
‘ matisms amongst the ordinary People,’ &c.
Upon[20]
Upon this Occasion Baker asserts without Cere- 
mony, and with his usual Confidence, that this 
Person was Schwanberg. In order to inform myself 
how far this was true, (for I take nothing that falls 
from Baker's Pen for authentic Evidence) I bought 
the Book, and upon perusing it, find that Schwan- 
berg's Name is never once mentioned, nor is there 
the least room to think he was meant, unless Baker 
should make a very extraordinary Inference, and sup- 
pose the Doctor had never any other Acquaintance. 
But I am much obliged to Baker for being the In- 
strument of my buying this Pamphlet. For in p. 71, 
in giving the Case of a Pensioner of Chelsea-College, 
Dr. James says, ‘ I directed him some Doses of the 
‘ Aurum Horizontale, described in the Collectanea 
‘ Chymica Leidensia.’ This Book I procured, printed 
in the Year 1684, many Years before either Schwan- 
berg or Baker was born. And I find in p.245, in 
the Process for making the common red Precipitate of 
Mercury from Le Mort, a celebrated Chemist, these 
Words, ‘ Si Prœcipitaium magis fixum rubrum ex- 
pectatur, quod Paracelso sub nomine Arcani Corallini 
venit, sequenti modo procedendum.’ In English, thus, 
‘ If a more fix'd red Precipitate is desired, which Pa-   
racelsus called Arcanum Corallinum, you must proceed 
thus.'- He then goes on to order Spirit of Nitre to be 
poured on the red Precipitate a certain Number of 
Times, and to be as often evaporated from it. Then 
distilled Vinegar is to be poured upon it, and this is 
also to be evaporated. Lastly, Spirit of Wine is to 
be poured upon it, to be distilled from it, to be pour'd 
upon it again, and again distill'd from it till it comes 
off acid. Fresh Spirit of Wine is then to be put to 
it, and again distilled from it. Then says the Au- 
thor, ‘ Pulvis usui servetur sub nomine Auri Horizon- 
talis.’ Let the Powder be kept for Use by the Name 
of Aurum Horizoutale.’ The same Author, in p. 241, 
relating the Method of making the same common red 
Precipitate from Margrave, has these Words, ‘ Ex 
hoc[21]
hoc Prœcipitato quoque, qui et pulvis Vigonis dicitur, 
Chymici conantur a præparare suum Aurum Horizontale, 
cujus processus extat in Paracelso et Helmontio. Hoc 
modo credunt Mercurium nancisei fixitatem, ut possit 
fundi instar Auri. Sed experti deprehenderunt falla- 
ciam Processus et Successus. Quem tamen tantopere 
laudavit Paracelsus, et laudibus extulit Helmontius' 
As it may be some Improvement to Baker's Mo- 
rals to put this into English, I shall take the Trouble 
of doing it for him, as perhaps he may be acquainted 
with nobody that understands Latin enough to trans- 
late it. 
‘ From this Powder (the common red Precipitate) 
the Chemists endeavour to prepare their Aurum Ho- 
rizontale, the Process of which is extant in Paracelsus 
and Helmont. By these means, viz. (those just described 
before) they believe Mercury acquires such a Fixity as 
to be capable of being melted like Gold. But those 
who have try’d, have found the Fallacy of the Pro- 
cess and the Success. On this, however, Paracelsus 
bellows great Encomiums, and Helmont excessively 
praises it.’ 
Now, as Baker probably never heard of the Names 
of Paracelsus or Helmont, it may be of use to him to 
know, that the former was an Ægyptian Priest, who 
wrote a Treatise in Celtic, on the Power of Deception, 
or the Art of throwing Dust in the Eyes; and Hel- 
mont was an Author who wrote Welch Dissertation, 
in the Reign of Cadwallader the Great, on the Vir- 
tues of Hasty Pudding. 
Now Baker and his Adherents will please to con- 
sider, that if this Process mentioned above, was the 
same as that which Schwanberg shew’d Dr. James, 
Schwanberg was not the Inventor; if not, ’tis plain, 
Schwanberg did not know it, and consequently meant 
to impose on him. 
In p. 11. of his Address to the Public, Baker relates 
a Conversation betwixt Dr, James, a Cousin of the 
Person
[22]
Person he calls Mrs. Schwanberg, and the presended 
Mrs, Schwanberg herself. The Fact stands thus; a 
Daughter of Schwanberg's, about eleven Years old, 
came frequently to the Doctor’s House, and several 
Times told a Person in his Family, that Baker came 
home almost every Night very much fuddled, and 
frightened her Mammy out of her Wits by Cursing 
and Swearing; and upon the whole, the Doctor un- 
derstood that he used this poor Creature very ill. 
Upon this the Doctor had an Inclination to render 
her independent of Baker, and accordingly applied to 
her Cousin to perswade her to obtain a Settlement 
from Baker for her, or otherwise to leave him; and 
the Doctor out of Companion took the Child, and 
put it to a reputable School. 
I must remark, that the Doctor took a great deal of 
Pains to recommend the Lixivium of Oister-Shells to 
Mr. Dicey, in consequence of which, Baker made a 
Contract with the said Dicey, by which he, Baker, 
is supposed to have principally subsisted ever since. 
The Doctor also, about that Time furnished Baker 
with nine Pounds to pay his Rent, and actually ad- 
vised Baker to take out Administration to Schwanberg, 
and paid a large Bill to Mr. Robinson an Attorney, for 
doing it, which Bill he has now by him, with a Re- 
ceipt for it, and Baker has never since repaid him. 
And ’tis probable the Doctor would never have done 
this, if he had had a design upon any Discovery of 
Schwanherg's, but would rather have taken Adminis- 
tration himself. But as this has no relation to the 
Matter in hand; we shall proceed to p.12 and 13 of 
the same Address, where Baker has the following Pa- 
ragraph. 
“ In the Beginning of the Year 1747, I was told 
by Captain John Clarke, that Dr. James intended to 
get Letters Patent for Schwanberg's Fever Powder, 
and for his Aurum Horizontale Pill, by the taking of 
which Pill the Captain said he had been cured of a
fixed [23]
fixed venereal and scorbutic Case, and declared he 
never met with any medicine before to serve him so 
essentially. Some Time after, I saw Mr. Newbery, a
Bookseller in St. Paul's Church-yard, when I told 
him what Captain Clarke had said; who replied, he 
did not believe it; but I really could not believe Mr. 
Newbery, because I had Intimation given me, that 
he was actually to he engaged with Dr. James, in 
consequence of the Patent. Some short Time after, 
I saw Mr. Faden, the Printer, who is frequently em- 
ployed by Mr. Newbery, and to whom I had before 
told, what I believed Dr. James and Mr. Newbery 
were upon; and Mr, Faden seeing me much vexed, 
said, that I might make myself very easy, for Mr. 
Newbery had desired him to tell me so; and that Mr. 
Newbery would not be any way concerned with Dr. 
James in the Powder, for that he was a bad man." 
In this there is only one Thing worth answering; 
what concerns Mr. Newbery being answered by Mr. 
Newbery's and Mr. Greenough's Affidavits. But what 
relates to Mr. Faden, as a most notorious Falshood, 
deserves the Chastisement of a Remark. For Mr. 
Faden absolutely denies that Mr. Newbery ever told 
him any such Thing, or that he ever told Baker so 
and for this I refer to Mr. Faden himself, at his House 
in Wine-Office-Court, Fleet street. 
In p. 14. of Baker's Address, he says, “ What may 
appear of an extraordinary Nature to one, may ap- 
pear extremely easy and obvious to another; but to me 
it seems amazing, that upwards of forty Affidavits 
were filed in Chancery for many months, that Dr. 
James might have Copies thereof, in order to vindi- 
cate his Right to the Patent, and to contradict any 
Assignments therein contained; and that the Doctor 
should not file one, but only swear his Affidavit the 
very Day of Hearing.” 
That Baker's Wonder may cease upon this Occa- 
sion, I will let him into the Reasons why the Doctor
did 
[24]
did not file any Affidavit till the morning the Trial 
came on. He had Intelligence from his Enemies 
Quarters, that let the Affidavits filed on his Side be 
what they would, there might possibly be People 
ready to swear directly the contrary. He judged, 
therefore, that not filing his Affidavits, might save a 
good deal of Perjury. But the Doctor had above 
forty ready to file in Support of his own, had there 
been Occasion for them, some of which the Reader 
will see in the Sequel. 
I must now enter into a Detail of a Transaction, of 
which I dare say Dr. James is very much ashamed, 
because nothing renders a man more vexatiously ri- 
diculous, than to submit to Deceit and Imposture, or 
what the World usually calls to be taken in. 
One Mr. Winthrop, a Gentleman of New-York, 
who lived many Years in Welbeck-street, near Oxford- 
Chapel, had upon his Estate in the Province above 
mentioned, a mine of Black-Lead, upon the Credit 
of which he had borrowed three thousand Pounds of 
two Persons in London, one of them a very eminent 
Physician and an expert Chemist. Mr. Winthrop bad 
often told Dr. James that a Pound of this Lead pro- 
perly treated, had upon Trial yielded as much Silver 
as came to five Shillings, but that he (Winthrop) did 
not know the Process for extracting the Silver. As a 
Gentleman of Character and Skill had advanced Mr. 
Winthrop fifteen hundred Pounds upon a Contract for 
the Delivery of a certain Quantity of this Lead, which 
Dr. James well knew was not fit for any mechanical 
Uses, the Doctor did not doubt but the Physician a- 
bove mentioned had tried the Experiment with Suc- 
cess, and extracted Silver from this Black Lead, and 
intended to set about trying it himself. But as Schwan- 
berg was then employed in translating for the Doctor, 
he asked him (Schwanberg) if he was acquainted with 
the method of separating Silver from this Lead; upon 
which, this Baron of Baker's Creation, boldly under- 
took
[25]
took to teach Dr. James the method of doing it. Fur- 
naces were immediately erected, and many Months 
were spent in preparing a Flux in order to separate 
this Silver. And so certain was the Doctor that 
Schwanberg was acquainted with the Secret, and that 
the Affair would succeed, that he wrote to the late 
Duke of Chandois, who as he was informed had a 
Taste for this Sort of Chemistry, and proposed to 
him to be concerned The Letter was left at the 
Duke’s House in Cavendish-Square, and the Doctor 
promised to call for an Answer in a Week. I must 
observe, that Schwanberg was to have a considerable 
Sum of money for the discovery, and was to go to 
New-York, and be allowed a handsome Salary for in- 
specting the Work intended to be carried on. The 
Doctor did not call at the Duke’s for an Answer, 
which the Duke thought very rude, as it really was; 
but an Accident happened before the Week was out, 
which blasted all this fine Scheme, and made the 
Doctor think it not proper to wait on the Duke, as 
he had promised. The Accident was this; When 
the Flux was prepared at no inconsiderable Expence, 
the Doctor was to see the Separation of Silver made 
from the Black-Lead, before he spoke to the Duke. 
Accordingly, all Things were ready, and the Flux 
with the Black-Lead was put into a Crucible, and 
upon the point of being put into the Furnace, 
when the Doctor, being much fatigued, and it grow- 
ing dark, proposed to Schwanberg to defer till the 
next morning the putting the Crucible into the Fire. 
This was agreed to; the Fire was put out, and the 
Crucible locked up in the Room. The Doctor, in- 
tent upon this ridiculous Project, arose early in the 
Morning, in order to prepare the Fire against 
Schwanberg's Arrival, The Sun happened to shine 
very bright into the Room, and the Doctor ob- 
served upon the Table where the Crucible flood, 
some few shining Particles, which upon Exami- 
D nation[26]
nation appeared to be small Particles of Silver 
Upon farther Examination, lie found in the Crucible, 
mixed with the Black-Lead and Flux, a great Num- 
ber of the same Particles of Silver, to rear an Ounce 
Weight. This Translation I do not a flirt upon the 
Authority of Dr, James only, but I have the Evi- 
dence of another Person, who was privy to the whole 
Affair, and saw the Particles of Silver upon the Table, 
and helped to separate those in the Crucible from die 
Black-Lead. The Doctor must be very weak not 
to see that Schwanberg’s Intention was to dupe him, 
and make him the Instrument of cheating the Duke, 
and some other persons who were to be concerned. 
And no doubt he contracted an Opinion of this man, 
very different from that he had entertained of him 
before, and treated him accordingly. 
This History would not have been so particularly 
related, if it had not been to explain the Reasons for 
giving the other Bond mentioned by Baker twice in 
his notable Pamphlet; and to account for Baker's not 
publishing this Bond as he did the other. 
Schwanberg lived with a Woman whose Name was 
Mary Halsey, by whom he had several Children, and 
whom he used to beat and abuse in a very barbarous 
manner; and of whom he had made a very extraor- 
dinary Use, besides what other men make of their 
Mistresses; for as he was utterly ignorant of rational 
Chemistry, he never knew whether any Preparation 
he attempted to make was likely to turn out a Medi- 
cine, or a Poison. It was therefore his constant Cu- 
stom to oblige this poor unfortunate Creature to take 
it, by way of Trial. And this he has declared to 
many of his Acquaintance, and boasted of it as an in- 
genious and expeditious method of ascertaining the 
Qualities of his said Preparations. 
At the time that Schwanberg had agreed to go to 
New York about the Affair of the Black-Lead, he 
objected to the leaving this poor Woman and a Child 
he(27)
he had by her, absolutely destitute; and to remove 
this Difficulty, the Doctor gave the Bond Baker takes 
notice of, but has not printed, to Mary Halsey, con- 
ditioned for the Payment of sixteen Pounds a Year to 
her and her Child. Now if Mary Halsey is the same 
Person whose Affidavit Baker has printed, under the 
Name of Mary Schwanberg, the Reason is very evi- 
dent why he has not published this Bond as well as 
the other, for it might answer some of his Purposes to 
have this Woman personate Schwanberg’s Widow, 
and assume his Name. 
Having dispatched Baker’s Address to the Public, I 
now proceed to the Book itself, which will appear to 
be wrote with the same Spirit of Candor and Truth 
as the Address. 
I shall begin with making a short Remark upon the 
Affidavit of the Woman who writes herself Mary 
Schwanberg, and who I presume is she who is called 
Mary Halsey in Dr. James’s Bond, so often mentioned. 
This Woman, in her Affidavit, p. 7. of Baker’s Book, 
swears thus; 
And this Deponent further faith, that she, being 
divers Times in Conversion with the said James, at 
his House in Craig’s-Court, in the months of March, 
April, May and June, one thousand seven hundred 
and fifty-one, the said 'sames did at all those Times 
admit the Identity of the said Powder, and that the 
same had brought him into great Practice; and that 
he would settle twenty Pounds a Year upon this De- 
ponent, and put her in a Way, whereby this Depo- 
nent should get a thousand Pounds; that if she could 
think of any thing better, he would agree to it; and 
then desired this Deponent not to make any Affidavit 
relating to the said Fever Powder; but that if this 
Deponent should make an Affidavit, that then this 
Deponent was not to expect any future Favour from 
him the said James, but that she must entirely rely 
D2 upon(28)
upon the Curtesy of the said Walter Baker for her fu- 
ture Subsistence.” 
It happens very fortunately that the Doctor was 
prudent enough to foresee this Stroke, and guard a- 
gainst it. For Baker, who has a Profusion of Elo- 
quence, with which he entertains his Friends even to 
Prodigality on all Occasions, had given out at Ale- 
houses, Punch houses, and Night Cellars, that he 
had a Design of this Nature against Dr. James; and it 
came to the Doctor's Knowledge that this Woman 
was to be sent to the Doctor in order to be prepared 
for making an Affidavit. Upon this Occasion the 
Doctor gave strict Orders to all his Servants, never to 
let her into the House, unless a Person in his Family, 
whom he mentioned, was at home. And this Per- 
son he enjoined to be always present and never to 
quit the Room when he suffered her to be admitted. 
As he expected, she came several Times, and was 
brought to the Doctor in his Study, the Person above 
mentioned being present, and never quitting the 
Room during her Stay. 
The following Extract from this Person’s Affidavit, 
will shew what passed 
ANNE MEDLEY, of the Parish of St. Martin 
in the Fields, in the County of Middlesex. Spin- 
ster, maketh Oath and faith, that about Lady Day, 
1742, file became acquainted with one William 
Schwanberg, commonly called Baron Schwanberg, 
who was at that Time employed by Dr. Robert 
James in writing some Things for the Medicinal Dic- 
tionary (a Work the said Dr. James was then en- 
gaged in) and she has heard and believes the said 
Schwanberg was translating or making Extracts from 
German Authors, to be inserted in the said Dictionary, 
and she verily believes that she saw him almost every 
Day for a Year. And this Deponent saith, that she 
has very often made a Powder in the Presence and by
the 
(29)
the Directions of the said Schwanberg, which he called 
his Fever Powder, some of which Powder she has at 
this Time in her Possession. And this Deponent saith, 
she never saw any Powder made by the said Schwan-
berg or by his Directions, that had not in it a great 
Number of shining Particles, very visible when placed 
in the Sun. And this Deponent further saith, that 
she has very frequently heard the said Schwanberg 
speak of a Woman who lived with him, and has 
heard him a great many Times declare that she was 
not his Wife, and has often heard him say that when 
he had got any Medicine of which he did not know 
the Operation, he made the said Woman take it, in 
order to try its Effects, which gave this Deponent a 
very bad Opinion of the said Schwanberg’s moral 
Character. And this Deponent saith, that the said 
Schwanberg always made a very shabby Appearance, 
and was generally very destitute of Cloaths and Linen, 
and that she has often been at his Lodgings, as she re- 
members, at the Blue-ball in Exeter-street, where she 
saw the said Woman, and two Children, all of which 
together, with the Room and Furniture, had the Ap- 
pearances of the utmost Poverty and Distress; and one 
Day in particular, when this Deponent went there 
she this Deponent was very much shocked at hearing 
the said Schwanberg say, the aforesaid Woman was 
damn'd in Bed, and that he had just been beating her, 
which this Deponent has heard and verily believes he 
very often did. And this Deponent farther says, that 
she took the said Schwanberg for a Madman, and that 
at last he died mad in a Mad-house at Bethnal-Green, 
where he was kept by the Parish, And this Depo- 
nent farther saith, that in the Years 1750 and 1751, 
the aforesaid Woman often came to the House of the 
said Dr. James, to consult with this Deponent about 
Cloath- and Linen for the said Schwanberg's Daughter, 
a Child of about ten Years old ; and saith that the said 
Dr. James was always very unwilling to see her, and 
D3 when(30)
when he did see her he did it always with great Cau- 
tion, as this Deponent understood, because she was 
in League and lived with one Walter Baker, whom 
the said Dr. James had some Reason to believe had ill 
Designs against him. That upon this Account she 
this Deponent was several times present with the said 
Dr. James when the said Woman came to the said 
Dr. James; and this Deponent verily believes the 
said Woman never had Admittance to the said Dr. 
James, nor was with him at his House in Craig’s- 
Court, but when this Deponent was present all the 
Time. And this deponent farther faith, that they 
the said Mrs. Schwanberg and Dr, James conversed a- 
bout nothing but Cloaths and Linen for the aforesaid 
Child, at Derby, and for herself; and that they had 
no Discourse about either Dr. James's or Schwanberg’s 
Powder, which Are mud have heard if they had. 
And this Deponent saith, that this Woman has for 
many Years been subject to the Falling-Sickness;
and that this Deponent has been told by the said Wo- 
man, that her Head was very much disordered, and 
that she durst seldom venture cut for fear of falling 
down in the Streets.
Anne Medley. 
Sworn at my Chambers: the 4th Day of 
Dec. 1752, before P. Holford.  
This Mary Halsey, alias Schwanberg, if these two 
Names belong to the same Person, deserves a great 
deal of Pity. For as she has been many Years subject 
to the Falling Sickness, which remarkably impairs 
the Memory, the Person who tempted her to swear 
as above, is principally to blame. 
I must not omit to remark in this Place, that the 
shinning Particles mentioned in the preceding Affidavit 
to be visible in Schwanherg's Powder, is the real Glass 
of Antimony.
After (31)
After To glaring an Instance of Halsey’s alias Schwan- 
berg’s Veracity, I believe it will not be necessary to 
take any farther Notice of her Affidavit. 
But as the following Affidavits in some Measure 
relate to the Subject of Mrs. Medley’s, I shall insert 
them in this Place. 
MARY PRINGLE, Wife of James Prin- 
gle, of the Parish of St. James, Westminster, 
in the County of Middlesex, saith, that she came to 
live with Dr. Robert James as a Servant, on Michael- 
mas day, 1740, and lived with him more than a 
Year and a half; that some time in May, 1741, the 
said Dr. James removed from the House of Mr. Thu- 
moth, where he had lodged for some time, to a House 
in Craig's-Court, Charing-Cross, where the said Doc- 
tor now lives; and after the said Dr. James had been 
at the said last mentioned House a considerable Time, 
but how long in particular this deponent does not re- 
member, there came to the said Dr. James a Person 
called Mr. Schwanberg, who was at that time a Stran- 
ger to the said Dr. James, as this deponent was 
then informed and verily believes; and the said 
Schwanberg appeared to be very poor, having scarcely 
any Cloaths but what were in a very ragged Con- 
dition, and his Linen as bad, insomuch that this de- 
ponent at several times by the Orders of the said Dr. 
James, lent him Linen of various Kinds, as Shirts 
and Neckcloths, which the said Schwanberg often 
promised her to return, but always made Excuses 
and never did return them. Ana this Deponent also 
very well remembers that she has frequently seen the 
said Schwanberg write for the said Dr. James, and 
file was then informed and verily believes it was to 
translate or make Extracts from some German Au- 
thors for the Use of the said Dr. James, whilst the 
said Dr. James was engaged in writing the Medicinal 
Dictionary. And this deponent verily believes that
What (31)
what the said Dr. "James did for the said Schwanberg, 
at the Time she lived with him, was entirely in 
Compassion to his Poverty and out of Charity. And 
this Deponent further says, that in or about the Year 
1742, a Person of this Deponent’s Acquaintance 
called--Nutt, being very ill of a Fever, she this 
Deponent had a Paper of the said Schwanberg's Fever 
Powder delivered to her this deponent by the said 
Schwanberg, which this deponent pursuant to the said 
Schwanberg's directions carried to the said Nutt, which 
she, the said Nutty and the People who attended her, 
told this Deponent she took, and that she took no o- 
ther Medicine; and further says, that she frequently 
attended her during her Illness, and observed that she, 
the said Nutt grew considerably worse, was in great 
Agonies in her Stomach, Throat and Face, being 
much swelled, and her Tongue very much swelled 
and black, and hanging out of her Mouth, and so 
continued till the third Day after taking the said Pow- 
der, at which time she died. And this Deponent 
further says, that she verily believes that the said 
Powder was the Cause of her Death. And this De- 
ponent further says, that soon after the Death of the 
said Nutt, a Youth whose Name was James Perrot, 
took from the Hands of this deponent a Dose of Dr. 
James’s Fever Powder, (which this deponent received 
from the Hands of Dr. James) when he was very ill 
of a Fever, insomuch that his Life was despaired of; 
and that the said Powder operated by a plentiful 
Sweat, and cured him in four Hours. 
Mary Pringle. 
Sworn the 4th Day of Dec. 1752, before 
me at my Chambers, P. Holford. 
ELIZABETH SASFIELD, of the Parish of 
St. Anne Westminster, Wife of Peter Sasfield, 
maketh Oath and saith, that in or about the Years 
1742 and 1743,, she well knew William Schwanberg,
com (33) 
commonly called Baron Schwanberg, then residing in 
Wesiminster, and saw him very frequently during 
those Years. And this Deponent further says, that 
she this Deponent was employed a great number of 
times by the said Schwanberg, to assist him in prepar- 
ing a Medicine he called his Fever Powder; and this 
deponent has a great number of times prepared the 
said Fever Powder of the said Baron Schwanberg, in 
his Presence. And this deponent further saith, that 
on the 18th day of June, 1752, Mrs. Anne Medley 
shewed this Deponent some Powder of a dark Ash- 
Colour, which this Deponent verily believes is the 
said Fever Powder, as made by the said Baron Schwan- 
berg, and this Deponent is the more certain thereof, 
because she this deponent has so often seen the said 
Fever Powder in the Hands of the said Schwanberg, 
and particularly because there is in the said Powder 
thus shewn to her by Mrs. Anne Medley, a great num- 
ber of very small shining Spangles or Sparkles, which 
are very remarkable, and which she remembers very 
well always to have seen in the said Schwanberg’s 
Powder.
Elizabeth Sasfield. 
Sworn at the public Office, the 30th of 
June, 1752, before John Waple.  
Some Remarks on Baker’s Affidavit.
In Baker's Affidavit, p. 13, he swears, “ that he 
has at divers times and in divers Ways and Manners 
analyzed, as well his own, as Dr. James's Powder, 
in order to fhew them to be the same.” 
If Baker had analyzed Dr. James’s Powder and his 
own, as he asserts, it Is very surprising that he did 
not lay these Analyzations, nor any one of them, be-  
fore the Attorney and Solicitor-General, for their In- 
formation. But in Reality and Fact, he has never 
once attempted to analyze them, tho’ I am afraid he 
thinks he has; and if so, he does not know the
meaning(34)
meaning of the Word. Analysis it deriv’d from a 
Greek Word which signifies to resolve, or disunite,
and denotes the Resolution of any compound Body 
into its Principles, in order to discover its component 
Parts. It will be seen in Mouliot's Affidavit, which 
takes Notice of all the Trifling and ignorant Experi- 
ments made by Baker and his People, that nothing 
like this is so much as aim’d at, nor do they pretend 
to tell what either the Doctor’s Powder or Baker's 
is compounded of. But Baker has likewise further 
betray’d his Ignorance in saying he has analyz’d his 
own Powder; because as he must know what he 
made it off, an Enquiry into its Component Parts by 
Baker himself, must be utterly superfluous and can 
only shew that he takes his very idle and foolish Ex- 
periments for an Analyzation. In this, however, he is 
very excusable; for having been all his Life a Jour- 
neyman Printer, tho’ he stiles himself Chemist, it is 
not probable he could acquire much Chemical Know- 
ledge in a printing House, unless some few Terms 
of Art, which he retails at Random, and as often 
misapplies. 
I shall now make some few Remarks on Peter 
Gandon's Affidavit. 
This Man is a Gunsmith, and takes upon him to 
be a Judge of Chemical Affairs, and to give his Opi- 
nion of some Experiments made on Dr. James's Pow- 
der, and on Baker's. I can venture to say he is absolutely 
a Stranger to this Science, as well as Physic, unless he 
may have given Baker's Aurum Horixontale to some 
of the Ladies who frequent the Bell Bagnio in St. 
Martin's Lane, which House he was Matter of and 
kept, till the late Act of Parliament made it some- 
what inconvenient for him to continue it, tho’ he 
may be yet concern’d in it for any Thing I know 
to the contrary. 
This Man says, that he was possess’d of some of 
Schwanberg's Powder, which he had from Schwan- 
berg(35)
berg himself, but I am afraid here must be some 
mistake, for mistakes will sometimes happen. If 
he had it from Schwanberg it must be in Appearance 
as different from both Dr. James's and Baker’s, as 
Chalk is from Sugar Candy. The Doctor can 
evince this Difference betwixt them, by producing 
several Parcels of Schwanberg’s Powder, made at 
different times, and sold to Persons who have ho- 
nesty and Candor enough to assist in discovering the 
Truth. 
In this Gandon’s Affidavit I find the following re- 
markable Passage; and this Deponent further saith,
‘ that at several times he has had conversation with said 
‘ Doctor Robert James, said Crawley, and the said in- 
‘ ventor William Schwanberg, who severally told this 
‘ Deponent, that they had all agreed, that the profits 
‘ arising from the administring the said Fever Powder, 
‘ and the Aurum Horizontale, should be equally divided 
‘ between them, share and share alike, and to be di- 
‘ rected and managed in the following Manner; that 
‘ is to say, that the said Doctor Robert James was to 
‘ recommend the Inventor Schwanberg to prepare, 
‘ and the said Crawley, apothecary, to administer the 
‘ said Medicines.’
The Question is, whether Gandon would have 
sworn this, if Mr. Crawley had been alive? How- 
ever that may be, his Widow, Mrs Crawley is now 
living in Berry-Street, St. James’s; and ’tis well 
known both to all her Friends and to those of her 
late Husband, that Mr. Crawley never undertook 
any thing of the least consequence without her advice 
and Approbation. And I believe she deserv’d this 
Confidence, being a Lady of excellent Understanding 
and Oeconomy. It is therefore very extraordinary 
that she should know nothing of this hopeful Con- 
tract, which she believes never existed; and the 
rather, because she knows, that Dr. James originally 
recommended Schwanberg, to Mr, Crawley, with a 
View,(36)
View, that Mr. Crawley might purchase of him the 
secret of the Lixivium of Oister Shells, call’d by 
Baker the Liquid Shell which was done accordingly 
as appears by the following Affidavit. And ’tis pro' 
table Dr. 'James would never have done this, if he 
had entertain’d the least Thoughts of making any of 
Schwanberg's physicai Knowledge subservient to his 
own Interest. 
Mrs. CRAWLEY’S Affidavit. 
BARBARA Crawley of Berry-Street in the Pa- 
rish of St. ‘James, Westminster, in the County of 
Middlesex. Widow of John Crawley, late of Berry- 
Street, St. James's Westminster, aforesaid, Apotheca- 
ry, maketh Oath, and faith, that in or about the 
Years 1741, 1742, 1743, and 1744, this Deponent’s 
said late Husband was very intimately acquainted 
with one William Schwanberg, commonly called 
Baron Schwanberg, who pretended to have a great 
many Secrets in Chemistry, particularly a Mercurial 
Medicine, he called the Aurum Horizontal; another 
of Drops for the Stone and Gravel; and a third, a 
Powder for Fevers. And this Deponent further faith, 
that this Deponent’s said late Husband not only tried and 
sometimes made use of those Medicines in his Practice; 
but also, for a Consideration paid the said Schwanberg, 
learnt the Secret of making them of the said Schwan- 
berg, as this Deponent heard her said Husband and 
the said Schwanberg in Conversation declare, and this 
Deponent believes to be true; and this Deponent 
faith, she hath several times heard her said late Hus- 
band complain, that the said Powder for Fevers upon 
repeated Trials operated with great violence, and 
which this Deponent believes to be true, and the 
rather for that this Deponent being in or about the 
said Year 1743, at Westfield-House, in Hertfordshire, 
with a Young Lady who happen’d to fall ill of a 
Fever.
(37)
Fever, and this Deponent having some of the said 
Schwanberg’s Fever Powder with her, she this Depo- 
nent did administer a Dose of it to the said young 
Lady, which operated with great Violence, inso- 
much that this Deponent was very apprehensive she 
would have been seized with Convulsions. And this 
Deponent further says, that in or about the Month 
of December in the said Year 1743, this Deponent’s 
said Husband together with the said Schwanberg pre- 
pared and made at this Deponent’s said late Husband’s 
House in Berry-Street aforesaid, a considerable Quan- 
tity of the said Fever Powder, and sent it to one of 
the Leeward Islands, as this Deponent’s said Husband, 
and the said Schwanberg inform’d this Deponent, and 
she verily believes to be true, in order to be sold 
or disposed of there to the best Advantage. And 
this Deponent saith, that afterwards, and since this 
Deponent’s said late Husband’s Decease, a considera- 
ble Part of the said Powder has been returned to this 
Deponent, from the said Leeward Islands unsold, 
and with the Reason given for it, that the said Pow- 
der operated with so much violence that they durst 
not use it. 
B. Crawley- 
Sworn at Westfield House in the Parish of Little 
Hadham, in the County of Hertford, this twen- 
ty third Day of June 1752. 
Before me John Usher. 
one of the Matters extraordinary in Chancery. 
This Gunsmith (Gandon) in another Part of his 
Affidavit, Page 25. has these Words. 
“ And this Deponent farther saith, that the said Pow- 
“ der that the said Inventor (Schwanberg) gave him, 
“ which was near nine Years ago, this Deponent be- 
“ lieves to be compos’d and made of the same Prin- 
“ ciples and Materials, which the said Robert James 
“ now prepares, and vends under the Name of Dr. 
“ Robert James’s Fever Powder, 
E This
(38)
This Passage deserves a Remark, because there is 
something excessively stupid in it, tho’ perhaps in- 
tended as artful, and to impose on the ignorant and 
unattentive; for Baker lays so much Stress upon it, 
that it is repeated in many of the Depositions made 
by his Affidavit Men. 
In, order to constitute an Invention, it is not ne- 
cessary to discover new Materials. It is sufficient to 
find out unknown Properties in known Materials, or 
to combine them, and apply them to purposes un- 
known before. 
Suppose Dr. James had invented a Man of War 
capable of making great way against Wind and Tide, 
and had obtain’d a Patent for this Invention. And 
suppose Baker should endeavour to have this Patent 
repeal’d upon a Suggestion, that he had a prior Right 
to it as Administrator of Schwanberg, who had nine 
Years before made use of a Mouse-Trap, which was 
compos’d of Wood and Iron, the Principles and Ma- 
terials, of which the Doctor’s Man of war was con- 
stituted. This would be very hard upon the Doctor, 
yet ’tis very plain that Baker would have made no 
Scruple of attempting it upon the same Principles 
on which he has attack’d the Doctor’s Fever Pow- 
der, viz. Ignorance and Design. 
But in order to shew the Ignorance of these Fel- 
lows in the Things relating to the Subject they 
have sworn upon, I must inform the Readers who 
are unacquainted with Chemical Matters, that ’tis 
very remarkable, in Antimony in particular, that only 
different Proportions of the Principles or Materials, 
mix’d with it, or a greater or less Degree of Heat 
with the same proportions of Ingredients, will make 
such a Difference in the Preparations thereof, that 
one shall be a virulent Poison, and another a very 
mild Medicine. Thus the Crocus Antimonii is pre- 
par’d of equal Parts of Antimony and Nitre in a cer- 
tain Degree of Heat; and this Preparation, Boerhaave 
in(39)
in his Chemistry says, is violentissime Emetica, “ most 
violently vomitive.” Let the Fire be considerably in- 
creas’d, and a Quantity of Stibium or Glass of Anti- 
mony will be made, which, the same Author says, is 
fere lethaliter Emeticum, “ an almost deadly vomit 
But let two Parts of Nitre and one of Antimony be 
treated in the same Manner, and a Preparation is 
made, which the same Author says is longe mitior, 
sæpe Nauseas tantum, levesque vomitus, creans, cum 
multa Salivœ et Urinœ crassœ excretione. “ much milder 
“ than the preceding, often exciting only Sickness 
“ and flight Vomitings, with a copious Excretion of 
“ Saliva (Spittle) and thick Urine.” 
Again; take three Parts of Nitre and one of Anti- 
mony, treat them exactly in the same Manner, and 
a very mild Medicine is prepar’d, which the same 
Boerhaave says, non facit Anxietates, Nauseas, vel 
Vomitus, “ excites neither Uneasiness, Sickness, or 
“ Vomiting,” tho' given in large Doses. 
Here we see the same Principles and Materials 
treated in the same manner; and yet on account of the 
different Proportions of these to each other, there is 
such an essential Disparity between them, that the one 
turns out often a Poison in a very small Dose, and the 
other so mild a Medicine, that many assert it has no 
Efficacy of any kind whatsoever. And so I am Mr. 
Gandon’s humble Servant; and if I should have the 
Misfortune to be a Widower, I may possibly take a 
Bed at the Bell Bagnio. 
As the following Affidavit relates to the Subject in 
Hand, I shall insert it here. 
THOMAS Greenough of Snow-Hill, Apothe- 
cary, and John Newbery of Saint Paul's 
Church-Yard, London, Rookfeller, severally make 
Oath and say, and first this Deponent John Newbery 
for himself saith, that in or about the Year one 
E2 Thou-(40)
Thousand seven Hundred and forty five, Walter Ba- 
ker, late a Journeyman Printer, and now of Helmet 
Court in the Strand, applied to this Deponent, and 
offered to sell a Receipt of a Fever Powder called 
Schwanberg's Fever Powder, upon which this De- 
ponent desired the said other Deponent Thomas Gree- 
nough to meet the said Walter Baker with this Depo- 
nent; to consider of the said Proposal, and both these 
Deponents say that they accordingly soon after met 
the said Walter Baker; and at such Meeting the said 
Walter Baker did alledge that he was possessed of the 
Secret or Art of making a Fever Powder, which had 
been communicated to him by one Schwanberg, a 
German, commonly called Baron Schwanberg, and 
which he proposed to sell to these Deponents; and 
these Deponents inclining to purchase the same, in 
Case they found it answered the Character the said 
Baker gave of it, the said Baker promised to 
let these Deponents have some of the said Pow- 
der to make tryal of; and this Deponent John 
Newbery says, that soon after he this Deponent 
received from the said Walter Baker some of the said 
Powder which this Deponent John Newbery delivered 
in the same Condition he this Deponent received the 
same, to the said other Deponent Thomas Greenough 
to make tryal of; and this Deponent Thomas Gree- 
nough saith, that shortly afterwards he this Deponent 
did make tryal of the said Powder, which the said 
Newbery delivered to this Deponent as aforesaid, he 
this Deponent Thomas Greenough administring the 
same in the way of Physick; and this Deponent Tho- 
mas Greenough saith, that he did not find the said 
Powder any ways effectual for removing the Fever 
in the Case in which he made tryal thereof; nor at 
all to answer the high Encomiums the said Baker had 
given of it. The only Effect it appeared to him, 
this Deponent, to have, being that of causing a great 
Sickness at the Stomach, wherefore this Deponent
declined 
[41]
declined being concerned in purchasing the Secret of 
making the same of the said Baker, and advised the 
said Newbery against the purchasing thereof; and both 
these Deponents say that to the bed: of their Remem- 
brances the aforesaid Powder was of a Colour different 
from Dr. James's Fever Powder, which these De- 
ponents have several Times seen, the said Baker's 
said Powder at the time aforesaid, not being so White 
as the said James's said Fever Powder; and the said 
Baker's said Powder having a grey Cast somewhat in- 
clined to Reddish; but this Deponent John Newbery 
saith, that the said Walter Baker hath since altered the 
Colour of his said Powder as this Deponent believes, 
making the same now much whiter than the said 
Powder, the said Walter Baker delivered to this 
Deponent to make tryal of, as aforesaid; and than any 
other of the said Powder the said Baker about the time 
aforesaid shewed to this Deponent. And this Depo- 
nent Thomas Greenough for himself further saith, that 
in the Preparations of antimonial Medicines very small 
Circumstances make a great Difference in their Ap- 
pearance and Effects; and in particular, that the 
greater or less Degree of Heat made use of to Anti- 
mony, the longer or shorter Continuance of it 
over the Fire, even without mixing any other sub- 
stance whatsoever with it, makes a most astonishing 
Difference in the Effect of it; for Instance, Antimony 
which of itself has no sensible Operation whatsoever, 
by a small Continuance over a flow Fire, acquires the 
Property of producing Sweat, and being somewhat 
purgative; that by a long Continuance over the Fire 
and a greater Degree of Heat, it is changed into what 
is called Glass of Antimony, which is one of the most 
violent Emetics in nature, and by pouring Wine 
upon it will give the Property of vomiting to that 
Wine almost without end, and without being appa- 
rently diminished in its Weight; yet notwithstanding 
that Glass of Antimony hath this violent Emetic 
E3 Property,(42)
Property, if it is reduced to Powder and Spirits of 
Wine poured upon it, and set Fire to and burnt 
quite away upon it, it will lose its emetick property, 
and become purgative only, though this Deponent 
Thomas Greenough apprehends it would be impossible 
by the Eye, or any known Experiment by Fire, 
or otherwise, to distinguish that Glass of Antimony in 
Powder which had Spirits of Wine burnt upon it, from 
that which had not; that the laid Glass of Antimony 
loses in a great Measure its emetic Property, and 
becomes a Medicine of great Use in violent Purgings 
and Bloody Fluxes, from mixing only so small a Quan- 
tity as thirty Grains of common Bees Wax with half 
an Ounce of the said Glass, and melting them toge- 
ther. And this Deponent further saith, that there 
are many other Methods of altering the properties and 
Effects of Antimonial Preparations by such small 
Mixtures and small Differences in the Methods of 
treating them, that the Difference between the one 
and the other is not perceptible, nor does this Depo- 
nent believe it is possible to demonstrate some of 
those Differences, and Effects it has upon the human 
Body when taken into the Stomach, 
Thomas Greenough. 
John Newbery. 
Bath sworn at the Publick Office the 4th 
Day of July 1752, before S. Burroughs. 
JOHN NEWBERY of Saint Paul's Church- 
Yard, London, Bookseller, maketh Oath and 
saith, that in the Year one Thousand seven Hundred 
and Forty seven, about the time that Dr. Robert James 
was obtaining his Majesty’s Letters Patent for the 
sole making and Vending his Fever Powder, and the 
said Dr. James had applied to this Deponent, and 
agreed with him for the Sale of his said Fever Powder, 
Walter Baker, of Helmet Court in the Strand, came 
to this Deponent and told him, that he heard that 
the(43)
the said Dr. James was about to get a Patent for a 
Fever Powder; and further told this Deponent, that 
he expected to be concerned in the said Powder, for that 
he had reason to believe it was Schwanberg’s Powder, 
or Words to the like effect; upon which this Depo- 
nent told the said Baker, he would not any wise be 
concerned with the said Dr. James in the Sale of the 
said Powder if that could be made appear to this De- 
ponent’s Satisfaction. And this Deponent saith, that 
he went to the said Dr. James, and told him what 
the said Baker had said to him, when the said Dr, 
James denied that it was Schwanberg's Powder, that 
he was applying for the said Letters Patent for; and 
produced a Bottle containing some Powder, which the 
said Dr. James said was Schwanberg's Powder, and 
which Powder was of a much darker Colour, and to all 
Appearance very different from the Powder prepared 
by the said Dr. James; and the said Dr. James desired 
this Deponent to bring or send the said Baker to him, 
that he might convince him of his Error, or Words 
to that Purport and Effect; and this Deponent saith, 
that soon after he this Deponent did go to the said 
Baker, and defined him to go to the said Dr. James 
to satisfy himself in that respect, when the said Baker 
told this Deponent, that if the said Dr. James's said 
Powder was not the same Powder as the said Schwan- 
berg's, he the said Dr. James had made use of the 
same materials, or the principal Parts of them in the 
Composition of it; which if true was no way satisfac - 
tory to this Deponent, who has been informed and 
verily believes, that many Medicines of very different 
Effects may be compounded and made of the same 
Materials. And this Deponent saith, that since 
the said Letters Patent were granted the said Dr. 
James for his said Fever Powder, and the Specifica- 
tion thereof filed or inrolled in Chancery, he the said 
Baker told this Deponent that he had seen the said 
Specification of the said Doctor’s said Powder, and 
that[44]
that it was an Imitation of the said Schwanberg's, but 
that he the said Dr. James did not know how to 
make it, and desired this Deponent to speak to the 
said Dr. James to let him be concerned in the Pre- 
paration thereof, which Request was in this Depo- 
nent’s Opinion absurd and ridiculous, and was ab- 
solutely rejected by this Deponent and the said Dr. 
James. 
John Newbery. 
Sworn at the Publick Office the 6th Day 
of Dec. 1752 before S. Burroughs. 
I now proceed to another Circumstance sworn to 
by Gandon and many of those Sages, on which they 
seem to lay great stress. I mean, that Dr. James 
admitted and confess'd to them, that his Fever Powder 
was the same as Schwanberg’s. This has already been 
answered by Mrs. Medley's Affidavit, fo far as relates 
to the Woman who calls herself Mary Schwanberg, 
But as there are others who have very teeming Me- 
mories, without the Excuse of the falling Sickness to 
palliate any Mistake, I must take some farther notice 
of it. ’Tis very difficult, I confess, to prove a Ne- 
gative; but give me leave to ask any rational Crea- 
ture whether ’tis possible to imagine, that Dr. James 
whom every Body allows a share of common Under- 
standing, could admit to this Nest of People, that his 
Powder and that of Schwanberg's were the same? 
For if the Powder was not the same he could have no 
Motive to say it was, and if it was the same it must 
be something more than Madness in him thus to own 
it when he had just before sworn it to be his own In- 
vention. I should not be able to divine what Foun- 
dation these Philosophers could possibly have to think 
or say the Doctor admitted the two Powders to be the 
same, if it was not for a Circumstance which I recol- 
lect to have heard the Doctor frequently lament; as 
it prov'd fatal to a Person of Merit, I mean the late
Dr. 
[45]
Dr. Altery of Norfolk-Street. That Gentleman one 
Day meeting Dr. James, told him, that he had dis- 
cover’d what his Powder was composed of. Upon 
this Dr. James defined to know what he took it to 
be. Dr. Altery told him it was eighteen Grains of 
Diaphoretic Antimony, and two Grains of emetic 
Tartar, desiring Dr. James not to deny it, for he 
was Cure he was right. Dr. James laughing made 
him a Compliment on his Sagacity, and told him he 
wonder’d how he came to hit upon it. I don’t know 
that Dr. Altery would have swore, that the Doctor ad- 
mitted to him that his Powder was compos’d of the 
abovementioned Ingredients; but he was so much 
convinc’d of it, that four Months after this he had the 
Misfortune to fall ill of a Fever, and took repeated 
Doses of Diaphoretic Antimony and emetic Tartar, 
and depended so much upon these for his Cure, that 
he neglected all other Medicines and Advice, till his 
Distemper was past Remedy, for Dr. Schamberg, 
who was call’d to his Assistance, no doubt would have 
cured him had it been in the Power of Medicine. 
Now ’tis not improbable that Dr. James might treat 
some of these Wiseacres in the same ludicrous 
Stile, and it is not at all surprising, that they should 
not have Sense enough to perceive that he laughed 
at them. 
I now proceed to take notice of the Experiments 
said to be made before several People in favour of 
Baker, probably by his Directions, as they manifestly 
indicate the grossest Ignorance. Eight People have 
made as many separate Affidavits, in order to prove 
that these Experiments were made, and that they 
succeeded in the Manner they mention. As it is 
necessary to give the Reader one of these tedious 
unmeaning Affidavits, for all the red are exactly the 
same, I shall take that of one John Mouliot who Stiles 
himself Upholder, a Trade not very likely to furnish 
him with a deep Fund of chemical Knowledge.
JOHN 
[46]
‘ JOHN MOULIOT, of the Parish of St. Mar- 
‘ tin in the Fields, in the County of Middlesex, 
‘ Upholder, maketh oath and saith, that he this De- 
‘ ponent did on the twentieth Day of September last, 
‘ buy at the House of Dr. Robert James, of Craig's- 
‘ Court, Charing-Cross, three parcels of Powders, con- 
‘ taining two Papers or Doses each, by him the said 
‘ Dr. Robert James call'd, in the Directions for taking 
‘ the same, Doctor Robert James's Fever Powder, for 
‘ the speedy curing acute, continual, and inflammatory 
‘ Fevers, &c. this Deponent further saith, that he 
‘ also did, on the twenty-fourth Day of September afore- 
‘ said, buy at the Shop of John Newbery, at the Sign 
‘ of the Bible and Sun, in St. Paul's Church-Yard, 
‘ London, being the Person appointed by the said Dr. 
‘ Robert James to vend and fell his said Powder,three 
‘ other Parcels of Powders, containing two Papers or 
‘ Doses each; and this Deponent further saith, that 
‘ he this Deponent did, on the twenty-ninth Day of 
‘ September aforesaid, buy at the House of Walter Ba- 
‘ ker, of Helmet-Court in the Strand six Parcels of 
‘ Powders containing three Papers or Doses each, by 
‘ him the said Walter Baker, call'd, in his Directions 
‘ for taking the same, Schwanber's universal Powder, 
‘ for the speedy and certain curing of most kinds of Fe- 
‘ vers, &c. and this Deponent further saith, that 
‘ he kept in his Custody the three Parcels of Powders, 
‘ by him this Deponent purchased at the said Dr. 
‘ James's House,and also the three Parcels of Powders 
‘ by him, this Deponent purchased at the said New- 
‘ bery's House, seal'd up in the same manner they 
‘ were respectively purchased of them by him this 
‘ Deponent, and also the said six Parcels of Powders 
purchased at the said Walter Baker's House aforesaid, 
until the thirtieth Day of September aforesaid, at
‘ which (47)
‘ which time this deponent, in the presence of Gerard 
‘ Dowman, Doctor of Physic, Richard Siddal, Chemist, 
‘ Christopher Gascoign, Surgeon, Erasmus King, experi- 
‘ mental Philosopher, John Holts, Mineralurgist, Peter 
‘ Gandon, Gunsmith, Francis Hammond, Engraver, and 
‘ Thomas Worlidge, Painter, at the said Mr. King’s ex- 
‘ perimental Room, in Duke’s Court, St. Martin’s Lane, 
‘ produced the said three parcels of Powders, bought by 
‘ this deponent at said James’s, and also the three par- 
‘ cels of Powders bought by this deponent at the said 
‘ Newbery’s, which were severally wrapped up in Mar- 
‘ ble Paper, and severally sealed up in the same manner 
‘ this deponent received them as aforesaid, and also the 
‘ said six parcels of Powders purchased as aforesaid from 
‘ the said Walter Baker, which six parcels of Powders 
‘ were severally wrapped in white Paper, and also sealed 
‘ up in the same Manner this deponent received them 
‘ from the said Baker’s House, and which said several 
‘ parcels of Powders, so as aforesaid purchased by this 
‘ deponent at the said James's, Newberry's, and Baker’s, 
‘ were severally opened by this deponent, on the said 
‘ 30th day of September aforesaid, at the Room of the 
‘ said Mr. King aforesaid, in the Presence of the several 
‘ persons above mentioned, before which Time the se- 
‘ veral parcels of Powders, or either of them, were not 
‘ out of the Custody of this deponent, or were any or 
‘ either of them opened, from the Time of this depo- 
‘ nent’s purchasing them, until the aid 30th day of 
‘ September aforesaid, and which were then, and not 
‘ before opened, in the presence of the persons above 
‘ mentioned, who, together with this deponent, at- 
‘ tended the following Experiment: videlicet, Two e- 
‘ qual sized new Crucibles were produced, and into 
‘ one was put that Powder which was named Dr. Robert 
‘ James’s Fever Powder, purchased by this deponent as both
‘ aforesaid, and into the other was put that Powder 
‘ which was named Schwanberg’s Universal Fever Pow- 
der, purchased by this deponent also as aforesaid, and
both
 
(48)
� both said Powders were exactly and separately weighed, 
� before they were put into the said Crucibles, and both 
� the said Powders were of equal Colour and Texture 
� when they were put therein, and then at the same 
� time both were put into an intense Fire in a Wind- 
� Furnace, at two Minutes part four o' Clock in the 
� Afternoon of the same day, and both the said Powders 
� continued in the same Degree of Heat for twelve Mi- 
� nutes, and then the said Crucibles, with the said Fe- 
� ver Powders, were taken out of the Fire at the same 
� Time, and suffered to cool; then this deponent saw 
� the said Powders taken out of the said Crucibles and 
� weighed, and their specific Gravity was equal, and 
� both had the same Colour and Texture, and to the 
� best of this deponent's Judgment, and to the Evi- 
� dence of this deponent's Senses, they were both simi- 
� lar in every Respect; and this deponent saith, that all 
� the before named Persons thereupon agreed and ac- 
� knowledged the same; and this deponent further saith, 
� that in the presence of this deponent, and John Grif- 
� fiths, Chemist, the said Dow an, the said Gascoign, 
� the said Holts, the said King, the said Gandon, the 
� said Hammond, and the said Worlidge, the following 
� Experiments were made: videlicet. Equal Quantities 
� of the said Fever Powders, being of the same Colour 
� and Texture, were weighed, and both separately put 
� into two equal sized new Crucibles, and the said Cru- 
� cibles and Powders were put into the said Furnace, in 
� a very intense Fire, at the same time, at fourteen Mi- 
� nutes past six o' Clock, in the Evening of the same 
� Day, and continued therein for seven Minutes, and 
� then the said Crucibles, with the said Powders, were 
� taken out of the Fire at the same Time, and suffered 
� to cool; then the said Powders were taken out of the 
� said Crucibles and weighed, and their specific Gravity 
� was equal, and their Colour and Texture similar; 
� then both the said Powders were tasted by all the last 
� before mentioned Persons, and this deponent saith.
that
 (49)
� that they were similar in every Respect, and which 
� all the said Persons agreed to and acknowledged; 
� and this Deponent further saith, that two equal 
� sized new Crucibles were taken, and nearly filled 
� with strong rough Nitre, and the said Nitre in 
� both the Crucibles made boiling hot, and then 
� two equally weighed Quantities of each of the 
� said Powders, at the same Time, were by degrees 
� separately put into the said Crucibles while the 
� Nitre was melting, and both the said Powders 
� subsided equally alike; and when the Nitre grew 
� cool, both the Crucibles were broken, and hot 
� Water put to each in different Vessels, to dis- 
� solve and wash the Nitre from the said Powders, 
� which was done in three different Washings, and 
� then this Deponent saith, that the Texture and 
� Colour of both the said Powders were exactly 
� similar, no Difference in their Taste, and to the 
� bell of this Deponent's Judgment, and to the 
�  Evidence of this Deponent's Senses, that then 
� both the said Powders were similar in every re- 
� spect, which all the said Persons acknowledged 
� and agreed to; and this Deponent further saith, 
� that in the presence of this Deponent and the 
� said Persons, consecutively, in the Evening of the 
� same Day, the following Experiment was made: 
� Two equal Quantities of the said Powders, both 
� of the same Colour, were put into two separate 
� Vessels, and highly rectified Spirits of Wine were 
� intimately mixed with each of the said Powders, 
� and then the said Spirits of Wine fired, and 
� when the said Spirits were evaporated, the said 
� two Powders were taken and weighed separately, 
� and their specific Gravity was the same, their 
� Texture and Colour the same, and their Taste, 
� both to this Deponent and the said Persons, were 
�  acknowledged and agreed to be the same; and 
� this Deponent further saith, that in the same 
F Even-(59)
‘ Evening of the same Day, at one and twenty 
‘ Minutes after seven o’ Clock, in the presence of 
‘ this Deponent, and the said Persons, the follow- 
‘ ing Experiment was made: Two equal Quantities 
‘ of the said Powders were dropt separately and 
‘ gradually into nearly equal and separate Quantities 
‘ of double Spirit of Nitre, when a small Effer- 
‘ vescence appeared in each, and both the said Pow- 
‘ ders subsided equally, and to the best of this De- 
‘ ponent’s Judgment, and to the Evidence of this 
‘ Deponent’s Senses, they appeared exactly similar 
‘ at the Bottom of the Glasses, wherein they were 
‘ separately put, which all the said Persons acknow- 
‘ ledged and agreed to; and this Deponent further 
‘ saith, that he verily believes, from the similar 
‘ Appearance, Taste, Colour, and Texture, in the 
‘ Experiments before mentioned, and to the Evi- 
‘ dence of this Deponent’s Senses, that both the 
‘ said Powders, tho’ called by different Names, are 
‘ one and the same Medicine, and that they are 
‘ composed and prepared from the same equal Prin- 
‘ ciples and Materials, similar in every Respect, and 
‘ consequently must, in this Deponent’s Judgment 
‘ and Belief, be both one and the same identical 
‘ Medicine and Preparation, as the above mentioned 
‘ Experiments sufficiently evince. 
‘ John Mouliot. 
‘ Sworn the 17th Day of Feb. 1752, 
‘ before R. Edwards.’ 
I shall take occasion from this Affidavit to prove, 
that these Experiments, even supposing the Result of 
them to be true, as they swear it was, can prove no- 
thing but the Ignorance of the Person or Persons 
who made them, and the imprudent Credulity of 
those present when they were made. 
Secondly, I shall make it appear probable that 
the Result of these Experiments could not be as 
they[51]
they are represented, unless there was a little Le- 
gerdemain, and Confederacy betwixt Baker and 
John Mouliot. And, 
Lastly, I shall point out how a very little Con- 
federacy betwixt them might operate in such a 
Manner, as in Reality to produce the Result of 
the Experiments mentioned in this and the other 
Affidavits made by Baker’s People. 
The first Article is proved by the following Affi- 
davit; 
HUMPHRY JACKSON, of the Parish of St 
Botolph, Aldgate, Chemist, maketh Oath and 
says, that he hath very diligently considered the 
several Articles or Experiments mentioned to be 
made by way of analyzing the Powders commonly 
called Dr. James's Fever Powders, and those known 
by the Name of Schwanberg’s Universal Powder for 
Fevers, set forth in the Copy of an Affidavit of John 
Mouliot, now exhibited to this deponent, and therein 
mentioned to be made by, or in the Presence of Eras- 
mus King, John Griffiths, Gerrard Dowman, John 
Holt, Thomas Worlidge, Peter Gandon, Francis 
Hammond, Christopher Gascoign, Richard Syddal, 
and John Mouliot, tending to prove the Identity of 
the said Dr. James's said Fever Powders and also the 
said Powder called Schwanberg’s Powder, for Fevers. 
And this deponent Humphry Jackson saith, he pro- 
sesses himself a Chemist, and hath practised for ten 
Years last part; and according to the best and known 
Rules in Chemistry he hath always found it absolute- 
ly necessary when a Chemist attempts to analyze a 
Mixture, or a Compound, that this first Business is duly 
to consider the Nature of his Subject in order to disco- 
ver by what Means the Compound may be resolved 
into its Simples, which being done, these Simples are to 
be separately examined and compared, by which
F2 means 
(52)
means he will be enabled to make some useful Specu- 
lations and Observations, which ought to pass on to 
Effects, and which will prevent him from making 
too hasty a Conclusion, which generally happens 
without a Procedure of this Kind ; and it is impossible 
for him otherwise to prove the Similarity of Com- 
pounds, because he must remain entirely ignorant of 
their constituent Parts. And this deponent Humphry 
Jackson saith, it is from long Practice and much Ex- 
perience that he is the better able to give Judgment in 
this Case, and therefore proceeds to consider the said 
several Articles or Experiments, mentioned in the 
Paper annexed*, as follow. And as to the first Ex- 
periment, this deponent Humphry Jackson further 
saith, that the specific Gravity of each Powder, after 
Calcination, signifies nothing, it being very difficult 
to ferape a Crucible so clean as to determine a Cir- 
cumstance so exactly. Besides, the said Persons named 
as aforesaid, have not said that the specific Gravity of 
each Powder was equal before the Calcination thereof. 
And this deponent Humphry Jackson knows, that 
some Experiments with Antimony prove, that it gains 
more or less by Calcination. For Instance, if an 
Ounce of Regulus of Antimony be calcined for seve- 
ral Hours in an open Vessel, although there be a con- 
stant Evaporation in fine Fume, yet it becomes heavier 
by half a Dram or more. And this deponent Hum- 
phry Jackson also saith, a judicious Chemist was ne- 
ver known to make his first Experiment with an in- 
tense Heat. Homberg, Boyle, Boerhaave, and all the 
created Maders in the Chemical Art, teach us to be- 
gin with a gentle Heat at first, and increase it by de- 
grees as there may be Occasion; which Lesson, if 
the said several Persons had pursued, the Process pro- 
bably might have proved of more Consequence than 
the Result of that their Experiment, which proves 
no Identity of the said Powders. And this deponent 
Humphry 
* Mouliot's Affidavit. 
(53)
Humphry Jackson, further saith, that he hath in like 
manner duly considered the second Experiment set 
forth in the said Paper exhibited, and finds the same 
to prove no more than the said first Experiment; 
And this deponent Humphry Jackson, in like manner 
hath duly considered the third Experiment set forth 
in the said Paper hereto annexed, and mentioned to 
be made with rough Nitre, and says, it affords no- 
thing worthy of a Remark, unless it had been possible 
for them to see the said two Powders subside equally 
alike through the Body of the melted Nitre, which 
this deponent conceives it was as much impossible for 
them to do as to see the Powders subside through the 
Sides of the red-hot Crucible. And this deponent 
Humphry Jackson saith, there was no Necessity for 
that Experiment, as the Persons named as aforesaid 
pretend to have proved, that an intense Heat had no 
visible Effects upon the said Powders, so Nitre could 
effect no great Change by that Experiment upon the 
fixed antimonial Part of the Powders, as they had 
undergone a much greater degree of Heat before, as 
appears to this deponent from his Experience in anti- 
monial Preparations, and also by Dr. James’s Speci- 
fication now upon Record, and to which he refers. 
But this deponent Humphry Jackson saith, if the said 
Fever Powders had been properly treated with Nitre, 
with a small Addition of another Principle, the said 
Persons might very possibly have discovered the an- 
timonial Part, which would have been an useful Pro- 
cess, and a real Analysis, and which might have o- 
pened a Way towards a Discovery of the other In- 
gredients. And this deponent saith, that in the 
whole, their third Experiment serves only to con- 
vey an Idea of the Chemical Knowledge of the se- 
veral Persons who attended the said Experiments as 
aforesaid. And this deponent Humphry Jackson fur- 
ther saith, that be hath in like manner carefully con- 
sidered the fourth Experiment according to the Rules of 
F3 Chemistry,(54)
Chemlstry, which is mentioned to be made in the said 
Paper now exhibited to him with Spirits of Wine; 
and really finds it much less conducive to make any 
Discovery than the said third Experiment, because it 
is a known Truth that Spirits of Wine in Flame ne- 
ver burn deeper than its Surface, in which Case it 
could not possibly affect the Powder at the Bottom 
till the Spirits were nearly confirmed, and then only 
the Surface of the said Powder could come in Contact 
with the Flame just at the End of the Operation; be- 
sides, that the finest Part of the Spirits always con- 
sume the first, and all Spirits of Wine leave a small 
Portion of Water behind, which doubtless the Pow- 
der absorbed; therefore in this Case the same specific 
Gravity proves nothing towards the two Powders be- 
ing one and the same Composition. And this depo- 
nent Humphry Jackson saith, that the purest Alcohol 
should have been made use of in this Experiment, and 
the Powder stirred with a proper Instrument, par- 
ticularly during the Operation. And this deponent 
is greatly surprised what could induce the several Per- 
sons above named, to try the said last Experiment, 
since it is evident that if an intense Heat had no Effect 
on the Powder, the gentle Flame of Spirits of Wine 
could not alter it; for if the said Persons proposed by 
this Means to separate the Sulphureous Part of the 
Antimony, which may be done by proper Treatment, 
the Experiment will teach all Persons ignorant of 
Chemistry, that the Thing is not to be accomplished 
by any such Method; and that Process can serve for 
no other Purpose mere material. And this deponent 
Humphry Jackson further saith, that be hath duly 
considered the last Experiment set forth in the said 
Paper now exhibited, which doth incontestably prove 
that the said several Persons who made the same, have 
but little Knowledge or Experience in the Business of 
Chemistry; for it seems to be evident from the Pro- 
cess, that the said Persons did not conceive the Sub-
ject (55)
ject to be antimonial, for if they did, why was Spirit 
of Nitre preferred? or surely they understood that 
Antimony was never known to dissolve in Spirit of 
Nitre without the Addition of Sea Salt; and as they 
do not mention to have put it into the Process, it 
could only shew them whether the Powders were alike 
alkalious, which the Juice of a Lemon would have 
convinced them of at half the Expence. And upon 
the whole of those Experiments, this deponent Hum- 
phry Jackson saith, that they afford no proper Evi- 
dence at all whereby it can be justly concluded that 
the said two Powders are one and the same Thing; 
for this deponent Humphry Jackson saith, the said 
several Processes prove nothing of the constituent Parts 
of the Compounds, which by the above-said Means 
have not been taken to pieces, nor even one Simple 
separated from the said Powder, nor have the said 
Persons proved by the said Experiments whether the 
said two Powders are Compounds or Simples, or whe- 
ther they are Preparations of Gold, Silver, Copper, 
Tin, Iron, Lead, Antimony or Quicksilver, or whe- 
ther simple or compounded with each in different 
Quantities: and therefore the said Experiments prove 
there has been no Analysis made *, consequently no 
Identity proved. But this deponent Humphry Jack- 
son saith, that Colour, Taste, Smell, and specific 
Gravity, is all the said Persons have discovered, and 
in which they pretend the said Powders to be similar; 
but all this affords no Proof of the Identity and Effi- 
cacy of the said two Powders. And this deponent 
Humphry Jackson further saith, that by the said Ex- 
periments mentioned in the said Paper now exhibited, 
a skilful Chemist may easily conceive that those who 
subscribed them did not understand into what various 
Forms and Shapes Preparations of Antimony are con- 
vertable. For Example, Regulus of Antimony is 
turned to a fixed, a volatile, and an intermediate Sub- 
* See the Remarks on Baker's Affidavit above. 
stance(56)
stance, in the different Preparations of Diaphoretic 
Ceruse, Bezoar Mineral, Flowers, Mercurius Vitae, 
Glass of Antimony, &c. from all which the Regulus 
may not only be recovered again, but any one of 
them may likewise be converted into another, or made 
to travel successively through all the various Forms 
and Schemes of the rest. The Glass, Calx, Regulus 
and Golden Sulphur of Antimony, the Crocus Me- 
tailorum and the Antimonium Diaphoreticum do all 
of them by being mixed with Mercury Sublimate 
turn into Butter of Antimony. And if any of the an- 
timonial Preparations be reduced into the Reguline 
Form again, as the nearest to their natural State, and 
such Regulus, as it is simply separated from its sulphu- 
reous Part, should be again fused, and common Sul- 
phur should be thrown upon it in the Fusion while it 
is detained in the Fire for that Purpose, the Regulus 
would thus be brought back again to the State of 
crude Antimony. And this deponent Humphry Jack- 
son saith, from hence he can form an Idea of the Pos- 
sibility tho’ Difficulty of analysing antimonial Prepa- 
rations And this deponent also saith, if the said se- 
veral Persons mentioned in the said exhibited Paper, 
pursued any of the above Methods, they certainly 
would have saved the Trouble of condemning their 
useless Set of Experiments mentioned in the said Paper 
exhibited, which appear to this deponent Humphry 
Jackson to be made with no other Design than to 
create Trouble and Expence, and to lessen the Value 
and Reputation of Dr, James's Fever Powder, and to 
increase the Value and Consumption of that Powder 
called Schwanberg's Universal Fever Powder. 
Humphry Jackson. 
Sworn at my House in Cursitor-Street, 
the 5th Day of Dec. 1752, before me, 
Thomas Bennett.
Secondly, (57) 
Secondly, That the Result of these Experiments 
could not be as they are represented in the Affidavits 
above mentioned, without some Collusion put in prac- 
tice by Some-body, is proved by the following Affi- 
davit. 
RALPH BROOKS, of the Parish of St. Clement- 
Danes in the County of Middlesex, Doctor of 
Physic, Henry Mason, of the same, Surgeon, Thomas 
Lloyd, of the Parish of St. 'James's, Westminster, in 
the County of Middlesex, Apothecary, John Barrow, 
of the Parish of St. Andrew, Holborn, in the said 
County of Middlesex, Chemist, Richard Brooke, of 
the Parish of St. George, Hanover-Square, Surgeon, 
Richard Blacow of the Parish of St. Martin in the 
Fields, Master of Arts, Christopher Smarts Fellow of 
Pembroke-Hall Cambridge, Master of Arts, Anne
Medley, of the Parish of St.Martin in the Fields, in the 
County of Middlesex, Spinster,and Thomas Carnan, of 
the Parish of St. Gregory, London, Bookseller, severally 
make Oath and say; and first, the said Henry Mason 
for himself saith, that he did on the 26th Day of June 
last, purchase at the House of Walter Baker in Helmet- 
Court, in the Strand, some of the Powder sold by 
him, commonly called Schwanberg’s Universal Fever 
Powder, which was delivered to this Deponent by a 
Person called Mrs. Schwanberg; one Paper of which 
Powder sealed up in the same Condition this deponent 
purchased the same as aforesaid, is hereunto annexed, 
marked with the Letter (A); and one other Paper of 
the said Powder in the same Condition this deponent 
purchased the same as aforesaid, was on the 26th Day 
of June last produced by this deponent to several of 
the said other deponents, to make Trial of, as herein- 
after is mentioned; and this deponent Henry Mason 
for himself further saith, that he this deponent did, 
on the said 26th Day of June last, purchase at the 
House(58)
House of John Newbery in St. Paul's Church-yard, 
London, of Thomas Carnan the Shopman there, some 
of the Powder called Dr. Robert James's Fever Pow- 
der, for the sole making whereof the said Dr. James 
hath Letters Patent, one Paper of which last men- 
tioned Powder, sealed up and marked with the Letter 
(B), in the same Condition this deponent purchased 
the same as aforesaid, is hereunto annexed; and one 
other Paper of the said last mentioned Powder this de- 
ponent did on the said 26th Day of June last, produce 
unto several of the said other deponents, to make 
Trial of, as hereinafter is mentioned. And this depo- 
nent Thomas Carnan saith, that the said Powder which 
the said Henry Mason bought of this deponent on the 
26th of June last, as herein before is mentioned, was 
some of the said Dr. Robert James’s Fever Powder, 
for the sole making of which he has Letters Patent, 
and was taken by this deponent out of a large parcel 
that had been received from time to time from the 
said Robert James by this deponent for Sale, and were 
sealed as usual by this deponent. And this deponent 
Anne Medley for herself saith, that some time in the 
Year 1743, and at several other Times she this de- 
ponent did see William Schwanberg, commonly called 
Baron Schwanberg, make a Powder which he called 
the Fever Powder, and that she did then and at other 
Times help and assist the said Schwanberg in making 
the said Powder, and that she has frequently made 
the said Powder herself in the presence and by the di- 
rection of the said Schwanberg; and this deponent 
further saith, that she has some of the said Powder so 
made by the said Schwanberg now in her Custody, 
and which has not been out of her Custody since the 
same was made by the said Schwanberg; and she this 
deponent did, on the 26th Day of June last, deliver 
some of the said Powder which file this deponent did 
receive from the said Schwanberg, and which she saw
made(59)
made by the said Schwanberg as aforesaid, and which 
she has had in her Custody ever since, unto several of 
the said other deponents, to make Trial of as herein 
after mentioned; and that one other Paper of the 
same Powder is hereunto annexed, sealed up and 
marked with the Letter (D); and she this deponent 
saith, that it exactly resembles all the Fever Powder 
which she this deponent saw the said Schwanberg make, 
and particularly as containing a great number of shin- 
ing Particles in it when viewed in the Sun. And 
these deponents, Ralph Brookes, Thomas Lloyd, Henry 
Mason, John Barrow, Richard Brooke, Richard Bla- 
cow and Christopher Smart, severally say, they did on 
the said 26th of June last, meet together and examine 
the said three several Sorts of Powder produced unto 
them as herein-before is mentioned; and upon com- 
paring the said three Sorts of Powders, these deponents 
found them to be very different in Colour and Appear- 
ance from each other, the said first-mentioned Powder 
that was had at the said Walter Baker's as aforesaid 
being much whiter than the said other two Powders, 
and the second of the above mentioned Powders which 
was that of the said Dr. James’s being of a darker Co- 
lour; and the other of the said Powders, which was 
that of the said Schwanberg’s, produced by the said 
Anne Medley, being quite brown or ash-coloured. 
And these deponents then proceeded to try the specific 
Gravity of each of the said three Powders, and 
weighed an equal Bulk of all of them in the same 
Scale, and found that the same Bulk of each of them 
weighed as follows; that is to say, the last mentioned 
Powder of Schwanberg, thirty-nine Grains; the said 
Walter Baker’s said Powder, only twenty-three Grains, 
and the said Dr. James’s said Powder, only twenty- 
one Grains; so that the Difference of the specific 
Gravity was nearly one tenth betwixt the said Dr. 
James’s and Baker’s said Powders; and more than 
one[60]
one Third betwixt the said James’s said Powder and 
the said Schwanberg's said Powder produced by the 
said Anne Medley; and these deponents did further put 
into three Glasses an equal quantity as near as possibly 
they could of strong Spirit of Nitre, and into these three 
glasses some of the said three Sorts of Powder seve- 
rally and respectively; and the said Dr. James’s said 
Powder made not the least Effervescence, Ebullition 
or Fermentation in the Glass into which it was put 
with the strong Spirits of Nitre. But the said Baker’s 
said Powder made a great Effervescence, Ebullition 
or Fermentation; and the said Schwanberg’s said Fe- 
ver Powder, produced by the said Anne Medley, made 
a considerable Effervescence, Ebullition or Fermenta- 
tion. And these deponents the said Ralph Brooks, 
Henry Mason, Thomas Lloyd, John Barrow, Richard
Brooke, Richard Blacow, and Christopher Smart, say, 
that the Experiments made as aforesaid, appeared to 
these deponents to demonstrate, and these deponents 
are of Opinion, that the said three Powders are essen- 
tially different from each other; and with respect to 
the several Experiments mentioned in the Copy of an 
Affidavit of John Mouliot, exhibited unto these depo- 
nents at the Time of making this their Affidavit, these 
deponents say, that as to the Experiments therein 
mentioned to be made with Spirit of Nitre, these de- 
ponents upon trying the like Experiments found the 
same to turn out different, as herein-before is men- 
tioned. And as to the several other Experiments in 
the said annexed Copy of an Affidavit mentioned, 
these deponents are of Opinion, those Experiments 
are by no means conclusive to shew that the said Dr. 
James's said Fever Powder and that sold by the said 
Walter Baker are the same Medicine and Preparation; 
and which these deponents are of Opinion they are 
not, for the Reasons herein-before mentioned. And 
these deponents are further of Opinion, and do be- 
lieve(61)
lieve that it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, 
to shew any sensible Difference between some antimo- 
nial Medicines, otherwise than by the Effect on the 
human Body, when taken-internally. 
All sworn at the Public Office,
the 4th Day of July, 1752, 
before 
S. Burroughs. 
R. Brookes, 
H. Mason, 
Tho. Lloyd, 
J. Barrow, 
Rich. Brooke, 
R. Blacow 
C. Smart, 
Anne Medley, 
Tho. Carnan. 
Thus we see three of Baker's own Experiments 
made by several Gentlemen of Eminence in the 
learned World, all turn out very different from what 
the same Experiments are said to have done in Mou- 
liot's Affidavit. And the other two were esteemed so 
trifling, so inconclusive and absurd, that the Gentle- 
men did not think it of the least Consequence to try 
them. 
Now I see but one Way of vindicating the Persons 
from Censure, who were present at Baker's Experi- 
ments. But as every one ought to incline to the 
good-natured Side, I shall humbly represent, that it 
was possible for Baker or some other Person to buy 
Dr. James's Powder either at his House, or at Mr. 
Newbery's, to take them out of the Doctor's Papers, 
and to put them into others made up and sealed like 
what he calls Schwanberg's. Then a Hint to Mou- 
liot to come at a particular Time to buy Schwan- 
bergs Powder, or to buy it of a Person at his House 
duly intruded, will account for the Diversity of Suc- 
cess in these Experiments, and the many contradictory 
Affidavits that have been made, 
I should be glad however to be Informed, why 
some Powders bought at Mr. Dicey's in Bow Church- 
G yard,[62]
yard, (who sold them for Baker) the same Day and 
Hour, should, at a certain Time, have very different 
Appearances; but I think one of the following Affi- 
davits may in same measure account for it. 
WILLIAM H---*, of the Parish of St. 
Paul, Covent-Garden, in the County of Mid- 
dlesex, Apothecary, maketh Oath and saith, that -he 
this deponent about twelve Months since did several 
Times administer to different People several Doses of 
the Powder commonly called Dr. James’s Fever Pow- 
der, which this deponent had from the said Dr. James 
himself, and for the sole making whereof he has a 
Patent, as this deponent is informed and believes. 
And this deponent says, that upon repeated Trials he 
always found the said Powder very mild in its Opera- 
tions, acting as a Sudorific and gently opening, with- 
out causing any or very little Disturbance to the Pa- 
tient, and proved very efficacious in curing the Dis- 
ease. And this deponent saith, that this deponent 
being informed that Walter, Baker of Helmet-Court in 
the Strand, sold a Powder that he pretended was the 
same with the said Dr. James’s Fever Powder, this 
deponent did also above a Year since procure some of 
the said Baker’s Fever Powder, which this deponent 
had from the said Walter Baker himself, who then 
pretended to this deponent that it was the same with 
* As it may be reasonably ask’d, who Mr. William 
H-- who made the two following Affidavits, is; it is 
proper to inform the Reader, that he is a Gentleman 
inferior to none of his Profession in Character, for 
Knowledge, Integrity, and Honesty: Hence another 
Question may arise, viz. Why his Name is not Printed; 
to which I answer, that Mr. Baker is so fond of Law, 
and so much upon the Qui vive, that it seem’d most 
prudent to put only the initial Letter of his Surname. 
But the Original Affidavits may be seen by any Gen- 
tleman who desires that Information,
the  [63]
the said Dr. James's said Fever Powder, and told 
this deponent that he the said Walter Baker learnt the 
Art and Secret of preparing it from one William 
Schwanberg, commonly called Baron Schwanberg 
and that it was made after his Method or used 
Words to that or the like Effect; and acquainted this 
deponent that twenty Grains of his the said Baker's 
said Powder was a proper Dose, and that thirty 
Grains thereof might be safely given; and this depo- 
nent saith, he did several Times make trial of the 
said Walter Baker's said Powder, by giving it to se- 
veral Persons, and tho’ this deponent gave only ten 
Grains at a time thereof twice a Day, this depo- 
nent found the same to be very violent in its Opera- 
tions, causing most violent Vomitings and Purgings, 
and frequently Convulsions, and was much like in its 
Effect to the Medicine called Glass of Antimony, 
which is a very strong antimonial Vomit; and tho’ 
this deponent bath several times administered of the 
said Dr. James's Fever Powder, to thirty Grains to 
a weak Person at a time, this deponent found no vio- 
lent Effect therefrom, but it operated mildly as a - 
foresaid. And this deponent saith, that he this de- 
ponent has given Doses of the said Dr. James's Fever 
Powder, and of the said Walter Baker's Powder, to 
one and the same Person, as well as to different Per- 
sons; and this deponent always found the said Walter 
Baker's said Powder to have very different Operations 
and Effects from the said Dr. James's said Powder; 
and in this deponent’s Opinion and Judgment, the 
said Dr. James's said Powder, and the said Walter 
Baker's said Powder, are very different Preparations, 
and by their Effects upon repeated Trials, demon- 
stratively appeared to be very different. And this 
deponent saith, he made the aforesaid Trials at the 
Request of no Person; and with no View or Design 
to serve either the said Dr. James, or the said Walter 
Baker; but for this deponent’s own Information,
G2 and(64)
and with a View to relieve the Sick. And this de- 
ponent saith, that in his this deponent’s Judgment, 
the said Dr. "James said Fever Powder is a very good, 
gentle, and safe Medicine ; and the said Walter Ba- 
ker's is a very violent Medicine, and dangerous to be 
administered. 
W.H. 
Sworn at the public Office in Simond’s-Inn, 
the 20th of June, 1752, before 
S. Burroughs. 
Mr.H--’s Second Affidavit. 
WILLIAM H-- of the Parish of St. 
Paul, Covent-Garden, in the Liberty of West- 
minster, in the County of Middlesex, Apothecary, 
maketh Oath and saith, that some few Days after 
this deponent made a former Affidavit relating to Dr. 
James's Fever Powder, and a Fever Powder sold by 
Walter Baker of Helmet-Court in the Strand, which 
Affidavit was made on the 20th of June last, the said 
Walter Baker sent for this deponent to a Tavern in 
Bow Street, Covent-Garden; and this deponent going 
to him there, the said Walter Baker asked this depo- 
nent, if he had still the Powder which he had from 
the said Walter Baker; and this deponent answering, 
that he had some of it by him; the said Walter Ba- 
ker then defined this deponent not to let the said Dr. 
James have it, and which Desire he repeated to this 
deponent several times with great Earnestness. And 
this deponent saith, that the Powder in the Vial, 
sealed up with a Label annexed thereto, and exhibited 
by this deponent, at the Time of this deponent’s mak- 
ing this his Affidavit, is part of the same Powder 
mentioned in this deponent’s said former Affidavit, 
and which this deponent saith he purchased of the 
said Walter Baker, above a Year since, and which 
the said Baker sold to this deponent as and for the 
Fever
(65)
Fever Powder made by him the said Walter Baker, 
as taught him by one Schwanberg, and which he pre- 
tended was the same as made by the said Dr. James. 
And this deponent saith, the said Powder in the said 
Vial is the very same in all respects as this deponent 
received it from the said Walter Baker, and has never 
been out of this deponent's Custody since. And this 
deponent saith, that some Time after he received this 
said Powder from the said Walter Baker, and after 
this deponent had tried the same, as in this deponent's 
said former Affidavit is mentioned, he this deponent 
did acquaint the said Walter Baker, that his said Powder 
was not the same with the said Dr. James's said Fever 
Powder, and particularly, neither in its Colour nor 
Effect. 
W.H. 
Sworn at the public Office, 6th of July, 
1752, before Ant. Allen. 
Baker's Intention in this Request needs little Expli - 
cation; for had he meant fairly, there was not the 
least Occasion for him to entreat this Gentleman not 
to let Dr. James have any of the Powder which he 
had fold him as Dr. James's Powder. But in fact, 
the Powder thus sold by Baker differed extremely 
from what he sold, and produced'at the Time his Pe- 
tition came to be heard before the Attorney and So- 
licitor-General, which was a Circumstance not much 
in his Favour. 
JAMES PERROT, of the Parish of St. James 
Westminster in the County of Middlesex, Apothe- 
cary, maketh Oath and saith, that-on or about the 
fourth Day of January last past, he this deponent 
bought at the House of Walter Baker in Helmet- 
Court, in the Strand, in Westminster aforesaid, 
Journeyman Printer, some Papers of a Fever Pow- 
der, called Schwanberg's universal Powder for Fevers, 
G3 and[66]
and which was delivered to this deponent sealed up 
with a printed Paper of Directions, one of which 
Papers of Powder so sealed up, together with the said 
printed Directions, is hereunto annexed, in the same 
Condition this deponent received the same as afore- 
said; and this deponent saith, that some time after- 
wards this deponent gave one Dose of the said Powder 
containing twenty Grains, to a strong Woman, who 
was this deponent’s Patient, which operated both by 
Vomiting and Purging with excessive Violence; and 
this deponent saith, he did about three or four Years 
ago administer to a Patient some of Dr. James's Fever 
Powder, which this deponent had of the said Doctor 
himself; and this deponent did give thereof fifteen 
Grains at a Dose, to a weak Person, for nine Nights 
successively; and did also at another Time repeat the 
same to the same Person for seven Nights successively; 
and this deponent at all the said Times found the said 
Dr. James's said Powder operate very mildly, and with- 
out any violent Symptoms whatever; and from the 
Nature and different Operations of the said Dr.James's 
Powder, and of that bought of the said Walter Baker, 
this deponent conceives the same to be different Pre- 
parations. 
James Perrot. 
Sworn at the public Office, 23rd June, 
1752, before  W.Spicer.  
J0HN DENNE, of the Parish of St. Bennet- 
sink, in the City of London, Gentleman, maketh 
Oath and saith, that at several Times in the Year 
One Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty-one, this 
Deponent having severish Disorders, he took the 
Powder called Dr. James’s Fever Powder, which 
operated sometimes by Sweating and sometimes by 
Purging, very mildly, and in such manner as to give 
him Spirits. And this Deponent saith, that in Ja- 
nuary(67)
nuary, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty-two, 
he had a violent Inflammation in his Leg, attended 
with a Fever, for which be again took the said Pow- 
der several Times, in very large Doses, when it a- 
gain operated very mildly and pleasantly as before. 
And this Deponent further says, that in the Beginning 
of August, One Thousand seven Hundred and Fifty- 
two, he had a Return of the Inflammation in his Leg, 
together with a feverish Heat as before; and having 
observed in the public Papers a Powder called Sehwan- 
berg’s Fever Powder advertised to be sold by Cluer 
Dicey in Bow-Churchyard, and Walter Baker of Hel- 
met-Court in the Strand, he this Deponent bought 
three Papers of the said Powder, at the Warehouse of 
Cluer Dicey in Bow Churchyard, together with printed 
Directions for making use of them; and that on the 
fifteenth of August last past, at this Deponent’s going 
to Bed at Night, he took one of those Powders, ac- 
cording to the printed Directions given this Deponent 
with the said last mentioned Powder, when he 
bought the same; and this Deponent saith, that a- 
bout five o’ Clock in the Morning of the sixteenth of 
August last, the said Powder began to purge him, and 
continued to purge him very violently till about 
twelve o’ Clock at Noon, during all which Time he 
this Deponent was racked with very great Pains, 
Griping, and excessive Sickness, with strong Efforts 
to vomit; and these Symptoms were succeeded by a 
violent Head-ach, which continued three or four 
Days; and this Deponent had afterwards again Re- 
course to Dr. James's Fever Powder, which again 
operated in the same mild and gentle Manner as be- 
fore, and left no Head-ach; and therefore this De- 
ponent is of Opinion, the said Powders called Dr. 
James's Fever Powder, and that called Schwanberg’s 
Fever Powder, are very different. And this Depo- 
nent saith, the above mentioned Powder which this 
Deponent took as aforesaid, called Dr. James's Fever
Power(68)
Powder, this Deponent had of the said Dr. James 
himself.
John Denne. 
Sworn at the public Office, the 15th of 
Nov. 1752, before  P.Holford. 
I must ask the Reader’s Pardon for keeping him a 
little longer in very indifferent Company, because it 
may be material to inform him who the Persons are, 
or were, who have set themselves up as competent 
Judges of Chemistry and Medicines; and have sworn 
to such unfortunate Circumstances, that no one in 
his Senses can believe to be true. The first Gentle- 
man we shall beg leave to introduce to your 
Acquaintance is, Walter Baker, born at Shrews- 
bury, of poor but honest Parents, who sent him to 
School where he learn’d to read, and write something 
like English mis-spelt; he was then put Apprentice to 
a Printer, served Part of his Time, and afterwards 
came to London, where he worked as a Journeyman, 
till being seized with the Gout, which he was appre- 
hensive would deprive him of the Use of his Hands, 
and consequently of his Trade, he consulted Dr. James 
with respect to his Health, and also advised with him 
how he might earn any tolerable Subsistance in case he 
should lose his Limbs. The Doctor told him, that 
as he was by much the most impudent Fellow he ever 
saw, and had a mod excellent Countenance and Per- 
son to qualify him for Adventures, he thought he 
could not do better than turn either Mountebank, or 
Conjurer; and added, that he was acquainted with a 
Person (meaning Schwanberg) who had a good Medi- 
cine for the Gravel and Stone, and with whom he 
promised Baker to make him acquainted, which he 
actually did, and which it is very certain he would 
not have done, if he had intended to avail himself of 
any of Schwanberg’s pretended Discoveries. Baker,
full of Self-Sufficiency, and determined to enter upon
this(69)
this new Scene in Life, immediately took Lodgings 
at a Conjuror’s House in the Old-Baily; but finding 
himself not qualified for the arduous Undertaking of 
Magic, he removed to Schwanberg’s Lodgings in Ex- 
eter-Street, together with a Gentlewoman of his Ac- 
quaintance who goes sometimes by the Name of Mrs. 
Baker, and sometimes by that of Mrs. Buckley. Here 
he lived till Schwanberg died, at the Madhouse at 
Bethnal-Green, in the Year 1744, where he was kept 
in that unhappy State at the Expence of the Parish of 
St. Martin in the Fields; and then Baker set up Doctor 
for himself. It was necessary to say thus much to 
shew, that it was absolutely Compassion to this worthy 
Gentleman's unhappy Situation, that made Dr. James 
first acquainted with him, and afterwards shew him 
some Countenance, so far as to recommend the Lix- 
ivium of Lime, which he tells us he has insigniz’d, 
The Liquid Shell. 
The next Person who appears in this doughty 
Pamphlet is Mary Schwanberg, whom I know nothing 
of, unless the Lady is metamorphos'd by the Magic 
Baker learnt of the Conjurer, from the Person of 
Mary Halsey into Schwanberg's Widow. 
The next I shall beg leave to introduce on the 
Chemical Stage is Peter Gandon, a Person most ex- 
cellently qualified for chemical Experiments, being a 
Gunsmith, in Coventry-street, at the upper End of the 
Hay-market. 
William Law presents himself the next to View; 
the Doctor took this Lad to be a very dirty Errand- 
Boy to Mr. Crawley, Apothecary, in Bury-street, St. 
James's, and never till lately knew he was his Ap- 
prentice. 
The next Judge of Chemistry is Lucy Jones, 
a Gentlewoman, from whose known Erudition, 
(of which the setting her Mark to her Affidavit 
is an undoubted Proof) we may expect ample 
Satisfaction and Conviction; she  swears, she nur-
sed(70)
fed two of Schwanberg's Children. It is remark- 
able that this Woman is set up by Baker for a 
Judge of one of the most difficult Branches of 
Chemistry; a Province, her Education, Learning 
and Abilities qualified her for, as well as any 
other of the Gentry produced to swear in Baker’s 
Behalf. 
John Maitland, another of Baker’s formidable Ve- 
terans, was a Creature of the most abandoned Prin- 
ciples, and of a most execrable Life and Conversa- 
tion, whose Testimony (could his Character and 
Principles be properly explained) would be little 
regarded by any of the Professors of Christianity. 
He assisted the Doctor as an Amanuensis, whilst he 
was writing the Medicinal Dictionary; but was 
during that Time so often drunk, that he was of 
very little Use. The said Time I saw him, he 
was in so wretched a Condition, that his Shirt 
reached about two Inches below the Collar of 
his Half-Waistcoat; the Iron Teeth of Time having 
devoured the lower Part of each.— Baker went 
to this extraordinary Personage in the Poultry- 
Compter, gave him out of meer Charity, Meat, Dunk 
and Money; and he made the Affidavit, which Ba- 
ker has printed. Soon after he got out of the Compter, 
he was found-by the Watch on a Bulk in Fleet street, 
with his Legs mortified, was conveyed to the Work- 
house, and there died as miserably as he had lived. 
The next on the Chemical Stage, is John-David 
Barbutt, formerly Secretary of the Post-Office, from 
which he was discharged for Reasons I shall not at- 
tempt to enquire into at present. But as the, Place is 
said to be worth more than 1000L a Year, ’tis not 
probable he left it voluntarily, or was discharged for 
any extraordinary Abilities or Virtues. The only 
Things he swears of any Consequence are, that Dr. 
James told him, that he knew how to prepare 
Shchwanberg's Powder; that he had used it with Suc- 
cess;[71]
cess; and that he refused to take it in a Fever which 
he, the Doctor, was afflicted with, when advised to 
it by the said Barbutt. The two first Articles have 
already been answered; the last: makes much in the 
Doctor's Favour, as it confirms the Truth of what 
Opinion the Doctor has always said he entertained of 
Schwanberg's Powder. Mr. Barbutt, since his Dis- 
mission from the Post Office, has, it seems, found 
out, or been taught, the Philosopher's Stone, and 
the Transmutation of Metals; and I am well in- 
formed, shews a Medal sent him as a Present from 
the interior Parts of Arabia, by the Society of Rosi�  
crusians; and surely no one can doubt of his pro- 
found Knowledge in Chemistry. 
Nathaniel Kerfoot is the next whose Affidavit Baker 
has published. This Gentleman was bred a Dyer, 
was afterwards concerned in making Urcello, a Co- 
lour used by the Dyers; and since that, has aided as 
a Broker for raising Money, buying and selling 
Woad; or any Thing else. 
As to Mr. Erasmus King, this Philosopher was, I 
am informed, a kind of Porter or Servant to the ce- 
lebrated Doctor Desaguliers, from whom it is not 
probable he could learn much Chemistry, the Doc- 
tor never pretending to know any thing of it him- 
self. 
Richard Siddal, who stiles himself Chemist, swears 
also to the Experiments above mentioned. And as it 
seem'd miraculous to me that a Chemist should call 
these Trials, Experiments; I enquired who he was, 
and received Information, that he had been an 
Apprentice to Mr. Lewis, a Wholesale Druggist 
in the City, where he served out somewhat more 
than half his Time ; then left his Master, and 
set up a Chemist's Shop.  
It should not seem necessary to take any Notice of 
Gerard Dowman, Saluberrim� Faculiatis Doctor Me-
dicus:
 (72)
dicus: But I must beg leave to remark, that he was 
Apprentice to an Apothecary in London, where he 
learned to play on the Fiddle; that he went to 
Paris, came back a Doctor; and died soon after 
of a certain Distemper, which a Doctor Medicus, 
ought to have known how to have cured. This 
Dowman, was the ever memorable Person who 
made such a Figure in the Papers for curing a 
Woman shrewdly suspected of having never been 
ill) of a Wound in the Pudenda made with a Stick 
stuck full of Nails; by which a Number of cha- 
ritably disposed Persons are said to have been taken 
in. He also was the Author of a Treatise on a 
Scirrbus, and ’tis remarkable that this Doctor Me- 
dicus never spelled the Word right in his whole 
Book. 
Christopher Gascoign, is another Gentleman who 
swears to Baker's Experiments. He stiles himself 
Surgeon, but I cannot find his Name in the List 
of Surgeons, nor have I the Honour to know 
who he is; so I must leave him in that Obscu- 
rity in which I found him. 
John Mouliot, who calls himself Upholder, is 
the next Mr. Baker has exhibited. I could never 
find out this Gentleman’s Shop, nor where he 
lives; and as I have before made some Remarks 
on his Affidavit, I shall take my leave of him 
for this Time. 
Francis Hammond comes next. I had some Dif- 
ficulty to find out this Gentleman too; but going 
along Bridges-street, I, by Chance saw his Name on 
an Alehouse Sign of the World turn'd upside down, 
near the Playhouse, and upon Enquiry, found this 
victualler was the identical Gentleman, who took 
upon himself to judge of Chemical Experiments.
Next, 
(73)
Next John Holts, Mineralurgist, makes his Ap- 
pearance. All I could possibly learn of this great 
Personage was, that he died about a Month after 
making his Affidavit, at his Lodgings in an Ale- 
house Garret, near St. Martin’s Church. This is 
the best Intelligence I could procure of him. 
The last I shall take notice of is Thomas Wor- 
lidge, Face-Painter. As this Gentleman is by Trade 
a Painter, it is not likely he should be a very 
great Judge of Chemistry. But tho’ he was, there 
is a Circumstance, which ought to take much from 
the Force of his Evidence. It is, that Baker ad- 
mires, more than any man living, Mr. Worlidge’s 
Painting; and I am well informed. Baker under- 
stands Painting much better than Physic. Be that 
as it may, here is, I am afraid, something like Bri- 
bery and Corruption; for, if Baker admires Wor- 
lidge as a Painter, the least Worlidge can do is to 
admire him as a Doctor. 
All the rest of Baker’s Evidences swear to Things 
of so little Importance, that it is by no Means worth 
while to take notice of them. And those I have 
mentioned are infinitely obliged to me, for the great 
Honour I have done them. 
Before I take leave of the Public it may not be 
improper to observe, that the Manner of Schwan- 
berg’s leaving his Country was probably the Reason 
why Baker would not enter into the History of that 
great Personage. ’Tis no uncommon Thing for 
artful People to chuse to travel abroad, when the 
Law will not permit them to stay at Home, and to 
dignify themselves with a Sort of Title, in order the 
more effectually to take in the Credulous and Un- 
wary; and of this Truth many unhappy Tradesmen 
of the Cities of London and Westminster can. bear 
testimony. 
Baker was likewise cunning enough not to try 
H any(74)
any Experiments before those notable Judges, till 
after Dr. James had filed his Specification for 
public Inspection; and from that Time there was 
no Conjuration, nor any Acquaintance with Schwan- 
herd's required, to make a Medicine in some Re- 
spects similar to Dr. James's in Appearance; and 
I hope Baker himself will not be so case- harden’d 
as to deny, that his Powder is very different 
now, from what it was before that Period of 
Time. 
FINIS.