From a teacher named
Monroe, [2] who then lived near Salisbury, I borrowed Draper's
Chemistry, little thinking that I would one day count the author among
my friends. A book peddler going his rounds offered a collection of
miscellaneous books at auction. I bought, among others, a Latin and a
Greek grammar, and assiduously commenced their study. With the first
I was as successful as could be expected under the circumstances,
but failed with the Greek, owing to the unfamiliarity of the alphabet,
which seemed to be an obstacle to memory of the words and forms.

But perhaps the greatest event of my stay was the advent of a
botanic druggist of Boston, who passed through the region with a
large wagonload of medicines and some books. He was a pleasant,
elderly gentleman, and seemed much interested on learning that
I was a student of the botanic system. He had a botanic medical
college in or near Boston, and strongly urged me to go thither as
soon as I could get ready to complete my studies. From him the
doctor, willing to do me a favor, bought some books, among them the
"Eclectic Medical Dispensary," published in Cincinnati. Of this
book the doctor spoke approvingly, as founded on the true system
which he himself practiced, and though I never saw him read it,
he was very ready to accept the knowledge which I derived from it.
The result was quite an enlargement of his materia medica, both in the
direction of native plants and medicines purchased from his druggist.

On one occasion this advance came near having serious consequences.
I had compounded some pills containing a minute quantity of elaterium.
The doctor gave them to a neighboring youth affected with a slight
indisposition in which some such remedy was indicated. The directions
were very explicit,--one pill every hour until the desired effect
was produced.

"Pshaw," said the patient's brother, "there's nothin' but weeds in
them pills, and a dozen of them won't hurt you."

The idea of taking weed pills one at a time seemed too ridiculous,
and so the whole number were swallowed at a dose. The result was,
happily, not fatal, though impressive enough to greatly increase
the respect of the young man's family for our medicines.

The intellectual life was not wholly wanting in the village. A lodge
of a temperance organization, having its headquarters in Maine,
was formed at a neighboring village. It was modeled somewhat after
the fashion of the Sons of Temper