Ferdinand von Mueller

12/5/86

It was my intention, dear Mr Blackett, to call on you ere this; but the work in the Department is still so overwhelming, that I can not get away even in evening-hours or on Sundays.

I went however to Dr Springthorpe, and we discussed the intended experiments, for which you will give aid, and in which you will share, at length. The first plant, to be delt

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dealt?

with, shall be

Gratiola Peruviana

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; it will be gathered in considerable quantity within the next days. The continental physicians use the stiff extract, reduced from the strained decoction by gentle evaporation, finally in the hot water bath. So perhaps you will kindly arrange the preliminaries, as the herb would suffer, had it to lay bye. I would also advise, that some Gratiolin according to Wittsteins direction (see my edition)

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Wittstein (1878), i.e. B78.06.09, p. 96.

be prepared

I really must try, to get over to you some evening soon; but the Plants of Capt Everills New Guinean Expedition

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New Guinea exploring expedition, 1885.

take up much time, and I am not at all far on with the "Key," part I. (II is doing.)

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Part II of M's Key (B86.04.05) was being issued; Part I (B88.11.02) was not published for another two years.