Alexander Garden (Charleston SC) to John Ellis (London), February 17, 1759

“I have sent you a small parcel of the flower with which the Indians dye red.  It makes a surprisingly bright scarlet colour .... A lady procured this for me, but she unluckily mentioned her design of giving it to me to be sent over the great water, as they say, and as soon as they knew this they formed many excuses for not gathering it at all, and could not at last be persuaded to gather any, till the frost came, which destroyed its bright dyeing quality.  This they knew well it seems before, but they think that when they communicate any of their knowledge to the white people, the plant or herb immediately loses its wonted virtue, and for this reason it is difficult to procure any thing from them.”

Alexander Garden (Charleston SC) to [Charles] Alston (Edinburgh), January 12, 1753

“....What made me think of giving you this trouble was indeed my eager desire to learn something of the Nature of the herbs & ye Names which the Ethiopians & Africans use for poison & the common method of cure, and as I didnt in the least Doubt of your being acquaint [sic] with them & hearing of them, at the same time being well persuaded of your benevolent Desire of promoting the generall good of mankind & in particular of giving your assistance to any who have studied under you, I thought of asking the favour of any of your observations on this Subject, which I shall always look upon as the greatest honour done me & I would fain imagine it will be no small obligement to the inhabitants of this province in generall.  The Negroe slaves here seem to be but too well acquaint [sic] with the Vegetable poisons (whether they gain that knowledge in this province, or before they leave africa I know not, tho I imagine the Latter) which they make use of to take away the Lives of ye Masters, who they think uses them ill, or indeed the life of any oyr person, for whom they Conceive any hatred or by whom they imagine themselves injured.  And they generally are so certain in ye operation as to render the use of medicines entirely ineffectuall even when given by the ablest practitioners in the province….”

“….About 3 years ago a Negroe a Native of Africa, upon assurance of obtaining his freedom promised to discover an antidote; this without any further examination was accepted, his freedom & a gratuity besides, was ordered by the Governor & Council & he discovered his secret in presence of all the Doctors & -- This was immediately published, which no Doubt you have seen in some of the British Gazettes or Magazines, But the Gentleman who was entrusted wt the Publication (tho a practitioner of Physick) has neglected to give the Least Characteristick of any of the Plants wherby one should know them, so yt unless in Carolina, any one should be greatly mistaken who would venture to use this remedy.”

“Upon the whole I find most of the Practitioners here so totally ignorant of Botany, yt if it was not from what they Learn from the Negroe’s Strollers & old Women, I doubt much if they would know Common Dock from a Cabbage Stock, & this is the plain reason why I’m not able to give you a fuller & more satisfactory account of this matter, as I’ve had but little practice myself yet, since ever I cam into the province which is not a year ago.  All the helps I have on Botany are very few, being only Ray’s His. P. & your Catalogue of the Edinburgh Gardens which I had from you 1751 when I had the honor to attend your Lectures & Demonstrations in the Gardens.  Since the Botanicall season was over I’ve got Clayton’s Description of the Virginia Plants revised by Gronovius -- I’ve this year collected a good many Plants & made out Descriptions of all yt I could not find in any of the Books, which I had on the subject.  I’m pretty sure yt there are some of them entirely new.”