which it arrived on each fucceeding day. The extreme wet season, I am apt to think, confiderably retarded its progress. Had the fummer been a common one, as to heat and dryness, it might poffibly have risen many feet higher. It was observable, that during every twenty-four hours in which any rain fell, the ftem grew less, than when the weather was dry. To this circumstance, I attribute the irregularity in its progress.

"Notwithstanding the rigour of the present season, the plant, which is out of doors, although dead, retains its erect form."*

Total height, from the top of the tub in which it grew, 18 6

• The first flowers opened July 28th. It remained in flower for 40 days. The ftem was, at its base, 16 inches in circumference. The number of flowers was 3069. The bees appeared exceedingly fond of the flowers.

4

The CHARACTER of the Agave, is thus given by Linnæus in his Genera Plantarum, Clafs Hexandria. Order Monogynia. "AGAVE.

CAL. nullus.

COR. monopetala, infundibuliformis: Limbo fexpartito, æquali laciniis lanceolatis, erectis.

STAM. Filamenta fex, filiformia, erecta, corolla longiora. Anthera lineares, filamentis breviores, versatiles.

PIST. Germen oblongum, utrinque attenuatum, inferum. Stylus filiformis, longitudine ftaminum, trigonus. pitatum, trigonum.

Stigma ca

PER. Capfula oblonga, triangularis, utrinque attenuata, trilocularis, trivalvis.

SEM. numerofa."

The Agave Americana, (whofe flower is delineated in the engraving,) is thus noticed in the Species Plantarum. "AGAVE foliis dentato-fpinofis, fcapo ramofo. Aman. Acad. 3. p. 22.

Agave foliis fpinofo-dentatis mucronatifque. Hort. Ups. 81. Aloë foliis lanceolatis dentatis fpina terminatis radicalibus. Hort. Cliff. 130. Roy. Lugdb. 22.

Aloë folio in oblongum mucronem abeunte. Bauh. pin. 286. Habitat in America calidiore. Cortufus plantam primus in Europa habuit 1561. (Cam. hort. 11.) hodie ab ea fepes in Lufitania."

* In the London Magazine for July 1764, we have an account of the flowering of an Agave at Charleston, South-Carolina, in 1763. The plant was then about 28 years old, the leaves 7 or 8 feet long, and proportionably broad and thick. On the 20th of April it gave the first appearance of putting out to bloffom, bursting open the central leaves, about 6 feet from the ground. The 5th of May it exhibited the likeness of a monstrous asparagus.-On the 12th it was 15 feet high; having grown 5 or 6 inches every 24 hours, except on cold days.On each fide of the stem, about 10 or 15 inches below the top, appeared the fhooting out of a substantial bud; every two or three days, as the plant advanced in height, others put out in the fame manner.-June 10th. The

DR. STRONG'S Account of his Axle Tourniquet, in a Letter addreffed to the Editor of the Philadelphia Medical Museum. (With a plate.)

I

Sir,

Philadelphia, January 15th, 1805.

HAVE obferved in the London Medical and Physical Jour

nal, for October, 1804, a drawing and description of a tourniquet, furnished by Mr. Blake, as his original invention.

However fair he may imagine his pretenfions to be to this discovery, I am compelled in juftice to myself, to deny them with confidence: and I am fure, every claim which he has stated to originality, will be renounced, by the following expofition of facts. The inftrument which he has prefented to the public view, was invented by me, in the winter of 1799; and af

feveral lateral and alternate buds, fupported on peduncles of various lengths, from one to two feet ten inches, burst open into 5 or 6 fubdivifions, each about 4 inches long, bearing numerous erect clusters of flowers.-The height of the whole ftem being about 21 feet 10 inches. June 19. It was 24 feet high, and advanced much flower; the under leaves beginning to wither. -July 5th. There were 31 peduncles, fupporting as many clusters of flowers, from 7 to 12 inches in diameter. The flowers began to open; and on the 7th the lower clusters were in perfection. Each flower was near 6 inches in height,* and about half an inch in diameter, of a brimftone colour; the circumference of the stem at 3 feet from the ground, was 17 and a half inches; each particular flower took up the space of 3 days to expand and reach its point of perfection.July 16th. All the leaves of the plant, tho' still green, were flaccid, wrinkled, withered, and daily fell; the lower clusters of flowers withering, whilst those of the uppermost clusters were just opening. It was now 25 feet high. On the 22d July, the flowers at the top of the fpike were decayed, and the withering &c. daily increased.

The author confiders it as effentially different from the aloe, as a pine from an oak. An engraving of the plant in flower is given, as also of an individual flower, which laft greatly resembles the engraving in the plate given in the prefent number of the Museum.

* See Fig. 6. of the engraving, taken from a flower of Mr. Hamilton's Agave. Editor.