This morning the gentleman who had put up at the hotel with me, asked if I had any letters of recommendation from any gentlemen in London, to any in Paris? I told him I had not: that I had had the offer of some, but for the want of time did not go to receive them: That as I could not tarry long, and had money enough to bear my expences, I believed that that would be recommendation enough, if I behaved well. I had though, by the way, a general recommendation from some gentlemen of my acquaintance, but it was not directed to any body in particular in Paris; and I also had a diploma in my pocket, which was a sufficient recommendation, in any quarter of the globe; but I did not let the inquirer know I had any such thing with me. He seemed to think I would cut but a poor figure without recommendations; but as it happened I had no need of shewing any—though I would not advise any gentleman or lady to travel without; because a recommendation may be of great service sometimes, and especially in a time of war.
At about nine this morning, I was visited by M. Iberti, Docteur en Médecine, and physician to the Court of Spain. He informed me that he had heard that an English physician had arrived, and that he was come to tell me, that if he could be of any service to me any way, he should be happy in doing of it. I thanked him for his kindness, and told him that I wanted to get an account of the practice of the hospitals, and with that an account of the operation of medicines in France:
That for more than sixteen years I had been preparing for publication, a New Dispensatory, which will contain;
1. The meteria medica.
2. The operation of medicines.
3. The art and science of pharmacy.
4. The composition of medicines.
5. An index of diseases, and their remedies; with,
6. The manual operations and remedies used in surgery.
That the work would be adorned with cuts of the chymical and surgical instruments, and also with chymical characters and botanical figures: