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;
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:
That I had travelled in Great Britain and America, to obtain knowledge; and was come to Paris for the same purpose.--
Said he, I am employed by the court of Spain on the same business, and have travelled through England, Scotland, and Ireland; and am come here to collect all the knowledge I possibly can. He gave me a description of the state and condition of the hospitals in Paris; and told me where I could obtain the publications I wanted, which are entirely new, and had not reached London. He also advised me to view the hospitals, and to go to Cherenton and see the anatomical productions there, which he said exceeded every thing of the kind in the world.
He visited me three times, and brought a French physician to see me once.
I visited M. Iberti once, and he gave me a book he had published, entitled, _Observations Generales sur les Hopitauz; suivies d'un Projeett d'Hospital_. In consequence of which the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences at Paris had honoured him with a _medal_, in token that his works were highly applauded. He also told me that he had the use of the king's library.
I told him that I would endeavour to make him a present of a New Dispensatory, if he would let me know where I could send one that would get to him: he thanked me, and desired I would send one to the Spanish Ambassador in Great Britain, with whom he said he was well acquainted.