East. When he came back to England he spoke of the great discovery, and had
occasion to use it. Howell--of the _Familiar Letters_--was, according to
Sir Kenelm's account, wounded while trying to part two friends who were
fighting a duel. His wounds were hastily tied up with his garter, and Digby
was sent for. Digby asked for the garter-bandage, and steeped it in a basin
in which he had dissolved his secret powder (of vitriol). Immediately
Howell felt a "pleasing kind of freshnesse, as it were a wet cold napkin
did spread over my hand." "Take off all the plasters and wrappings," said
Digby. "Keep the wound clean, and neither too hot nor too cold." Afterwards
he took the bandage from the water, and hung it before a great fire to dry;
whereupon Howell's servant came running to say his master was much worse,
and in a burning fever. The bandage plunged once more in the dissolved
powder, soothed the patient at a distance; and in a few days the wound was
healed. Digby declared that James and Buckingham were interested witnesses
of the cure; and the king "drolled with him about it (which he could do
with a very good grace)." He said he divulged the secret to the Duke of
Mayenne. After the Duke's death his surgeon sold it so that "now there is
scarce any country barber but knows it." Why did not Digby try it on his
wounded men at Scanderoon? His _Discourse_ to the learned assembly is a
curious medley of subtle observation and old wives' tales, set out in
sober, orderly, one might almost say scientific, fashion. Roughly, the
substance of it may be summed up as "Like to like." The secret powder is a
medium whereby the atoms in the bandage are drawn back to their proper
place in the body! After Digby's death you could buy the powder at
Hartman's shop for sixpence.

At the Restoration he returned to England. He was still Henrietta Maria's
Chancellor. His relations with Cromwell had never broken their friendship;
and probably he still made possets for her at Somerset House as he had done
in the old days. But by Charles II there was no special favour shown him,