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Show eAn Idea of a Philofophical Hiftory ofPlants, fome very unexpected : So the green Leaves of Bawm, being duly in- fufed in common Water, without any other Body added, tincture it with a clear and deep Red, near that of Claret Wine, as I have often tryed. ‘ 36. § ling 3 Sothe Juyce of Sorrel, being ordered as that of Grapes, will, in time, let falla kindof Tartar or Effential Salt, And fo perhaps will that of manyother Plawts, without any previous De codtien 5 although that be commonly thought to be neceffary. _ ‘ 37. & By Digeftion with Fermentation; either ofthe entire Ve getables, or of the Fuyces, or other Contents 3 and thefe by themfelves or witb common Water. Andhereby to note, what difference may be in the Strength, Celerity,or Continuance of the Ferme ntation Like- wife, howtheir Qualities maytherebybe altered 5 asthe Smell of Vielet-flowers, froma moft excellent Fragrancy, may, by Digeftion, be reducedto an odious and abominable Stink, like that of the black Mud of Gutters. 38. §. F By Digeftion with Calefattion ; fothe Colour of the Fuyce of Limens, from Tranfparency (if that be a Colour.) may be turned to a perfect Red. Whenceit is that many are deceived in the Prepa- ration called the Tindure of Corals fuppofing the Corals to give the Menfirunmits Colour. Whereasthe Menstruum will obtain it, only by Digeftion, without anyCorals, mixedwithit. 39. §. By Decottion 5 either of Vegetables themfelves, or of their Liquors 5 and to obferve what alterations follow. So Turpentine boiled becometh friable; Sugar, Bitter,and ofa Brown Red. Turzeps lofe theirBiting Ta/fe 5 Onions, their Picquancys yet neither of them conveythofe {elf fame Qualities tothe Water. The fame maybe obferved in the Decotion of Sweet-Fennel-feeds, Anifeeds, and others, lofing much of their Ta/fes themfelves, and yetconveying verylittle of them to the Liquors wherein they are boiled ; the greater portion of their Volatile parts, and fo their Virtue and Taffe therewith, flying away. Whereof therefore it is much bettertomake an Evulfion, than to deco them; or tomake an Eyulfion from them, with their own Decodion, efpecially if the Medicine be intended to be Carminative, as Lhave fre- quently obferved. The Decoétion fhould alfo be carried on through: out all degreesto thatofan Extra; by which the Qualities thereof,{ometimes,are much altered; as the Colour ofall or moft green Leaves, from a kind of Yellow, deepens at laft into a dark one, as Black as Pitch. 40. §: By Diftillations ; both with the cold Still, Alembich, Chap- pel- and open Furnace : and tonote what Vegetables thus give their Smell or Taf#e, and in what Degrees of ftrength, either under,or over their natural ones; as Mint, Pennyroyal, and the like, which are Ayomatick and Hot, give their Taftes perfeét: but Wormwood, which is Aromatick and Bitter 3 gives it but by halfé,pretty fully as Aromatick, lit- tle as Bitter. And Carduws, though alfo fo exceeding Bitter, yet not being Aromatick, yieldeth a much weaker Taf?é. Alfo what Vegetables yield Oy! moft plentifully ; and what difference may be in thof Ojls, as to their Colour, Weight, or otherwife; as that ofCloves is fometimes Red5 of Ciznamon, limpid ; both Ponderous. Sotodiftil Juices, Gums, or other Contents, with an hot fire ; and tofee, what Bodiesthey yield, and of what Qualities; as Turpentine is known to yield, befides 17 its Oyl, afubacid Water; Vinegar, an Eager Spirit; as that part may be called, which Chymis#s are wonttocall the Phlegm., 41. §. By Arefaction 5 fo Milks which are Liquid, and White in their Natural Eftate, in Standing, grow Gummous, Yellow,and otherwife different, fo doth that ofScorzozera ; and that of Fegil becomes a Balfamical, but Limpid Oy, The Roots of Angelica, being dry’d,and cut by the length, exhibit their {mall Veins fill’d with an Aromatick Rofiz. In the whiter parts of Rhubarb, is gathered a kind of Saline Concret 5 by which, this Root, in chewing, feems as if it were little gritty. Cabbage-stalks, fliced, and laid inthe Shade to dry, gather on them a kind of Nitrovs Hoar. Raifins and Corins contain, not onl a {weet Juyce, but alfo atrue Sugar, which lies curdled in the Pulp, as themore Saline parts doin Green Soap. And thelike is gather'd on the out-fide ofa Fig ; faving, thatit is more Nitrows,as lying next the Aer. The Roots of Arum, upon drying, lofe much ofthe ftrength of their Tafe ; but thecontrary maybe noted of many other Roots, which, upon drying, increafe it. Some, being cut and laid by, change their Natural Colours, into Red, Purple, Yellow, Green, or White 5 as Liquorifh, into White, in fome places ;. and Peony, into Red: and fometimes into two as Patience, into Yellow and Red. 42. §._ By Afation thus Apples, by roafting, eat more Sowre. The Root of Horfe-Radifh, toafted, tafteth like a Turnep. Potatoes, Onions, and many other Roots, and Parts, have their Taffes, either Alte- red or Refraéted ; which chiefly, and in what manner, {hould be obferved, Thereis one alteration, as remarkable, as commonly known 5 andis that which followeth uponroafting or baking in one kind ofthe isola Pears, which, for a Walden, we corruptly call a Ware en, 43. §. By Uftions wherein fomePlants, or Parts of them, burn very quietly ; others, not without violent motions; fo Fenil-Seeds, held in the flame of a Candle, will {pit and fpurtle, like the serum of Blood. Some Vegetables lofe their Smell, as Rofess others, keepit, as Rofémary; and others, mend it, as Lignum Aloes, To note, not only the alteration of their Qualities, but what they yield; as Turpentine, which, in DiftiW/ation, yieldeth Oyl and Water, bothlimpid 5 upon Oftion, theweth nothing but a black soot. So Benzoine, by Diftilation, Oyl ; by Ustion, white Flowers, as is known. 44. §. By Calcination 5 and here to obferve, wherein the Caput Mortuum of one, may differ from, or agree in Nature with that ofanother; andalfo to compare thefe with thofé of Avimal Bodies. As alfo in their Quantities. Andtocompare them with what they yield by DiStillation and Ustion asto both. Thusfar they have been tryed figly, or by themfélves. They fhould alfo be examined, 45. §. By Compofition notonly with Water, as in fimple Infufions, @c. but with any other Bodies, which may have a power of acting upon them, or upon which, thefé may havea power to a&. And fo to make Infufions, Deftillations, Decottions, Digeftions, in divers kinds of Liquors, as Vinegar, Urine, Spirit of H. H. Wine, Blood, Milk , or others. Soin Infufions, fome Red Colours are heightned by Acids 5 Blews, turned Purple.So fetid Spirits (as ofHH.) may be rendred much more grateful, bybeing Reéfified, once ortwice, with frefh Aromaticks; To obferve alfo what follows; upon mixing the Liquors; or other ype of |