OCR Text |
Show -eAn Idea of a PbilofophicalHiflory of Plants. From whence, I fhall, prefent, onl ; hall, at at prefent, only mak ¢ fetwo Re yues; Fir/?, That although the chief portion, as to quantity, in 52. §. i tce Bee (as in molt Plants) is a Acid Liquor; yet the lat- e e Alkaly, whicht ter, yields alfo which the other doth fome of an Alkaly, not. So that ‘ reeeai, ie Reg: arethe Lignous ignous Parts Parts ofof a Plant, generally, which yield the Alkalick they a Salt, “Secondly Mihara cul sae or at leaftinthe greateft Proportion. CORA, phuriovs or Olzous Pra ree Li¢- iple, isalfomuch more pre ominant in the td i the Pithy. zous Part, thanin Plants, fhould beadded 5 and oft Woods, yields a Volatile : , the the dike like Tryalssupon Tothefe, F i other cieie other ways. So, in regard the i 9 Whé Alkaly; it were fit to examine, ira thex ismade the Pithy and ety that, of theCee 1 Pithy Parts made ofof the which is Soot which ther Lignous, afford the faid Alkaly, in equal qantity5 % ee as a the likely, that of the Ligvous doth afford it in a far greater: and like . ° ace §. The profecution of what is here propofed, will be pale To afuller andclearer view, of the Modes of Vegetation, of t ae. sens ble Natures of Vegetables, and of their more Reclufe Faculties and Powers. Firft, of the Modes of Ve ation. For fuppofe we were ipa ing of a Root; froma due contideration of the Properties of any Or- ganical Part or Parts thereof; ’tis true, that the real and genuine Caufes maybe rendred, of divers other dependent Properties, as fpoken ge‘nerally of the whole Root. Butit will be asked again, What maybe the Cafés of thofe firft and Independent ones? W hich, if we will Same i eae io feek, we muft do it by inquiring alfo, What arethe Ps inciples of thofe Organical Parts 2 Forit isneceflary, thatthe Prin iples whereof a Body doth confift, fhould be, ifnot ail of themthe aéfive, yet the capa- citating Caufes, or fuch as are called Cauje fi ibus somoF its oR ing andbeing, inall refpects, both as to Subftance and ee cadents. hat itis: otherwife, their Exiftence, in that Body, were a together fu- perfluous 5 fince it might have been without them : which if fo, it might then have been made of anyothers there being noneceflityof putting anydifference , ifneither thofe,whereofit is Paar eh neceffaryto its Being. Wherefore if we will allowa Body, and fo the Organical Parts of a Vegetable tohave Princ iples, we muftallow thefe P; ciples their neceflary Ufe; and that the Shapes or other Properties of the faid Parts, are as much dependant upon the Nature of Thefé 5 as isthe Roundnefs of a Drop of Ink, upon the Fluidity of Water, ingredient to it. 54: §. j Again, the Principles of the Organical Parts being known, we mayfrom thenceobtain a further knowledge of the Natures, and Caufation or Original oftheir Contents 5 fince thefe Contents arenot on- ly included in the faid Organical Parts, but alfo-Created by muft needs be fo, whether we will fuppofe the Principles them :and of thefe Contents to be pre-exiftent to their reception thereinto, or not. For,if not pre-exiftent, what can be clearer, than that the faid Parts give them their Exiftence> And if pre-exiftent, yet in regard they are di{tinguithed, and fuch only of themadmitted in fuch fort into an Orgavical Part, from amonott others, as are apt to combine and mix together in fuch a Form,and {0 to conttitute fuch a Liquor; it is as clear,that the Exiftence, if not oftho Principles, yet of that Liquor, is dependent on thefaid part. 55- §. en Andif by means of the {aid Organical Parts, it is, that their Contents become fich andfach pecul iar Mixtur 3 itis hence alfo manifet, That, by thefame mean s, they Powers: Becaufe the Faculty or Powe are of fach diftin® Faculties and r ofa Body, lieth not in any of its Principles apart 5 but isa Refu ltance from them all; or from their being, in fach peculiar fort and manner, United and Combined together. So the Principles of the Purgative Parts of a Root, as of Rhybarb, although we fhould fuppofe them to beexiftent in the furrounding Earth, yet we cannot fay, That that Earth, or the Principles therein contained, are Purgative ; but only that theyare fuch, as by bein g combined together,ia fuch a pecul iar veral parts of a Clock , although they way, may become fa. So the. to it, andit is their Form, by whic are and mutt be all pre-exiftent h theyare, what they ares yetis it thefetting together of {uch Parts, andi n fuch a way only, that makes thema Clock, And fince we fee that the Afixture of two different Qualities, as of Two Colours, will produce a differing from them both 5 as Blue and Red, doa Murrey not Two or More Bodies of diffe rent Natures, be fo gether, as to Bodies of two Third Colour, : Why fhould combined to- producea Third Nature? Or wher efore may not that be allowed to be performed by Nature, which by Artificial Compoundin of Medicines, or other Bodies,is defigned, and oftentimes effected > rll give but one Inftance; Water, Greaf e, and an Alcalizate Salt, may be eafily fo ordered as to be invef ted with new Qualities, Nature, and Powers 5 the Salt, to lofe its extr eme Smell; and being before unfociable fiery Pungent Lafte 5 the TaVow,its with the Water, to mingle therewith: neither Tallow, Salt, nor Water alone, will fetch out a {pot of Greafés but all united eafily doit : the fame Thrée Bodys unite d, are, in fome Cafés, as in the Faundies, no ill Medicine 5 any of which, givenalone, mayra ther prove prejudicia only by duly boiling them together l, than a cure: andall this done, into one Body, which wecall Sope. 56. §. Whenceagain, if it be fuch fuch a Sort of Principles, which prod an Oxiow, and Proportion, of uceth fuch a Faculty; and that we may, by any means, come to kno bly, alfo attain to the knowledge w what thefe are 3 We may, pofliFaculty may be made; as to Comp of fuch Rules, whereby any kind of ound fach Bodies, which are neit her Purgative nor Vomitory, fo toget her, as to beInvefted with thofe F2culties. And ifto Make them , then confequently, to Mend , Exalt, Strengthen, and Enoble them, with much for the Fourth General Mean greater eafe and certainty, And thus 57- §. HITHERTO, We havec onfidered the Materials of a Ve= The Fifth getable, only as Ingredient to it : there yet remains a Fifth story to be General afcended 5 which Is, to confider thefe Materials as they are deriv ed Mean. from abroad: Oras, after theya re received and naturalized, they may, withother s yet abroad, have anykind of correfpondence. And thefe are Four in general, feil. Earth , Water, Aer, and Sun 5 all whic h, in that theycontribute fo univerfall y to Vegetation, and to whatfoever is contained in a Vegetable, it is there fore requifite, that of Thefe likew ife, Particular Obfervation fhould be made. 58. §. And Firft, of the Earth, and of all Solid Receptacles of Plants. Where we are to confi der their feveral Kinds; as Mellow, Sandy, Clayie, Chalky, and other s, Their Ingredient: 3 as Rank and E 2 Mellow |