RRETKS HT RT AT OCRHAATTARFTRARTTT 
Philfopbical History of Plants. 
21 
55. $. And ifby means of the faid Organical Parts, it is, that their 
Contents become fuch and fich peculiar Mixtures 5 it is hence alfo mani- 
felt, That, by the fame means, they are of fich diftint Faculties and 
Powers + Becaufe the Faculty or Power of a Body, lieth not in any of 
its Principles apart ; but isa Refultance from them all; or from their 
being, in fuch peculiar fort and manner, United and Combined toge- 
ther. So the Principles ofthe Purgative Parts of a Root, as of Rhu- 
barb, although we fhould fuppofethem to be exiftent in the furround- 
ing Barth, yet we cannot fay, That that Earth, or the Principles theres 
in contained, are Purgative; but only that they are fuch, as by being 
combined together, in fuch a peculiarway, may become fò. So the fè- 
veral parts ofa Clock, although they are and mutt be all pre-exiftent 
to it, and it is their Form, by which they are, what they are; yet is it 
the fetting together of fach Parts, andin fuch a way only, that makes 
them a Clock, And lince we fee that the Afixture of two Bodies of two 
different Qualities, as of Two Colours, will produce a Third colour, 
differing from them both 5 as Blue and Red, do a Murrey + Why thould 
not Two or More Bodies of different Natures, be fo combined to- 
gether, as to produce a Third Nature? Or whereforemay not that be 
allowed to be performed by Nature, which by Artificial Compoundin; 
of Medicines, or other Bodies, is defigned, and oftentimes effected > Fil 
give but one Inftance ; Water, Greafe, and an Alcatizate Salt, may be 
eafily fo ordered as to be inyefted with new Qualities, Nature, and 
Powers ; the Salt, to lofe its extreme fiery Pungent Tate ; the Tallow,its 
Smell and being before unfociable with the Water, to mingle there- 
with: neither Tallow, Salt, nor Water alone, will fetch out a fpot of 
Greafe; but all united eafily doit: the fame Three Bodys united, are, 
in fome Cafes, as in the Farzdies, no ill Medicine ; any of which, gi- 
ven alone, may rather prove prejudicial, than a cure: and all this done; 
only by duly boiling them together into one Body, which we call 
Sope. 
ve $. Whence again, if it be fuch an Union, and Proportion, of 
fuch a Sort of Principles, which produceth fuch a Faculty; and that 
we may, by any means, come to know what thefe are; we may, pofli- 
bly, alfo attain to the knowledge of füch Rules, whereby any kind of 
Faculty may be made as to Compound fach Bodies, which are neither 
Purgative nor Vomitory, (o together, as to beInvefted with thofe Fa- 
culties. And ifto Make them, then confequently, to Mend, Exalt, 
Strengthen, and Enoble them, with greater eale and certainty. And thus 
much for the Fourth General Mean, 
57: $. HITHERTO, We haveconfidered the Materials ofa Ve- 
@etable, only as Ingredient to it : there yet remains a Fs ifth Story to be 
aícended 5 which is, to confider thefe Materials as they are derived 
from abroad : oras, after they are received and naturalized, they may, 
with others yet abroad, have any kind of correfpondence. And thefe 
are Four in general, fil. Earth, Water, Aer, and Sun; all which, in 
that they contribute fo univerfally to Vegetation, and to whatfocver is 
contained in a Vegetable, it is therefore requifite, that of The likewife, 
Particular Obfervation fhould be made. 
58. $. And Firft, of the Earth, and of all Solid Receptacles of 
Plants. Where we are to confider their feveral Kinds; as Mellow, 
Sandy, Clayie, Chalky, and others. Their Ingredients; as Rank and 
E 2 Mellow 
The Fifth 
General 
Mean. 
