[ 3 1 



though much more diflimilar than ihc abovementioned. 

 But if fuch millakcs are commiltcd by thofc from whom 

 a folid anil exact knowledge of the proper dillin&ions of 

 plants might lw expected, what may wc not apprehend to 

 be the cafe, when the gathering of them b committed to 

 the care of perfom flill lefs able to diftinguifli fuch pro- 

 ductions ? Their knowledge of plants confilts in acci- 

 dental diftincVions, and is often confined to their being 

 accuttomed to find them in Ionic particular place or 

 other; aciitumttancc which is often capable of giving 

 two different plants a limilat afpect. As this liappcm 

 every day. it is unnecetTary to infill upon it. Wc need only 

 fearch the heaps which are brought to the apothecaries' 

 (hops, in order to difiovcr plants of very different fpecics 

 from thiifc prefcrihed by phyficians. How greatly would 

 the knowledge of medicine be confirmed, and how many 

 excellent remedies, grounded on theexperi 

 ages, woufcl be in our poffcflion, if our aneeltors had 

 Iwndcd down to luufurccharaclcrillks of the plants they 

 made life of, as the praifes of their qualities ! Our Ma- 

 teria Medka would not then have been filled with a 

 number of ufckf* articles ; ami the conjectures of latter 

 the medkine* recommended by the BOriaW 

 WOuU liavc I«cn (pared, while the knowledge of efli- 

 cadotn medicines would have been rendered perma- 

 nent and certain for the benefit of mankind. After the 

 bBpft of Ontario* mankind have employed all ilitir in- 

 dnftry !•> find out the plant* mentioned by Dkrtcorulcs 

 ami others of the ancients, and at length bwodHborerod 

 As that 



