3 8o 
common loouiaiK, 
footftalk, which is rough, but without /pines : the p 
T 
d with ihort briftly hairs : the flowers are large, commonly 
of a pale red colour, and the parts of inflorefcence, which in their 
fimple and natural ftate are fimilar to thofe defcrihed of R t canina, 
the effe&s of cultivation, are forced into numerous petals, and are 
therefore to be confidered as monftrofities. 
Mo ft of the Rofes, though much cultivated in our gardens,* are 
far from being diftin&ly characterized. Thofe denominated varieties 
are extremely numerous, and often permanently uniform ; and the 
fpecific differences, as hitherto pointed out, are in many refpe&s 
fo inadequate to the purpofe of fatisfadory difcrimination, that it 
becomes a difficult matter to fay, which are fpecies, and which are 
varieties only. The London College, following Gerard and Parkin- 
fon, has flill retained the name Rofa damafcena ; but the damafk rofe 
is another fpecies, widely different from the centifolia, as appears from 
the defcriptions given of it by Du Roi and Miller. 
The petals are directed for medicinal life : they are of a pale 
red colour, and of a very fragrant odour ; which to moil people 
is extremely agreeable, and therefore this and moft of the other rofes 
are much ufed as nofegays : we may remark however, that in fome 
inftances they have, under certain circumftances, produced alarming 
fymptoms. a The petals " impart their odorous matter to watery 
liquors, both by infufion and diftillation : fix pounds bf frefh rofes 
impregnate, by diftillation, a gallon or more of water ftrongly with 
finefl 
On diftilling large quantities, there feparates fr 
the watery fluid a fmall portion of a fragrant butyraceous oil, which 
liquifies by heat and appears yellow, but concretes in the cold into a 
white mafs : an hundred pounds of the flowers, according to the 
* 
mine its native country 
G 
hyft 
huTPa m Vtt ' me t' P ' 72 '^ Mzn Y othe ' inftances are related by Schenckius, 
nf, i ™ r ' P ' T 1% J% G alf ° Nat ' Curiof ' in ™°«s Parts, cited by Murray, App. 
ttt ZL'l P \ Perfons confined in a clofe room, with a large quantity of rofes, 
have been in danger of immediate erfin^;,™ ^c vc 1 t? 5 i 7 • Z 
of Prieftlevanrl l^uJJ^:!^% Xtmttl ° n of hk ' L c ' From the experiments 
moft other odoriferous flowers exhale. 
Exper. on Veg 
experiments 
