118 Retrospective Criticism,^ 



with Mr. Blackwall's opinion." Here, observe, not the least notice is 

 taken of the temperature of the external air and the air within the room, 

 neither does it appear that any means were resorted to for the purpose of 

 ascertaining whether there existed an outward as well as an inward current 

 of air ; yet this, let it be remembered, is a specimen of the mode of inves- 

 tigation pursued by one who is solicitous to impress us with the idea that 

 he has not " ventured beyond the pale of sound and sober reasoning, in 

 the true spirit of inductive science." 



Were I disposed to retaliate, I might now proceed to a critical examina- 

 tion of Mr, Murray's electrical hypothesis, but recrimination I shall avoid. 

 My object is to defend myself from an unprovoked and illiberal attack, 

 being sensible that the fallacy of all other doctrines must be made manifest 

 by the establishment of my own. 



In concluding, I may remark that if Mr. Murray had favoured us with a 

 few more of his numerous experiments, instead of indulging in fanciful 

 conjectures, he would have acted in stricter accordance with the spirit of 

 that philosophy by which he professes to have regulated his enquiries. 

 I am. Sir, &c. — JoJin Blachwall. Crumpsall Hall, Dec, 4. 1828. 



The Mallow of Horace. — Sir, I would speak under correction, but it 

 appears to me that the elegant authoress of An Introductory View of the 

 Linruean System of Plants, in the last Number of your interesting Maga- 

 zine, has not been fortunate in the selection of an example, to show that 

 we are unable to identify many plants known to the ancients. She says ; 

 ** The Mallow, so important as an esculent vegetable, and mentioned as 

 such by Horace, and in the Old Testament, is now unknown. Most pro- 

 bably we have the plant, but are unable positively to identify it." — We 

 may not be able positively to identify it ; nor, from the imperfect knowledge 

 of botany possessed by the early writers, can we positively identify more 

 than a very few of the plants they have described : but, to say the least of 

 it, in the case before us there is as much reason to suppose that the Malva 

 of Horace is the same as the Mallow with us, as there is that it should be 

 any other plant. 



Miss Kent calls it an important esculent vegetable. But I think, that, 

 neither by Horace, who mentions^it u[)on two occasions *, nor by any other 

 of the ancients, is it described as 2Ln important esculent vegetable. It was 

 certainly used in the preparation of their food, but then it was in the same 

 manner as we still use certain herbs — as salutary with made dishes. Ho- 

 jface's description of the plant in this respect exactly corresponds with the 

 qualities possessed by the genus ilfalva with us, at least with the natural 

 order -Malvaceae, one genus of which, the ^Ithae'a officinalis, or Marsh Mal- 

 low, is still used in our Materia Medica as an emollient. I am happy to 

 find that the late eminent botanist, Sir J. E. Smith, does not seem to have 

 entertained any doubt of the identity of the ancient Mklva with our own : 

 speaking of Linnaeus's natural order, Columniferae, which is analogous to 

 Jussieu's il/alvaceae, he says,t ** This whole^order contains no disagreeable 

 or hurtful plant, nor are they esculent. None are foetid, but some agreeably 

 fragrant. Many of the flowers are beautiful. Their quality is generally 

 mucilaginous, particularly ^Ithae^i, ilfalva, and Jlcea. The ancients made 

 considerable use of mallows in their food j but these plants are now out of 

 use in that respect." 



In the Old Testament mention is made of the Mallows only once % ; and 

 then not as if it were an important esculent vegetable. 



* Epodon. od. 2. ver. 51. — et Od. lib. 1. od. 31. ver. 16. 

 t Supplement to Encyclopaedia Britannica, vol. ii. p. 406. 

 j Job, chap. XXX. ver. 4. 



