IJVTRODFCTIOJV. 



1. The Science of Botany was at all times 

 intimately connected with medical knowledge. 



2. Several ancient nations, such as the Gre- 

 cians, Romans, Hindoos, Chinese, &c. consi- 

 dered Medical Botany as equivalent to both 

 botanical and medical knowledge. 



3. Medicine was then, and is still among 

 rude nations, nothing more than the application 

 of an empirical knowledge of vegetable sub- 

 stances. 



4. Thence the usual vulgar division of Plants, 

 into the five great Classes of Aliments, Sim- 

 ples, Poisons, Flowers and Weeds, or ali- 



cal, poisonous, ornamental and 



men 



useless plants. 



5. At the revival of learning in Europe, thii 

 notion being general, thetirst works on Botany 

 were of couise mere sketches of Medical Bo- 



and comments on Grecian or Roman 



ters. 



6. When Tournefort and Linnaeus, about a 

 century ago, became botanical reformers, and 

 made Botany a separate Science, their efforts 

 and improvements were resisted by those who 

 at all times contend against useful innovations. 



A 



