111 . [em™. 
destitution of a congeries of vessels which consti- 
tutes all true glandular structures, should not for- 
bid our considering it a true secreting viscus, 
that ‘+a few vessels,* creeping through the coats 
of the stomach, can secrete the gastric liquor.” 
It is purely conjectural, in what manner the gastric 
liquor is secreted; and surely no one ever called 
the stomach a true gland, simply because a pecu- 
liar fluid generated by some occult process of the 
system, is found in it and essential to its appro- 
priate office. The supposed analogy derived from 
the asserted absence of glandular structure in ve- 
getables, which secrete nevertheless. gums, oil, &c. 
by the same writer,} is totally nugatory. The 
assertion betrays a want of acquaintance with the 
anatomical structure and physiology of vegetables, 
which should have been known before such analo- 
gical illustration was enlisted. The existence in 
vegetables of absolute glandular structure, ana- 
tomically analogous to glands in the animal system, 
is not a matter of surmise, but visible, plain, demon- 
strable. Nay more, the execretory ducts of these 
glands, and patulous extremeties of their vessels, 
by which in numerous instances, their gums, re- 
sins, narcotic juices, poisonous secretions, &c. 
are thrown out to the surface of the leaves, stems, 
nectaries and other parts of plants, are easily 
traced, by slight adventitious scrutiny, and 
brought fairly to view. The fistulous opening 
in the hairs of nettles, at the base of each of which | 
is a gland secreting a pungent and irritating fluid; 
the patulous openings in the leaves of the cistus 
creticus, which throw out from the glands” with 
which they are continuous, the common labdanum 
* Dr. Chapman, Therapeutics, Emmenagogues. 
{ Dr. Chapman, = ibid. ibid. 
