PREFACE. XT 



thing of confequence in every branch of 

 that part of natural hiftory, and affords 

 hints for various difcoveries, hints that muft, 

 if purfued, produce many confiderable im- 

 provements in phyfic, hulbandry, and 

 OEConomy. 



He has publiflied a Materia medica fo far 

 as relates to plants, in which he has under- 

 taken to determine many fpecies common- 

 ly ufed but not fufficiently afcertained, 

 adding throughout in the fhorteft manner 

 poffible vi^hat he has found to be ufelefs or 

 efficacious, and as he alTures us never highly 

 recommends any v^lthout being thoroughly 

 convinced of their vertues by his own expe- 

 rience in the hofpitals where he prefided. 

 Some of thefe medicines have not yet, i be- 

 lieve, been received into our {hops, but they 

 may pofUbly deferve confideration. 



In the laft edition of his Syftema nature 

 he has mentioned above 1500 fpecies of in- 

 fcds, has clafTed them all, divided them 

 into genera and fpecies, defcribed them as 

 to the minuteft parts fo far as was neceffary 

 to diflinguifh them, marked the places 

 4 where 



