328 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



Thefe confederations induce me to believe, that 

 the elementary chara&ers of plants, and their entire 

 configuration are only fecondary means, and that 



their 



peated experience. Nay, Pliny goes fo far as to aiTure us, that it 

 is a cure for the epilepfy. It is, befides, an anrifeptic ; and every 

 plant which has it's fmell, has alfo the fame virtues. It is very 

 remarkable, that plants which fmell like garlic, ufually grow in 

 marfliy places, as a remedy, provided by Nature, againft the pu 

 trid emanations thence exhaled. Such is, among others, the 

 Jcordinm. Galen relates, that it's antifeptic virtue became démon- 

 trable from this, that after a battle, the dead bodies which hap- 

 pened to be in contact with plants of the fcordium, were found to 

 be in a much lefs putrid flate than thofe which were not; and 

 that thofe bodies remained frefh and found chiefly in the parts 

 which actually touched the plant. But the experiment which 

 the Baron Bujbequius made with it, upon living bodies, is frill 

 more ftriking. That great Man, on his return from the firft 

 journey which he made to Conftantinople, was attended by a 

 numerous retinue. A Turk of his fuite was attacked with the 

 plague, and died. His companions refolutely divided his fpoils 

 among themfelves, in defiance of the remonfbrances of the Phvfi- 

 cian of Bujbequius, who aflured them that the peftilence would 

 thereby be immediately communicated. In fact, a few davs 

 after, the fymptoms of that dreadful malady became apparent 

 among them. 



But let us permit the intelligent and virtuous Ambaffador him- 

 felf to give an account of the confequences of this alarming event. 

 " The day after our departure from Adrianople," fays he, "thev 

 *' all came to him (the Phyfician) with a fad and dejected air, 

 *« complaining of a violent head-ach, and imploring relief. Thev 

 " were perfectly fenfible that they were affected with the firft 

 *' fymptoms of the peftilence. My Phyfician reprimanded them 



" feverely, 



