224 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



their herbals, into umbellated, into rofe- formed, of 

 into tubulous, with the number of their flamina; 

 if to this they are able to affix a parcel of Greek 

 terms, they are poflefled, as they imagine, of the 

 complete fyllem of vegetation. 



Others of them, to do them juftice, go fome- 

 what farther. They ftudy the principles of 

 plants ; and in order to attain their objeâ:, pound 

 them in mortars, or diflblve them in their alem- 

 bics. The procefs being completed, they exhibit 

 faits, oils, earths ; and tell you gravely, thefe are 

 the principles of fuch and fuch a plant. For my 

 own part, I no more believe that any one can fhew 

 me the principles of a plant in a phial, than he 

 can difplay thofe of a wolf, or of a fheep, in a 

 kettle. Irefpecl the myfterious operations of Che- 

 miftry ; but whenever they aft on vegetables, the 

 procefs deftroys them. Permit me to quote the 

 decifion which an eminent Phyfician has pro- 

 nounced on his own experiments. I mean Doftor 

 y. B. Chomely in the preliminary difcourfe to his 

 ufeful Abridgment of the Hiftory of common 

 Plants *. *' Two thoufand analyfes nearly," fays 

 he, " of different plants, made by the Chemifts 

 <' of the Royal Academy of Sciences, have afford - 

 *' ed us no farther information than this, that 



* Vol. i. page 37, 

 « *' from 



