41 o Df- Bell on the Phy/tology of Plants. 



A Translation of Dr. Bell's Thesis, de Phy- 

 siOLOGiA Plantarum. By James Currie, 

 M. D. * Read March 30, 1785. 



DIFFERENT parts of nature have drawn 

 the attention of different philofophers. 

 While fonne men of the greatefb genius havp 

 employed themfelves in the ftudy of their own 

 fpeciesi others have been diligently engaged in 

 invcftigating the properties of the inferior clafles 

 of animals. Nor are thofe to be placed in the 

 loweft clafs of pliilofophers, whofe rime and 

 attention are engrofled by that immenfe portion 

 of nature, the Vegetable Kingdom ; though, 

 it is to be regretted that, in general, their 

 obfervations have been cjrefted more to the 

 external form of plants, than to their internal 

 ftru<n:ure. 



The knowledge of the internal ftru6lure of 

 vegetables unfolds their oeconomy, and, from 

 a difcovery of this, not only botany, but agri- 

 culture, might receive great improvement. But 



* The original was publilhed at Edinburgh, June ij'jj, 

 and dedicated to dodors Cullen and Hope, in lan- 

 guage, which exprefies a high admiration of their talents 

 and virtue, and a deep fenfe of gratitude for the favour^ 

 jreceived from them, by the aitthor.. 



this 



