Inaugural Address. 55 
on some little truth; indeed, without it, they scarcely could 
be framed. And when we consider how truly significant 
are the common names of plants, such as woodbine, cleavers, 
sea-thongs, catch-fly, rest-harrow, choke-pear, and many 
others; when we reflect how justly descriptive is our native 
nomenclature of many of the properties of the plants to 
which the rustic names belong, such as bitter-sweet, hedge- 
mustard, water-pepper, fool’s-parsley, hen-bane, dog-bane, 
flea- bane, cow-bane, bug-bane, fish-bane, bane-bervries, bane- 
wort, deadly nightshade, and so on, shall we precipitately 
conclude that the malevolent terms alone are akin to truth, 
and that balm, and eye-bright, thyme or strength, worm- 
wood, tetter-wort and quinsy-wort, scurvy-grass, fever-fuge, 
and a multitude of others, are all unmeaning appellations, be- 
cause forsooth the ancient cure-all, all-heal, all-good, long- 
life, and live-for-ever, seem, when misunderstood, somewhat 
hyperbolical expressions. 
**Sell your coat,” says the Italian proverb, “and buy 
betony:” wherefore should this plant have been formerly so 
much esteemed? So little is it now regarded, that we might 
almost say it is despised. This question, however, will not 
come alone: for*the same may be pertinently asked of our 
dysentery, uvula, and tooth-worts, of our mad-worts, liver- 
worts, and gout-worts. But, even granting that some, or 
many, or even all, our health-promising plants, have no right 
to their appellations, i. e. exhibit no sensible properties when 
taken, (which, however, I am far from presupposing,) will it 
be no advance in knowledge to ascertain the fact of their in- 
efficiency? Will it not avail us much to know that such and 
such plants do not possess either medicinal or poisonous 
powers, instead of continuing in unenviable doubt? for such 
as are unfit for physic will afford harmless, and often most 
nutritious food. Hence I am far, very far, from underrating 
such negative knowledge; and I am sure I am as far from 
overvaluing its importance, when I state that, in the treasury 
of science, it becomes positive information: just as in that 
language which lives aie to learning and seems to science 
sacred, two negatives have an affirmative, or, according to 
their relative situation, more than an aflirmative meaning. 
For example, non-nihil and non-nunquam simply reverse 
their separate import, and may be translated somewhat and 
sometimes, while nihil-non means every thing, and nunquam 
non means always, So, as is symbolized in this apposite 
illustration, negations in experimental researches, when duly 
appreciated and properly employed, become most important 
positive affirmations. 
