THE EVOLUTION OF BOTANY. 



BY FREDERICK J. WULLING, PH. GK 



THE history of botany portrays the gradual development 

 of the scientific knowledge of the vegetable kingdom. Like 

 that of many of the sciences, its origin is enveloped in the 

 darkness of the early ages, but if considered in its widest 

 sense it must have been contemporaneous with the origin of 

 mankind. Before the discovery of the metals and the inven- 

 tion of the arts, and the employment of tools and weapons 

 whereby man became dominant over the other animals, it 

 must be assumed that he was largely if not wholly dependent 

 upon the vegetable kingdom for his subsistence. Roots, 

 fruits, and herbs must have at that time constituted his 

 chief nourishment. As his powers of observation developed, 

 he learned to know and distinguish such plants as were 

 easily digestible and those difficultly so. He discovered that 

 some, or parts of some, plants were cathartic or the contrary, 

 that some were poisonous, while others were harmless. We 

 must also be permitted to assume that the knowledge thus 

 gained was transmitted from one generation to another. 

 From later indications we also learn that the names of those 

 who were fortunate enough to discover a new plant which 

 furnished food or medicine were carried to posterity and 

 succeeding generations. The veneration for these discoverers 

 grew with each generation until they were, in some in- 

 stances, revered as gods. Some of the gods of the ancients 

 have been traced back to such an origin. In those early ages 

 of mankind indeed, as is yet the custom among some of the 

 savage tribes of to-day the collection and administration of 

 food and remedies were always accompanied by curious cere- 

 monies, for the people of that time were exceedingly super- 

 stitious and had peculiar ways of invoking the blessings of 

 their gods, or of banishing a witch. For this reason the 

 character of the priest was afterwards combined with that of 

 doctor, and the sick would seek relief in the temples where 

 the priest- doctors resided. 



Pliny teaches that the Druids, that most extraordinary 

 sect which once inhabited England, ascribed almost divine 



