Keith^s Botanical Lexicon. 93 



from imperfections ; and, as long as the dogmas of scientific 

 writers are liable to objections from merely practical men, so 

 long will the science of vegetable physiology remain a mystified 

 branch of human knowledge. 



When it is observable that a writer, in one part of his book, 

 condemns and completely refutes the old doctrine of " equi- 

 vocal generation of animals," and in another part advocates the 

 adventitious creatioji of cells, vessels, buds, and wood of vege- 

 tables, we are compelled to question the philosophy of such an 

 author ; for it is sufficiently evident to every one who has made 

 the cultivation and management of plants his business and study, 

 that every plant, and consequently every identical part of a 

 plant, has rudimental existence before it becomes visible by ex- 

 pansion. There is no new creation of even the minutest cells : 

 the whole apparatus is originally complete; the various members 

 whether, cellular, vascular, or fibrous, are gradually amplified 

 by division, subdivision, and simple inflation and expansion. 

 Why, then, should authors labour to perplex their readers, by 

 affirming that this very expansion is a product of a homogeneous 

 fluid, which does not contain one organised atom fitted for the 

 construction of vegetable membrane? 



I trust to the candour of the reverend author of the Lexicon 

 to excuse me for making the foregoing observations, which I 

 have done in order to call his attention to this point of his 

 favourite study ; convinced as I am, that, if he would take up 

 this view of the matter, he would either controvert it by an 

 appeal to facts, or make it much more conspicuously clear by 

 language, than it is in my power to do. In either case, this 

 interesting part of botanical science would be freed from the 

 thick mist which now hangs over it. Mr. Keith may be as- 

 sured that it demands more of his attention than he has thought 

 nt to bestow upon it. He ought to know that a very compe- 

 tent judge and scientific physiologist (whose name I am not at 

 liberty to mention) declares, in a letter to me, that, " if your idea 

 of a vital membrane be wronfj, no other idea which has been 

 entertained on the subject can possibly be right." 



I have only to repeat that the Lexicon is highly creditable to 

 its author, and deserves a place in the library of every young 

 botanist and gardener; and, notwithstanding the exceptions I have 

 taken the liberty to mention, I can confidently recommend the 

 book to every one wishing an acquaintance with the history and 

 glossology of botany : and I am not without hope that the 

 talented author may be induced by these remarks, and for the 

 sake of the science, to add an appendix to the next edition of 

 the book, to introduce omissions, if any, and what other illustra- 

 trations he may think necessary. This I think the more called 

 for, because Mr. Keith has, from pure deference to others^ 



