258 



Vclerinarlan — JVo. 3. 



Vol. II. 



genus, growing wliere no wheal, nor otlier 

 cultivated grain, had been sown ; but, upon 

 the closest investigation, I have never been 

 able to find the sliglitcst evidence of any 

 plant being chanqcd into a dilTercnt one. It 

 seems that Mr. Featherstoneiiauuh is of 

 opinion plants can be so changed. When- 

 ever Mr. F. shall have demonstrated the cor- 

 rectness of the old contcujporary doctrine, of 

 the transmutation of nut ids, J sliall be pre- 

 pared to receive the doctrine of tlie^?7i!/(sm?£- 

 talion of plants : but probably not till then. 

 I aver that all ascertained facts, and all 

 analogy, sustain the opinion that species are 

 invariably continued, and preserved, by means 

 of seeds; whilst the same facts, and analogy, 

 repudiate the doctrine both of transmutation 

 and spontaneous production. Tiie vegeta- 

 tion of seeds is nothing more tiian a devclope- 

 ment of the embryo, or miniature plant, 

 which already existed »n a quiescent state — 

 but witli a perfectly definite form and charac- 

 ter — in those seeds. Tlie operation of exter- 

 nal causes (such as soil and climate — liglit, 

 heat, moisture, nourislnnent, &c. either de- 

 ficient or in excess) may, indeed, eilect a 

 raodification in the appearance of a plant — 

 in the size, aspect, texture, &c. of its various 

 organs — so as to produce varieties, or mon- 

 strosities ; but tiiey can never change the 

 specific character — nor convert one species 

 iMo another — much less can they transmute 

 distinct genera into each other; such as 

 Wheat into Bromus or Timothy into Or- 

 chard grass. Tiie idea is repugnant to all 

 the known laws and operations of nature ; and 

 can no more be tolerated, by a philosophic 

 mind, than the doctrines of Alchymy and 

 perpetual motion. 



It is a curious circumstance, in the history 

 of this popular error, that one unlucky grass — 

 one particular species of the numerous family 

 of Bromus, (namely, B. seralinns, or cheat) 

 — should be selected, as presentir.^ that pecu- 

 liar form of vegetation, into wiiich all the 

 cultivated small grains are liable to be trans- 

 muted, whenever they lose their own origi 

 nal character ! Let their pristine structure 

 be whiil, it may, they are all supposed to be 

 converted into tliis identical Bromus, or 

 nheat. Thus, we have gontleuicn assuriu<r 



us, that such dissimilar plants as wheat and 

 oats, can both be so totally changed as to take 

 ontlie precise form and character of that same 

 curious Bromus! Nay, we even hear that 

 flax-seed, being sown in a burnt soil, will 

 otlcn be converted into"y('Wo?« sr'e^Z" (proba- 

 bly the Camelina saliva, of the Botanists) 

 — a plant to which Flax has no more affinity, 

 in its botanical characters, than it has to the 

 Horse-railisli, or tiie Shepherd\s purse '. It 

 is, moreover, gravely inquired hoio, or uilty, 

 tills strange event happens ■? To which I re- 

 ply by another question — which ought to be 

 the first determined — Does it happen? It 

 is always best, I think, to ascertain extraom 

 dinary facts, before we spend our time in try- 

 ing to explain them. I consider it vastly 

 more probable, that every plant springs up 

 from its own peculiar seed, than that it 

 should be the transmuted product of any 

 other distinct species. 1 have not the pro- 

 sumption to imagine, that I can succeed in 

 eradicating a notion, which has resisted tliQ 

 learned eflbrts of the celebrated Linncctts, 

 for the greater portion of a century. All I 

 aim at, is to submit a few hasty remarks, ia 

 the hope that they may induce some of your 

 readers to scrutinize the subject a little more 

 closely — and to examine tlie doctrine in a 

 spirit of philosophic caution, instead of taking 

 it lor granted. W. D. 



Wesl Cliester, Pa. March 3, 1838. 



For Iho Fanners Cabinet. 



VeloriMariaii.— IVo. 3. 



In my last number I treated of urinary cal- 

 culi generally, and of those in the kidney fa 

 particular. — I shall now speak of 



2. Calculus or stone in the ureter. 



It has been intimated, that the ureters are 

 two narrow, ilesliy tubes, commencing with 

 wide funnel-sliaped mouths at the kidneys, 

 and opiMiing on tiie inner coat of the blad- 

 der. — Their office is to convey tiie urine to 

 the latter organ. — When a stone forms in the 

 kidney, it readily passes into tlie expanded 

 mouth of the ureter, before it has acriuired 

 much size, and may reach its destination in 

 the bladder, without causing any great incon- 

 venience. Owing to this circumstance, stone 

 is but rarely found in the kidneys. — Some- 

 times, however, the calculus is arrested in its 

 passage through the ureter — inflammation 

 and tumcfaetiou is produced, and the urine 



