rOL. VIII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 105 



calls it, is not one absolutely entire piece, but consists of two or more round and 

 perfect fibres standing collaterally together. 4. The pith, not common to all 

 roots ; its origin, parenchymous nature, and texture, like to a rete mirabile, of an 

 infinite number of small fibres admirably complicated together ; its contents 

 being sometimes a limpid liquor, sometimes a vaporous air. 



The third part contains an account of the vegetation of roots, grounded 

 chiefly on the foregoing anatomy. Where our author considers nature as one 

 universal monarchy, visible in vegetables, if we take notice, that the soil is pre- 

 pared by rain, sun, wind, air, and their several successions; that the parenchyma 

 of the bnrk of the root, standing in the soil thus prepared, receives the watery 

 parts of the soil, that the skin strains the water, and renders it more pure ; that 

 the sap thus strained, yet being compounded of heterogeneous parts, and they 

 received into the said parenchyma, they will now ferment ; whereby being yet 

 further prepared, they will more easily insinuate themselves into all the bubbles 

 of that parenchyma, which being in no place openly and visibly pervious, but 

 every where composed of an infinite number of small bubbles, the sap therefore 

 is not only fermented therein, and fitted for separation, but as it passes through 

 it, is every part of it strained a hundred times over from bubble to bubble ; in a 

 word, how the whole progress of vegetation is performed. Besides the explica- 

 tion of a great variety of phaenomena, occurring in the contemplation of vege- 

 tables ; as why the organical parts are void of taste, smell and colour : whence 

 the succiferous vessels are tough, and the parenchymous parts friable ? how the 

 said succiferous vessels grow in length, cylindrical and hollow; the lactiferous 

 how and why wider? how the air-vessels are formed? how the parenchymous 

 parts become fibrous, and the fibres disposed into bubbles, &c. 



All which is concluded with excellent observations of the odours of vegeta- 

 bles, of their colours and tastes ; and the whole piece illustrated with 7 tables 

 of cuts, representing the figures of several roots, as the author had viewed them, 

 both with the naked eye and the microscope; together with an explication of 

 these figures. 



IV. Thomae Bartholin! Acta Medica et Philosophica Ann. 1671 et 1672, 

 Hafn. 1673, in 4to. 



We do not think it necessar)' to enumerate the contents of this miscellaneous 

 collection ; which, however, like all the other works of this author, contains 

 many things interesting to physicians and philosophers. 



VOL. II. 



