SSa PHILOSOPHICAL TEANSACTIONS. [aNNO \6g3. 



Pharmacologia seu Manuduclio ad Materiam Medicam, in qua Medicamenta Offi- 

 cinalia Simplicia, hoc est Mineralia, Vegetabilia, Animalia, eorumque Partes, 

 in Medicine Officinis usitata, in Melhodum naluralem digesta succinct^ et accu- 



■ rati describuntur, cum Nobis Generum Characteristicis, Specierum Synonymis, 

 Differentiis, et Firibus. Opus omnibus Medicis, Philosophis, Pharmacopoeis, 



i C/ururgis, et Pharmacopolis utilissimum. A Sartiuele Dale. N°204, p. y25. 



"^ A compendium of the materia medica better arranged than the treatises on 

 the same subject which had preceded it ; but, like them, lavish in the praises 

 of inert or incongruous drugs. 



Extract of a Letter from Sir Richard Bulkley, S. R. S. to Dr. Lister, concern- 

 ing the Improvement to be made by Maize ;* with a Note on the same by John 

 :■ Ray, S. R.S. N° 205, p. 928. 



^ A description of the maize plant, its culture, uses, and produce, which is 

 here said to be 2000 fold.-J- 



A Continuation of Mr. John Claytons Account of Virginia.^ N° 205, p. 941. 



On approaching the Capes of Virginia it is low land, so that at some distance 

 the trees appear as if they grew in the water ; and on coming nearer, to emerge 

 thence. For 100 miles up into the country there are few stones to be found; 

 only in some places rocks of iron ore appear. In some places, for several miles 

 together, the earth is so intermixed with oyster-shells, that there may seem as 

 many shells as earth, and how deep they lie is unknown ; for at broken banks 

 ri'-'."'-' tC" '■•■•'>' ■"■'■■ ■•'■- '■ " ■■ 



V See Piiirosophical I'rahsactionsNo'li?, and vol, ii. p. 465, of these Abridgments. 

 ^ T' Mr. Ray's note on the above Letter concerning Maize. — I have not much to say : he has made 

 a commendable essay ; but whether it will turn to account to plant maize in Ireland, I think 

 there is some reason to doubt ; if it be equal in goodness to pease, and an acre planted with it will 

 certainly yield more than one sown with pease, without impoverishing the land, then indeed it will 

 be advantageous to plant it ; but if only an equal quantity, then, though one grain should yield a 

 thousand fold, all the advantage will be in the difference of the seed, which is not very considerable, 

 and which the compendium of sowing above setting may in some measure countervail. As for the 

 description of the plant, all the parts of it have been so particularly and exactly described in English 

 as well as Latin, that I tlunk it needless to publish a new description ; only I am by ihis description 

 confirmed in my opinion, that there are two really distinct species of maize; for what I have seen 

 cultivated ip gardens, and have myself planted, rises to double the stature he ascribes to this, that 

 Is, 7, 8, or 10 feet ; arid besides. With us, never brings the seed near to perfection; but that 1 have 

 seen planted in the fields in Germany, is of about the same height with Sir Richard's, and ripens the 

 »eed. Lobel also acknowledges two sorts thus differing. 

 X See No 201 preceding, and p. 544, of this vol. of the Abridgment. 



