462 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTION'S. [aNNO J 720. 



in one person, and that different persons have different sensations; this, as be 

 ing too much subjected to the different tempers and imaginations of people, is 

 deservedly exploded. 



I have lately composed a compendious scheme of all the plants used in physic; 

 in which, that it might be less liable to objection, and not seem to introduce 

 any innovation in the distribution, I have not so strictly observ^ed the making 

 their characteristic notes and virtues agree, as the distributing them according 

 to their operations. 



The first distribution, is by joining together all those which are prescribed 

 under one title in the shops ; such as the opening roots, emollient and capillary 

 herbs, cordial flowers, hot and cold, greater and less seeds. In this I have 

 not kept to the dispensatory catalogue; but have added several of the same 

 tribe, that I might give a specimen of what is proposed concerning the virtues 

 and characters. Thus, I have added cuminum and meum to faeniculum; laurus 

 alexandrina and hippoglossum to ruscus ; alcea to malva and althea ; bonus 

 henricus, atriplex, &c. to beta, under the title of oleraceous emollients ; lingua 

 cervina, polypodium, &c. to the capillary herbs ; and so on in the cordial 

 flowers, and in the hot and cold seeds. 



I have, 2dly, distributed the plants into such as are altering and evacuating. 

 The altering are divided into those that consist of gross, and such as are said 

 to consist of tenuious and subtile particles. Those consisting of gross particles, 

 are astringent. Such as prevent abortion and ruptures, stoppers of the fluxus 

 menstruus immodicus, fluor albus, diarrhoea, dysentery ; good in burnings, 

 bruises, cancers, spitting of blood. Gross medicines are narcotics, vulnerary, 

 good for scrophulous tumors, squinancy, and are coolers. 



Plants consisting of subtile particles are aperient ; such are all opthalmics, 

 arthritics, nephritics, lithontriptics, diuretics, hydcopics. They are also pectoral, 

 anti-apoplectic, paralytic, hysteric, hypochondriac, promoters of the birth, 

 febrifuges, scorbutics, stomachics, vermifuges. 



The evacuating medicines are emetic, or such as work upward ; or laxative 

 and purgative, such as work downwards. The nutritive medicines are the plantae 

 cereales and leguminosae. 



It is here to be noted, that I have not inserted any plant in this table, but 

 such as are natives of Britain, or such as are cultivated in British gardens; and 

 to render it still more useful, I have added such particular parts as are used in 

 the shops ; viz. the root, herbs, leaves, tops, flowers, fruit, nuts, bark and 

 wood. 



Having thus reduced within a small compass the most considerable virtues of 

 plants, both general and specific, and shown the most easy, simple, and natural 



