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GLANDS AND 



Sect. VI. 9. 1,2. 



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ftance, which is infoluble in water, is procured from wheat by louf^- 

 niaftication, or by agitating the flour of it in water; which has been 

 fald to approach to animal matter, and is believed to be the mofl: nu- 

 tritious part of that aliment, and was once much talked of, or fold 

 under the name of alimentary powder for the nourifhment of march- 



ing armies. 



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JX. I. The bitter, narcotic, and acrid juices of plants are fecreted 

 ■by their glands for the defence of the vegetable from the depredation 

 ^cf infeds and of larger animals. Opium is found in the leaf, flalk, 

 and head of the poppy, but not in the feeds. A fimilar narcotic qua- 

 lity exids in the leaf and flem of hyofcyamus, henbane, but not in 



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the feeds. An acrid juice exifts in huiks of walnuts, and in the pel- 

 licle, or fkin, of the kernel; but not in the lobes, or nutritious part 

 of it. Thefe feem to have been excluded from the feed, left they 

 fnight have been injurious to the tender organs of digeftion of the 

 embryon plant. In fome feeds, however, there is a bitter quality, but 

 which refufes to mix with the oleagenous part ; as the oil exprelTed 

 from bitter almonds is as taftelefs as that from the fweet almonds. 



2. Other vegetables poflefs glands adapted to the fecretion of va- 

 rious fluids more or lefs aromatic, acrid, or aftringent ; as the herb of 

 water-crefs, the root of horfe-radifh, the feeds of muftard, the flowers 



of rofes, the fruit of quince, and the bark of oak. To thefe fhould 

 be added thofe which have emetic and cathartic qualities ; and other 

 vegetable preparations, which are ufed in the arts of dying, tanning, 

 varnifhing ; and which fupply the (hops of the druggift with medi- 



cines and with poifons. All which deleterious juices feem to have been 

 produced for the prote£i:ion of the plant againfl: its enemies, as appears 

 by the number of poifonous vegetables, which are feen in all our 

 hedge- bottoms and commons, as hyofcyamus, cynogloffum, jacobsea, 



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and common nettles ; which neither infe6ls nor quadrupeds devour, 



and which are therefore of no known ufe but to themfelves ; and 



poflefs 





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