V A L 



V A L 



hofpitality being extended to the perfonal, as well as literary, 

 accommodation of Vallifneri at Florence itl'elf, where every 

 door and cabinet were opened to him. From Leghorn he 

 proceeded to Genoa, not without the ufual adventure of a 

 fhipv/reck of his wretched felucca, by which accident he 

 had the advantage of feeing for the firft time a noble Date 

 Palm, in the open ground. He returned from Genoa to 

 Padua by land. Tliefc and many fimilar excurfions, in 

 feveral following feafons, were produftive of much inform- 

 ation to a man, who could not purfue the moft beaten track 

 without picking up fomething. Indeed his line of fludy 

 was new at that period. He contributed to open a new 

 world to microfcopic obfcrvers, and to direft their en- 

 quiries to advantage. He had by this time coUetled an 

 ample mufeum, and choice library, both of them the more 

 valuable and ufeful, for being collected by himfelf with 

 fome particular objeft. 



His iludics were not impeded nor embittered by domellic 

 cares or chagrin ; for though he married in 1692, and his 

 wife brought him eighteen children, fhe was a woman of 

 prudence and good fenfe ; (he diretled his family in fuch a 

 manner as to render his home comfortable and happy. Of 

 the children, four only furvived their infancy ; a fon who 

 bore his father's name, and inherited his aftivity of difpofi- 

 tion, and three daughters, two of whom became nuns at 

 Padua. The third, named Claudia, a woman of rare 

 talents, and the higheft moral worth, remained unmarried at 

 home. 



In the beginning of 1728, Rinaldo I., duke of Modena, 

 fent Vallifneri an unfolicited patent of knighthood, for him- 

 felf, his fon and their defcendants. This honour was the 

 more juft, as he had, eight years before, declined an invita- 

 tion from pope Clement XL to become phyfician to his 

 holinefs in the place of the famous Lancifi. He had alfo 

 refuf<-d to accept, from king Viftor Amadeus, the appoint- 

 ment of firft profeffor of phyfic, at Turin, with a very 

 large ftipend. Nor were academical honours wanting to his 

 fame. He was affociated with the Academy Nature Curio- 

 forum, the Royal Society ot London, and almoil every 

 learned body in Italy. Thus in the indefatigable purfuit of 

 knowledge, and well-merited fame, he completed his fixty- 

 eighth year. On the 12th of January, 1730, he was at- 

 tacked with a fort of epidemic catarrh, accompanied with 

 great debility, which, falling on his lungs, carried him oif 

 on the 1 8th. He was interred in the church of the Eremi- 

 tani at Padua, where his fon eretled a monument to his 

 memory with the following juft and elegant infcription. 



D. O. M. 



Antonio Vallifnerio 



Artis Medicos aflertori eximio 



Naturalis Hiftoris ac Philofophias 



Rcftitutori celeberrimo 



Summis honoribus undcqviaque aufto 



Antonius filius maer. p. 



Obiit XV Kal. Feb. Anno Sal. 



MDCCXXX. Act. LXVIII. Mens. VHI. 



The filial piety of the younger Vallifneri accomphfhed a 

 more lafting memorial for his diftinguilhed parent, in a com- 

 plete and fplendid edition of all his works, makmg three 

 folio volumes, printed at Venice in 1733, and illuftrated 

 with plates, in one of which the fructification of the l.emna 

 is exhibited. Thefe writings, being frequently in the form 

 of letters, are diffufe, but the Itahan ftyle of the author is 

 efteemed by his countrymen. The whole work might be 

 epitomized with advantage, and would be found rich in 

 originality and acutenefs. An ample life of VaUifneri is 



prefixed to this publication, from whence wc have extracted 

 the above account. He is certainly entitled to rank with 

 Redi, Malpighi, Reaumur, and Swammerdam, as an ori- 

 ginal obferver of the intricate and obfcure phyfiology of 

 infcfts, and the lower tribes of the animal kingdom. He 

 co-operated with thofe pliilofophers in clearing away the 

 theory of equivocal generation, and other rubbilh of the 

 fchools. In medicine his merit is of a very liirh order, and 

 his name marks an epocha in the hiftory of that fcience in 

 Italy. Thofe who had fo long flnmbered over the mufty 

 folios of ancient lore, were by him turned unawares out of 

 their dormitories and eafy chairs, before they had time to 

 awake, much lefs to defend their pofts. He exalted the 

 fcience from ^the ftudy of books, to that of nature, and 

 fuccefs was the natural refult. In praftice he had the good 

 fenfe to promote the ufe of the Peruvian Bark, which, at that 

 period, had much prejudice to contend with. His prefcrip- 

 tions were generally fimple, and all his inquiries were free 

 from credulity and prejudice. We cannot here enumerate 

 the titles of all his various pieces. What relates to the 

 theory of generation is moft efteemed ; and he had the cou- 

 rage to oppofe the then famous vermicular hypothefis of 

 Leeuwenhoek. The memory of VaUifneri has been pre- 

 ferved by his countryman Micheli, in the name of a very 

 curious and interefting genus of plants. See the next 

 article. 



VALLISNERIA, in Botany, was dedicated by Micheli, 

 to the honour of his diftinguifhed countryman, of whom we . 

 have given an account in the preceding article. No genus 

 could have been more fortunately feleCted, as its hiftory is | 

 now, in the writings of Linnasus, identified with that of the | 

 generation of plants ; of the theory of which, as taught by 

 that illuftrious botanift, it affords one of the moft conclufive 

 and celebrated proofs. Yet Micheli was ignorant of this ■ 

 ftriking faft ; and hasabfolutely, as we ftiall find, dcfcribed ; 

 the two fexes as dillinft genera. The male plant is his 

 V attifneroides . We can ofter no apology for this overfight 

 of fo faithful an obferver, but his attachment to Touriie- 

 fort, who (hut his eyes againft the fexual dodlrine, and Mi- 

 cheli durft not take the liberty of opening his own. — Mich. , 

 Gen. 12. t. 10. Linn. Gen. 513. Schreb. 673. Willd. 

 Sp. PI. v. 4. 63-0. Mart. Mill. Dia. v. 4. Brown Prodr. 

 Nov. HoU. v. I. 344. Pur(h 602. Juft. 67. Lamarck 

 Illuftr. t. 799. ( Vallifneroides ; Mich. Nov. Gen. 13. 

 t. 10.) — Clafs and order, Dioecia DtcinJr'ia. Nat. Ord. 

 Palnut, Linn. Hydrochar'iilee, Juft. Brov>'n. 



Gen. Ch. Male, Cal. Common Sheath of one leaf, in two 

 deep, oblong, often cloven, reflexed fcgments, inclohng a 

 conical, compreffed Common Spadix, covered all over with 

 feffile flowers forming a fpikc. Cor. of one petal, in three 

 deep, obovate, widely fpreading, or reflexed, fegmcnts, 

 without a tube. Stam. Filaments two, ereft, the length of 

 the corolla ; anthers roundifii, fimple. 



Female, on a different plant, Cal. Sheath of one leaf, 

 fingle-flowered, cylindrical, elongated, with two crcft feg- 

 ments at the extremity. Perianth fuperior, in three deep, 

 ovate, equal, fpreading fegments. Cor. of one petal, in 

 three deep, hnear, abrupt fegments, (horter than the calyx. 

 Pifl. Germen inferior, cylindrical, longer than the (heath ; 

 ftyle very fliort ; ftigma in three deep, oval, convex feg- 

 ments, downy on the upper fide, cloven half way down, 

 rather longer than the calyx, and bearing at the back a 

 fmall oblong appendage. Per'ic. Capfule cylindrical, of 

 one cell, not burfting. Seeds numerous, ovate, inferted in 

 many rows into the fides of tiic capfule. 



Eff. Ch. Male, Sheath in two deep fegments. Spadix 

 covered with flowers. Corolla in three deep fegments. 



Female, « 



