( 29 ) 



flowers ; and the fruit not coming in their places, might give the 

 cccafion of /tiling this tribe as above. 



I take there Juliferous trees to be for the moft part hermaphro- 

 ditical, (as fome of the Herbs in Seel. I. pag. 160.) i. e. male and 

 female within themfelves ; and that thefe catkins contain the fecun- 

 dating fubftance in a very fine powder, which, when full ripe, 

 you may obferve by making to let fall, in a great quantity, a very 

 iine dull or powder : thefe innumerable atoms, the all-wife Crea- 

 tor and Difpofer of Nature, (who made nothing in vain) hath 

 iiupendoufly contrived in fo great a quantity, that fome of them 

 might fall into thefe ftamineous flowers, their proper matrix, the 

 wind fruitlefsly difperiing the reft, fo that perhaps not above one 

 in ten thoufand may chance to fall in its proper place. 



His fecondclafs of this kind are the Coniferous, as the Fir, Pine, 

 Alder, and Birch. 



The third are Bacciferous, as Juniper and Yew. 



The fourth Laniferous, or Downy, as Poplars and Willows* 



The fifth are Foliaceous, or Leafy Ssed-Veifels, as the Horn- 

 Beam ; to which may be added the Afh, Elms, and Maple or 

 Sycamore. 



His next general divifion of trees are fuch whofe Fruit come in 

 the fame place with the Flower : thefe are fubdivided into Coro- 

 nated and Umbilicated, (i.e.) fuch, the remains of whofe flower- 

 is feen either at the crown or italk of the fruit. 



The nrii, viz. the Coronated, he begins with the larger fruit, 

 and defcends to the leffer ; as from the Crab, Wild Pears, Servife 

 or Medlars, Rofe, &c. to the Currants, Whortles or Bill-Berries, 

 Wood-Bind, and Ivy. 



The fame method he takes with the Umbilicated Fruit, amongfl 

 which he ranks the Sloes, Bullies, Cherries, Barberries, or Pep- 

 peridges, Alder, Holly, &c. To thefe are added fuch as have a 

 dry fruit, as the Bladder-Nut, Box, Lime-Tree, Gale ; and to 

 thefe Mr. Rayfubjoins the Heaths. 



He concludes with the Papilionaceous, or Pea-EIoom Shrubs, 

 Which with us are only the different forts of Genijia, as the Broom, 

 Dyers-Weed, Furze or Gofs, and Petty- Whin. 



Thus, Sir, have I briefly run through the feveral tribes of Herbs 

 and Trees; which perhaps in time may be brought into a better 

 method. In the interim, I hope you will accept of this, and be- 

 lieve me to be, on all occafions, SIR, 



Your (much obliged, and) ready Friend to ferve you, 



J. P. 



Some Jliicmpis to prove, Tloai Herbs of the fame Clafs, or 

 Afake, generally have the like Virtue, and Tendency to work 

 the fame Ejfeels. In a Dijcourfe made to the Royal Scciety, 

 by Mr. Petiver, F. R. S. No. 255. May 10, 1699. 



"Aving been afked what was the befl method to difcover the 

 Virtues of Plants, I have found that plants of the fame 

 figure or likenefs have generally much the fame virtues and ufe ; 

 especially if we confider, that the organs or ftrucfture of all plants 

 of the fame family or clafs mult have much the fame veffels and 

 ductus's to confummate that regular formation, and confequently 

 the juices circulated and ltrained through them cannot be very 

 heterogeneous ; and that commonly, the fcent and tafte having 

 great affinity, fb of courfe their virtue cannot be very diflbnant. 



1. For inllance, the Herba Umbellifera, or tribe of Umbellife- 

 rous Herbs. Thefe Mr. R.ay hath accurately treated of in the 9th 

 book of his Hift. of Plants, pag. 406. and his Synopfis, p. 63. 

 and in his 2d edition, pag. 101. and Dale in his Pharmacologia, 

 pag. 202. 



It is the property of thefe herbs to have the pofition of their 

 flower-branches proceed from one bafis or centre, which expand 

 into an umbel, whofe flowers coniilt of five irregular pentapeta- 

 lous leaves, from whence their feed are produced, which are naked 

 or double, or by their fplitting feem fo. 



This genus I obferve to be generally endowed with a carmina- 

 tive tafte and fmell, are powerful expellers of wind, and therefore 

 good in all flatulent difeafes, and of great ufe in the colick, &c. 

 To inftance a few for example, as Anife, Caraway, Cummin, An- 

 gelica, Smallage, Parfley, Lovage, &c. 



Obferve, that the feed of Umbels are moft ufed, as in all thofe 

 jufl mentioned ; and the roots alfo of fome are no lefs prevalent, 

 viz. the Angelica, Fennel, Parfley and Smallage, and the leaves 

 of the laft. 



2. Let us now look into another clafs, viz. the Plants Galeata 

 and Verticillata, Raii Hilt. Plant, lib. 11. pag. 508. Synopf. 77. 

 and Ed. 2. 122. The medicinal ones of this tribe are alfo treated 

 of in Mr. Dale's Manudu&io ad Materiam Medicam, pag. 230. 

 Thefe are a family of plants which bear their flowers in rundels, 

 or whirls, at more or lefs diftances round the ftalk, whofe mono- 

 petalous flowers (if we may fo call them, being fuch at the bottom) 

 are tubulous, contrary to the laft, and are generally divided into 

 five unequal fegments, as the Umbels, but with this diltinclion, 

 that the two greater petala, or flower-leaves, in this tribe are fome- 

 times above, and other times below ; whereas the others are con- 

 ftantly the fame, that is., always lie in the fame place, being ex- 

 panded on a flat or plain furface : the flowers of our Verticillated 

 plants, from the different pofition of their petala, are therefore 

 diflinguifhed under the Flora Galeata feu Labiate. The calyx, or 

 cafe, to the lower or tubulous part of each flower, ferves alfo for 

 itsfeed-veffel, in the bottom of which are contained, in all I have 

 yet obferved, four feeds fet clofe together upon a plain, which 

 Nature lets fall out when ripe, the hufk being always open, and 

 commonly divided into five points, adequate to the fegments of 

 each flower. 



Now, as the greateft virtue of the Umbelliferous tribe was fpe- 



cified to lie in the feed, and next to them the roots ; there are few 

 or none, as I have yet obferved, in this genus, famous for any ex- 

 traordinary virtues or effecfts in thofe parts ; but the fovereign balrri 

 of thefe chiefly confifts in their leaves and hufks, rather than the 

 flowers ; which laft, efpecially, all authors have hitherto given 

 the preference to ; as for example, in the flowers of Rofemary* 

 Lavender, and Sage, particulaily the firft, as the only part from 

 which our belt Queen of Hungary's water is extracted. I will 

 therefore take this occafion to give my reafons for preferring that 

 part which by all others has been negledtedi 



I would not be thought to propofe this bypotbefs for cheapnefs ; 

 for, if my affertion holds good, as I doubt not to prove it, I fear 

 they will quickly fell the hufks as dear as the flowers, if they find 

 a great vend for them. 



My reafons for giving the preference to the hufks of this tribe* 

 before the flowers, are, Becaufe I obferve the calyces are the chief; 

 if not the only part on which I find its vifcous or fulphureous par- 

 ticles to adhere. This you may very eafily perceive, not only by 

 its much ftronger and penetrating fmell, but by the clamminefs of 

 this, far beyond the other parts ; as is very apparent in the Husks 

 of Sage and Clary ; and, if with fpirit of wine you make a 

 diitillation of thefe alone, you will find them much ftronger than 

 from a greater quantity of flowers only, which* being of finer and 

 more volatile parts, are only capable of retaining what the vici- 

 nity of the ftronger and thicker texture, which the calyces are com- 

 pofed of, can without prejudice eafily communicate to them. 



I look upon the generality of this tribe to be a degree warmer 

 than the lalt, and their heat confequently to approach nearer to the 

 aroinatee, or fpices, than the carminatives, and the effects there- 

 fore to be more peculiarly appropriated to fuch nervous difeafes as 

 are more intenfe, and the Umbellifera cannot fo quickly reach, 

 viz. apoplexies, epilepfies, palfies, Sec. in which cafes our Laven- 

 der, Rolemary, Sage, St?cchas, and fome others, are fimples 

 which all our antient phyflcians (in thefe itubborn difeafes) have 

 very much applauded. Yet at the fame time we muft not forget 

 the many celebrated effecls that are owing to fome others of this 

 family, as Mint, Bawm, Penny -Royal, Savory, Thyme, Hyflbp, 

 Marjoram, Bafil, Origanum, Dittany of Crete, Marum or com- 

 mon Maltick-Thyme, with Marum Syriacum, and other, no lefs 

 noble herbs of this family, that I have lately received from both 

 the Indies ; which I have alfo experienced in fome cafes with very 

 good fucceis. 



3. We proceed next to thofe herbs which have a tetrapetalon; 

 regular flower, (by Regular I mean fuch as have four equal petala 

 in each flower). Thefe Mr. Ray treats of in his fixteenth Book 

 of his Hiftory of PI ants, and in his Synopfis Stirpium Britannica- 

 rum, pag. 108. and in his 2d edition, p. 164. under the title of 

 Hcrb.s Flore tetrapctalo uniform ; and by Mr. Dale in his Pharma- 

 cologia, under the fame character, pag. 292. Thefe, in relation 

 to their feed-veffels, are fub-divided under two heads, viz. 67//- 

 qunj'a, vcl Capjulata, being fuch as have their feeds contained in 

 long or fhort receptacles, as pods or capfules. 



The known herbs of this genus, that are moft commonly ufed 

 in phyfick, are, the Stnnpi, Rapbanus, Eruca, Alliaria, Paronychia 

 or Whitlow-Grafs, Sophia Chyrurgorum, Eryfimum, Naflurtium, 

 Cochlearice iitriujque, with fome others. 



The molt eflential virtue and ufe of the herbs of this clafs, I 

 obferve, are more particularly in the leaves and feed, and next 

 them the roots ; and, if any parts arc flighted, it is the flowers 

 and pods. 



The leaves are more particularly ufed in the Water and Garden 

 CreiTes, Sea and Garden Scurvy-Grafs, Hedge-Muftard, Iberis, 

 or Sciatica Creffes, Lepidium, feu Piperitis Ojfcindrum, Cardamine, 

 ■Burfa Paforis, Sec. to which may be added our Cabbage, Cole- 

 worts, Savoys, Sprouts, &c. which are of this tribe alfo; and, 

 though they are of no great reputation in phyfick, yet for fome 

 ages paft they have got no fmall efleem in the kitchen. 



Others of this family, that are more peculiarly eminent for the 

 virtue contained in their feed, are the Common Muftard and Rape, 

 the Thlafpi Dio/coridis or Treacle-Muftard, the Eruca or Rocket, 

 and Sophia Chyrurgorum or Flix-Weed. The feed of the laft, I 

 am informed by a worthy member of this fociety, hath for fome 

 years been ufed, by many in the North of England, for the Stone 

 and Gravel, with fuccefs. The like hint, if I miftake not, Sig. 

 Paul Boccone gives us in his late Italian book, entitled MnJ'co di 

 Fife a. 



We come now to the Roots ; two or three of which have gained 

 no fmall repute, as well in diet as phyfick, viz. the Badifhes, 

 both Garden and Spanifh, (which is the large Black-rooted;) as 

 alfo the Wild or Horfe Radilk ; and to thefe the Round and 

 Long-rooted Turnep mull be added. 



Moft of this tribe, I find, though hot like the Umbclliferce and 

 Verticillates, yet exert their power in a much different manner, to 

 wit, by a diuretick volatile fait, and are found molt prevalent 

 and effectual in chronick difeafes, as the fcurvy, dropfy, gout, 

 jaundice, and other ill habits of the body* where the blood is vi- 

 tiated rather in its particles than irregular motion, carrying oft" its 

 impurity by a diuretick difcrafis, or difcharge of the offendin? 

 heterogeneous falts therein contained ; and confequently by puri- 

 fication, difpofmg of it to a better or more fane difpofition. 



Whether thefe conjectures agree with the opinion of fome prac- 

 titioners of phyfick, I know not ; but I am certain the effects of 

 many of thefe herbs, as Water-CrefTes, Garden and Sea Scurvy- 

 Grafs, with Muftard-feed, ana Garden and Horfe-Radiih, which 

 are all of this family, are by moft, if not all phyflcians, as well 

 antient as modern, allowed to be extraordinary diureticks and 

 anti-fcorbuticks. 



