C M ) 
corrupted the Greek Purity ; fo that the Materia Me- 
dica lay in great Diforder and Obfcurity, till the Na- 
vigation to both Inches was dete&ed and opened ; rhen- 
the Spaniards and Portugitefes began to defense the Phy- 
fical Drugs bought up by the Merchants, but their H:- 
ftories ate very lame and imperfect, and confequenjy 
Schroder, who composd out of them : Since his time 
many Officinals have been fully illuftratcd in Print, and 
in Manufcripts, both by the Dutch and Englifb, out of 
which the Ingenious Author has compii'd the prefent 
Work in a mod Natural, cnoft Eafie , and Perfpicuous 
Method, being affifted by feme learned Friends; fo that 
very little (except a few Ufts) is taken from Schroder 
(as will appear by comparing them) the Body and 
Frame being altogether different, and the Difcoveries of 
a later date ; the whole Piece therefore may be juftly 
cfteem'd new, and confequently very Ufeful, being the 
Refutt of many Voyages and Iteneraries to the Remote 
Parts of the World, and the Effect of many Admirable 
Obfervations daily made in the Indian Colonies. 
The many Impoftures and Cheats which the Dealers 
in Drugs and Phyfical Herbs do daily commit, gave oc- 
cafion to our Author of Publilhing this fmall Traft, in 
which, after having given an Explication of divers of 
the Terms of Art ufed among Mineralogies, Botanijls, 
and Zoologifls, and a ftiort Defcription of mod of the 
VtenfiJs of the Apothecary's and Chymifts Shops, he doth 
premife fomething in General concerning the Collections 
Duration, Time, Manner, and Place of Preferving Sim- 
ples i together with their Vertues, Ufes, and Chymical 
Analyfis^ with a (hort Account of the General Divifion 
or Method of the Book. 
Theft being premifed, our Author proceeds 1 to the 
Work it felf, which he divideth into four Books : The 
firft of which Treats of Minerals, and contains fix Se- 
ctions* The firit concerning Water $ y which are either 
Simple 
