Prmaval Botany, 3 
tltfcend with increaling reverence, until, in - 
volved in obfcurity by length of time, fu- 
perftition raifed them to the rank of gods. 
Thus, in the early ages of mankind, as now 
among the ftill unlettered and uncultivated 
nations of the earth, the adminiflration of 
fimples> for the cure of wounds and difeafes, 
was almoft ever accompanied with fuper- 
ftitious ceremonies and incantations. Hence 
too, in procefs of time, the charader of the 
prieft and the phyfician was united ^ and 
the fick reforted to the temples of the gods 
for relief: and, although inveftigation and 
rational fclence made flow progrefs, yet, 
in every nation, from the mofc cultivated to 
the moft barbarous, the number of iimples 
ufed for medicinal purpofes, became by 
degrees very confiderable. Thus, v/heu 
at length, phyfic alTumed a more regular 
form, and was taught in the fchools of 
Greece, the writings of Hippocrates 
enumerate three hundred vegetables ufed 
in phyfic. Four centuries afterwards they 
were augmented by Dios cor ides to near 
feven hundred ^ and to thefe the Arabians 
added no inconfiderable number of valuable 
B z ai*ticles. 
