2 2 CHAPTER 27. 
cai writers, pp. ii8. 2. OJicinal mmts, 
only 5 foffils, vegetables, animals, in the 
order of his ledures. 3. Clajfificathn of the 
officinal names, according to the virtues ; 
beginning with the abforbents, and ending 
with vulneraries. A table of the dofes of 
emetics and purgatives. 
In. botany. Dr. Alston's chief perform- 
ance was, his "Tirocimum Botankmn Edin^ 
lurgenfeT 1753. 8* It contains a repub- 
lication of his Index r firfl printed in 
2740 3 to which he now added the Fun« 
damenta Botanic a of Linn^us. .But the 
butk of the Vv^ork is a profeffed attempt to 
explode the fyftem of the Swede^ and parti- 
Gularly to invalidate all his arguments for the 
Jex of plants. This part of it was tranfla- 
ted by himfelf, and publifhed the next year 
in the firfl; volume of ElTays and Obfer- 
*^ vation?, phyfical and literary/' 8*^, Could 
the doctrine of the /exes of plants have beeu 
eafily ftiaken, the learning and abilities of 
Alston were fufficient to have eiteiled his 
purpofe. But as it was not at that time 
fupported by hypothefis alone, fo it has 
lince gained additional ftrength, by new 
e}^perimeRtS3 
