Petiver, • 39 
dras by Mr. Samuel Browne, and pre- 
fented to the Royal Society by the Eaft In- 
dia Company: in eight books, publifhed at 
different times; the firft in N" 23.6, the 
laft in 299. Vol. XXIII. 
Mr. Petiver was among the firft who 
purfued the idea that the virtues of plants 
might be determined, in general, by their 
agreements in natural charaders and dalles. 
I fay purfued, becaufe the idea had been 
fuggefted long before. Even C^salpi- 
Kus, the inventor of fyflem, hints that the 
virtues of plants are pointed out by their 
jfl:rud:ure, and alhance to each other. Thefe 
^are his words : Tandefn et facultates^ quas 
me diet maxime queer unty tanquam propf^'ietates 
innotefcunt ex natirrarum cognitione: qiice enim 
generis focietate junguntur ^ plenmique etfimi-^- 
les pqffident facultates ^ . 
Pet iter's paper bears the following 
title : Some Attempts made to prove^ 
that Herbs of the fame Malce, or Clafs, 
for the generality, have the like Vertue^ 
" and Tendency to work the fam.e Ef- 
fefts.'' 255. Vol. XXI. p. 289. 
* C;efalp, Pref. ad Lib. de Plantis. 
D4 As 
