14 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE 
substances, or properties, capable of producing the same 
effects. Therefore, it would be very desirable to know in 
what proportions the medical principle of Digitalis or of any 
other officinal plant, is diffused through all the individuals of 
the natural family Scrophularaceae ; and also to what extent 
the wonderful property of Atropa Belladonna exists in other 
species of the order Solanaceae, and such like. 
Although it is probable that we shall not be able to learn 
the uses of each and all of the plants in the economy of cre- 
ation, any more than we can account for the reason of so 
many other existences ; yet, so far as their uses and ends 
can be detected, it is desirable that they should be so ; 
whereby the query cui bono , so often reproachfully flung at 
the naturalist, may be answered to the satisfaction of the 
querist, and the subject proved to be of direct and practical 
consequence to all classes of society. 
Botanists might justly be said to waste their lives in frivo- 
lous pursuits, if the sole object of their labours were to learn 
the names of plants, and arrange them systematically. But 
when we consider that man, and terrestrial animals, derive 
their sole support and nourishment from vegetation, it can- 
not be said that the subject is not of great importance. 
It was said that “the man who makes one single blade of 
grass to grow, in addition to those already growing, is a be- 
nefactor to his country.” How much greater will be his 
claims on the gratitude of his age, and of posterity, who dis- 
covers and publishes the useful properties of thousands of 
plants, hitherto neglected, because unknown. The French, 
when deprived of their sugar-bearing possessions, in the 
East and West Indies, and unable to get a supply elsewhere, 
availed themselves of beet-root for this purpose ; and what 
was at that time the result of compulsion, has long from 
choice been a staple manufacture of that country. All spe- 
cies of the gramineous tribe, contain, some more, some less 
of a saccharine juice. The stem of Zea-mays or Indian corn, 
appears to contain this, very abundantly, whether in a 
greater degree than beet-root might be worth investigating. 
It is probable that the medicinal qualities of thousands of 
plants are unknown, or are not sufficiently known to be 
available in Medical practice. 
It may be said that there is no necessity to learn the 
medicinal qualities of plants, as the practitioner can obtain 
from the proper source, a cheaper and better supply than 
