HISTOLOGY OF VEGETABLES. 
LECTURE I. 
Histology,^ the science of the minute structure of 
the organs of animals and plants, may be truly said to 
be the creation of the present century ; some glimpses, 
however, of organic structure had been obtained by 
the earlier observers, Leeuwenhoek, Malpighi, Hooke, 
Grew, and others ; but these, for the most part, con- 
sisted of unconnected observations, from which it was 
impossible to educe any of the general laws of forma- 
tion and development. The microscope, except as a 
mere toy, fell into disuse during the greater part of the 
eighteenth century ; nor was it until within the last 
twenty years that the instrument was rendered capable 
of yielding such a magnifying power, together with such 
clearness of definition, as is necessary for the investigation 
of this most interesting and important field of research. 
* From lcttoq, a tissue or web ; and \oyog, a discourse. 
B 
