I 
[ »7 ] 
endeavour to invedigate, in the moft attentive man- 
ner, the properties of vegetable productions, in order 
to accomodate them to the various exigencies of hu- 
man life. 
Several clades of vegetables, from their merely 
herbaceous tade, and, as far as we can conjecture, 
from their other fenfible qualities, feem to be formed 
by the great Author of nature principally for the 
nourifhment of animals : but thofe plants, which 
are endued with principles fo highly aCtive, as, when 
taken in fmall quantities, to be able to put an end 
to animal life ; fuch deferve to be more minutely 
inquired into, as under certain circumdances thefe 
principles, properly directed, may conduce to great 
and good ends. We ffiould endeavour, therefore, 
diligently to inform ourfelves, in what quantities, and 
under what circumftances, the poifon ends, and where 
the medicine begins. In this refpeCt we have certainly 
a notable inftance in the hiftory before us in Profeffor 
Lambergen ; whofe induftry, more efpecially as it 
was attended with fuccefs, merits our greateft ac- 
knowlegements ; inafmuch as he has informed us, 
with no fmall degree of accuracy and precifion, that 
the plant under confideration, which is well known 
to be of a highly deleterious nature, and that even 
in a fmall quantity, may be fo managed, as to be 
productive of good effeCts, not to be found poffibly 
by any other means. 
Some of the mod efficacious medicines are fuch, 
as, being poffeffied of highly aCtive principles, do 
greatly didurb the animal ceconomy in their opera- 
tion : neverthelefs, however rough the modus ope- 
randi of any medicine be, if its efficacy by repeated 
trials 
