parate its conftituent particles, whitli mutual at- 
traction caufecl to cohere before, and keep them at 
luch a diftance from each other, as that they are 
without the fphere of one anothers 'attraction as long 
as that violent- motion lafts ? And do not they, when 
that is over, and the heat is flown out, come nearer 
to, attract one another, and coalefce again ? 
As therefore the caufe of cohefion of the parts of folid 
bodies appears to be their mutual attraction, fo the 
chief caufe of fluidity feems to be a contrary mo- 
tion impreffed on the particles of fluids., by which 
they avoid and fly one another, as foon as they come 
at, and as long as they keep at, fuch a diftance from 
each other. 
It is obferved alfo in fluids, that the direction of 
their preffure againft the vefiels which contain them, 
is in lines perpendicular to the Tides of fuch Vefiels ; 
which property being the heceffary refult of the par- 
ticles of any fluid’s being fpherical, it fhews that the 
parts of all fluids are fo, or of a figure nearly ap- 
proaching thereto. 
Dr. Clarke fays, That if the parts of a body do not 
touch each other, oreafily Aide over one another, and 
are of fuch a magnitude as that they may be eaflly 
■agitated by heat, and the heat be fufficiently great to 
agitate them-, though perhaps it may be lefs than fuf- 
fices to prevent water from freezing • or even though 
the parts be not adfually moved, yet if they be final], 
fmooth, flippery, and of fuch a figure and magni- 
tude as difpofes them to move and give way, that 
body is fluid. 
And yet the particles of fuch fluid bodfes do, in feme 
meafure, cohere ; as is evident hence, that mercury, 
when well purged of air, will be fuftained in the ba- 
rometer to the height of fixty or feventy inches j that 
water will afcend in capillary tubes, even in vacuo 
and that the drops of liquors in vacuo run into a fphe- 
rical form, as adhering by feme mutual cohefion, 
like that between polifhed marble planes. 
To this may be added, that thefe faid bodies, if they 
confift of particles which are eaflly entangled with 
each other, as oil-, or if they be capable of being ftiff- 
ened by cold, and joined by the interpofition of certain 
cunei or wedges, as water, they are eaflly rendered 
hard but if their particles are fuch as can neither be 
entangled as air, nor ftiffened by cold, as quickfilver, 
then they never grow hard and fixed. 
In fhort, the Carteflans define a fluid to be a body, 
the parts of which are in continual inteftine motion 
and Dr. Hook, Mr. Boyle, and Dr. Boerhaave, tho’ 
they differ in opinion widely from Cartefianifm, fub- 
fcribe to the definition, and alledge arguments to 
prove, that the parts of fluids are in continual mo- 
tion, and even that it is this motion which conftitutes 
fluidity s and the latter of them afcribes this, and all 
motion, to fire. See Fire. 
Fluids then are either natural, as water and mercury ; 
or animal, as blood, milk, bile, lympha, urine, &c. 
or faditious, as wines, fpirits, oils, &c. 
FCENICULUM. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 311. tab. 
164. Anethum. Lin. Gen. Plant. 326. Fennel in 
French, Fenouil. 
The Characters are. 
It hath an umbellated flowery the great umbel is com- 
pofed of many fmaller , which have no involucrum •, the 
umbel is uniform *, the flowers have five incurved petals , 
and five fiamina , terminated by roundifio fiummits : the 
germen is fituated under the flower, fupporting two j mall 
ftyles , crowned by roundijh Jligmas. Fhe germen after- 
ward turns to an oblong fruit, deeply channelled , dividing 
into two parts , each containing a Jingle feed, fiat on one 
fide , but convex and channelled on the other. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond fiction 
of Tournefort’s feventh clafs, which includes the herbs 
with umbellated flowers difpofed circularly, whofe em- 
palement turns to two narrow, oblong, thick feeds. 
Dr. Linnaeus has joined this genus to Anethum, 
which is placed in the fecond fedion of his fifth clafs, 
with thofe plants whofe flowers have five fiamina and 
two ftyles. 
5 
But as the feeds of Fennel are oblong, 
thick, and channelled, and thofe of Dill flat and bor- 
dered, it is much better to keep them feparate, than 
to join them in the fame genus. 
The Species are, 
1. Foeniculum ( Vulgar e) folks decompofitis, foliolis 
brevioribus multifidis, femine breviore. Fennel with 
decompounded leaves, whofe fniall leaves are jhorter and 
end in many points , and a fioorter feed. Foeniculum 
vulgare Germanicum. C. B. P. 147. Common Fennel 
2. Foeniculum {Duke) foliis decompofitis, foliolis lon- 
gioribus, femine longiori. Fennel with decompounded 
leaves , whofe fmall leaves are very long , and a longer 
feed. Foeniculum dulce, majore Sr albo femine. j. B. 
3. p. 2, 4. Sweet Fennel having a larger white feed. 
3. Foeniculum ( Azoricum ) hurniliusj radice caule- 
feente carnofo, feminibus recurvis* radice annua. 
Dwarf Fennel with a flejhy ftalk , recurved feeds , and 
an annual root. Foeniculum duke Azoricum. Pluk. 
Aim. Sweet Azorian Fennel , called Fincchio. 
The firft fort is the common Fennel, which is culti- 
vated in the gardens, and has fown itfelf in many 
places, where it has been introduced in fuch plenty, 
as to appear as if it were a native in England but it 
is no where found at a great diftance from gardens, fo 
has been undoubtedly brought into England. There 
are two varieties of this, one with light green leaves, 
and the other with very dark leaves but thefe I be- 
lieve are only varieties which arife from the fame 
feeds but this is very difficult to afeertain for \m- 
lefs the feeds were fown feparatelv in feme place where 
neither of thefe plants have been growing before, it 
cannot be done ; for the feeds of thefe plants which 
have fcattered, will remain in the ground feme years, 
and when expofed near the furface will grow ; fo that 
the plants become troublefome weeds, wherever 
their feeds have been fuffered to fcatter and they fre- 
quently come up where other feeds are fown, and 
thereby the two forts may accidentally mix. 
The common Fennel is fo well known, as to need 
no defeription. This hath a ftrong flefhy root, which 
penetrates deep into the ground, and will continue fe- 
veral years. It flowers in July, and the feeds ripen in 
autumn. The belt time to few the feeds, is foon 
after they are ripe ; the plants will come up in the au- 
tumn or the following fpring, and require no other 
care but to keep them clean from weeds, and thin 
the plants where they are too dofe it will grow in 
any foil or fituation. The leaves, feeds, and roots 
of this, are ufed in medicine the root is one of the 
five opening roots, and the feed one of the greater 
carminative feeds. There is a Ample water made 
from the leaves, and a diftilled oil from the feed. 
The fweet Fennel has been by many fuppofed only a 
variety of the common fort, but I have cultivated it 
in the fame ground with that, where it has always re- 
tained its differences. The leaves of this are very 
long and {lender, growing more fparfedly, and do not 
end in fo many points as thofe of the common fort ; 
the ftalks do not rife fo high, and the feeds are longer, 
narrower, and of a lighter colour. Thefe feeds are 
generally imported from Germany or Italy, and are 
by fome preferred to thofe of the common fort for 
ufe, being much fweeter. 
This may be propagated in the fame manner as the 
former fort, being very hardv, but the roots are net 
of fo long duration. 
The third fort is fuppofed to have been originally 
brought from the Azorian Hands it has been long- 
cultivated in Italy as a fallad herb, under the title of 
Finochio ; and there are fome few gardens in England, 
where it is now cultivated, but in fmall quantities, for 
there are not many Englifh palates which rehih it, nor 
is it ealy to be furnifhed with good feeds ; thofe which 
are annually brought from Italy feldom prove good 
and it is difficult to fave it in England, becaufe the 
winter frequently kills thofe plants which are left for 
feeds ; and* when any good plants of the early fowing 
are left for feeds, they do not ripen, unfits the win- 
ter proves very favourable. 
This 
