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THE SCIENTIFIC HISTORY OF A PLANT. 105 
THE SCIENTIFIC HISTORY OE A PLANT. 
By John JI. ASHLEY, Esa., Lecturer ox Chemistry to the Huxteriax School of Medicixe. 
(a lecture delivered before the royal MEDICO-BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.) 
Jfl T the request of my friend, the learned Professor of Chemistry to this society, I have been induced 
iYA to throw together, into a connected form, a few facts, tending to show how the sciences of 
chemistry, geology, and meteorology are, by means of botanical geography and structural botany, 
connection that exists mutually related to each other. It was with a feeling of diffidence that I approached 
chemistry, moiogyTbo- sucn a subject as this, considering bow very limited my knowledge must neeessarily 
tany, and meteorology. De U p n many of the topics which it includes ; and this feeling was in no way 
diminished when I found that this grouping of the sciences led me within the portals of a new science, 
which is founded upon more enlarged generalisations than any other that has gone before it, and this 
because it is the last product of the rearing and creative faculty applied to a renewal of the more 
extended surveys of the natural world which we have now, coupled with the accurate and profound 
knowledge of the labours and advances of philosophers during past years. 
Natural history geography is the science to which I allude : a science which, besides geogra- 
Naturai history gco- phical description, includes the general phenomena of the present life of the globe, in 
iwnphy. reference to their connection and mutual dependence. For the most part, this science 
is a production of the German schools. Schlegel, in his " Concordia," in 1S20, put forth some of the 
Scnicgei. germs of this branch of natural philosophy (or rather this combination of branches) ; 
in seven years afterwards, in 1827, appeared those memorable lectures on the " Philosophy of Life," 
embodying more extended and perfect views than had yet been suggested, even although, as early as 
1806, and perhaps before, some of the sketches which at present form the "Aspects of Nature" were 
publicly delivered by their illustrious author. At the end of the fourth lecture on the " Philosophy of 
Quotation from the Life," ' svc nn d expressed one of those truths to which I have just alluded : — " An 
lectures on the rhiioso- exalted view and understanding of nature consists in its being contemplated not 
merely as a dynamical play of reciprocal forces, but historically in its course of 
development, as a commencing life, perpetually relapsing into death, ever disposed to sleep, and only 
painfully raising itself, or rather raised and lovingly guided through all the intermediate grades into 
life. But beneath the huge tombstone of outward nature there sleeps a soul not wholly alien, but half 
akin to ourselves, which is distracted between the troubled and painful reminiscences of eternal death, 
out of which it issued, and the flowers of light, which are scattered here and there on this dark earth 
as so many lively suggesters of a heavenly hope." Perhaps in a more eminent degree, Carl Hitter 
can Rittcr, schiegci, aided in forwarding the science of natural history geography. He, as well as 
nnd iiaron Humboldt. Schlegel, recognised the vitality of the globe. Our views on this subject have to a 
considerable degree been enlarged and strengthened by the translation into English of the beautiful 
comparative physical geography of Arnold Guoyot — a work that cannot be too extensively read. But 
after all, there is one name which is more especially associated with this science — a name which has 
been by Professor E. Forbes termed its organizer, as well as originator : I allude to the Baron 
Alexander Von Humboldt. 
Natural history geography may be regarded as including, among other things, the different chemi- 
Natural history gco- cal, geological, and general physical relations which have modified the distribution 
graphy a group or sei- of plants and animals — of plants, because the conditions of a thriving vegetation are 
so various that under certain circumstances there springs a peculiar flora, giving a 
characteristic scenery to a country, and so influencing the mind. But such a distribution is also an index 
to the geology, because certain plants require a certain soil, and the quality of the soil depends mainly 
upon the geological formations; to the meteorology, because certain plants require particular amounts 
of heat and moisture. It is the proper province of chemistry to tell us the constitution of the soil— to 
show what ingredients are contained in a plant from the analysis of its ashes: so that chemistry 
geology, and meteorology are, by means of vegetation, brought into a more intimate relationship. W e 
can, however, look at a plant as the theatre for the display of certain physical actions a~ an apparatus 
physical actions of a constructed for exhibiting certain purely molecular actions endosmose, exosmose, 
i ,lant ' capillary attraction, force of suction — so that general physics may be added to 
other group. Under all these circumstances, therefore, the subject appeared not inapt to bring b 
the members of a society connected as this is v itb the stmh of botany. 
In reference to the first portion of our subject -the chemical phenomena of vegetation I may 
to Rcnnrks on Professor observe, that we are much indebted to the researches of Professor 1. icing: and the 
( EieMg. benefits he has conferred upon science are very great, for this reason : they are tWO- 
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