VEGETABLE STRUCTURE. 
137 
(liell of Fledi, a ; and from other V’effcls, not from thofe by which it 
wjs received, is conveyed to the Bud. 
Thus the fhell a, which is the Fle(h of the Plant, as it was the ori- 
ginal of all, continues the only fource of a’:l ; and while there is a mo- 
tion of afcent, evaporation, abforption, and defcent, in the whole Plant 
thus formed, there is a!fo a circulation of Juice in the fhell or coat of 
Fleth a, which gives the great force of afcent for evaporation of the ufe- 
Icfs fluid ; and all the time elaborates the Juices for nourifliment. Lt 
the Coat, a, which is the Flefh of the Plant, there is a fyflem of circu- 
latory Veffels, which perform their office all the time that the abforption 
and evaporation are continued ; and thefe Veffiels, whofe Juices purfue 
their own courfe, are fed by the Fibres, and feed the Bud, tho’ with an 
improved nouriffiment. This is therefore, a kind of middle portion be- 
tween the parts for drawing nourilhment, and thofe for growth, preparing 
the Juices for the one, which it receives from the other. 
1'he Juices which the Fibres receive from the earth are watery j but 
thofe in the Body of the Plant are coloured, feented, and of peculiar tafle : 
they receive this change in the Shell, <7, which is the Fleffi of the Plant j 
and this is its great office. 
Let it not be objected Itere, that Fibres of Root alfo have tafle; they 
do not receive Juices thus endued with tiiles from the earth ; thefe Fibres 
have their Fleffi, and Conic Cluflers, as well as the body of the Root, as 
we have (hewn in Hellebore ; thofe parts are continuations of the Flefli of 
the body of the Root, and have Veff.ls conneded with its Veffiels ; it is 
in thefe parts the talfe, the fmell, and other qualities, refide : and as they 
are in thofe Juices which have paffied the circulatory fyflem in the Shell, 
a, thefe parts mud; have the fame tafle, flavour, and other qualities with 
the Bud, /, or other afeending parts ; for they are in the fame manner 
conneded with the Shell, and poffiefs its qualities. It is in that Shell 
the tafle, and fmell, and colour, and virtues of the Plant, originally lie : 
for in the Veffiels of that Shell was lodged the portion of Juice of the 
parent Plant: this gives its tindure to the red: that is received: and thus 
all the parts which arife from that Shell, have the qualities of the parent 
Plant, the Fibres not excepted. This is as lure to be the cafe as if they 
were portions of the parent Plant itlelf ; for there is no other way in which 
that Plant gave tafle and fmell to all its parts. 
W E have feen in the Hellebore what is the compofition of a Fibre of 
a Root ; and thofe of all other Plants are of the fame drudure. The 
courfe of the nouriffiment they draw is fo ffiort in this Plant, and the 
VoL. I. T parts 
