
          absolutely beneath even our humble criticism.

It was, indeed, very reasonably to have been expected that a gentleman,
however illiterate as it related to mere learning, who had spent
upwards of thirty years in the investigation of plants with a view to
this application in medicine, notwithstanding he might still remain deficient
in point of scientific arrangement, would have produced something
valuable in this department, something worthy of being
added to the common stock, and for which he would be equally
entitled to a full share of the gratitude of his country, along with
those who had the better fortune of being more liberally educated.
No one, we presume, will contend that learning confers genius
and it cannot therefore be denied, that a man born with ordinary
talents, although his means of obtaining scolastic [scholastic] knowledge
be very slender, may, by habits of industry acquire much
useful information even in some of the higher departments of
literature and science. Such as one, possessing upright principles,
is ever ready to communicate his knowledge in the way
best calculated to benefit the community of which he is a member. 
But, there is another description of illiterate men who are found dabling [dabbling]
in every department, and more particularly in that of medicine, whose
intentions are not honest; who are striving to obtain reputation and
wealth at the expense of the credulity of their fellow men and who practice
every kind of imposition to accomplish their designs. To this detestable
description of human beings, we humbly conceive Mr. Henry most
appropriately belongs, and having thus scientifically disposed of him
we shall proceed to an examination of his works in proof of what we
have been induced so bodly to alledge against him.

From the modest assurances of Mr. Henry in his title page, dedication and preface,
not a single exotic ought to be met [added: with] in his whole collection. An investigation
of "The real properties and medical virtues of the plants indigenous
to the United States", ought exclusively to be found. But what is the fact?
Of one hundred and fifty seven plants noticed in this work, not less than
ninety are natives of Europe, &c. according to the nomenclatures of the author.*

In order that the reader may comprehend the scheme of Henry as far as
it is practicable, we shall take pains to transcribe his plants, dividing them
into exotic and indigenous, giving the correct scientific names of such as 
can be ascertained with a sufficient degree of certainty; to which we shall 
annex his names, and make some observations as we go along.

Note. Those plants marked in the following catalogue with the letter A. are exclusively

*We say, according to the nomenclature of the author, for it appears evidently that on some
occasions he has coppied [copied] European names as well as engravings, [added: and descriptions], while the plants
he [crossed out: illegible] treats of are really American!
        