i 3 4 ON THE FOLIATION 
gions of medicine. From whence it has hap- 
pened, that we find very few that have culti- 
vated botany, but phyficians *, nor have even 
thefe carried their inquiries farther than to ob- 
tain a moderate knowledge of officinal plants. 
But in our times fome, who are worthy of the 
higheft regard from all true lovers of this ftudy, 
have endeavoured to find out, and invefligate 
the vertues of plants with greater care, and 
induftry. For thefe men befides medical ufes 
have difcovered great, and remarkable ad- 
vantages accruing from fuch refearches. 
However i do not intend to give a cata- 
logue of them here, but ffiall content myfelf 
with juft touching upon fome few things, that 
have been done in this way, in our own uni- 
verfity. In the Philofophia Bota?iica our illu- 
ftrious prefident has ffiewn, that every foil has 
its own peculiar plants, which we ffiould feek 
for in vain any where elfe ; and that certain 
plants keep, as it were, their watches, i. e. 
expand their flowers and clofe them again at 
ftated times q . The diftertation on the ef- 
poufals of plants has imparted to the learned 
world the ufe of various phenomena, which 
«i Vid. Philof. Botan. p. 263. 273. Barck. This curious 
fubjed is amply treated in Amaen. Acad. vol. 4. 
occur 
