
P bilofophical Hiftory of Plants. 


greesof their Clofenefs or Laxity; or the manner of their Implicationand 
Coherency; oras to their Location, one being mére Central, another 
more Expofed and Rampant over the reft; orotherwifé different. To 
examine thefe Principles, by their Colour, Tafte, Smell,Confiftence, Fix- 
ednefs, Volatility,Weight, Figures, or other Accidents. And to thefe 
purpofés, to go through the formentioned Ways of Experiment 5 as 
OUftion, Calcination, Deftillation, Gvc. as any of them may appear ap- 
plicable hereunto. So the Effeatial Salt of Wormwood, which may be 
obtained from the Lixivial 5 is Bitter, tranfparent, and commonly, of 
a Gylindrick figure : whereas that which is obtained by Coéow, or from 
the Extrad, is tafile/s, greyifh, and almoft Cubick: and that in the Ex- 
tract of the Green Leaves of Violets, appears in fine tranfparent Shoots, 
like fo many little Needles. And it is probable, That the Salts of 
moft Kinds of Plants, whether Lixivial or Effential 5 and of thefe,whe- 
ther obtained by Decoéion, or otherwife, have either their Figure, or 
other Qualities, proper to themfelves, whereby they are all diftinguifh- 
ed one from another. And laftly, to make Experiment upon thefe 
Principles, mixing them with one another, or with other Bodies, or 
otherwife. 
49. §. Iknow it will be difficult to make obfervations of this kind 
upon the Organical Parts of Plants, feverally, Yet I have thought of 
fome Ways, whereby true and undeceivable ones may be made. And 
the better to illuftrate what I mean, I fhall give one or two Inftances 
of Tryalto this purpofe. For the making of which, and fome others 
of the like nature, I confidered, That upon the Avatomical Analyfis of 
all the Parts of a Plant, I had certainly found, (and fhall hereafter 
fhew) That in all Plants, there are Two, and only Two Organical Parts 
Effentially difind,viz. The Pithy Part, and the Ligzous Part, ’or fach 
others as are analogous toeither of Thefe. So that, if we can think 
of any Plants, which will afford us either of thefe two,though not per- 
fedtly, yet infome good meafure, fimple and unmixed: We may then 
fee, by putting them to a Chymical, Tef?, what Principles and Proporti- 
on of Principles, concur to fpecifie their Subftantial Forms. 
go. §. To the pithy Part, Starch, or pure Manchet is analogous, 
as having very little ofthe Ligvovs mixed with them. I therefore or- 
‘dered 16 ij of Starch to be put into a Retort, and witha Receiver affix- 
ed, to be fetin a Sad Furnace 5 and that all it would yield, fhould, 
by degrees, be forced over ; which, befides what was evaporated at 
the Neck of the Receiver, was about ib j. of an acid and eager Liquor, 
ofa heavy and blackith Oy/2 ff, and ofa light Oyl 3 j. The Caput Mor- 
tuum could not be reduced to Afhes, by the ftrongeft heat which a 
naked fire in that Furnace would produce. 
31.  Tothe Lignons Part, Hemp or Flax is analogous, having 
very little ofthe Pithy mixed with them. Icaufed therefore tb ij of 
Flax to be put into a Retort, and manag’d as the Starch : whereupon, 
it yielded a Liquor, as I remember, fomewhat like the former, and 
about the fame quantity ; no Oy! which remained liquid, when cold 5 
but inftead ofthat a Butyr, almoft of the Confiftence and Colour of 
the Oyl of Mace 3 and of this above 3 iij, or near fix times the quan- 
tity of the Oy! which was yielded by the Starch. The Caput Morteuns 
being burned to a white Af, yielded fome portion of a Lixivial 
Salts 4 
FE ; 52. $. 















































































