網頁圖片
PDF
ePub 版

Of BOTAN Y.

B

OTANY (or PHYTOLOGY) Botany or
is a Science which hath for its Phytology de-

Subject Herbs, Plants, or Vege-fined.

tables of all Kinds: The Word

Botany being derived of the Greek

Word Botane, which fignifies an Herb in that Tongue. Hence a Treatise on this Subject is call'd Botanology. The Book which gives an alphabetical Account of the Names, Nature, and Ufes of Plants, is call'd an Herbal; and a Perfon well skill'd in this Science is call'd a Botanist, Herbalift, or Simpler.

Science.

A TREATISE of Botany fhould contain four The great great Parts, viz. (1.) A general Theory of Vege- Parts of this tation, explaining from the Principles of Reafon and Experiments the Nature and Manner of the Life and Growth of Plants and Vegetables. (2.) A juft and orderly Diftribution of Herbs and Plants into their feveral general Kinds, and a particular Enumeration of the Species and Individuals contained in each. (3.) A Divifion of Plants into their natural component Parts, as Roots, Stalks or Trunks, Branches, Leaves, Flowers, Fruit, &c. with Obfervations on the Variety and Differences of each Part, in the various Kinds of Plants. (4.) A Declaration of the various Affections of Plants and Vegetables, as their Place of Growth, Time of Blooming, their feveral Qualities and Ufes in Medicine, and other Affairs of Life. This latter Part is the Subject of an Herbal, and fo can't be expected here at large. I fhall give the

beft

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

beft Account of all thefe Particulars that I can come at, and shall begin with the Definition of a Vegetable.

A VEGETABLE is a Body organically form'd, adhering to fome other Body by fome Part of itfelf; by which Part it attracts and receives the Matter of Nutrition and Increase, which is call'd Vegetable Life. Such are all Plants, Shrubs, and Trees.

[ocr errors]

VEGETATION is the way of Growth, or Increase of Bulk, Parts, and Dimensions, by means of a proper Difpofition of organical Parts or Inftruments receiving Nourishment or nutritious Juices, and which thereby circulates thro' all the Subftance of the Vegetable, and is the immediate Caufe or Principle of Vegetative Life.

IN a perfect Theory of Vegetation, therefore, we must have regard to three Things: (1.) The Original or Genefis of a vegetable Substance or Plant. (2.) The Mechanifm or organical Difpofition of Parts neceffary to vegetative Life. (3.) Then what the vegetative Principle is, or what those nutritious Juices are by which the Vegetable is made to grow and increase in Bulk.

By the Original or Genefis of a Vegetable, is not here understood the common Generation or Propagation thereof by Seed; but what that is in the Seed which primarily gives Form and Effence to the Plant, or how it comes to be or appear what it is. On this Head the Learned fay much; and all, of late, agree that God, when he created the various Kinds of Vegetables, did even then alfo create and form every individual future Plant belonging to every Sort or Kind, and included them in proper Cafes or Seeds one within another; fo that the original Seed did really and formally contain in it all the future Plants of its Kind in inconceivable Small

nefs

nefs or Miniature: And therefore when any Seed is planted, we are not to expect the Production or Creation of a Plant which was not before in being, but only that the Embryo Plant hath, by this means, a Power to vegetate, or to unfold and unravel its Parts, to burst its Matrix-Seed, to become vifible, and to increafe its Bulk to its appointed Dimension.

THIS Doctrine of the Generation of Plants How evinced feems to be intimated by Mofes, when he fays, and establish`l. And God faid, Let the Earth bring forth Grafs, the Herb yielding Seed, and the Fruit-Tree yielding Fruit after its Kind, whofe Seed is in itself upon the Earth. But it is abundantly confirmed by Microfcopic Obfervations and Reasoning thereon; for not only all Sorts of Grain and Fruit appear in due Form and Proportion of Parts, by the Microscope, even in the Bud, before the Bloffom is feen; but even in the very Seed, while yet on the Plant, by help of the Microscope, the Plant of the next Year may be feen. For Inftance: Take a full-ripe Bean, and view the Germen with this Glafs, and you will plainly perceive it to be nothing but the Stalk, Leaves, &c. of the next Year's Plant in Miniature. If therefore the Plant of this Year produces Seed, and in that Seed we defcry the Plant of the next Year already form'd, 'tis reafonable to fuppofe the Seed of that fmall Plant alfo contains another to be difclofed the fecond Year, and that another for the third Year, and fo on ad infinitum, or to the End of Things.

THE modern Philofophers have not only efta- The Sex of blifh'd a new Theory of the Generation of Vege- Plants a new tables, but have moreover found that there is Discovery. really fuch a thing as Sex in Plants as well as in animal Nature. And hence the Distinction of Male and Female, as well as Hermaphrodite Plants

The Structure of Plants.

Their Veffels.
The Effect of

Heat on

Vegetables.

is become very familiar: For the Vegetable Fe-
males require Impregnation by the Male Vegetables,
in order to Generation, as much as Animals;
nor will the Seed produced by Female Plants, if
fown, grow without it, any more than Eggs will
produce Chickens, which were laid by an Hen
not trod by the Cock. But fince the Parts ferv-
ing to Generation in Vegetables are indeed the
Flowers, notwithstanding they are fo beautiful,
fo
gay,
and much admired; I fhall have Occa-
fion to fay more of this Matter, when I come to
treat of that Part of a Plant.

THE next Thing to be confider'd in Vegetation, is the Mechanism or Syftem of Organs or Veffels in a Plant, by which a Circulation of alimentary Juices is carried on through the Plant, and its Vegetation effected. In order to this there is found to be two Series or Orders of Vejels in Vegetables. (1.) Such as receive and convey the alimental Juices from the Root to all the Parts of the Plant. These anfwer to the Arteries, Lacteals and Veins in Animals. (2.) Trachee or Air-Veffels, which are long hollow Pipes, wherein Air is continually received and expell'd, i. e. infpired and expired. Within thefe AirPipes, Malpighi (the Discoverer of this vegetable Mechanifm) fhews all the former Series of Veifels are contained.

HENCE it appears that the Heat of a Year, a Day, yea a fingle Hour or Minute, must have an Effect on the Air included in these Trachea, i. e. muft rarify it, and confequently dilate the Trachea; whence arifes a perpetual Spring or Source of Action to promote the Circulation in Plants. For by the Expanfion of the Trachea, the Veffels containing the Juices are preffed, and by that means the Juices contain'd are propelled and accelerated, and alfo comminuted and ren

der'd

« 上一頁繼續 »