"propriated Effence. The odoriferous Exhalations of Lavender and Baulm agree in rou

fing the Torpidity of the languid Nerves; " but the Smell of Lavender has befides this, a "Virtue perfectly peculiar, and Baulm ano"ther. And from this Virtue proceed won

derful Effects in the Body; which can only "be derived from a faithful Hiftory of Plants, " where their Virtues, found by Experience, "are related. And this peculiar Virtue often "performs contrary to the former common

❝ one.

The Spirit of the Indian Tuberose Hyacinth, is accounted highly fragrant ; but "excites wonderful Spafms in hypochondriacal "Men and hysterical Women. Rue alfo wide"ly diffufes its very odorous Spirits; but "these being received into the human Bo"dy, relax the Spafms occafion'd in the fame. "Bodies, by the former Odour. We should "alfo know that human and Industry has dif"cover'd, that thofe ftupendous Effects which ❝ vegetable Concretes excite in the Body, both ❝as Evacuants and Alterants, are owing to this "fine Vapour of the Plants for if this alone be perfectly feparated from Drugs and "Poisons, the remaining Mafs is totally deprived of its Efficacy; without almost any lofs of its Weight. Hence let the Chemist

be cautious and flow in pronouncing upon "the Virtues of thefe Waters, and learn a "long while, before he teaches Certainties, "This being obferved, we may fay, that they will often remove the fainting of the animalSpirits,

Ens appropriatum.

Hifce obfervatis, dicere liceat, fæpius deliquium Spirituum Animalium tollere, & amoenitate pdorum delicias praebere ad Suffumigia, p. 17.

"rits, and by their agreeable Smell, prove "delightful in Perfumes; for nothing more "directly recreates and enlivens the Brain and "Mind than fuch a Water of Baulm, full of its "Spirit: and fo the peculiar odorous Water "of Rue. Provided these Waters are kept "confined, in well-ftopped Veffels, in a cool "Place, they retain these Virtues for a long "time, even for a Year. Otherwise this most "volatile Spirit, if it finds but a Crack, se

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cretly fteals out thereat; and leaves a vappid "Water behind. This Experiment alfo de"monftrates what that is which spontane"ously goes off from Plants, dry'd in the

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Summer Air: viz. this Water, and the Spi"rit above defcrib'd. Hence alfo we learn "the Nature of that Fluid, which rises first "from Plants in Diftillation. And hence we "likewife know what that Matter properly is in "Plants, which gives them their peculiar kind of "Odour; viz. this Governing Spirit alone. Laftly, "we in fome measure learn from this firft Experiment, what those Effluvia are, which Vegetables in the open Air exhale into the Atmofphere; especially in the Summer Season for "it is very probable, that thofe continual Ex"halations of Plants, especially in the Day"time, greatly agree in their proper Nature "with thefe Liquors, produc'd by the Art of "Diftillation in this firft Procefs; tho' they "differ in this, that the Exhalation is made in "Parts continually recruited by the nourishing "Matrix of Plants: whereas, in our Procefs, "thofe Parts alone are collected, which re"mained

Nihil quippe directius cerebrum mentemque permulcer, vivificatque, quam Meliffe talis aquæ Spiritu fuo turgida, peculiaris fic Rutæ aqua odorata. p. 17.

"mained in the Plant after it was fepa"rated from the Earth; without being fup"plied by any new and constant Recruit. And "hence that industrious and ingenious Gentle"man observes in his Vegetable Staticks, that "the Distillation of the Juice received in Glass "Bottles, artificially applied to fresh cut Bran“ches of Plants, in the Summer Season, is of "this kind. See Hales in the Treatife above" mention'd, p. 50. Hence we may under"ftand, that the extenfive and often wonderful, peculiar Virtues of Plants, may be dif fufed from them through the neighbouring « Air, and carried by the Winds to a vast

distance. So that we muft not presently "efteem as fabulous what we find related in the "Hiftory of Plants, concerning the ftupendous "Effects of Effluvia. The Shade of the Wal<< nut-Tree is unwholesome,and binds theBelly*. "The Effluvia of Poppies near hand occafion "Sleep, The Vapour of the Yew-Tree is re"puted mortal, to fuch as fleep under it. "The Smell of Bean-Bloffoms, if long conti→ «nued, disorders the Senfes. Certainly the "powerful Action of the Sun upon Plants, "raises Atmospheres of wonderful Efficacy,by "means of the Spirit it diffufes; and the Mo❝tion

a Hinc igitur induftrius, atque ingeniofus, Vir, in Staticis Vegetantium, obfervat, pertinere huc exftillationem fucci, qui excipitur in lagenis vitreis, artificiofe applicatis ad incifos recenter plantarum ramos, æftiva tempeftate. P. 17.

Latas valde, mirificafque fæpe, vires plantarum proprias. p. 17, 18.

Neque adeo fabulofis ftatim adfcribendum, quæ de ftupendis effect bus effluviorum tradi folent, in Hiftoria Plantarum.

Juglandis gravis, alvumque fiftens umbra.

Somnum icini dat Papaveris halitus.

Fabarum florentium diù attractus odor mentem movet.

❝tion of the Winds carries them to a great di"ftance. The dark Shades of thick Groves "occafion various Difeafes, by the Vapours "they collect; and often prove mortal to the "Forefters: as appears by fad Examples in A"mercia, where poisonous Trees abound. For "this Spirit of Plants is a thing entirely fingular, "in every kind of Plants, and perfectly inimita"ble, nor to be produc'd by any Art; and "has therefore Virtues peculiar to itself alone, yet wonderfully friendly to the Spirits of Mene. "But as fome Plants have thefe Spirits exceed

..

ingly manifeft to our Senfes, whilst in others "they fcarce affect our Organs of Smell and "Tafte, with any obfervable Action, hence the "Chemifts have chiefly destined fuch Plants to "this firft Procefs, as are agreeable, and principally famous for their Odour. Such as thofe "of the following fhortCatalogue,taken from the European Officinals, and a few of the Indian.

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viz. Angelica, Anise, &c.

THIS Catalogue of Plants and Trees, proceeds in alphabetical Order; but being little to our present purpose, is here omitted.

"SEVERAL of thefe Trees contain in their "different Parts an aromatic volatile Matter, "that may be got out of them by this firft Ope"ration. For fometimes this their peculiar Vir"tue refides in the Roots; as the camphorated "Balfam in the Root of the Cinnamon Tree; "fometimes in their Woods, as in Rhodium • Wood;

See a little above, how friendly they are. This Inaccuracy affords an Example of the Author's manner of exaggerating, as he frequently does at the Expence of Justice and Accuracy; infomuch that unless due Allowance be made, and his Superlatives be often moderated; what he fays will be very apt to impofe upon Learners.

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"Wood; fometimes in their Bark, as in Cinnamon; in the Husk, as ints; and frequently in their Flowers, Leaves, and "Seeds: Again, in the Waters, that flow from "them, as in the Walnut Tree; in their Balfams, Gums, Tears, and Rofins, as in the "Balfamic Trees. And fuch and fo many Things we learn, from this firft, fingle Ope"ration. More might be added; but more "might be irksome."

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AND thus the firft Procefs concludes; which we have given at large, and kept clofe to the Original, to fhew, by the way of general Example, the manner wherein the Author proceeds in delivering the Proceffes of Chemistry.

THIS firft Procefs, as we before obferved, is in its own Nature entertaining and curious; but the Author, thro' his Reservedness or Stiffnefs, has not fet it in an advantageous Light; fo that it fhews much worfe than the fame Process in the English Edition, with which we took thepains to compare it: on the contrary, he has deformed it with Tautology, Exaggeration, and Inaccuracy of Style, Sentiment, and Printing; and, what could not appear in the Tranflation, with an aukward and unfeasonable Affectation of Rhetorical Elegancy, and Latinity. If these were accidental Faults, or happened only now and then, they ought to be overlook'd but as they reign through the whole Performance, they cannot eafily be excufed; efpecially if we confider the pernicious Effects which fome of them may have, tho' ever so much undefigned by the Author.

ALL the Amends which the Reader has to expect, muft arife from the Matter of the Performance; and this indeed is commonly found and ferviceable, provided it be taken not in the

high