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controversy. Only I cannot hel p observin g, that the vulgar argument Dom analogy be tween planis and animais loseth much of iis sorde, is ithe considered, that the supposed circulating of the sap, from the root orlacteals through the arteries, and thence return in g, by inosculations, through the veins or bark vesseis to the root or lacteals again, is in no sortconsormabie or analogous to the circulation of the blood. as. It is sufficient to observe, What ali must achnowledge, that a plantor tree is a very nice and complica ted machine '; by the severat paris and motions whereos, the crude juices admitted through the absorbent vesself, whether of the root, trunk, or branches, are various ly mixed, separated, altered, digested, and exat ted in a very wonder i manner. Thojuice as it passeth in and oui, up and do n, through iubes of disserent textu res, si, apes, and si res, and is affected by the alternate compressionand expansion of elastic vesself, by the vicissitudes of seasons, the changes of wea ther, and the various action of the solar lighi, grows stili more
36. There is there re no chymis I like that of nature, whicli addeum
to the force of sire the most delicate, various and artifical percolation '. The incessant action of the sun iapon the elements of air, Carth, and water, and on ali soris of mixed bodies, animal, vegetable and fossit, is supposed to pei forna ali foris of chymicat operations. Whence it should solio is that the air contains ali foris of chymic producti OnS, tbe Vapo Urs, fumes, olla, salis, and spirits of ali the hodies we know: Dotn whicli generat aggregate or mast, tho se that a re proper heing dra n in , throughthe fine vesseis of the leaves, branches, and stem of the tree, Undergo init S Vari OUS Organs, ne N alterations, secretions, and digestions, tili lacliti me as they assume the most elaborate sor
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Siris.s7. Nor is it to be wondered, that the peculiar texture of each plantor tree, co-opera ting with the solar fire and pre-existing juices, should soalter the fine nourishment drawn Dom earth and air ', as to produce vario us specific qualities of great emcacy in medicine; especialty is it beconsidered that in the opinion os learned men, there is an insuence onplanis derived frona the sun , hesides iis mere heat. Certa in ly Dr. Grem that curious anatomist os planis, holds the solar influende to differ Domthat os a mere culinary sire, other i se than by heing only a more temperate and equat heat. 58. The alimentary juice talien into the la cteais, is I may say, of vegetabies, consists of Oily, aqueous, and saline particles, which being dissolved, volatili ged, and diverssy agitated, part thereos is spent and exhaled in to the air; and that part whicli re mains is by the oeconomy of the plant, and actiori of the lan, stra ined, purifled, concocted, and ripened into an in spissated oti or balsam, and deposited in certain celis placed chiesy in the barii, whicli is thought to an Mer the panniculus adissus in animais, defending trees fio m the weather, an d, when in sussicient quantity, rendering them evergreen. This balsam, Wreeping or Meat ing through the bark, hardens irato resin ; and this most copiousty in theseverat species of pines and firs, whose Oil being in greater quantity, and more tenacious of the acid spirit or vegetabie foui as perhaps it may notim propcrly be called) abi des the action of the lan, and attracting the sun beams, is thereby exalted and enriched, so as to beco me a most no-hle medicine , suci, is the last product of a tree, persectly maturaled by time and sun. 39. It is remarhed by Theophrastus, that ali planis and trees whilethey put sortii have most humo ur, but when they have ceased to germinate and bear, then the humour is strongest and most me eth the nature
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o. The aromatic si avours of vegetabies stem to depend upon the sua's light, as much as colours. As in the production of the lalter, the reflecting po ers of the objeci, se in that of the former, the attractive and organical po ers of the plant cooperate with the sun '. And astrom Sir Isaac Newton's experiments it appears, that ali colourS are Virtualty in the whi te light of the sun , and shew them selves when the raysare separated by the attracting and repelling powers of objecis, even sothe specific qualities of the elaborate juices of planis stem to be virtuallyor eminently contained in the solar light, and are actualty exhibited uponthe separation of the rays, by the peculiar powers of the capillary organs in vegetabies, attracting and imbibing certain rays, whicli produce certain flavours and qualities, in like manner as certa in rays being reflected,
I. It hath been observed by me curious anatomists, that the secretory vesseis in the gland s of animal bodies are lined with a fine dorun, whicli in different glands is of different colours. And it is thought, thateach particular down, being originalty imbued with iis o n proper juice, attracts none but that sori; by whicli means se many various juices aresecreted in disserent paris of the body. And perhaps there may be semething analogous to this, in the fine absorbent vesseis of planis, whichmay cooperate to ardS Producing that endlest varie ty of juices, elaborated in planis seo in the fame earth and air. q. The balsam or essentiat Oil of vegetabies contains a spirit, where- in consist the specific qualities, the smeli and taste of the plant. Boer-
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Siris. haave holds the native presiding spirit to be netther oti, sali, ear th, or vater; but 1 omewhat too fine and subtile to be caught alone and rendered visibie to the eye. This when suffercd to sy off, sor instance, Domthe Oil of rosemary, leaves it destitute os ali flavour. This sparti ofliis, this spirit or sioui, is we may say, of the vegetable deparis witi out any sensibie diminution of the oti or water wherein it Was lod ged. . a. It should stem that the forms, sevis, or principies of vegetabluti se, subsist in the light or solar emanation , which in respect of the macrocota is what the animal spirit is to the microcota; the interior tegument, the subtile instrument and vehicle of power. No wonder thenthat the ens primum or scintilla spirituosa, as it is called, of planis smouldhe a thing so fine and fugacious as to escape our nicest starch. It is evident that nature at the sura's approach vegetates; and languis es at his recesse , this terrestiat globe seeming only a matrix disposed and preparesto receive li se froni his light; whence Homer in his hymns styleth earth
. The luminous spirit Whicli is the serm or life of a plant, Domm hende iis disserenoes and properties fio , is se me hat extrem ely volatile. It is not the oti, but a thing more subtile whereos oti is the vehicle whicli retains it froni flying off, and ira ged in severat paris of the plant, particularly in the celis of the bath and in the seeds. This Oil purificdand exalted by the organical powers of the plant, and agitated by waraath, becomes is proper receptacle of the spirit ; part of whicli spiritexhales through the leaves and ers, and part is a trested by this uncinous humout that de inins it in the plant. It is to be noted this essentialoil animaled, as one may say, with the flavour of the plant is very different stom any spirit, that can be procured frum the fame plant by se
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s. Light impregnates air , air impregnates vapour; and this be- comes a watery juice by distillation having risen first in the cold stili xvi tha hindly gentie heat. This fragrant vegetable water is possessed of the specific odo ur and lasse of the plant. It is remarhed that distilled oti qadded to water for counterseiting the vegetable water can ne ver equat it,
artificiat chymistry falling mort of the naturai. 6. The lesi violence is used to nature the bet ter iis produce. The juice of olives or grapes issu ing by the lightest pressure is best. Resitis
that drop Dom the branches spontaneoussy, or OOZe tipon the stightest incision, are the finest and most fragrant. And infusions a re observed toadt more strongly than decoctions os planis, the more subtile and volatile salis and spiriis, whicli might be tost or corrupted by the lalter, be ingobta ined in their natu al state by the former. It is also observed that the finest, purest, and most volatile part is that whicli first ascends in distilla tion. Arad, in deed, it stio uid stem the lightest and most active particles required least force to disen gage them Do m the subjecti 7. The salis, there re, and more active spirits of the far are got byinfusion in cold water: but the resinous part is not to be dissolved there- by l. Heiace the prejudice Whicli seme perhaps may enteria in against tar water, as a medicine, the Use whereos might infla me the hlood by iis sulphur and resin, appears to be not weli grounded , it heing in deed impregnated with a fine acid spirit, balsamic, cooling, diu retic, and possessed of many other virtu es r. Spiriis are supposed to consist os salis and phlegm, probably too so me hat os a fine olly nature, dissering Domo it in that it mi geth with water, and agreeing with oil, in that it ruraneth in rivuleis by distillation. Thus much is allo ed, that the water, ear th, and fixed sali are the sanae in ali planis; that, therei ore, whicli disser- encelli a plani or malles it What it is, the native sparti or form, in the
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langvage of the chymista or schoois, is non e of those things, nor yet thesinest oti, which seemeth only iis receptacle or vehicle. it is observed bychymisis, that ali foris of balsamic Wood afford an acid spirit, whicli is the volatile olly sali of the vegetabie: herein are chiecty contained their medicinal viriues, and by the trials I have made, it appe ars, that theacid spirit in tar water, postes th the viriues, in an eminent degree, os that of guaiacum, and other medicinat woodS. 48. Qualities in a degree too strong sor human nature to subdue, and assimilate to itself, must hiari the constitution. All acids, there re, maynot heu sesul or innocent. Eut this seemeth an acid so thoroughly concoct-ed, se gentie, bland , and temperate, and withal a spirit so fine and volatile, as rea dily to enter the smallest vesseis, and be assimilated with the
9. Is any one were min ded to dissolve so me of the resin, together With the sali or spirit, he need only mix se me spirit of wine With themater. But suci, an entire solution os resins and gums, as to quali sy them for entering and pervading the animal system, like the fine acid spirit, that first fies off froin the subjeci, is perhaps impossibi e to obtain. It is an apothegm of the chymists, derived Dom Helmont, that whoe ver Caninalie myrrh solubie by the human hody, has the secret of prolonging his dayS: and Boerhaave owns that there seems to be truth in this, frona iis resisting putrefaction. Now this quali ty is as rema rhable in tar, withwhicli the antients embal med and preserved dead hodies. Arad thoughBoerhaave himself, and other chymi sis besore him, have gi ven method si or mali ing solutions of myrrh, yet it is hy means of alcohol whicli extracts only the inflammabie paris. And it doth not seem that any solutionos myrrh is impregnat ed with iis sali or ac id spirit. It may not, there re, seem strange is this water mould he sound more beneficiat for procuringliealth and long lise, than any solution of myrrh Whatsecver.
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so. Certain ly divers resins and gums may have Virtu es, and yet not beabie sor their grositi est to passi the lacteals and other finer Velleis, nor yet,perhaps, readily impari those virtves to a menstruum, that may with seselyand speed convey them throughout the human body. Upon ali whichaccounts, I belle ve tar water Will be Dund to have singular ad vantages. It is observed that acid spiriis prove the stronger, by how much thegreater degree of heat is required to rat se them. And in deed, there Remeth to he no acid more gentie than this, obtained by the simple astu son os cold water ; Malch carries off from the subject the most light and subtile paris, and , is one may so speah, the very so er of iis specifiequalities. Arad here it is to be noted, that the volatile sali and spirit ofvegetabies do, by gently stimulat ing the soli is, attenuate the fluids contained in them, and promote secretiosas, and that they a re penetrating and active, contrary to the generat nature os other acid s.
gr. It is a great maxim for health, that the juices of the body he heptfiuid in a due proportion. There re, the acid volatile spirit in tar water at once attenuat ing and cooling in a moderate degree, must greatly conduce to health, as a mi id salutary de obstruent, quickening the circulationos the fluids without wound ing the solitis, there by gently removing orpreventing those obstructions, Whicli are the great and generat cause of
mos chronical distases; in this manner aras ering to the anti hysterios,asasseetida, galban Um, myrrh, amber, and in generat, to ali the resilas and gums of trees Or m rubs useful in nervo us cases.set. Warm water is itself a deobstruent. There re the infusion oflar drunk warm, is ea sier insinua ted into ali the nice capillary vesteis, an dacts, not only by virtve of the balsam, but also by that of the vehicle. Iis lacte, iis diu retic quali ty, iis being so great a cordial, shew the activi tyof this medicine. And at the fame time that it quichcns the nuggilliblood of the hysterical, iis balsamic Oily nature abates the too rapid motion
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Siris. tion of the marp thin blood in those who are hectic. There is a lentorand sinoothnesi in the blood sor healthy strong people, on the contrary, there is osten an acrimony and solution in that of weahly morbid persons. The fine particles of tar are not only warm and active, they arealso balsamic and emollient, sostening and enriching the marp and vapidblood, and healing the erosions occasioned thereby in the blood vesielsand glandS. 33. Tar Water possesseth the stomachic and cardiac qualities of elixit
proprietatis, Stoughton's drops, and many suci, tinctu res and extracts,
with this dis rence, that it worketh iis effect more sesely, as it liath nothing of that spirit of wine, which, fio e ver mixed and dilui sed, mayyet he weli accounted a polson in se me degree. 3 . Such medicines are supposed to be diaphoretic, which being os an active and subtile nature, past thro' the whole system, and work thei reffect in the finest capillari es and perspiratory ducts, Whicli they gentlycleanse and open. Tar water is extrem ely weli fitted to work by suchan insensibie diaphore sis, by the finenesi and activi ty of iis acid volatile spirit. An d furely those paris ought to he very fine, whicli can scour the perspiratory ducts, under the scars si in or cuticle, is it be true that
33. Another Way wherein tar water operates, is by urine, than whichperhaps non e is more sese and effectual, for clean sing the blood and casrying oss iis salts. But it seems to produce iis principat effect as an alterative, fure and ea sy, much seser than tho se vehement, purgative, emetic, and salivating medicines, whicli do violen e to nature.
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56. An obstruction os seme vesseis causeth the blood to move mores vi stly in other vesself, whicli are not obstructed. Heiace mani id di r-ders. A liquor that dilutes and attenuates resolves the concretions whichobstruct. Tar water is such a liquor. It may be suid, inde ed, of common water, that it attenuates, also os mercuriat preparations that theyattenuate. Eut it mould be considered that meer water only disten d; the vesseis and thereby wealiens their tone; and that mercury by iis great
momentum may justly be suspected os hvrting the fine capillari es, whichtwo deobstruenis there re might easily o vera ct their paris, and by leia se ning the force of the elastic vesse is) remotely produce those concretions
5 . Weah and rigid fibres a re looked on by the most able physicians,
as sources of two different classes of distem pers: a siuggim motion of theliquids occasions weali fibres: there re tar water is good to strengtheo them as it gently accelerates their contenis. On the other hand, being an unctu ous bland fluid it moistens and sostens the d and stiss si bres : and se proves a remedy sor both extremes. 58. Common soapsare compositions of lixivial sali and oll. The corrosive acrimony os the saline particles, being sestened by the mixture ofan unctuous substance they insinuate thenas et vos in to the 1 mali ducts withlest difficulty and dangen The combination os these different substancesmahes up a very subtile and activc medicine, fit ted ser mixing with Hllium Ours, and resolving ali obstructionsi Soap theressire is justly euecmod a most efiicacious medicine in many distem pers. Alcatine soap is allo ed to be clean singi attenuat in g, ope ning, resolving, s eeten ing; it is Pectoral, Vulnerary, diu retic, and hath other good qualities whicli arealso to be found in tar water. It is granted, that Oil and ae id salis combined together exist in vegetabies, and that consequently there are acidsba Ps as Weli as alcatine. And the seponaceous nature of the acid Vege' tabi e
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table spiriis, is what renders them so diu retic, sudorific, penetratin g, abstersive and resolving. Such, for instance, is the acid spirit os guaiacum. And ali these same viriues stem to be in tar water in a mild and salutary
59. It is the generat opinion that ali acids coagulate the blood. Boer-haave excepis vinegar which he holds to be a soap, inasmuch as it is und to contain an oti as weli as an acid spirit. Hence it is both unc- tuous and penetrat in g, a poKerfui antiphlogistic, and preservative against corruption and infection. Now it stems evident that tar water is a soapas weli as vinegar. For though it be the character of resin, whicli is an inspisiated grosi oti, not to disssolve in Water yet the salis attract semefine particles of essentiat Oil: whicli fine oti serves as a vehicle forithe acid salis, and shews it self in the colour of the tar water: for ali pure falis are colourlest. And though the resin Will not dissolve in water, yetthe subtile oti, in whicli the vegetable salts are lodged, may as weli mix ith water as vinegar doth, whicli contains both oil and sali. An d asthe oti in tar water discovers it scis to the eye, so the acid salis do manifest them selves to the taste. Tar water theresere is a soap and as lachliath the medicinal qualities of soaps. 6O. It operates more gently as the acid salts lose their acrimo ny be ingste athed in oti, and there by approaching the nature of neutral salis, aremore benign and friendly to the animal system: and more effectually,
as by the hel p of a volatile sinooth insinuating oli, those fame salts aremore eastly introduced in to the capillary ducts. Theresere in se vers an depide micat distem pers it is and I have found it as weli as in chronicaldiseases, a most sese and efficacious medicine, being good against too great fluidi ty as a balsamic, and good against viscidi ty as a soap. There is semething in the fiery corrosive nature of lixivial salts, which mahes alcati ne