■I

The PREFACE.

heated in the Vifcera, pujh forth their Salts into the Brain, and by theFores of the Body. Thofe whofe Subflances are lefe volatile have an aperi-tive Virtue, fuch as it to be met withal in Hog-lice, Craw-fifh, lecaufe theSalts of thefe Animals being heavier , are more inclinable to precipitate andopen the urinary Paffages.

Every Plant arifes from its Seed, and is confind in Miniature as in anEgg, after the fame Manner as Animals j the Earth becomes a Matrix to theSeed, it foftens it and extends the Bark, opens the Pores, and by a nitrousFluid it is penetrated and unjheath'd from the Husk, fo that the Parts ofthe little Plant are ftretctid, that were before wound or lock'd up togetherconfufedly, and then this fmall Plant begins to appear upon the Surface of theEarth, and the nutritious Juice or Sap circulates in the Fibres that do theOffice of the Veins , Arteries, and Nerves; they dilate , extend, and grow toa certain determinate Size, limited and appointed by the great Author ofNature.

A Plant draws its principal Nutrition by the Root, becaufe the Pores there'of are better difpos*d than others, for receiving in the Juice from the Earth*It is remarkable, that if the Root of a fmall Plant is continued in the Seed, itis to be met withal at "fop, and the Stalk at the Bottom, as it happens ve-ry frequent, that the Juice which enters by the Root, and which is driven bythe Heat of the Sun, makes a half Turn from the Stalk, and mounts upwardsaccording to its determinate End. This Juice, in Circulating in the Veffehof the Plant, purifies it feIf is rarify'd, exalted, and brought to Perfectionafter the fame Manner as the Chyle and the Blood acquire their Perfection byCirculation. Then the more exalted and fpirituous Parts' of the Juice, whichmay be calfd the Animal Spirits of the Plant, are imploy d upon the Flowersand Fruits ; the lefs fubtle Parts fuppy Nourifhment for the Stalk, theBranches, and the Leaves, the grojfer Parts JHII congeal or cagulate intoGums, Ro'ins and Balfams : Thofe that are the grvffejl of all, produce an ex-ternal Bark, Mofs, and feveral Excrefcences. 7 bo all the Plants of theEarth receive their Nutrition from one and the fame Spring, they not wit h-fh*d/*g every one of them acquite different Qualities, occafun'd from the Di-verfity of Fermentations and other natural Elaborations, that are produc'd bythe Tfxture or Difpofition of their different Fibres. We may dtfltnguifh Ro-finsfom Gw>s, in that Rofins are much fatter, and that they diffolve confe-ti uertly much rafter in Oil.

The Ongine i>f Minerals is different from thofe of Vegetables and Ani-mal' ; this proceeds from the Congelation of acid or faltt,e Waters, chargdwith Juth Matter as will diffolve in the Earth. Metals are produc'd from agreater Degree of Concotlion^ a longer Digejlion and clofer Union of the Minerals,

which