| XXX | (627-(Botany)) | XXX |
B O T C <527 ) B O T ovale, from Botall, phyfician to Charles IX, fix of them belonging to independents. The number toforamen whom the difcovery of it is afcribed. See Foraof its inhabitants are computed to be about fourteen men ovale. thoufand. a perfon fkilled in botany. See BoBOSWORTH, a market town of Leiccfterftiire, fitua- BOTANIST, tany. ted about eleven miles fouth-weft of Leicelter : W. BOTANOPHILI, perfons who have treated of plants, long. i° 25', and N. lat. 520 45'. BOTALE foramen* in anatomy, a name given to the not as botanifts, but as gardeners, phyficians, 6 c.
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BOTANY is that branch 0/ natural hiftory. which. treats of the ufes, charadters, claifes, orders, genera, and fpecies of plants. Before we explain: the moll approve^ method of di-
ftinguifhing plants, it will not be improper to, inquire into the nature of the fcience, and what ufeful or ornamental purpofes may be expebted from the cultivation of it.
S e c t. J. USE S WHen this fcience is carried no further than to diftinguiih one plant from, another, its ufes are few and uninterefting. However, even this exercife is attended with fome advantages. It is the firfl, and a neceflary ftep towards difcovering thofe of a more noble kind. It is the rudiments of the fcience ^ and mult therefore be acquired before we can expedt to arrive at any improvement that may be ufeful to mankind. This part of botany is likewife more complete and fyftematic than many other branches of natural hiftory. By means of the claffical and generic marks, we are enabled in a few minutes. to difcovcr the name of any plant, from whatever quarter of the globe it may be brought. Tfns is exceedingly curious, and altogether incredible to people unacquainted with the nature of the fcience. When we have learnt the name, we are then in a capacity of confulting authors with regard to the peculiar properties of the plant, fo far as they are known. Befides, there is an elegance and fymmetry in plants,, which give rife to many agreeable emotions. Their parts, like thofe of animals, are poflefied of all the beauties of utility, regularity, uniformity, order, and proportion. Neither is there any clafs of natural, bodies in which the beauty of variety makes fuch a. capital figure. This variety is chiefly exhibited in the magnitude, figure, colour, odour, and tafte of vegetables. It is therefore natural to expedf, that th'e ftudy of botany fhould have fome influence in improving, our tafte. But as botany is confeffedly a branch of natural hiftory, the bot-anift ought not to confine, his refearches to the mere names and.charadters of plants. He ought to inquire into their qualities. Thefe qualities,, indeed, when we talk of vegetables in general, are exceedingly numerous, and the inveftigation of many of them attended with fueh difficulty, that no perfoh, however induftri-
o E BOTANY. ous, can ever expedf to unfold the whole. But this circumftance does not afford any argument for lofing fight of utility altogether,. On the contrary, it is the only, thing that can give dignity to the fcience', or entitle it to be ranked as a branch of natural hiftory. There is but little pleafure in ftudying a science which is already carried to its higheft pitch of improvement. The profpedt of difcovering any thing that may be ufeful to mankind ftimulates our induftry,.and makes us profecute our re-, fearches with vigour and alacrity. A botanift, or an inquirer into the nature and properties of vegetables, ought to diredt his views principaily towards the inyeftigaticn of ufefur qualities. For this purpofc, in examining plants, he fliould confider whether they be poflefTed of any qualities which may render them of ufe in food, in medicine, or in any of the arts. Thefe are objedts worthy the attention of philofophers. Let us examine the afliftance that may be expedted from the ftudy of botany with regard to thefe important articles. 1. Food.—Many animals are endowed with an inftinc-. tive faculty of readily diftinguifhing whether the food that is prefented to them be noxious or falutary. Mankindhave no fuch inftindf. Theymuft have recourfe to expe-'rience and obfervatiom But thefe are not fiifficient to, guide us in every cafe. The traveller is often allured by. the agreeablenefs of fmell and tafte to eat poilbnous fruits. Neither will a general: caution not to eat any thing but what we know from experience to be falutarv, anfwer in every emergency. A fliip’s company, in wain of provifions, may be thrown upon an uninhabited.coaft,: or a defert ifland. Totally ignorant of the nature of the plants which they meet with;—difeafes, or fca/city of animals, may render it abfolutely neceflary to make ufe of vegetable foodthe cbnfequence is dreadful: Theymult
