An Account of a Book

An Account of a Book, Entitled X. Samuelis Dale Pharmacologia seu Manuductionis ad Materiam Medicam Supplementum: Medicamenta Officinalia simplicia, priore Libro omissa, complectens: Ut & Notas Generum Characteristicas, Specierum Synonyma, Differentias, & Vires. Cum duplici Indice, generali altero Nominum & Synonymorum praecipuorum, altero Anglico-Latino, in gratiam Tyronum. In the year 1693 our Author published his Pharmacologia seu Manuductio ad Materiam Medicam, of which an Account was given in these Transactions, (viz.) N. 204: pag. 929. After the publishing of which, he observed an Increase of the Materia Medica, many Medicinal Simples being used in the Shops, and likewise he met with several Books relating thereto, which either were not then published, or had not come to his knowledge before. And our Author having also received advice from divers Ingenious persons, who had travelled into Foreign Countries, that his aforesaid Book was well received, not only in France and Holland, but likewise in Italy and the remotest parts of Germany, made him think a Supplement necessary to render it more useful to other Countries: And because it has extended its progress to the Neighbourhood of Greece, that ancient Fountain of Learning, he concluded, that it would not be improper to add out of Dioscorides and the Foreign Dispensatories, all those things which he had omitted publishing: And that in a Book by themselves, without staying for the reprinting of the former Book. Our Author had made a considerable Progress in his design, when he received advice that Monsieur Tournefort was, by the French Kings Order, gone into Greece and the adjacent Islands, in search of Plants, especially those of Dioscorides; this occasioned him to stop the prosecution of his Work for some years, in hopes that great and accurate Botanist would upon his return gratifie the Curious with his Discoveries of the true and genuine Plants of the Ancient Grecians, which had perplexed the Herbarists of our late Ages. In this Supplement our Author took care to set the Materia Medica of Dioscorides in a clear light; and for that end consulted all the Authors that he could meet with upon that subject, keeping as close as he could to his Text, in which he chiefly adhered to the Translation and Commentary of Matthiolus. And because in this performance he travelled in an untrodden path, knowing of no precedent in any Language, he therefore consulted both the Dead and Living, (i.e.) not only Books, but many Persons of Ingenuity and Learning. The nature of the Work requiring the Virtues of each Simple to be annext, and the design of the Book requiring Brevity, he chose to transcribe them from Authors, which had already contracted to his hand; but at the same time, to avoid the Imputation of Plagiarism, he at the end of every Transcription inserted the Name of the respective Author: Nor did he think it any discredit to him, that he had the assistance of others, but rather a Glory, and therefore doth throughout the Work acknowledge the Persons he had advice from. This Book being only a Supplement to the former Work, as I said before, is divided according to the same Plan, and therefore need not here to repeat its Contents. give a short account of some things in the Work itself. In the first Book of which, our Author in the Chapter of Waters takes notice, that Cold Baths were in use among the Ancients in the Cure of many Diseases; and that they are commended by divers Learned Physicians, and especially by Sir John Floyer, Kt., and Dr Baynard; the first of which, in his Excellent Ψυχερατια, hath enumerated the several sorts of Cold Baths, and the many Cures perform'd by them. He likewise takes notice of the divers ways of making Salt from Sea-Water; first by insolation only, as Bay Salt, the Sea-Water being in hot Countries grained in Pans called Salt-Marshes; 2dly, partly by the Sun, and partly by Fire, as Port-Sea-Salt at Limmington in Hampshire; 3dly, by Boyling only, as Newcastle and Scotch Salt. To these he adds the manner of making Salt from Sea-Sand in Lancashire and other places, and likewise observes, that both Speed and Camden did take notice of the Evaporation of Sea Water into Salt, by the Sun, in the hollows of certain Stones in the Bishoprick of Durham. In the Chapter of Mineral Waters, he takes notice of their several divisions and sorts made by his Neighbour Mr Allen, in his Book of the Chalybeat and Purging Waters in England. And in the Chapter of Salts, besides many Curious Notes concerning the Crystals of Salt, Sal-Gem, Niter, Allum, and Vitriol excerpted from the Exercitaciones de Fontibus Medicatis Anglie, of his Learned Friend Dr Martin Lister; he takes notice of a sort of Salt made at Maldon in Essex, called Salt upon Salt, by the dissolving Rock Salt found in Cheshire, in Sea Water. In the Chapter of Stones, our Author observes, that the Adarce of Dr Plot is nothing but an Incrustation, occasioned upon the mixing a Chalybeat Water near its source with another from a gravelly soil, which by diluting the first, causes the precipitation. In the 2d Book our Author shews that the *Pucca Semipie*, or *Golden Moss*, of Dr Grew, so celebrated in an *Hemoptysis*, is only the Down of the Root of a sort of Fern, growing in Tartary or China; which Root he conjectures to be the *Agnus Scythicus*, of which Authors write so many Fabulous Stories. He ennumerates the many Controversies among Botanick Authors about *Wormseed*, concluding it to be the Seed of a sort of *Wormwood*. The famous *Cylonian Plant* against Deafness, of Mr Marlow, he affirms to be a sort of Mint; *Ipecacuanha* to be the Root of an *American Herb*, near a kind to the *Herba Paris*: *Anisum Judicum* to be the Seed-Vessel of a sort of *Fraxinella*. The *Star of the Earth*, (so call'd,) in a famous Receipt against the biting of Mad-Dogs, he proves to be the *Coronopus*, and not the *Sesamoides Salamanicum Magnum*, which some mistake it for. *Soia*, of which *Ketchup* is made, is the Seed of an *Indian Phaseolus*; as *Angola Seeds* are those of an *Abrus*, and *Russia Seed* of the *Gramen Mannea*. *Salep*, *Cassumunar* and *Dart-wort*, are 3 Roots; the first of a sort of *Orchis*, the second of a Species of *Galanga*, and the last of an *Indian Reed*. In the *Dendrology* our Author demonstrates *Palm-Oyl* to be made of the Fruit of an *African Palm-tree*: *Maldiva*, and *Malabar-Nuts* to be likewise the Fruits of two *Indian Palms*, as *Sagoe* is the *feces* of the Pitch of another *Palm granulated*. He observes the various sorts of *Dragons Blood* now to be found in the Shops; and gives a farther account of the Tree which yields the famous *Peruvian Bark*. He acquaints us what Trees or Shrubs they are which do produce the Simples published by the late Mr Marlow, under the feigned titles of *Virginia* and *Moluca Nuts*, *Bengala Beans* and *Bermudos Berries*, *Cassina*, and *Perygua*. The *Faba Sancti Iustij* he proves to be a sort of *Nux Vomica*. In the third and last Book, our Author gives some farther account of the Cochinole, proving it to be of animal production, and that it is not any of English Lady-cow, as some have affirm'd: The Glossopetra he believes to be the petrified Teeth of Sharks. Concerning the Serpentine stone, he takes notice of the difference in Authors about it, viz. whether it is a Natural or Artificial production, and whether it hath the Virtue to expel Poison in Venemous bites or not? He enumerates the several assertions of the Learned pro & con, quoting divers of their Experiments, and at last concludes, that both Natural and Artificial are to be met with, and that the different operations must arise from thence. Pedro del porco our Author affirms to be only an Hegagropila found in the Stomach of a Porcupine. To these he adds some Observations taken from F. Camilli his Papers, not only concerning this Stone, but likewise Bezoars. The whole Book abounds with many Curious Observations, for the farther dilucidation of the Materia Medica, which we recommend to the perusal of the Curious: London, Printed for Sam. Smith and Benj. Walford, Printers to the Royal Society, at the Prince's Arms in St Paul's Church-yard, 1706. ERRATA. N.B. In Philos. Transact. N. 305, Page 2195. Line 31. read VIII as well as IX.