fupports its extenfion, folidity, figure? &c. That heat and moifture are the fine qua non of vegetation, is abundantly manifeft; for it is univerfally certain, that neither feeds nor roots, if kept perfectly dry, will ever vegetate; and if kept wet without heat, they corrupt and rot, but never grow.

Heat and moisture, therefore, are two univerfal agents indifpenfably neceffary to the life and growth of plants; but how far either or both fupply the principles or material fubftance which caufes the accreation, and increase of bulk and fize, or by what mode of operation it derives principles from dead, inert, ftinking, corrupted, and impure fubftances, and converts them into parts of living organized bodies, which charm the fight, the fmell, and the tafte of animals, and furnish aliment for their comfortable fubfiftence, is, perhaps, beyond the utmoft ftretch of human understanding to conceive.

It is in every one's experience, that the excrements, and corrupted fubftance of animals, when properly digested, are the most powerful promoters of vegetation; and plants fo produced become the wholefome and neceffary fupport and food of man: So that what was last year a poifonous, putrid mafs, is this, by the wonderful chemistry of nature, and a rapid circulation thro' a fyftem of organized bodies, converted into a fubftance endued with life, fenfation, &c. If that should be doubted, they certainly are neceffary to the fupport of life, fenfation, &c. And perhaps it is not a jot more conceivable how a poisonous, puarid fubitance, fhould be convert

ed into wholefome nourishment for the fupport of living animal fubitance, than it is for the former to be converted into the latter; that is, a dead, inert fubftance, into a living and active

one:

By creation is commonly meant the production of fomething out of nothing; or the calling of fomething into being which had no exiftence before. But by propagation and generation, is meant the existence of fome being as derived from another. But is fuch generation any thing more than a real tranfmutation of one thing into another? Every cherry-ftone virtually contains in it more of thofe trees, and of that fruit, than ever exifted together at any one time in the world. Is it poffible to conceive, that the feminal principles of the kernel fubftantially contains fuch an infinity? What then, but extraneous matter, under a very different heterogenous form, being circulated through a fyftem of pipes of organized matter, can produce fuch an infinite number, and immenfe magnitude, of any clafs of living beings, from a principle originally too minute to be visible to the eye.

The earth may be conceived to be the matrix of vegetation; and the hufbandman certainly knows from experience, that by impregnating it with certain fubftances, by laying them upon it at proper feafons, a foil naturally fterile may be rendered fertile. So a meadow floated with water, copiously abounding with putrefcent particles, and fubftances impregnated therewith, would infallibly be benefited thereby; the modus operandi of which may literally, though in a grots II 2

a gross sense, be certainly imputed to the action of the fertilizing matter depofited by the water in the form of an unctuous fediment, in the fame manner as all lands are benefited or improved by the acceffion of manure, by whatever means it is depofited there.

I am, dear Sir, with great refpect and esteem,

Your most obliged fervant,
Jos. WIMPEY.

On the Scab in Sheep; and fome approved Remedies recommended; from the fame.

[By a Gentleman Farmer near Norwich.]

A

GENTLEMEN,

S the difeafe called the fcab

in fheep is very often fatal, and occafions great lofs to the farmer, I beg leave to trouble you with a few remarks thereon; and alfo to mention fome of the best remedies yet difcovered among our fheep breeders.

This disease is generally found moft prevalent where the lands on which fheep are kept are wetteft, or in the most rainy feasons.

In the ifle of Ely fome years fince moft of their flocks were diseased, and great numbers died. But I am of opinion, that this diforder is not always the effect either of moift air and food, or of lying on wet ground. It is doubtless often occafioned by the blood and juices of the animal being in an impure ftate; to which, however, an excess of moisture and rank food may very much contribute.

Many perfons have fuppofed the fcab to be merely a cutaneous difeafe, and of courfe applied only external remedies to the part im

mediately affected, without confidering that a purification of the blood was neceffary to a radical cure. In fuch cafes, thefe applications, adminiftered fingly, often do more harm than good, becaufe they drive in the eruption, and fix the difeafe in the internal and more noble parts of the animal.

The best way therefore to treat this diforder is, on its first appearance, to give the fheep fomething inwardly to drive out the eruption; and then external applications are made with propriety, and generally with fuccefs.

The following recipe has been tried and found effectual in numerous inftances in this county and in Suffolk, where very large flocks are kept ;

Take a gallon of foft well or pond water, and divide it into two equal parts. In one part diffolve eight ounces of old hard foap, to which, when diffolved, add two ounces of spirits of hartfhorn, and half a pound of common falt, with four ounces of roll brimstone, finely powdered and fifted. In the other part of the water put two ounces of leaf tobacco, and one ounce of hellebore root, Boil this fecond part till you have a ftrong infufion, and then strain it off.

Next take that part of the water first mentioned, and fet it over the fire; let it boil half an hour, ftirring it all the while with a wooden ladle. In the mean time heat again the fecond part, in which the tobacco and hellebore were infufed; and when hot mix the two parts gradually together over the fire, keeping the mixture ftirring all the time, which fhould

be

be about a quarter of an hour. When quite cold, put it in a stone bottle for ufe, and set it in a cool place.

Then take four quarts of new ale or beer, put into it twelve ounces of falt, two ounces of bay falt, and eight ounces of pounded nitre, together with twelve ounces of pounded roll brimftone. Set them over a gentle fire, and when the ale boils take off the fcum. When it has boiled half an hour fet it by to cool, and when cold put it in a ftone bottle for use.

When you are thus far prepared, take one quart of ale, and fet it on the fire, mix into it by degrees three ounces of fulphur; when just ready to boil, take it off the fire, and let it ftand to cool; and when only blood warm, give this quantity inwardly to three theep. Repeat the dofe three times, allowing one day's interval between each dofe. This will drive out the diforder, and then the firft mixture is to be rubbed on the diftempered parts; and two days afterwards the fecond mixture, nd fo on alternately for eight or ten days, till the cure is effected. Sometimes two rubbings will be fufficient,

The only objection to this mode of cure is, that it is compound,

five. This certainly has weight, becaufe, where a large number of fheep are affected, it could not eafily be practifed. On this account fome perfons have adopted the following method of treating the difeafe, and with fuccefs alfo :

Take half an ounce of good corrofive fublimate, and diffolve it in two quarts of rain water, to which add a common gill glass of spirits of turpentine. When the fheep is ftruck, make a circle round the maggots with fome of the water, dropping it out of a bottle. This will prevent their getting away and hiding themfelves among the wool. Then drop a little among them, and rub it about with the finger, which will prefently kill them.

But I am ftill of the opinion, that fomething given inwardly is neceffary to purify the blood; and perhaps nothing can be more efficacious than the first mixture defcribed above. I have tried both methods, and always found, that when internal as well as external applications were ufed, the cure was moft radical and lasting. I am, Gentlemen, Your faithful friend and fervant,

the high fteward of England ought, and is bound to receive their petitions and complaynts, and to keepe them until the next parliament thereafter to be holden, and to affign unto fuch complaynants, if he think fit, a day wherein they may exhibit and profecute their petitions; and in full parliament, in the prefence of the king, to re prehend or blame that officer, or thofe officers, whoever they bee, that foe have fayled in doing of juftice, and thofe thereof to call to account, unto whom in fuch cafes every one throughout the kingdome is bound to answer, the king onely except. If the chancellour of England have fayled of making original remedy and amends, and the juftices, treafurers, barons, and chamberlaines of the exchequer, fteward of the king's houfe, efcheatours, coroners, fheriffes, clearkes, bayliffes, and other officers, of what place or records foever they be, in their proceffes, judgements, executions of judgements, and juftice to be made to the favour of one, and lofs of the other party, for gifts, bribes, or other procurements, fhall fyle or give over at the leaft ways; if any jufticiar, when aş

VI. Cott. MSS. Nero D. VIII.

both

both parties pleading before them fhall ftand in judgement, fhall by fuch falfe procurements deferr judgment, contrary to juftice, and the laws and cuftomes of the land; if then the chancellour of England, or any other of the king's officers, in fuch cafe, fhall alleadge in parliament, and fay for their excufe, that in that cafe fuch hardness and doubtfullnefs of the law and right did arife when the fame was heard and proponed before them, that neither he nor the court of chancery, or any other courts wherein he is an officer, were able or knew how to attaine unto the fafe determination of the right, then fhall he declare and open the fame ambiguity and doubt in parliament; if then it be found that the law was doubtful in that cafe, the chancellour or other officers fhall be held accufed, and then shall the high steward of -England, togeather with the conftable of England, in the prefence of the king, and other of the parliament, make choice of five and twenty perfons more, more or leffe, according as the cafe fhall require, togeather with fuch other cafes in the parliament rehearsed; amongst whom fhall be earles, barons, knights of the fhire, citizens, and burgeffes, who there fhall ordaine, agree upon, and establish remedye by law in all fuch cafes, for ever after to endure. And thofe laws hall be recited, written and allowed in full parliament, and fealed with the great feal, and delivered forth to all places of law and juftice from thenceforward to be holden for laws, and in public places where it fhall be thought expedient they fhall be proclaimed and divulged, whereas all other

common laws, and chiefly ftatute lawes, throughout the whole kingdom ought to be publickly proclaymed.

"If it fo happen that there was in fuch like cafe either common law or ftatute law, foe that the king's fteward and others of the parliament may understand and perceive that fuch defaults and delays in proceffes and judg ments do happen by fuch officers, when as the deceit and malice of fuch officers hath openly and often before been apparent, then shall he be removed out of his office, and fome other officer fit fhall be put in his place. If they fhall prefume against the juftices and officers, or, by excufing themfelves, fhall fay that they have not heretofore known themfelves, and the courts whereby they are in fuch cafes to be deliberate and take advifement, then fhall they be admonished by the fteward on the behalf of the king and parliament, to ftudy and fearch better the common laws, that noe fuch ignorance nor negligence be found in them in the like cafes afterwards. If they fhall happen to offend in the like againe, they then fhall be put out of their offices, and other difcreter and more diligent perfons fhall, by the king and his council, be appointed in their