Essays and observations on natural history, anatomy, physiology, psychology, and geology / by John Hunter, being his posthumous papers on those subjects, arranged and revised, with notes ; to which are added the introductory lectures on the Hunterian collection of fossil remains delivered in the theatre of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, March 8th, 10th and 12th, 1855 / by Richard Owen.
- John Hunter
- Date:
- 1861
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Essays and observations on natural history, anatomy, physiology, psychology, and geology / by John Hunter, being his posthumous papers on those subjects, arranged and revised, with notes ; to which are added the introductory lectures on the Hunterian collection of fossil remains delivered in the theatre of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, March 8th, 10th and 12th, 1855 / by Richard Owen. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![have their parts respecting external influence renewed every year, such as the parts of generation; therefore they may be said to be always young, because these new-formed parts are young, and it is those young parts that perform the natural actions of the plant. The Hazel-tree sends out its male parts in August and September on the same summer shoot, by the side of a bud. Is the male tree strongest; e. g. in a Palm ? To produce seed is the ultimate power in vegetation. In vegetables there a*re several stages of perfection. The first is the flower, at which stage the vegetable may proceed no further; the second is the fruit, which may be produced, but not with perfect seed; and the third is where the whole is perfected. When a seed is put into the ground the root commonly grows downward from that seed, although the point from which the root grows is placed upward. Vice versa with regard to the stem. The first growth in a seed is the root, and then the stem. Cut off the root, a new root sprouts oirt; but the growth of the stem is stationary till the new root is fit to carry nourishment to the plant. Monsters in Vegetables.—In vegetables we have monsters; that is, a deviation from the common principles in some of the productions, either in form, flower, seed, or colour; and this it is which has produced the varieties in species. It arises more from cultivation than any other influence; and the cause of varieties, viz. cultivation, becomes also the cause of their being preserved and propagated. Their propagation is, in many, perfectly artificial, viz. by budding or engrafting; but, when left to the natural mode of continuance, they either go back to the original again; or, at least, it is not certain what will be the produce; a new monster may arise. All our finer fruits are instances of this kind. In some vegetables, when a monster arises, it never dwindles gradually back into the original stock; but keeps the same, excepting another monster arises, which may be that of the original stock from whence it came, or any other. Beans, Peas, &c. are changing every day. Vegetables are much more in 'our power to manage than animals. Thus a plant can be made a dwarf, it can be made to shoot strong, it can be made to vary, it can be made to bear. [Loose Notes..] Qu. Has any one of the juices of a vegetable the power of converting either animal, vegetable, or even earth, to living vegetable matter, similar to that [power in the gastric juice] of an animal ? Mem. To cut off the flowers of the Leek, to see if it will shoot out more young Leeks than common on that account.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21182656_0394.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
