X

PREFACE*

of great service to me, have never reached ifte.However, in the Supplement which I propose to pub-lish, I shall endeavour to avail myself extensively ofthese various helps.

For some of the imperfections of this work, I may, per-haps, claim the indulgence of the public, on a ground,which, to me at least, is interesting. A very infirmstate of health, which would, perhaps, rob any one(however ardent in the pursuit of science,) of a por-tion of his zeal; and would, necessarily, abridge thehours of his intellectual labours, has long been, andcontinues to be, my companion. With respect to thisvery work, I may complain, almost without a meta-phor, in the words of Linnaeus (there is even no ne-cessity to change the name of the disease) : “At dira“ arthritis, vix iacepto opere, ita una cum corporis“ viribus mentem et animum fregit, ut in ipsa herba" fere suffocatum fuisset

* Philosophia Botanica, &c. Prafatio—Vienn®, 1783.