t hat doctrine in a remarkable man ner. These were occafioned by a letter from Mr Mylins, of Berlin, informing Mr Watson, that a tree of the Palma major foliis flabelli-formibus, which, although it had borne fruit for thirty years past, had never brought any to perfection, till the flowers of a male tree brought from Leipfick, twenty German miles diftant, had been suspended over its branches. After this, the tree yield. ed the first year above an hundred, and thesecond, on repeating the experiment, above two thousand ripe fruit, from which some young trees were raised. In the fame vol. page 196, are fome remarks on a case of two women in Brabant, who had been nearly poisoned by eating the leaves of what had been called White Henbane; but Mr Watfon proved that it must have been the Hyofciamus Niger, since the white does not grow fpontaneoufly in that country. In 1751 Mr Watson paid the same tribute to the memory of Dr Henry Compton, bishop of London, the friend and patron of Mr Ray, as he had done to that of the Tradefcants, and gave a lift of thirty-three exotic trees, which were then remaining in the garden at Fulham. This catalogue proves, in a striking manner, the facility with which trees of very different latitudes may become naturalized in England. In the fame volume, page 301, are fome observations on the true cinnamon, occafioned by a large specimen of the tree, equal in fize to a walking cane, fent over by Mr Robins to Dr Letherland, and which was exhibited before the Royal Society. In the year 1752 Mr Watson laid before the Society two rare English plants, the Lathraa Squamaria, and the Dentaria Bulbifera; the latter unnoticed by Mr Ray or Dillenius. Both these were found near Hatfield by Mr Blackstone. He also describes, in this volume, the Conferva Ægagropila of Linnæus, then newly found in England, and fent to him from Yorkshire. Mr Watfon, according to every appearance, was the first who communicated to the English reader, an account of a revolution which was about to take place among the learned in botany and zoology, respecting the removal of a large body of marine productions, which had heretofore been ranked among vegetables, but which were now proved to be of animal origin, and stand under the name of zoophytes in the present system of nature. It may be easily seen, that this respects the corals, corallines, efcharæ, madrepores, sponges, &c. and although even Gefner, Imperatus, and Rumphius, had some obfcure ideas relating to the dubious structure of this class, yet the full discovery that these substances were the fabrications of Polypes, was owing to M. Peysonnel, physician at Guadaloupe. This gentleman had imbibed this opinion first in 1723, at Marseilles, and confirmed it in 1725, on the coast of Barbary. While in Guadaloupe, he wrote a treatife of 400 pages in quarto, in proof of this fubject, which he tranfmitted in manufcript to the Royal Society. This treatise, in which the author feemed to have put the matter out of doubt, as to the animal origin of these bodies, was tranflated, analized, and abridged in 1752, by Mr Watson, and published in the Philof. Transactions, vol. XLVII. p. 445-469, at a time when the learned were wavering in their opinion on this matter. Mr Trembley's investigation respecting the fresh water polypes, had paved the way for the reception of those truths, and Mr Watson himself, in company with Mr Trembley had an opportunity on the coast of Suffex, in one of the annual excursions which he feldom failed to make in the fummer feafon, of verifying Mr Peysonnel'ssystem, on viewing the polypes of the corallines. Soon after this period Mr Ellis took up the subject, and profecuted it with a success which is now well known. In vol. XLVIII. pag. 141-152, we find an account of the second volume of Gmelin' Flora Siberica, exhibiting some extracts relating to the cure of the venereal disease in Siberia, by the decoctions of a circium and an iris, and on the distillation of a spiri-, tuous liquor from the sphondylium, or cow parsnip. At page 615, are some observations, additional to those of Mr Martyn, on the sex of the holly tree, which juftified the removal of it to another class of the Linnæan fyf tem. At page 811 remarks on the true species of the Styptic Agaric, which had just then excited the attention of the furgeons both in France and England, and which, in a short paper, afterwards printed in vol. XLIX. page 28. Mr Watson determined to be the Agaricus pedis equini facie of 'Tournefort, or the Boletus Igniarius of Linnæus. These obfervations were in troductory to Mr Gooch's experiments on the styptic power of this substance. a In the same volume, page 360, were published some observations, tending to determine what was the Byffus of the ancients, occafioned by substance fent over by Professor Bose, which was proved by Mr Watfon to be nothing but the common Byffus Velutina, in a bleached state; whereas the Byffus of the ancients was thought by Mr Watson to be, moft probably, a cotton, which is confirmed in a very elaborate and critical differtation, written by Dr Reinhold Forster, and published in 1776. In 1754, Mr Watson wrote an account of the first edition of the Species Plantarum of Linnæus, which was published in the Gentleman's Magazine for that year. It is not on ly highly worthy of being read, for the curious matter it contains, but also on account of its having produced from that celebrated profeffor a handsome letter, written in Latin, in which he takes occafion to acknowledge the candor of the author, in high terms, and vindicates himself for having, in his work above-mentioned, given to the Meadea, a plant so called by Catesby, in honour of Dr Mead, a different name. Linnæus' letter was printed the succeeding year in the same publication. Mr Watson had been taught to know plants by the system and nomenclature of Ray, when trivial names were unknown; and he was so singularly happy in a tenacious memory, as to be able to repeat, with great readiness, the long names and synonymes in use from the times of Bauhin, Gerard, and Parkinson; a task, from which he was relieved by the introduction of the Linnæan epithets. He lived to fee the system of his much honoured countryman give way to that of the Swede, which began to take place in England about this period, and with which also he made himself acquainted. His knowledge of plants, and the hiftory of them in the various authors, was so eminently extenfive, that his opinion was frequently appealed to as decisive on the subject; and some of his intimate friends say, that he was usually called 'The living Lexicon of Botany." These talents, it may be easily imagined, rendered him a welcome vifitor to Sir Hans Sloane, who had retired to Chelsea in 1740. Mr Watson, indeed, enjoyed no small share of the favour and esteem of that veteran in science, and was honoured so far, as to be nominated among the trustees of the British Museum by Sir Hans himself, who died January 12. 1753. N. S. After its establishment in Montague - House, Mr Watson was very affiduous, not only in the internal arrangement of the subjects, but alfo alfo in getting the garden furnished this wonderful agent in nature, an atwith plants, infomuch that, in the first tention to which had been some time year of its establishment, in 1756, it before excited among the philosophers contained no fewer than fix hundred of Europe, and particularly in Engfpecies, all in a flourishing state. land, by Mr Stephen Grey, Mr Wheeler, Dr Desaguliers, and others. About the year 1744, Mr Watfon took it up, and made several important difcoveries in it. At this time it was no small advancement in the progress of electricity to be able to fire spirit of wine. He was the first in England who effected this, and he performed it both by the direct and In 1759, Mr Miller paid Mr Watfon the tribute of calling a new gemus in the Triandrous class of plants by his name, two species of which he has figured in the cuts adapted to the Gardener's Dictionary, tab. 276, et. tab. 297, fig. second. It proved that Dr Trew had given the name of Meriania to the plant figured in tab. 276, and Linnæus found himself o- the repulfive power of electricity. He bliged, by the rules of his system, to afterwards fired inflammable air, gunreduce these two species to his genus powder, and inflammable oils by the Antholyza, already established in the same means. Mr Watfon tried feveSpecies Plantarum, thus finking the ral other experiments, which helped generic term of Watsonia, and retain- to enlarge the power of the electriciing Trew's, as a trivial name to the an; but the most important of his plant of tab. 276. It is to be regret- discoveries was, proving that the elected, that, in justice to Mr Watson, tric power was not created by the who had deferved so eminently well globe, or tube, but only collected by of the science, he did not at least call them. Dr Fraklin and Mr Wilfon the leffer species, tab. 297, fig. 2, of made a like discovery, about the fame Miller, Antholyza Watfonia, instead of time. It is easy to fee the extreme A. Merianella. We find also two curious zoological articles laid before the Royal Society by Mr Watfon; one on the infect called the vegetable fly, which had imposed on the credulity of many, under the idea of its being an infect Aying about with a vegetable growing on its back; but it was nothing more than a fungus of the Clavaria kind, growing from the dead nymph of a Cicada; the other, a defcription, accompanied by an engraving of the American Armadillo, Dafypus Novemcinctus of Linnæus. Having given ample specimens of Mr Watfon's genius and taste as a naturalift, we must now consider his talents in fome other branches of knowledge. Among these, nothing, perhaps, contributed so much to extend his fame, and enlarge his connections with men of science, as his discoveries in Electricity. He became early enamoured with the phenomena of utility of this discovery in conducting all future experiments. It foon led to what he called the circulation of the electric matter. Besides these valuable discoveries, the hiftorian of electricity informs us, that Mr Watson first observed the different colour of the spark drawn from different bodies: that electricity fuffered no refraction in paffing through glass; that the power of electricity was not affected by the presence or absence of fire, since the sparks were equally strong from a freezing mixture as from red hot iron; that flame and smoke were conductors of electricity; and that the stroke was as the points of contact of the non-electrics on the outside of the glafs. This discovery led to the coating of phials, to increase the power of accumulation, and qualified him eminently to be the principal actor in those famous experiments which were made on the Thames, and at Shooter's Hill, in the year years 1747 and 1748; in one of which the electrical circuit extended four miles, in order to prove the velocity of electricity, the result of which convinced the attendants that it was instantaneous. Thefe, and other experiments, were made in so great a style, and with fuch success, as to draw the approbation and applause of almost all fucceeding philosophers in that branch. Among others, the celebrated Volta has given him testimony of the excellence and greatness of his experiments, in a paper published within these few years. In that paper, he thews how simple electrical conductors might be so constructed, as not only to give shocks like the Leyden phial, but even such as are sufficiently powerful to kill large animals, and to equal the effects of lightning. He, however, expresses his despair of ever feeing such put into execution; but adds, • A Watson, perhaps, might be tempt*ed to make the experiment; he, • who, for another purpose, (which was, that he might shew the extreme velocity with which the elec'trical power communicated itself * from one extremity of a conductor to the other, however great might 'be its length,) extended insulared ' iron wires to more than two miles in length, and to whom, on account ' of these very experiments, Muf* chenbroek took occasion to address * himself as follows: Magnificentifi* mis, &c:' 4 It ought to be remembered, that Mr Watfon conducted his experiments with so much sagacity and address, relating to the impracticability of tranfmitting odors and the power of purgatives through glass, together with what was called the glory round the head on the beatification, boasted to have been done by some philosophers on the Continent, that he procured at length an acknowledgment from Mr Bose, of what he called, an embel 'lishment,' in conducting the experiments, a procedure totally incompatible with the true spirit of a philofopher. Mr Watson's first papers on the subject of electricity, entitled, 'Experiments and Obfervations tending to illustrate the Nature and Properties of Electricity,' were printed in the XLIII. vol. of the Philosophical Transactions, and were afterwards separately published in octavo, and reached to a third or fourth edition. They were of so interesting a nature, that they gave him the lead, as it were, in this branch of science; and were not only the means of raising him to a high degree of eftimation at home, but of extending his fame throughout all Europe. His house became the resort of the most ingenious and illuf tricus experimental philosophers that England could boast of. Several of the nobility attended on these occafions, and his present Majesty George III. when Prince of Wales, honoured him with his presence. In short, there needs no greater confirmation of his merit as an electrician, than the public testimony conferred upon him by the Royal Society, which in 1745 honoured him with Sir Godfrey Copley's medal, for his discoveries in electricity. After this mark of distinction, Mr Watson continued to profecute electrical studies and experiments, and to write on the subject for many years. Between the year 1745, the date of his first paper, and the year 17642 that of the last, we find no less than. twenty papers writren by him, and printed in the Philofophical Tranfactions, relating to electricity. The fubject of the last was the apparatus for preserving buildings from the effects of lightning. He was afterwards one of the committee appointed by the society in 1772 to examine into the state of the powder magazines, at Purfleet; and, with the Honourable Hon. Mr Canvendish, Dr Franklin, and Mr Robertson, fixed on pointed conductors, as preferable to blunt ones; and, again, of the committee, in 1778, after the experiments of Mr Wilson, in the Pantheon. As Mr Watson had constantly lived in London, he had been a curious observer of the wonderful increase and improvement of that vast city. He was acquainted, in no ordinary degree, with its history, and its police in general, and had particularly attended to those circumstances that were more immediately the objects of the philosopher and the physician. This knowledge enabled him frequently to suggest useful hints, one of which highly deferves to be mentioned. In the hard winter of 1756, he laid before the public fome obfervations on preventing the freezing of water in the leaden pipes of the city of London, occafioned by the injudicious and ineffectual method practifed frequently of strewing dung in the streets, over the pipes. These were printed in the Gentleman's Magazine for January 1757, page 6, and pointed out a successful method of effecting the purpose, which had been employed by Mr Watson himself, in the fevere winter of 1739-40. He had besides, fo early as the year 1742, made some observations on Mr Sutton's ventilators, which were printed in the XLII. vol. of the Philosphical Transactions, recommending some improvements in that useful inven tion. In 1753, he laid before the Royal Society, Mr Appleby's process for rendering sea water fresh, which was printed in vol. XLVIII. page 69. In 1768, an account of Mr Charles Miller's experiments in the fowing of wheat, and dividing the root, by which means were produced in one year, from one grain 21,109 ears; yielding three pecks and three quarters of clean corn. It is to be feared that this method cannot be rendered practicable on a large and agricultu ral plan. In vol. LIX. some account of the oil extracted from the ground peafe Arachis Hypogea, an oil so mild and well tasted, as to bid fair to supersede that of olives, or even that of almonds, in the places of its growth. The plant is cultivated in North Carolina, and may be advantageously raised in the fugar islands. All who were acquainted with the extent of Mr Watson's knowledge in the practice of phyfic, in natural hiftory, and experimental philofophy, were not surprised to fee him rife to the higher line of his profession. This event took place in 1757, previous to which he had been chofen a member of the Royal Academy of Madrid; and he was created Doctor of Phyfic by the University of Halle, under a diploma bearing date September the 6th. The fame honour was conferred upon him by that of Wirtemberg about the fame time. Soon after he was disfranchised from the company of apothecaries, and became a licen ate of the college of physicians in 1759. This alteration in his circumftances and profpects, hazardous as it might be confidered by some, occafioned no diminution in his emoluments, but far the contrary. He had before this time removed from Alderfgate-street, to Lincoln's-Inn-Fields, where he lived the remainder of his days, and now found himself at greater liberty to pursue his studies, and carry on at more leifure the extensive correfpondence in which he was engaged both at home and abroad. He kept up a correfpondence with Dr Huxham for many years; abroad we find among his correfpondents, the names of Peyfonnel, Clairaut, Bofe, the Abhe Nollet, and Allamand; and feveral additional names may be feen by the letters communicated by him to the Royal Society. In October, 1762, Dr Watson was chofen |