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Of Vegetation. 338 



nervous, the cartilaginous and vafcular fibres 

 of the animal body ncccflarily extend and 

 expand, from the duftile nutriment which 

 nature furnimes every part withal 5 in which 

 rcpc&s animal bodies do as truly vegetate as 

 do the growing vegetables. Whence it muft 

 needs be of the greateft confequence, that 

 the growing animal be fupplied with pro- 

 per nourimment for that purpofe, in order 

 to form a ftrong athlctick conftitution : 

 For when growing nature is deprived of 

 proper materials for this purpofe, then is me 

 under aneceffity of drawing out very {lender 

 threads of life, as is too often the cafe o£ 

 young growing pcrfons, who by indulging in, 

 fpirituous liquors, or other excefles, do there- 

 by greatly deprave the nutritive dudile 

 matter, whence all the diftending fibres of 

 the body arc fupplied. 



Since we are by thefe Experiments allured 

 that the longitudinal fibres, and fap vefiels 

 of wood in its firft year's growth, do thus 

 diftend in length by the extenfion of every 

 part.} and fincc nature in fiinilar productions 

 makes ufc of the fame or nearly the fame 

 methods: Thefe confederations make it not 

 unrcafonable to think, that the fecond and 



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