40 ANIMALCULA OF INFUSIONS. 



t 



plants and animals do not fuftain heat fo well as 

 feeds and eggs ; and it would feem, becaufe they 

 receive the immediate impreffions, v/hich is not 

 fo when included in. the feed or egg. But was 

 the difference only a few degrees, which the ani- 

 mal could fuftain in the eg^ and out of it, and 

 the fame will apply to plants, this reafon might 

 b'e good^ however, when that diiference reaches 

 22°, nay 31° and more, who does not perceive 

 the infufficiency of it ? Befides, we fhould necelfa;- 

 rily have to admit, that the integuments of egga, 

 which in many infects are but as points in mat- 

 ter, would be able to protect them againft 22 or 

 31 additional degrees of heat, which is very im- 

 probable, when we confider its extreme facility 

 and activity in penetrating fubflances fo per^ 

 vious. Neither do I think the minutenefs of 

 the germ in the e^g a fatisfaftory reafon why it 

 ihould be lefs fenfible of the impreffions of heat ; 

 for, however fmall it may be,. the particles of heat 

 a-re incomparably fmalier, and they will there- 

 fore inveil and penetrate it on all fides, the fam.s 

 as they invefl and penetrate it when developed. 

 A complete refutation of this imaginary reafoning 

 is in the ninth chaper of my Diflertation. 



Before we are able to conceive why an anim.al 



in the egg is not fo eafily deftroyed by heat as 



after it is produced, we mufl take an accurate 



view of what conilitutes life in both thefe fitua- 



. . . tiona. 



