198 ANIMALCULA OF INFUSIONS. I» 



II. It was already important to fee thoufands 

 of animalcuia in every kind of infufion boiled two 

 hours ; but fubftances were expofed to a trial ftill 

 more fevere, by roafdng them in metallic cups, 

 and then forming powders of which you compo- 

 fed infufions with boiled water. All fwarmed 

 with animalcuia of every fize and defcription. Af- 

 ter this, how can we reiufe our alTent to the ge- 

 neral conclufions which you deduce from fuch 

 decifive experiments ? How can we refufe to 

 agree, that the •vegetative or produdive power of 

 our friend the Epigenefifl is a perfed chimera ? He 

 objefts that too great heat in your firft experi- 

 ments might have deftroyed the productive power 

 of the matter infufed ; yet, when expofed to much 

 greater heat, it was ftill inhabited by numerous 

 animated beings (i). If the obftinacy of our 

 friend is not invincible, he will yield to fuch evi- 

 dence. 



III. It feems rigoroully demonflrated by your 

 experiments, that animalcuia appear in fubiiances 

 included in veifels hermetically fealed, and expo- 

 fed ten minutes to the influence of boiling water 

 before inclufion. But' the reafon why as many 

 animalcuia are not exhibited in clofe as in open 

 veifels, we may infer to be, becaufe the excefs in 

 the latter arifes from the Leds of animalcuia and 



ani- 



( 1 ) It is already feen how much heat was increafe^o 



