T. ANIMALCULA OF INFUSIONS. 2*07 



Ills labours. M. David of the Royal Academy 

 of Sciences of Rouen, an excellent anatomift, and' 

 well known to the public by his various works, 

 has juft publiflied a treatife on the increment of 

 the foetus, where he inclines to adopt my prin^ 

 ciples, and eftabliih them by new fafts. On that 

 fubjeft, he has communicated information which 

 gives me fo much the greater pleafure, as it fup- 

 ports the opinion of M. Heriflant, and as I had not 

 indulged fuch hopes of approaching fo near the 

 great work of Nature. But this treatife I have- 

 not yet procured* 



Increment fuppofes nutrition, and this the in- 

 corporation of numerous heterogeneous fub fin- 

 ces, terrene, oleaginous, faline, and others. Ali 

 thefe are affimllated to the organic texture by its- 

 own interpofition. It is the chief inftrument of 

 affimilation, confequently of the almoft infinite 

 partial fecretions which are operated in all the 

 organic points of this texture, and on which in^ 

 crement and folidity finally depend. At firfl the 

 . blood of a chicken is colourlefs ; it next becomes 

 white, then yellow, and laftly red. It colours 

 an4- thickens only by the introduftion of terrene 

 aliments ; therefore it fhould lofe the primitive 

 tranfparency in proportion as the animal grows. 

 The gradual incorporation of foreign particles 

 iliould obilrud the pores more, and fliut the a- 

 ■vemies to lights 



What 



