ANIMALCULA OF INFUSIONS. 



257 



intricacy, or of great fimplicity, from Nature. 

 The parts will be difperfed through the body, and 

 the animal will confift of fuch only. It may be 

 all brain, or all flomach,, if in this cafe we can 

 fpeak of either. I would rather allude to nothing- 

 but my organic points, Palingenejie, part i o, />. 

 363, 364 ; and it may be much better to be filent 

 altogether concerning fuch myfterious propaga- 

 tion. 



XIV. It is certainly mofl proper for you, my 

 dear philofopher, to examine Mr Needham's Vi- 

 tality, This idea is not one that I would banifli 

 to the region of chimeras : it has a philofophic 

 appearance which merits our attention, and be- 

 longs to that beautiful gradation of natural be- 

 ings which I have attempted to glofs over. In 

 part 15 of La Palingenefie, you have the Ejfai 

 d* Application that I have endeavoured to make 

 of irritability to the polypus, and other animals 

 of the neighbouring clafTes. I had not then per- 

 ufed our Epigenefift's refledions on vitality. 

 Perhaps my own thoughts on irritability, whicli 

 is the foundation of vitality itfelf, will not be ufe- 

 iefs to you in your intended examination of our 

 friend's opinion ; and I fhall view the refults, to 

 which this examination leads you, with pleafure. 

 No new refledions on the fubjeft are offered to 

 you. In the part cited of my laif work, is faid 

 what feemed the mofl reafonable or philofophic. 

 Vol. L R y 



