^^68 ANIMALCULA OF INFUSIONS. ti 



rarity, and on the great fimpliclty or homo- 

 geneoufnefs of the organic texture of our ani- 

 malcula, eonfidered in their primitive ftate. I 

 tranfcribe what M. de Sauffure wrote to me on 

 the fixth of this month, on a hypothecs which 

 I had favoured too much. 



' You have more regard for truth, Sir, than to 



* allow me to conceal that the indeftrudibility of 

 ^ the germs or eggs of our animalcula feems to 

 ' me to depend on the nature of the mixture or 

 ' aggregation of the parts rather than on their 



* tranfparency. Without recurring to the re- 



* mote example of crucibles, you fee japanning 

 ' fupport the heat of boiling water, and even 



* a greater degree ; not becaufe this heat is 



* not acquired, but becaufe the intimate con- 



* neftion and equal dilation of the parts pre- 



* ferve them from deftruction. May it not be 



* poflible that the animalcular germs, or eggs: 

 ' of which we treat, are provided with fome 



* varnifh which is foluble in the feminal fluid 



* only, or in a liquid fit for the developement 



* and nutrition of the included animal ? 



* In general, if the foluble and volatile parts 



* of a body, infoluble in a given fluid, are fo con- 



* nested with the fixed and refra£tory parts, and, 



* thefe, ferving as a connedion, prevent them 



* from dilTolving or diflipating ; and if the total 



* aggregate has fuch dudility, that the fire may 



* expand 



