4S0 APPENDIX. 



gravelly kind. At the depth of eleven feet, they dug up a frog in (Ula 

 ■well. Upon examination, I found it was of the fame kind, form, fize and* 

 appearance, as the frogs in the other well ; and had the fame phenomena 

 of health, vigor and aftivity. To afcercain the internal ftate and contents 

 of this frog, we opened it. On dideftion, it was found to contain aimall 

 quantity c;t blood. 7"he heart, lungs and other entrails, were in a natural 

 and perteft ilate. The inteilines contained a white mucus, of a middling 

 confiitence. The interiaal parts neither appeared to be loaded with fat, or 

 emaciated by leannefs ; but to be in a ftate that denoted regular but mode- 

 fate nourifhment. .And nothing like putridity, deficiency, or decay, ap- 

 peared in any part of the animal. Uncomfortable weather coming on, the 

 workmen did not fink this well to any greater depth. 



It is fcarcely to be expcfted that more compleat evidence ever fhould 

 be found attending any inllances of this nature; And whether we can ac- 

 count for them, or not, their reality cannot, I think, be called in quedion. 



In what manner fhali we go about to explain the phiiofophy of thefe 

 frogs ; or to account for their formation, fituation, and life ? 



Could thefe animals have been produced in (uch a fiiuaiion by the earth i* 

 The Ao&r'mt oi equivocal gene) ation does not feem to have anything in theory, 

 obfervaiioo or experiment to luppori it. No one thing in nature appears 

 to be the rcfult of chance, cr accident. Every plant, every tree, and every 

 body in the whole fyftem ol nature, is evidently the refuit of defign, con- 

 trivance, and adjuff ment ; and appears to be preferved and regulated by 

 ilated and permanent laws. The objeft or the body is not to be named, 

 in the heavens, or in the earth, which appears to be pioduced, to be go» 

 verned,orto be moved by chance or accident ; (hat is by no caufe, or law' 

 at all. Leaf! of -^11 is this to be expefted in animals, every one of v;hich 

 has an appropriate form, conllitution, inclinations, and manner »f life, mo- 

 tion, and propagation, That men fhould be produced b\ corruption, or 

 that the rocks and woods (hould engender flags and tygers, would be an 

 affertion too improbable and ludicrous for folly to make, or for ii fidelity 

 to believe. It has been contended that infeffs are bred by corruption and 

 putrefaftion. Malpigi, Swammerdam, Redi and others have confuted' 

 this dofliine ; and Ihown that it does not agree with obiervation. The 

 refuit of their inquiries and obfcrvations is, that moft of the infc£l.s are 

 derived (!;«• ocw, and that they depofit their eggs wherever they can find a 

 iit place for incubation; in water, flifh, fmUs and vegetables, in en about 

 the bodies of animals, in the feathers of bird.^, hair of beafts, leaks of fifhes, 

 and in every accefTiblc part of nature. Nor will expciimcni help the doc- 

 trine of equivocal generation in any degree. From the corru;;tion of a 

 body arileih not affivity and iift^, but a difTolution of its parts. You' 

 cannot reduce a piece of flclh to puirefaflion, and nut of that putrid mafs 

 make an animal body, which fliall have a head, a heart, entrails, veins, 

 and blood vefuls ; all of which are necelTary to confliiuie a living creaiuie. 

 Nor can you take a piece cf rotten cheele. or meat and make out of it a 

 handful of mites or worms, any more than you can form it into lions or 

 ■whales, h dodlrine then which has nothing jn theory, obfervation or ex- 

 periment, to fupport it, cannot be advanced with any apptarancc of proba- 

 bility to account for the formation of thefe frogs. 



Could they have been pieicived or txifled in the earth for a Icng num- 

 ber of years ? This lecms to have been the cafe, and docs not appear to be 

 contraiy to the laws and phenomena of nature. Every animal that ■v^e arp 

 acquainted with, has apparently two modes ol exiliing fiecping and waking. 

 "When awake, all the (prings of nature icetn to be aftive and in motion ; 

 yhen afleep, the organs ofths body Icera lobe fufpcoded as to theiir 



