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innumerable various substances, after every part hat 

 attracted its kindred particles, the superfluous ones 

 carried off by perspiration, chiefly by the leaves, 

 which are the emunctories, that throw* off those juices 

 which have no kindred particles in the plant. 

 Accordingly when the warm sun begins to rarefy 

 the fluids, which during the winter were condensed 

 and inactive^ the new leaves then begin to put forth, 

 from their several organizations. When winter comes 

 as no more fluids ascend in trees, so there is no per. 

 spiration. Consequently most of them needs leaves 

 no longer, which therefore fall off. Nor are they 

 succeeded by others, till the vegetable begins to re- 

 ceive fresh nourishment, and has occasion therefore 

 for excretory vessels to carry off superfluities. Just 

 so the superfluous juices in animals, are continually 

 carried off by perspiration : an obstruction of which 

 is equally pernicious to animals and vegetables. 



But is there any thing in the vegetable kingdom 

 analogous to that strange animal the polypus, which 

 multiplies by being cut in pieces ? There is. View, 

 for instance, a young willow. This is an organized 

 body, capable of growing, till it comes to its perfect 

 growth by means of the vegetative principle. The 

 polypus is an organized body, capable of being ex- 

 tended till it comes to its perfect growth, and of 

 feeding and loco motion, by its animating principle. 

 The willow as it grows, is gradually sending off new- 

 branches, which are its foetuses, proceeding from the 

 organizations lodged in every part. The polypus in 

 like manner gradually sends oft' new foetuses, from 

 organizations placed in every part of it. If the 

 willow be cut in pieces and planted, each piece will 

 be explicated into a tree, and then send forth ne\v 

 fcetuses, like its parent. And if the polypus be cut 

 in pieces, each piece will be explicated into a polypus 

 and then extrude new foetuses : so that cutting it in 

 pieces, is but anticipating the propagation of those 

 organizations in- the pieces, which would if let alone 

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