195 



reciprocal transition of animal into vegetable, arid 

 vegetable into animal. 



So true it is, that matter, as matter, has no con. 

 cern in the qualities of bodies. All depend on the 

 arrangement of the particles, whereof each particle 

 consists. Hence water, though tasteless, feeds aro- 

 matic mint, and the same earth gives nourishment t$ 

 bread and poison. 



As to this arrangement, the first view of a vege- 

 table gives us an idea, of infinitely numerous and va- 

 rious parts : and so complex, that many have been 

 discouraged from prosecuting the research. But upon, 

 examination, the parts which appear so numerous, are 

 reduced to a very small account. For a careful ma- 

 ceration in soft water will shew, that the parts really 

 distinct are only seven. These are, 1. Aw outer 

 bark ; 2. An inner rind ; 3. A blea ; 4. A fleshy 

 substance; 5. A pith. There is between the flesh 

 and the blea, 6. A vascular series, and 7. Cones of 

 vessels take their course within the flesh. 



Whatever part of the plant we examine, we find 

 these, be it a fibre, the root, or the stem. We never 

 find more ; and tracing these we see the other parts 

 of the plants are only the productions of them. Thus 

 the root, its descending fibre, and the ascending stalk 5 

 Ave find are one, not three substances. T4ie same 

 seven parts are continued from one to the other, 

 and what are supposed at its summit to be many 

 new and strange parts, are .found to be no more 

 than the terminations of these seven. The external 

 parts are also seven. 1. The cup; 2. The outer pe- 

 tals ; 3. The inner petals ; 4. The nectaria either 

 distinct, or connected in one ring ; 5. The filaments ; 

 6. The receptacle of seeds, and 7. The seed vessel 

 or seeds. And these are only the terminations of the 

 seven constituent substances of the plant. The outer 

 bark terminates in the cup, the inner rind in the 

 outward petals ; the blea forms the inner petals, the 

 vascular series ends in the nectaria, and the flesh 

 iu the filumentSp the coues form the receptacle, tht 

 X 2 



