144 ^^^ ESSAY Chap- 5. 



Purpofe 5 but ihall conllder it in refped of 

 Refpirative Life, but more particularly as it 

 relates to Vegetables, the Theme I am now 

 upon. And firft, as to the Animal Life ; 

 ' ^Tis when the Air is quiet, ferene, and 

 warm, that the Body and Mmd are in their 

 greateft Eafe, Temper, and Laflitude 5 and 

 when 'tis thick, foggy, cold, or otherwife 

 un\^holfome, that the Head and the Organicai 

 Parts are difturb'd and opprefs'd, and which is 

 more fatal, creates what we commonly call 

 Colds^ and fuch a violent Agitation and Fer- 

 ment in the Blood, which very often forces 

 Nature beyond her Bounds, and terminates 

 even in Death itfeff. But let us pafs to the 

 Yegitable Tribe, r 

 The Benefit -The Reverend and Ingenious Mr. Deerham^ 

 of Ah in \i^ his Notes on his PhficO'Theolopy^ confirms 

 veietatm.^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^j Mr. R^;', that the Air is 



the principal ! Caufe of the Vegetation of 

 Plants. Borellr ( fays he , ca-^. i. p. 9. ) 

 proves it, in his excellent Book D^ Mot, 

 Avi?naI:'VoL 2. Prop. 181. And- in the 

 next Prop, he aflferteth. In plantis quoque 

 peragi aeris refpiratione?n quondam imperfeBam^ 

 a qua e arum vita pendet & conjervatar. And 

 Mr. Ray^ in the Philofopbical Tranfa3io7is^ 

 N^ 23. fays from Experience, " That Let- 

 " tuce-Seed being fown upon fome Earth in 

 *' the open Air, and fome of the fame Seed 

 *• at the fame time upon other Earth in a 

 *V GJafs'Receiver of the Pneumatick Engine, 

 Vrafterwards exhauited or clear'd of all Air, 

 J .. " (as 



