I N G E N E R A L. 37 



The great facility and adivity of Nature in -, 

 the produdtion of organized bodies, the exigence 

 of Infinite numbers of organic particles which 

 conftitute life, have been already lliovvn. We 

 now proceed to inquire into the principal caufes 

 of death and deftru6l:ion. In general, beings 

 which have a power of converting matter into 

 their own lubftances, or of affimilating the parts 

 of other beings, are the greateft deflroyers. Fire, 

 for example, which converts almoft every fpe- 

 cies of matter into its own fubftance, is the great- 

 eft fource of deftrudion that we are acquainted 

 with. Animals feem to partake of the nature 

 of flame ; their internal heat is a jpecies of fire 

 approaching to flame. Accordingly, animals are 

 the greateft: deftroyers ; and they aftlmilate and 

 convert into their own fubftance all bodies which 

 can ferve them for nourifliment. But, though 

 thefe two caufes of deftruclion be confider- 

 ablc, and their effcds tend perpetually to the 

 deftrudion of organ. zed bodies, the caufe of re- 

 produdion is infiniteiy more adlive and power- 

 ful. It even Teems to derive, from deilrudion 

 itfelf, frefti powers of multiplying ; for afn- 

 milati(m, which is one caufe of death. Is, at 

 the fame time, a necefl!ary mean of producing 

 life. 



The dcftrudion of organized bodies, as has 

 been remarked, is only a feparatlon of the orga- 

 nic particles of wdiich they are compofed. Thefe 

 particles continue feparate till they be again u- 



C ,3 nitcd 



