REFLECTIONS ON, &c. 213 



ced filaments, which grew longer, feemed to ve- 

 getate, and then fwelled, and poured out torrents 

 of moving globules. But it is needlefs to give 

 a detail of my experiments on the infafions of 

 plants, efpecially fince Mr Needham has publiih- 

 cd his excellent and numerous obfervations on 

 this fubjedt. To this able naturalift I have read 

 over the preceding treatife ; I have often rea- 

 foned with him on the refemblance between the 

 moving bodies in infulions of the feeds of vege- 

 tables, and thofe in the feminal fluids of male 

 and female animals. He thought my views well 

 founded, and of fufficient importance to merit a 

 farther difcufhon. He, therefore, began to 

 make experiments on the different parts of vege- 

 tables ; and 1 acknowledge, that he has brought 

 the ideas I communicated to greater perfedion 

 than I could have done. Of this 1 could give 

 many examples : But I fhall confine myfelf to 

 one, becaufe I formerly pointed out the fad: in 

 queftion, which he defcribes in the following 

 manner. 



To afcertain whether the moving bodies which 

 appear in infulions of flelli were real animals, 

 or only, as 1 had imagined, organic moving par- 

 ticles, Mr Needham thought that an examination 

 of the jelly of roaftcd meat would determine the 

 queftion ; becaufe, if they v.cre animals, the fire 

 would deftroy them, and, if not, they would 

 ftill be perceptible, in the fame manner as w'hcn 

 the flefli was raw. Having, for this purpofe, ta- 



O 3 ken 



