252 REFLECTIONS ON 



lowed, that they are very imperfed, and ought 

 to be regarded only as the rudiments of animals, 

 or rather as bodies compofed of particles eflen- 

 tial to the exiftence of animals. As Nature's 

 productions are uniform, and advance by imper- 

 ceptible degrees, there is no improbability in 

 fuppofmgthe exiftence of organized bodies which 

 properly belong not either to the animal or ve- 

 getable kingdoms. 



However this matter may ftand, it is fully a- 

 fcertained, that all animal and vegetable fub- 

 ftances contain an infinite number of living or- 

 ganic particles. Thefe particles fuccefTively af- 

 fume different forms, and different degrees of 

 adivity, according to different circumftances. 

 They are more abundant in the feminal fluids of 

 both fexes, and in the feeds of plants, than in a- 

 ny other part of the animal or vegetable. There 

 exifts, therefore, in vegetables and animals, a li- 

 ving fubftance which is common to them both; 

 and this fubftance is the matter neceffary to their 

 nutrition. The animal is nourifhed by vegeta- 

 ble or animal fubftances ; and the vegetable is 

 nourifhcd by the fame fubftances in a decompo- 

 fed ftate. This common nutritive fubftance is 

 always alive and ad:ive. It produces an animal 

 or vegetable, vv'-henever it finds an internal 

 mould or matrix accommodated to the one or 

 the other, as has already been explained. But, 

 when this adlive fubftance is colle<fted too abun- 

 dantly in a place where it has an opportunity of 



uniting, 



