8o8 THE PHILOSOPHY 



CHAPTER VIII. 



Of the Growth, and Food, of Animals, 



IT is a law of Nature, that all organized bodies, whether animal 

 or vegetable, require food, in order to expand and ftrengthen 

 their parts when young, and to preferve health and vigour after they 

 have arrived at maturity. The food of animals is digefted in the 

 ftomach and inteftines : By this procefs it is converted into chyle, 

 and abforbed by the ladeal vefTels, in the manner defcribed in 

 Chap. II. pag. 48. But how this chyle, or nutritious matter, after 

 mingling with the general mafs of blood, contributes to the growth, 

 and repairs the wafte of animal bodies, is a myftery which probably 

 never will be unfolded by human fagacity. It has, however, like 

 many other fecrets of Nature, given rife to feveral ingenious theories 

 and conjedures, fome of which fliall be {lightly mentioned. 



Buffon confiders the bodies of animals and vegetables as what he 

 calls internal moulds. He fays, that the matter of nutrition is not 

 .applied by juxta-pofition, but that it penetrates the whole mafs; 

 that each part receives and applies thofe particles only which are 

 peculiar and neccITary to its own nature ; and that, by this means, 

 the whole parts of the body are gradually and proportionally aug- 

 mented. This nutritive matter, he remarks, is organic,, and fimilar 



to 



