Of Vegetation. 338 



nervous, the cartilaginous and Vafcular fibres 

 of the animal body neceffarily extend and 

 expand, from the ductile nutriment which 

 nature furnifhes every part withal 5 in which 

 repe&s animal bodies do as truly vegetate as 

 do the growing vegetables. Whence it mud 

 needs be of the greateft confequenee, that 

 ihe growing animal be fupplied with pro* 

 per nourishment for that purpofe, in order 

 to form a firong athlctick confutation : 

 For when growing nature is deprived of 

 proper materials for this purpofe, then is (he 

 under anecefiity of drawing out very {lender 

 threads of life, as is too often the cafe of 

 young growing perfons, who by indulging in 

 fpirituous liquors, or other exceffes, do there- 

 by greatly deprave the nutritive du&ile 

 matter, whence all the diftending fibres of 

 the body are fupplied. 



Since we are by thefe Experiments allured 

 that the longitudinal fibres, and fap veflels 

 of w 7 ood in its firft year's growth, do thus 

 diftend in length by the extenfion of every 

 partj and fince nature infimilarprodudions 

 makes ufe of the fame or nearly the fame 

 methods: Thefe confederations make it not 

 unreasonable to think, that the fecond and 

 Z z following 



