Of Vegetation. 338 
nervous, the cartilaginous and vofctilar fibres 
of the animal body neceflariiy extend and 
expand, from the dudile nutriment which 
nature furnifhes every part withal j in which 
repeds animal bodies do as truly vegetate as 
do the growing vegetables. Whence it mud 
needs be of the greateft confcquence, that 
the growing animal be fupplied with pro- 
per nouriflimenc for that purpofe, in order 
to form a ftrong athlctick conftitution : 
For when growing nature is deprived of 
proper materials for this purpofe, then is fhe 
under a ncceflity 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 excefies, do there- 
by greatly deprave the nutritive dudile 
matter, whence all the diftending fibres of 
the body are fupplied. 
Since we are by thefe Experiments affured 
that the longitudinal fibres, and fap veficls 
of wood in its firft year*s growth, do thus 
diftend in length by the extenfion of every 
parti and fince nature in fimilarprodudions 
makes ufe of the fame or nearly the fame 
methods: Thefe confiderations make it not 
unreafonable to think, that the fecond and 
Z % following 
