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n ; ' 
YL.A Summary of fo??ie late Objervations 
upon the Generation, Compofition, and 
Decompolition of Animal and Vegetable 
Subftances ; Communicated in a Letter to 
' Martin Folkes Efq\ P ref dent of the Royal 
Society, by Mr. Turbervill Needham, Fel- 
low of the fame Society. 
Paris , Nov. 23, 1748, N. S. 
SIR, 
Read Dec. 15.22. § f ^ HO’ I think myfelf now 
I748, almoft fufficiently quali- 
fied, by the Multitude of Experiments I have already 
made upon animal and vegetable Subftances, fince the 
1 6th, N. S. oflaft March , to lay down fome certain 
Truths upon this Subjed, and from them to advance, 
by Indudion, farther than fo fhort a Period of Time 
would allow me to proceed by fpecial Experiments, 
yet I would have your learned Royal Society look 
upon this Paper as an impeded Sketch only of what 
I hope to publifh from the Journals I have by me in 
a few Months, if thefe two or three Sheets are fo for- 
tunate as to meet with their Approbation. I am 
fufficiently fenfible how much ! may hurt this little 
Performance, if I promife too much, and raife 
in this Matter higher Expedations from the Public 
than it may appear hereafter to delerve : It is at this 
time therefore particularly the more neceftary, that I 
fhould be exceedingly cautious to advance no Propo- 
fition rafhly ; nothing, but what feems to flow natu- 
rally from Obfervation. But this Precaution, however 
* Arid, 
