t 233 ] ■ 
expanfion, which cloth not always take place in other 
cafes ; but yet often operates when w^ are the leaf! aware 
of it. Far then from fuffering ourfelves to be furprized 
at ftrange effedls in nature, we fliould in fome meafure 
expert them ; w^e diould be conllantly upon the watch 
for them, and take pains to be apprized of them, and 
ftudy to turn them to the benefit of mankind. Pra6li- 
tioners in furgery know how^ often they have been fur- 
prized by unexpe6ted events. Such events, which com- 
monly are only the obje6ts of unavailing wonder, would 
perhaps be lefs unprofitable, if they were cautioufly ob- 
ferved and corre6lly defcribed by perfons of knov/ledgej 
lefs fond of the marvellous than friends to truth. Lob- 
fters are feen to produce new legs wdren deprived of 
their old ones; but not exa6tly at the places where they 
had been cut off. Their manner of growing is much 
like to that of our teeth, the interior part and very ori- 
gin of the claw producing a fmall one, &c. and this re- 
produdtion feems not to take place when the lobfier 
is 
" ■ - I ^ I 5 ^ ^ j -T 
mens d’une grandeur etonnante, qui n’ont pas toujours lieu allleurs : mais qul ope- 
rent quelquefois au moment qu’on s’y attend le nioins. Loin done de fe laiffer fur- 
prendre par des effets fingullers, on devroit en quelque forte les attendre, et etre tres 
attentif a les faifir, a les connoitre, et a en profiter. Ceux qui s’occupent de I’art de 
■guerir favent combien ils ontete furpris par des effets inattendus. Ces effets, dont 
on fe contente le plus fouvent de parler avec etonnement, ne feroient peut-etre pas 
fleriles, fi obferves avec attention par des gens inftruits, et auffi peu avides du 
merveilleux qu’amis de la verite, ils etoient decrits avec precifion, Les pieds 
des ecreviffes repouffent; mais ils ne repoulfent pas immediatement de la partie 
coupee; ils pouffent a peu prts comme nos dents, c’efh-a direque de I’interieur et 
•veri forigine du pied, on en voit pouffer un petit, &c. et cette reproduftion ne 
K k 2 paroit 
