Page:The Cry of Nature.pdf/119

 of vegetables, that is, by feeding on vegetables, or on animals that are fed on vegetables, there being no proceſs in infinitum." Prop. 2.—Vegetables are proper enough to repair animals, as being near of the ſame ſpecific gravity with the animal juices, and as conſiſting of the ſame parts with animal ſubſtances, ſpirit, water, ſalt, oil, earth; all which are contained in the ſap they derive from the earth, which conſiſts of rain-water, air, putrified juices of plants and animals, and even minerals, for the aſhes of plants yield ſomething which the loadſtone attracts."—Arbuthnot, p. 51.—Hence Arbuthnot proceeds to analize the various parts of the vegetable world, beginning with the farinaceous ſeeds of culmiferous plants, as he terms the various ſorts