[VII.]
MADAM,
Having made some mention in my former Letter of the Receiving of Food, and discharging of Excrements, as also of Respiration, which consists in the sucking in of air, and sending out of breath in an animal body; you desire to know, Whether Respiration be common to all animal Creatures? Truly, I have not the experience, as to tell you really, whether all animals respire, or not; for my life being, for the most part, solitary and contemplative, but not active, I please my self more with the motions of my thoughts, then of my senses; and therefore I shall give you an answer according to the conceivement of my reason onely, which is, That I believe, all animals require Respiration; not onely those, which live in the air, but those also, which live in waters, and within the earth; but they do not respire all after one and the same manner; for the matter which they imbreath, is not every where the same, nor have they all the same organs, or parts, nor the same motions. As for example: Some Creatures require a more thin and rarer substance for their imbreathing or inspiring, then others, and some a more thick and grosser substance then others, according to their several Natures; for as there are several kinds of Creatures, according to their several habitations or places they live in, so they have each a distinct and several sort of matter or substance for their inspiration. As for example: Some live in the Air, some upon the face of the Earth, some in the bowels Earth, and some in Waters. There is some report of a Salamander, who lives in the Fire; but it being not certainly known, deserves not our speculation. And, as in my opinion, all animal Creatures require Respiration, so I do verily believe, that also all other kinds of Creatures, besides animals, have some certain manner of imbreathing and transpiring, viz. Vegetables, Minerals, and Elements, although not after the same way as Animals, yet in a way peculiar and proper to the nature of their own kind. For example: Take away the earth from Vegetables, and they will die, as being, in my opinion, stifled or smothered, in the same manner, as when the Air is taken away from some Animals. Also, take Minerals out of the bowels of the Earth, and though we cannot say, they die, or are dead, because we have not as yet found out the alterative motions of Minerals, as well as of Vegetables, or Animals, yet we know that they are dead from production and increase, for not any Metal increases being out of the Earth. And as for Elements, it is manifest that Fire will die for want of vent; but the rest of the Elements, if we could come to know the matter, manner, and ways of their Vital Breathing, we might kill or revive them as we do Fire. And therefore all Creatures, to my Reason, require a certain matter and manner of inspiration and expiration, which is nothing else but an adjoyning and disjoyning of parts to and from parts; for not any natural part or creature can subsist single, and by it self, but requires assistance from others, as this, and the rest of my opinions in Natural Philosophy, desire the assistance of your favour, or else they will die, to the grief of,
Madam,
Your faithful Friend
and Servant.
[VIII.]
MADAM,