The before-commended Dr. Mead, thinks our Physicians deal too cautiously and sparingly, in their prescribing only small Quantities of the Viper’s Flesh, &c. in the Elephantiasis, and stubborn Leprosies: But he recommendeth rather the Gelly or Broth of Vipers; or, as the ancient Manner was, to boil Vipers, and eat them like Fish; or at least to drink Wine, in which they have been long infused. Vid. Mead. ubi supr. p. 34.
[k] That Earth-worms live upon Earth, is manifest from the little curled Heaps of their Dung ejected out of their Holes. But in Philos. Transact. Nᵒ. 291, I have said, it is in all Probability Earth made of rotted Roots and Plants, and such like nutritive Things, not pure Earth. And there is farther Reason for it, because Worms will drag the Leaves of Trees into their Holes.
[l] Snails might be in Danger of wanting Food, if they were to live only upon such tender Plants as are near the Ground, within their Reach only; to impower them therefore to extend their Pursuits farther, they are enabled by the Means mentioned in [Note (d)], to stick unto, and creep up Walls and Vegetables at their Pleasure.
CHAP. II.
Of the Inhabitants of the Waters.
I have now gone through that Part of the Animal World, which I proposed to survey, the Animals inhabiting the Land.
As to the other Part of the Terraqueous Globe, the Waters, and the Inhabitants thereof, not having Time to finish what I have begun, on that large Subject, I shall be forced to quit it for the present, altho’ we have there as ample and glorious a Scene of the Infinite Creator’s Power and Art, as hath been already set forth on the dry Land. For the Waters themselves are an admirable Work of God[a], and of infinite Use[] to that Part of the Globe already surveyed; and the prodigious Variety[c], and Multitudes of curious and wonderful Things observable in its Inhabitants of all Sorts, are an inexhaustible Scene of the Creator’s Wisdom and Power. The vast Bulk of some[d], and prodigious Minuteness of others[e], together with the incomparable Contrivance and Structure of the Bodies[f] of all; the Provisions and Supplies of Food afforded to such an innumerable Company of Eaters, and that in an Element, unlikely one would think, to afford any great Store of Supplies[g]; the Business of Respiration perform’d in a Way so different from, but equivalent to what is in Land Animals[h]; the Adjustment of the Organs of Vision[] to that Element in which the Animal liveth; the Poise[k], the Support[l], the Motion of the Body[m], forwards with great Swiftness, and upwards and downwards with great Readiness and Agility, and all without Feet and Hands, and ten thousand Things besides; all these Things, I say, do lay before us so various, so glorious, and withal so inexhaustible a Scene of the divine Power, Wisdom and Goodness, that it would be in vain to engage my self in so large a Province, without allotting as much Time and Pains to it, as the preceding Survey hath cost me. Passing by therefore that Part of our Globe, I shall only say somewhat very briefly concerning the insensitive Creatures, particularly those of the vegetable Kingdom, and so conclude this Survey.
