An entire body of philosophy according to the principles of the famous Renate Des Cartes in three books, (I) the institution ... (II) the history of nature ... (III) a dissertation of the want of sense and knowledge in brute animals ... / written originally in Latin by the learned Anthony Le Grand ; now carefully translated from the last corrections, alterations, and large additions of the author, never yet published ... by Richard Blome.

CHAP. III. The Death of Living things proceeds from contrary Principles, viz. from Cold and Driness.

I. Wherein the Death of Living things doth consist. FOrasmuch as contrary Effects proceed from contrary Causes, we may easily conclude, That the Death of Living Creatures are owing to Cold and Driness. For as the Bodily Life consists in the due Temperature of Heat and Moisture; so Death happens to them through the predominance of Cold and Drought, whereby the Vital Principle of inborn Heat, becomes weakned and destroyed. Bodily Life, as hath been said, consists in continual Motion; wherefore when any Cause happens to fore-slow, or put a stop to this Motion, Life must cease also. Now, since nothing is more opposite to Motion, than Rest, wherein the Nature of Cold doth consist, it cannot be question'd, but that where Cold prevails, Death must enter. Thus we see Flies dye at the approach of Winter; and that Frogs, tho' they live in the Water, and are in a great measure habituated to Cold, yet perish in Frosty-weather. For as great Cold doth congeal the Waters, and hinder their Motion; so the over∣slow agitation of the Spirits and Humors in the Body of Man, is hurtful to the Life of the Body; and where it is of long Continuance, quite destroys the same. And in like manner also, excessive Cold causeth the dying of Plants and Trees.

II. Cold dri∣eth as well as Heat. For tho' Heat and Cold be contrary Qualities, yet do they by opposite ways produce the same Effect, viz. Drought. For we find that Clay is dried by hard Frost, as well as by great Heat in Summer: The Reason whereof is, because all liquid and moist Bodies, lose the agitation of their Particles, by Cold▪ and by this means become hard and dry: And therefore it is no wonder, if Clay, which is nothing else but a Mixture of Water and Earth, should grow hard and dry, because the Water which softned it, is by the cold congealed. Seeing therefore that cold works the same effect in Plants, it cannot seem strange to us if Plants perish, when the Juice wherewith they were nou∣rished, is frozen. It has been of Old told us, that extream Cold scorcheth and burns up Plants, by congealing and drying up their Moisture and Ali∣mentary Juice.

III. Why the Leaves of most Plants fall in Autumn. Hence also it is, that in Cold Countries the Leaves begin to fall from the Trees towards the latter end of Autumn; because about that time, the pores of Plants are shut up at the approach of Cold, and the Passages along which the Juice is conveyed, are dried up and contracted.

IV. Heat is hurtful to the Ali∣ment of Living Creatures. And as Cold produceth these Effects in Living Bodies, so doth excessive Heat also; for Heat ex∣hausts the Spirits and Humours, and attenuates and wastes the Bodies in which it doth predominate. For as a Mill, without the assistance of Wind or Water, stands still without any motion at all; so Plants, upon the consumption of their Alimentary Juice, perish; and Animals, when their Spirits and Humours are weakned by extream Heat, languish and are slowly moved. Whence it comes to pass, that when great Heats happen in Hot Countries, at the time when the Ears of Corn begin to break forth, they are stopped in their coming forth; because the Moisture being by the heat dissipated into the Air, the Heat finds nothing to feed upon, or whereby to maintain it self.

V. When the Death of Living Creatures happens. The Death therefore of Living Bodies happens, when Moisture, which is the food and fewel of Heat, is wasted; or when Heat is separated from, and leaves the Moisture, which then ceaseth to be agitated, and distributed to all parts of the Living Body. For as Flesh laid before a slow fire, is roasted, and by exhaling of the greatest part of its moisture becomes quite dried up; so the Tem∣perament of Living Bodies becomes spoiled, when the Spirits and Humours are alter'd and wasted by excess of Heat. Thus Fruits are frequently spoil'd by over-much heat, which scorching their outside, leaves their inward substance raw and unripe; as it happens to Grapes and other Fruits, whose out∣side is often scorched with that heat, which scarcely toucheth their Inward parts: As Bread put into an Oven that is over-heated, hath its Crust burnt up and scorched, whilst the midst of it wants baking, and is doughy.

VI. How Fishes are dried up in the Water. But you'l say, If Driness be the Cause of Death, how can Fishes that live in the Water, ever arrive to that degree of Drought, which may cause their perishing or death? I answer, That the Water in which the Fishes swim, cannot hinder the wast∣ing and drying up of their Natural moisture: As

we find that Flesh, which is suffer'd to boil in a Pot full of Water, till all the Natural moisture be consumed, becomes harder than that which is roasted. Yea, we find also that some sorts of Wood, that have lain long in the Water, are found drier and lighter when they are taken out, than when they were put in.

VII. Excess of Heat is an Enemy to all Bodies. Neither is excessive Heat only an Enemy to Living Bodies, but even to all in general: Thus we find that when the flame of a Candle or Torch is increased, it doth so much the sooner consume and waste the Body that serves it for fewel; and by a parity of Reason, when the Heat either out∣ward or inward exceeds, it procures the Death of Living Bodies: As we find that Plants wither by excessive heat; and that Men, by indulging them∣selves in the drinking of hot Liquors, do hasten their own Death.

VIII. Death sometimes is caused by the want of Food. Sometimes Death happens to Living Bodies by defect of Food convenient; as when Nature ceas∣eth to furnish them with Matter, whereby they might grow and be nourished: For so in Plants, tho' it may be there wants no Moisture for the Heat to act upon, and tho' the Sun have force enough in Summer time, to draw up the Juice out of the Earth; yet is not that Fervescence, or Fer∣mentation of the Alimentary Juice, which is re∣quisite to their Vegetation, always performed alike; for it requires a certain and determinate Season of the Year, which being once past, it cannot after∣wards be expected. An Example whereof we see in Quick-Lime, which upon the affusion of Water causeth an Effervescence; but that being once ceased, it cannot be renewed again, tho' you should pour never so much water upon it. And for this cause it is that ripe Fruits; as Apples, Pears, Plums, &c. do fall down to the Ground, as soon as their Stalk, whereby they were joyned to the Tree, begin to want aliment, and those fibres that held them fast are dried up. And the same is the Reason, why all other Fruits and Grains fall out of their Husks and Pods.

IX. The Destru∣ction of Bodies, is sometimes caused by a too great opening of the Pores. And much like Effects do sometimes proceed from the too great relaxation and opening of the Pores of Bodies: For thereupon the Bodies contained in those Intervals must needs fall down, except that by some means or other their bulk be coextended to the amplitude of the pores wherein they are. Thus, when in the Summer Season the pores of the Skin are more open, the Hides of flay'd Beasts, have the Hairs more easily pluck'd off. Thus likewise it seems probable, that the falling out of the Teeth of Children, is caused by the di∣latation of the Sockets of the Jaw-bone, wherein the Teeth are fixed; for they growing wider, as the Child advanceth in bigness, they can no longer keep the Teeth steady. But in Old People this falling out of Teeth is caused by the defect of Ali∣ment and Moisture; because the fibres, through which the Aliment was used to be convey'd to them, grow dry and are contracted.