_In the composition of all vegetables, there is contained a portion of metal._ SECT. IX. XXX. This is a novelty in physics, which has not been discovered till of late years. Mons. Gofredy of the Academy Royal, having examined the ashes of many different plants, found in them all, some fine particles that would adhere to the load-stone; from whence he concluded, that these particles were either particles of iron, or else were particles of the load-stone itself. But, as it was a doubt which had never yet been cleared up, whether the load-stone would not attract other metallic particles, which were not part of itself, nor of iron; the Lemeries father and son, made some fresh enquiries, which removed all doubts respecting the matter. They with a burning-glass melted the particles which the load-stone had attracted from the ashes of the plants; which after much sparkling, liquefied into the very form and substance of the load-stone, and of iron also; and when grown cold, formed a lump of the consistence and hardness of metal. Even in honey, after it has been distilled, have been found these particles which were attractable by the load-stone; from whence it may be inferred, that this metallic composition, exists in, and is diffused through the most subtil juice of flowers and blossoms. XXXI. But, after all this had been done, it still remained to be ascertained, whether these particles pre-existed in the plant; or were the production of the fire, and the result of their calcination; which second opinion appeared the most probable, because there seems no difficulty in supposing, that the fire might transmute into metal some of the particles of vegetables; but there appeared a very great one, in conjecturing that so heavy a metal as iron, could rise to the summit of trees, and pervade the most subtil fibres of their leaves. XXXII. Mons. Lemeri the son cleared up this doubt, by various subtil and curious experiments, which not only evinced the volatility of iron, but also excited a belief, that this metal contributed greatly to promote the vegetation of all kinds of plants. The most remarkable experiment he made was the following one. Having poured spirit of nitre upon the filings of iron, there succeeded a violent effervescence, which after some time ceased, and left the metal dissolved into a red liquid; by afterwards pouring oil of tartar per deliquium to this liquid, another fermentation was excited, which went on increasing, till, at last, it formed on the sides of the vessel, various subtil branches, which after all the sensible fermentation had ceased, continued to grow till they reached the top of the vessel.