It is manifest that an animal body cannot be simple, cannot, I mean, be only fire or air; for an animal cannot have any other sense without having Touch, and every living body is sensible to Touch, as has been said. But all the elements, except earth, may constitute sentient organs, as these all receive impressions through something foreign to themselves and through media; but the Touch is made sensible by touching bodies, and hence its name. And yet the other sentient organs do perceive by Touch, but then it is through something foreign to themselves; while Touch alone seems to perceive directly, through itself. So that an animal body cannot be constituted of any one of the other elements exclusively, nor can it be formed only of earth; for the Touch is the medium, as it were, for tangible impressions, and the organ is perceptive not only of the distinctions which pertain to earth, but of hot, cold, and all other tangible qualities. Hence it is that we have no feeling in bones, hair, or other analogous parts because they are of earth; and plants for the same reason, being of
