Novum Organon

For instance: in all generation and transformation of bodies, we must inquire what is lostand escapes; what remains, what is added; what is expanded, what contracted; what isunited, what separated; what is continued, what cut off; what propels, what hinders; whatpredominates, what yields; and a variety of other particulars.Again, not only in the generation or transformation of bodies are these points to beascertained, but also in all other alterations and motions it should in like manner beinquired what goes before, what comes after; what is quicker, what more tardy; whatproduces, what governs motion; and like points; all which nevertheless in the presentstate of the sciences (the texture of which is as rude as possible and good for nothing) areunknown and unhandled. For seeing that every natural action depends on things infinitelysmall, or at least too small to strike the sense, no one can hope to govern or change natureuntil he has duly comprehended and observed them.VIIIn like manner the investigation and discovery of the latent configuration in bodies is anew thing, no less than the discovery of the latent process and of the form. For as yet weare but lingering in the outer courts of nature, nor are we preparing ourselves a way intoher inner chambers. Yet no one can endow a given body with a new nature, orsuccessfully and aptly transmute it into a new body, unless he has attained a competentknowledge of the body so to be altered or transformed. Otherwise he will run intomethods which, if not useless, are at any rate difficult and perverse and unsuitable to thenature of the body on which he is operating. It is clear therefore that to this also a waymust be opened and laid out.And it is true that upon the anatomy of organized bodies (as of man and animals) somepains have been well bestowed and with good effect; and a subtle thing it seems to be,and a good scrutiny of nature. Yet this kind of anatomy is subject to sight and sense, andhas place only in organized bodies. And besides it is a thing obvious and easy, whencompared with the true anatomy of the latent configuration in bodies which are thought tobe of uniform structure, especially in things and their parts that have a specific character,as iron, stone; and again in parts of uniform structure in plants and animals, as the root,the leaf, the flower, flesh, blood, and bones. But even in this kind, human industry has notbeen altogether wanting; for this is the very thing aimed at in the separation of bodies ofuniform structure by means of distillations and other modes of analysis; that the complexstructure of the compound may be made apparent by bringing together its severalhomogeneous parts. And this is of use too, and conduces to the object we are seeking,although too often fallacious in its results, because many natures which are in fact newlybrought out and superinduced by fire and heat and other modes of solution are taken to bethe effect of separation merely, and to have subsisted in the compound before. And afterall, this is but a small part of the work of discovering the true configuration in thecompound body; which configuration is a thing far more subtle and exact, and such as theoperation of fire rather confounds than brings out and makes distinct.