5198. Purgings it general takes place when the whole body has been spiritually destroyed. Every society resembles a human being, certain there are the head, certain the body, certain the feet. When this composite society is like one person, so that it has a head, body and feet, and these are ill, at that point it is finished. The last [to be finished] is the feet. When these things which are outward correspond to the inward, then there is a purging. It is for this reason that all purging in particular ends in the feet. So it is in general.
5198. General Vastations [i.e. vastations of communities of spirits] take place, when the whole body has been destroyed. Every single society relates to one man; some in it to the head, some to the body, some to the feet. When that society is adjusted as one man, so that it has a head, body and feet, and these are evil, then consummation supervenes. The last consummation is that the feet, which are externals corresponding to internals; and, when this is reached, then vastation exists. Hence it is, that every particular vastation terminates in the feet. It is so with general vastations.
5198. Vastationes fiunt in communi quando totum corpus perditum est, unaquaevis societas refert unum hominem, quidam ibi caput, quidam corpus, quidam pedes, quando societas illa composita est sicut unus homo, ut ei sit caput, corpus ac pedes, et illa mala, tunc consummatum est, ultimum est pedes, [cum ea] quae sunt externa, correspondent internis, tunc vastatio. Inde est quod in particulari omnis vastatio desinat in pedes. Ita in communi.