ONT MUSCULAR. MOTION, 



257 



form the grofs fubllances, are fa loofe and unfetlled, that they 

 are all decompofed without the intervention of any agent, merely 

 by the operation of their own elementary parts on each other. 



An extenfive dilbuflion of the chemical properties attaching Difficulties at- 

 to the matter of mufcle would be a labour unfuited to this '^"'^'"S *'^.^'l'': 



cal refearch mtp 



occafion ; I fliould not, however, difcharge my prefent duty, thefe objefts. 

 If I omitted to fay, that all fuch inveftigations can only be 

 profitable when efFe6ied by fimple procefles, and when made 

 upon the raw materials of the animal fabric, fuch, perhaps, as 

 the albumen of eggs, and the blood. But, until by fynthetical 

 experiments the peculiar fubftances of animals are compofed 

 from what are coniidered to be elementary materials, or the 

 changes of organic fecretion imitated by art, it cannot be hoped 

 that any determinate knowledge (hould be eftabliflied upon 

 which the phyfiology of raufcles may be explained. Such 

 refearches and inveftigations promife, however, the moft pro- 

 bable ultimate fuccefs, fince the phenomena are neareft allied 

 to thofe of chemiftry, and fince all other hypothefes have, in 

 their turns, proved unfatisfadory* 



Fa6ts and Experiments tending to fupport and illufirate the pre** 

 ceding Argument, 



An emaciated horfe was killed by dividing the medulla fpi- Temperature of 

 nalis, and the large blood-vefiels under the firft bone of the fl^uHs -^ d?ffer. 



iiernura. ent animals. 



The temperature of the flowing blood was 103^ '^^^ ^°^^' 



Spleen - - 103 

 Stomach - - 101 

 Colon - - 98 

 Bladder of urine 97 

 Atmofphere - SO. 

 Three pigs, killed by a blow on the head, and by the imme- Pigs, 

 diate divifion of the large arteries and veins, entering the middle 

 of the bafis of the heart, had the blood flowing from thefe 

 veflels of 106, 106f, and 107?; the atmofpheric temperature 

 being at 31". 



An ox« killed in a iimilar manner, the blood lOS; atmo- An ot* 

 fphere 50**. 



Three ftieep, killed by dividing the carotid arteries. End Sheep* 

 internal jugular veins: their blood 105, 105, 105|*; at- 

 noofphere 41'*. 

 Vol. XL— August, 1805 S Three 



