ZOOLOGY. 365 



Think of a man deliberately condemning himself to devour this hor- 

 rible poison, on an increasing scale, during his whole life, with the 

 certainty that if at any time, through accident, necessity, or other 

 cause, he holds his hand, he must die the most agonizing of all deaths ! " 



ON THE TEMPERATURE OF MAN WITHIN THE TROPICS. 



Ix continuation of some researches on the temperature of man, Dr. 

 Davy has communicated to theKoyal Society the results of his observa- 

 tions on this subject, during a period of three }'ears and a half, chiefly 

 at Barbadoes, where the mean annual temperature of the atmosphere, he 

 states, is 80 F., and the range of temperature throughout the year from 

 about 10 to 18 in the open air. The observations were made three 

 times a day; the temperature of the body being noted, with that of the 

 external air, the pulse, and the number of respirations per minute ; all 

 of which are duly set forth in elaborate tables. The chief general results 

 are the following : 1. That the average temperature of man within 

 the tropics is a little higher nearly P than in a temperate climate, 

 such as England. 2. That within the tropics, as in cooler regions, the 

 temperature of the body is almost constantly fluctuating. 3. That the 

 order of fluctuating is different from that in a cooler climate ; the min- 

 imum degree being early in the morning, after a night : s rest, and not 

 at night. -1. That all exertion, whether of body or mind, except it be 

 very gentle, has a heightening effect on the temperature ; while pas- 

 sive exercise, especially carriage exercise, has a lowering tendency. 

 5. That heavy clothing, especially if tight and close, tends to raise the 

 temperature unduly, especially under active exercise ; and that close, 

 ill-ventilated rooms, particularly when crowded, have in a marked 

 manner the same tendency. 6. That when the body is in a healthy 

 state, it rapidly recovers its normal condition as to temperature. 7. 

 That when laboring under disease, however slight, the temperature is 

 abnormally elevated, its undue degree being some criterion of the 

 intensity of the diseased action. 8. That within the tropics there is 

 comparatively little difference of temperature between the surface of 

 the body and the internal parts ; the skin is more active in its func- 

 tions, and the kidneys are less active. 9. That the effect of wine, 

 unless used in great moderation, is commonly lowering as to tempera- 

 ture, while it accelerates the heart's action, followed, after a while, by 

 an increase of temperature. 10. The tendency of sea-sickness, like 

 that of disease, is to elevate the temperature. 11. The tendency of a 

 sea-voyage, apart from sea-sickness, is to equalize the temperature 

 without permanently elevating it. 12. That even at sea, with a change 

 of atmospheric temperature, there is a tendency to change of tempera- 

 ture of the body, increasing towards the tropics. The most interest- 

 ing facts, however, are the changes of temperature depending on 

 changes of health or disease, and the lowering influence of wines and 

 ordinary stimulants. Philosophical Transactions, 1850. 



31* 



