310 Dr. Edwards, De V Influence 



tion. Though we cannot precisely measure the proportions 

 of the two losses, the former is evidently the preponderating 

 means of dissipating the body's weight through the lungs. 



It appears that, whether it be from the skin or the lungs, 

 all aqueous discharge is by evaporation, and the expenditure 

 from the surface of the body far exceeds what happens to 

 arise from the lungs, at least ni man, whose structure would 

 lead to such a conclusion. In the lungs the transpiration is 

 most constant, and it fluctuates very much from the skin. 



The phenomena of absorption in moist air and in water, 

 are next subjected to experimental examination, which tends 

 to show, that the preponderance of absorption over transpi- 

 ration, does not solely depend on temperature, but on the 

 greater or less degree of fullness of the vessels. The less 

 the body is saturated the greater will be the absorption ; so 

 that if it suffers considerable previous loss by transpiration 

 from evaporation without subsequent replenishment, it is 

 placed in one of those conditions most favourable for the 

 increase of absorption. 



In the chapter following this portion of the work, and 

 which treats of temperature, the curious and interesting ex- 

 periments of Delaroche and Berger are alluded to. Several 

 species of vertebrated animals were placed by these authors 

 in a temperature varying from 42° 5' to 45° cent., when most 

 of them remained quiet at first, but after the lapse of half an 

 hour they became restless, and in three quarters of an hour 

 their respiration was hurried on to almost suffocation. The 

 result showed, that vertebrated animals in a dry air, heated 

 to 45° cent., are near the utmost limit of temperature in 

 which they can exist a long time ; for, after recovering the 

 effects of this heat, they were removed to an atmosphere of 

 from 56° 25' cent, to 65° cent., when, excepting one frog, 

 they all died, and at different periods between the space of 

 twenty-four minutes, and one hour and fifty-five. We know 

 not of human beings supporting so great a heat during so 

 long a time ; but during a short period a higher tempera- 

 ture has been supported. A young man remained twenty 

 minutes in an oven, heated to 210° Fahrenheit, without much 

 inconvenience, when his pulse was raised from twenty-five to 

 an hundred and sixty-four, which is the highest degree of 

 rapidity ; the temperature was nearly that of boiling water. 

 However, M. Berger and Sir Charles Blagden exceeded this, 

 the former enduring 109° 48 cent, during seven minutes, and 

 the latter from 240° to 260° Fahrenheit eight minutes. 



