PHYSICALand LITERARY. 33^ 



fiderable part of its effsdls on the human 

 body is owing to its abforpdon, if we 

 confider, that it requires the fpace of fe- 

 veral hour's to operate in its full vigour. 

 And thofe who reafoii againfi its afFeding 

 animals to a conliderable degree, in con- 

 fequence of its being abforbed and mixed 

 with their blood, becaufe, on dilTeiliori, 

 it did not appear to have pafTed from the 

 ftomach into the inteftines, or had loft 

 little of its weight, reft their opinion on 

 the erroneous fuppofition that the ftomach 

 is not provided with lacfleal vefTels : Or 

 they fuppofe all the parts of the opium 

 to be equally adlive ; whereas it feems very 

 probable that its aflive parr makes but a 

 fmall.fhare of its bulk: Or' they tell us j, 

 they cannot conceive how fach a fmall 

 quantity as the opiam had loft of its 

 weight fhould affedl the heart or other" 

 organs, after being diluted with the wholes 

 mafs of blood ; though they certainly 

 little better conceive either how it affed3 

 the nerves to which it is primarily applied, 

 or the others by fympathy^ 



Experirhentt 



