$66 Dr. Pother gill on Longevity. 
contained in the atmofphere, fo eflfential to 
the lupport of flame, as well as animal life, 
concerning which, authors have propofed fo 
many conjedlures, appears now to be nothing 
elfe but that pure dephlogifticated fluid lately 
difeovered by that ingenious philofopher. Dr. 
Prieftley. The common atmofphere may well 
be fuppofed to be more or lefs healthy in pro¬ 
portion, as it abounds with this animating 
principle. As this exhales, in copious flreams, 
from the green leaves of all kinds of vegetables, 
even from thole of the mod; poifonous kind, 
may we not, in fome meafure, account why 
inftances of longevity are fo much more frequent 
in the country, than in great cities •, where the 
air, inftead of partaking fo largely of this 
falutary impregnation, is daily contaminated 
with noxious animal effluvia, and phlogifton ? 
With refpedl to climate, various oblervations 
confpire to prove, that thofe regions, which 
lie within the temperate zones, are bed calcu¬ 
lated to promote long life. Hence, perhaps, 
may be explained, why Italy has produced fo 
many long livers, and why Jflands in general 
are more falutary than Continents; of which 
Bermudas , and fome others, afford examples. 
And it is a pleafing circumftance, that our 
own Ifland, appears from the above table, 
(notwithftanding the fudden viciffltudes to 
which it is liable,) to contain far more inftances 
of 
