2cj^ Advantages aijojed by the Individuals of the Vigfii^h't Syfienifrom ■ 



vliich in air are kno.vn to form very warm coverings for confiiii!!}; htMt, may ferve tile 

 fame purpofc in water, but that their efFeds in preventing the paflligc of heat are even greiler 

 in water than in air. 



This difcovery is very happily applied by tlic Count to elucidate fome of the mod Witcred- 

 ing parts of the economy of nature, on which fuhjecl I (liall give his inferences very nearly 

 in his own words. 



As liquid water is the vehicle ,of heat and nouridimcnt, and confcquently of life in every 

 living thing ; and as water, left to itfelf, freezes with a degree of cold much Icfs than that 

 which frequently prevails in coW climates, it is agreeable to the ideas we iiave of the Creator 

 of the world, to expeft that efF;ftual mcafurcs would be taken to prefcrve a fulTicient quan- 

 tity of that liquid in its liuid ftate, to maintain life during the cold feafon : and this we find 

 has adually been done; for both plants and animals are found to furvive the longed and 

 mod fevere winters : but the means which have been employed to produce this admirable 

 effect have not been inveftigated ; at lead not as far as they relate to vegetables. 



But as anim.al and vegetable bodies are effentially differint in many rcfpeds, it is very 

 natural to fuppofe that the means would be dilTerent which are employed to preferve them 

 agaiurt the fatal efieds which would be produced in each by the congelation of their fluids. 



Among organized bodies which live on the furface of the earth, and which of courfe are 

 expofed to the vlcillitudes of the feafon, we find, that as the proportion of fluids to folids is 

 greater, the greater is the heat which is required for the fupport of life and health ; and the 

 lefs arc they able to endure any confider.rble change of their temperature. 



The proportion of fluids to folids is much greater in animals than in vegetables ; and in 

 order to preferve in them the great quantity of heat which is neceflary to the prefcrvation 

 of life, they are furniflied M'ith lungs, and are warmed by a procefs fimilar to that by which 

 heat is generated in the conibuRion of inflammable bodies. 



Among veget.rbles, thofe which are the mod fucculent are annual. Not being furniflied 

 \\ ith lungs to keep the great mafs of liquids warm which fill their large and flender vefl'els, 

 they live only while the genial influence of the fun warms them, and animates their feeble 

 powers j and they droop and die as foon a? they are deprived of its fupport. 



There are many tender plants to be found in cold countries which die in the autumn, the 

 roots of which remain alive during the winter, and fend off frefli flioots in the cnfuing 

 fpring. In thefe we (hall condantly find the roots more compad and denfe than the Halk, 

 or with fmaller veffels and a fmaller proportion of fluids. 



Among the trees of the fored, we fliall condantly find that thofe which contain a great 

 proportion of thin watery liquids not only {bed their leaves every autumn, but are fometimes 

 frozen and adually killed in fevere frods. Many thoufands of the larged walnut-trees were 

 killed by the frod in the Palatinate during the very cold winter in the year 1788 ; and it is 

 well known that few, if any, of the deciduous plants ot our temperate climate would be 

 able to fupport the exceffive cold of the frigid zone. 



The trees which grow in thofe inhofpitable climates, and which brave the cold of the 

 fevered winters, contain very little watery liquids. The fjp which circulates in their veffels 

 is thick and vifcous, and can hardly be faid to be fluid. Is there not the dronged reafon to 

 think that this was fo contrived for the exprefs purpofe of preventing their being deprived 

 of all their heat, and killed by the cold during the winter ? 



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