,"0 On the Action of 'Elastic Fluids upon Meat. 



and that when a state of weakness and irritability is induced 

 by the joint influtnco of a great many, we shall be rendered 

 more liable to be affected by peculiarities in the state ot' the 

 atmosphere than when iivnig natural lives and in strong 

 health. That such varieties of weather actually do become 

 powerful asicnts in the production of disorders, every day's 

 experience must teach us, but the manner and extent of 

 their operation appears at present les- easily demonstrable: 

 it mav dejirive persons already weak of a portion of their 

 electricitv, and thus diminish the energies of the brain ; 

 or, the atmospheric electricity being unequally distributed, 

 or propagated downwards in pulsations, the electric fluid 

 may be irregularly dis'tiibuted in our bodies, and this may 

 cause an irregularity of function. Such a state of the air 

 would be indicated by the irregular action o\ De Luc's 

 cleclnc column, and the multiibrm appearances oi the 

 cintis cloud occasionally attended by the other modifiations, 

 the appearance of meteors*, &c. And I inay remark that, 

 dnrino- the prevalence of such kind of weather last autumn, 

 when the action of De Luc's electric column was very 

 irregular, some of itdv medical friends informed me tiiat 

 bilicTus disorders with hypochondriacism vvere remarkably 

 numerous.^^I must now conclude wiih apologizing for de- 

 raining vou so long on this subject, and with saying that, 

 if the opinions advanced appear novel and useless, \ desire 

 the reader not to forget my object, which is to excite the 

 attention of superior minds 'to my own, to this interesting, 

 and, I believe, important subject. 



I remain, sir, yours, &c. 



Clapton, July 20, ISI 1. ThOMAS FoRSTER. 



XV. Memoir on the Action of Elastic Fluids upo7i Meat. 



By M. IIlLDEBKANDf. 



iDiiiNG convinced that experiments and observations upon 

 the spontaneous analysis of organic bodies are verv instruc- 

 tive, and throw considerable iighi upon the nature of those 

 bodies, I have aUvavs endeavoured in my course of chemistry 

 to inake my pupils understand how the elastic fluids, sur- 

 rounding borlies subjected to putrefaction, can operate in 

 retarding or iiastening that natural process. VViih this view 

 I have been iimced to extend my reseaiehes uj on this 



* The flacoidity, dryness, closer contact, and diiTiini?hed size of the hnirs 

 on the head,duiiiig nuny disorders, may not be unworthy of notice. 

 •J JiiuTital dc Gchini. 



subject, 



