the comparative Anatomy of Animals and Vegetahles. 47 



cover tlie glass with bubbles of air ! It continued to flow for about 

 a couple of hours, then gradually lessened ; but that change 

 seemed rather to be occasioned by the drying 2ip of the mtdlinn, 

 through vrhich the air was seen, than the decrease of it ; for as 

 soon as a little water was added with the finger, the air began 

 again to flow, and continued a couple of hours more ; then 

 died away- But as I depended on knowing the brain of the 

 anemone bv its peculiar coriforviation, i thought it better to 

 try a creature that had a decided head and brains ; and therefore 

 took the prawn, the shrimp, the lobster. The two first gave 

 much air, but not so much as the anemone ; the lobster gave 

 more, and had some curious particulars respecting it. Hov^ever, 

 1 was not yet quite satisfied ; but, the moment I returned to 

 Exeter, contrived to get my butcher to send me a sheep's head 

 the moment it was killed : — I had it within half an hour. I 

 took a small slice not so thick as a card, and placed it on the 

 glass of mv compound microscope, under a double power ; there 

 v.-as liquid enough to show the (luantitv of air that escaj)ed for 

 the first livo hours, and it could be compared to nothing but an 

 apple when placed in water under the receiver of an air-pump, 

 which by pumping released the air within. I afterwards tried the 

 brain of a pig, a lamb, and many kinds of fish; it was all the 

 same: only that the animal gave most, and that the mackerel, 

 &c. had a triangular bladder: I cannot help thinking it vapour^ 

 rather than air unli/, as after the ijubbles have run from small 

 to large, and burst, — they leave a very diminutive speck behind^ 

 which appears to me to be matter, remaining after the decom- 

 position. A number of gentlemen, physicians, and surgeons, 

 have seen it : some suggested it might occasion the vis insita of 

 the muscles ; but this cannot be, since in the account I here adt?, 

 the same vis insita is found in the muscles of the plant ; and 

 they have neither nerves nor brain. But I will venture to add 

 one idea which has occurred to me, — ^whether the sudden stopping 

 of that vapour by a concussion of the brain, might not occasion 

 the total torpidity of limb, and a los^ of the organ belonging to 

 that side of the brain, thus injured. Or irritating the brain might 

 increase the quantity of vapour, and thus produce convulsions 

 to the corresponding limb. But this is a consideration for wiser 

 h'eads than mine, and to the order of physicians and surgeons I 

 leavd it, well assured that they will make use of every accidental 

 fact thu3 presented to them. Perhaps no study has proceeded 

 f'lrther in practical utility and scientific research than atta*- 

 tomy ; and to no order of men are we so much indebted fof Ihfe 

 aHeviation of the sufferings of mankind, and to whom I fed 

 myself peculiarly happv in dispensing, though from an obscure 

 individual, my huniblc meed of admiration and praise. No 



other 



