ANIMALS. 393 



ed different desires to the different periods of 

 life ; each as it seems most necessary for human 

 support or succession. While the animal is yet 

 forming, hunger excites it to that supply which is 

 necessary for its growth ; when it is completely 

 formed, a different appetite takes place, that ex- 

 cites it to communicate existence. These two 

 desires take up the whole attention at different 

 periods, but are very seldom found to prevail 

 strongly together in the same age ; one pleasure 

 ever serving to repress the other : and if we find 

 a person of full age placing a principal part of 

 his happiness in the nature and quantity of his 

 food, we have strong reasons to suspect, that with 

 respect to his other appetites, he still retains a 

 part of the imbecility of his childhood. 



It is extraordinary, however, that infants, who 

 are thus more voracious than grown persons, are 

 nevertheless more capable of sustaining hunger. 

 We have several instances, in accidental cases of 

 famine, in which the child has been known to 

 survive the parent, and seen clinging to the 

 breast of its dead mother. Their little bodies 

 also are more patient of cold ; and we have simi- 

 lar instances of the mother's perishing in the 

 snow, while the infant has been found alive be- 

 side her. However, if we examine the internal 

 structure of infants, we shall find an obvious rea- 

 son for both these advantages. Their blood- 

 vessels are known to be much larger than in 

 adults, and their nerves much thicker and softer : 

 thus, being furnished with a more copious quan- 

 tity of juices, both of the nervous and sanguinary 



