436 HISTORY OF 



find himself considerably heavier than before ; 

 and this difference is often found to amount to a 

 pound, or sometimes to a pound and a half. 

 From whence this adventitious weight is derived 

 is not easy to conceive ; the body during the 

 whole night appears rather plentifully perspiring 

 than imbibing any fluid, rather losing than gam- 

 ing moisture : however, we have no reason to 

 doubt, but that either by the lungs, or perhaps 

 by a peculiar set of pores, it is all this time in- 

 haling a quantity of fluid, which thus increases 

 the weight of the whole body, upon being weigh- 

 ed the next morning."* 



Although the human body is externally more 

 delicate than any of the quadruped kind, it is, 

 notwithstanding, extremely muscular ; and, per- 

 haps, for its size, stronger than that of any other 

 animal. If we should offer to compare the 

 strength of the lion with that of man, we should 

 consider that the claws of this animal give us a 

 false idea of its power ; we ascribe to its force 

 what is only the effect of its arms* Those which 

 man has received from nature are not offensive ; 

 happy had art never furnished him with any more 

 terrible than those which arm the paws of the lion ! 



But there is another manner t of comparing 

 the strength of man with that of other animals ; 

 namely, by the weights which either can carry. 

 We are assured that the porters of Constantinople 



* From this experiment also, the learned may gather upon what a weak 

 foundation the whole doctrine of the Sanctorian perspiration is built; but this 

 disquisition more properly belongs to medicine than natural history. 



f M. Buffon calls it a better manner, but this is not the case. 



