ANIMALS. 4*37 



carry burdens of nine hundred pounds weight : 

 M. Desaguliers tells us of a man, who, by distri- 

 buting weights in such a manner as that every 

 part of his body bore its share, was thus able to 

 raise a weight of two thousand pounds. A horse, 

 which is about seven times our bulk, would be 

 thus able to raise a weight of fourteen thousand 

 pounds, if its strength were in the same propor- 

 tion. * " But the truth is, a horse will not carry 

 upon its back above a weight of two or three 

 hundred pounds ; while a man, of confessedly 

 inferior strength, is thus able to support two thou- 

 sand. Whence comes this seeming superiority ? 

 The answer is obvious. Because the load upon 

 man's shoulders is placed to the greatest advan- 

 tage, while upon the horse's back it is placed 

 at the greatest disadvantage. Let us suppose, 

 for a moment, the man standing as upright as 

 possible, under the great load above mentioned. 

 It is obvious that all the bones of his body may 

 be compared to a pillar supporting a building, 

 and that his muscles have scarce any share in this 

 dangerous duty. However, they are not entirely 

 inactive ; as man, let him stand never so upright, 

 will have some bending in the different parts of 

 .his body. The muscles, therefore, give the bones 

 some assistance, and that with the greatest possible 

 advantage. In this manner a man has been found 

 to support two thousand weight, but may be 

 capable of supporting a still greater. The man- 

 ner in which this is done, is by strapping the load 



* M. BuflTon carries this subject no farther} and thus far, without ex- 

 planation, it is erroneous. 



