Royal Society. 361 
fbever weakens the contra(^ion of any mufcle, fuppofe the 
heart, muft either be fuch as can hinder the feparation ofthefe 
fpirits, or intercept them in their channel of conveyance to that 
niulcle, after they arc feparated, the fpirits, by anatomical 
experiments, are known to be feparated from the blood in the 
brain • now whatfoever hinders the feparation of the fpirits from 
the blood, muft ei:her hinder that rarefaflion of theblood, which 
is caufed by its being broken into fuch fmall parts, as conlti- 
tute them fpirits in their proper place, or the blood to be ot'that 
finenefs that is neceffary for it to be perf})ired 5 that is, a body, 
that afFefls theblood, fo as not to leparate fpirits, muil be of fuch 
a nature, as to make its parts more compact in their conta61:, to 
have their contaCl with a greater ]<Ilfits, and confequently to have 
its parts lels feparable 5 tlie next way is by affecting its motion, 
which is by diicharging great quantities out of the blood 5 by 
thefe means the quantity of blood being leiTened, it yields fewer 
fpirits when it is divided, and is not fo capable of being comminu- 
ted, becaufe the parrs of the blood do not prefs fo much one upon 
the other, in the whole courfe and time of circulation ; or thirdly, 
by fome means that affed the parts that tranfmit thefe fpirits, 
fo that now either no fpirits can be feparated, or in a iinaller 
quantity 3 if we apply the wounding hy Caraharides, or its 
effe61 to all thefe ways, viz. by feparating_ the Lympba, by- 
evacuation orleifeningthe rarcfa<5lion of the blood, they will be 
found uncapable of folving all the 'Vhdenomena, and therefore 
the only way left us wherein a biiiler can produce its effedi, i^^ 
by wounding that channel that carries thofe fpirits which con- 
traa the heart, give a quick pulfe and a fever, with all its 
attendants, as deliriums, ^c. If thisfuppofition be allowed of, no 
doubt but that any, the leaft quantity of animal fpirits, let out 
by fuch wounds will in a very little time proportionably weaken 
the heart's contraftion, and give a flower pulfe, which is all that 
is wanted 5 and what is more, this llower contradion, which is 
known by the flower pulie, determines the whole circulating 
blood with lefs force, fo that the parts of blood do not comminute 
themfelves fo much, as when the motion was more rapid, and 
by confequence there is not fuch a difpofition for feparatmg the 
fmall particles in the brain, that they may afterwards be deri- 
ved thro' the nerves into the heart 5 but moreover, the lefler 
motion continuing for fome little time, in a velocity fomething 
like our natural motion, all the fecretions performed in fachde- 
greesof velocity willagain begin to be pcrForm'd as before : But 
how to apply a blifterthat may wound the conveying nerves, is 
Vol. III. ^^ ^^^^^ 
