145 



as the attractive power of bodies is found to be more or 

 less, as they have more or fewer sulphureous particles, 

 so we may reasonably ascribe the fixing the elastic par- 

 ticles of air to the strong attraction of the sulphureous 

 particles, with which Sir Isaac Newton supposes all 

 bodies to abound more or less. 



The vavious mixtures in the stomach sometimes gene- 

 rate, sometimes absorb air. In a good digestion the 

 generating power exceeds the absorbing power but a 

 little. When it exceeds it much, we are troubled, more 

 or less, with distending flatus's. 



We have seen how much air may be extracted from 

 animal and vegetable bodies, into whose substances it 

 was before intimately and firmly incorporated, and con- 

 sequently great quantities of air must be continually Ex- 

 pended in their production. Part of this, we see, may 

 resume its elastic state when their texture is dissolved ; 

 but part probably never regains its elasticity, at least, 

 not in many centuries. However, we may see what im- 

 mense treasures of this important element, the wise 

 author of nature has abundantly provided, the constant 

 waste of it being abundantly supplied by heat or fer- 

 mentation from innumerable dense bodies. 



If all the parts of nature were endued with a strongly 

 attracting power only, whole nature would immediately 

 become one unactive, coherent lump. It was therefore 

 absolutely necessary there should be every where inter- 

 mixed, a due proportion of strongly elastic particles. 

 And since abundance of these are continually reduced 

 from an elastic to a fixed state, it was also necessary 

 that these particles should be endued with a property 

 of resuming their elasticity, whenever they were disen- 

 gaged from that mass in which they were fixed. And 

 hereby this beautiful frame of things is maintained in a 

 continual round, of the production and dissolution of 

 animal and vegetable bodies. 



The air is very instrumental in the production and 

 growth of animals and vegetables, in its ela-stic state, by 

 invigorating their juices; and in its fixed state, bv 

 greatly contributing to the union and firm connection of 



