ANIMAL HEAT. 117 



oxygen consumed in respiration, and the heat 

 generated, while there is a very close relation 

 between the calorific function and the integrity 

 of the functions of the nervous system. This is, 

 indeed, admitted by M. Le Gallois himself, when 

 he thus expresses himself: " II n'y a pas de 

 doute que la puissance nerveuse ne joue un tres 

 grand role dans ce phenomene, de merne que 

 dans tous ceux qui supposent la vie."* And 

 again, " C'est sur la conversion du sang arteriel 

 en sang veineuse, et sur le changement de capacite 

 qui 1'accompagne, que la puissance nerveuse a 

 une action immediate. Aussi remarque-t-on que 

 le developpement du calorique, soit dans tout le 

 corps, soit dans une partie determinee, est en 

 raison de 1'energie de cette puissance marquee 

 par 1'activite de la circulation. "f 



At the time when these researches were insti- 

 tuted the theory enunciated by Lavoisier and 

 La Place was universally received, and no one 

 entertained a doubt that the temperature which 

 a warm-blooded animal possesses above that of 

 the atmosphere was entirely explained by the 

 consumption of oxygen in respiration. Since 

 then further inquiries have been made on the 

 subject by several distinguished chemists ; and 

 the observations of M. Dulong, M. Despretz, and 

 very lately those of Messrs. Regnault and Rei- 

 set, have confirmed the opinion that this expla- 



* CEuvres de Le Gallois, tome ii. p. 53. 

 Ibid. p. 55. 



i 3 



