CLASS III. 2. 1. 17. OF VOLITION. 347 



and other animals, are fo often preferved. The fnow, both in 

 refpect to its component parts, and to the air contained in its 

 pores, is a bad conductor of heat, and will therefore well keep 

 out the external cold ; and as the water, when part of it dif- 

 folves, is attracted into the pores of the remainder of it, the fit- 

 uation of an animal beneath it is perfectly dry , and, if he is in 

 contact with the earth, he is in a degree of heat between 48, 

 the medium heat of the earth, and 32, the freezing point j that 

 is, in 40 degrees of heat, in which a man thus covered will be 

 as warm as in bed. See Botan. Garden, V. II. notes on Ane- 

 mone, Barometz, and Mufcus. If thefe facts were more gen- 

 erally underftood, it might annually fave the lives of many. 



After any part of the vafcular fyftem of the body has been 

 long expofed to the cold, the fenforial power is fo much accu- 

 mulated in it, that on coming into a warm room the pain of hot- 

 acnTS produced* and inflammation, and confequent mortifica- 

 tion, owing to the great exertion of thofe veffels, when again ex- 

 pofed to a moderate degree of warmth. See Sect. XII. 5. 

 Whence *the propriety of applying bfit very low degrees of heat 

 'to limbs benumbee^flgk^old at firft, as~"of fnow in its fiate of 

 diflblving, which is atjWUfgrees of heat, or of very cold water. 

 A French writer has obferved, that if frozen apples be thawed 

 gradually by covering them with thawing fnow, or immerfing 

 them in very cold water, they do notlofe their tafte ; if this fact 

 was well afcertained, it might teach us how to preferve other 

 ripe fruits in ice-houfes for winter confumption. See Suppl. I. 



14- 3- 



The pain of- cold is probably owing to the accumulation of the 

 fenforial power of irritation. As the fkins of thofe, who have 

 been conftantly ftimulated into great action by external heat, 

 muft foon poflefs an accumulation of that fenforial power, when 

 the ftimulus of heat is withdrawn. See tsedium vita? from ac 

 cumulation of the fenforial power of volition. III. i. 2. 11. 



ORDO 



