30 THE LAWS OF ORGANIC 



When the fit is very severe, the exertions of the 

 patient to inspire are extremely urgent ; the 

 chest and shoulders are frequently and violently 

 elevated, exhibiting, in an obvious manner, deep 

 and almost continued inspiration. The blue lips, 

 pallid countenance, collapsed features, small, 

 quick, or almost imperceptible pulse, and great 

 diminution of temperature, are of themselves 

 characters sufficient to corroborate the justness 

 of the principles propounded. 



Sir JOHN FOYER says, " The scapular and 

 lumbar muscles which serve for strong inspira- 

 tion join all their force, and strain themselves 

 to lift up the breast and shoulders for enlarging 

 the cavity of the chest, that the lungs may have 

 a place sufficient for their expansion, and the 

 air be more plentifully inspired." 



Dr BREE, who was subject to this species of 

 asthma, and who has also written an excellent 

 work on this disease, observes, that the animal 

 temperature is materially affected by it. He 

 has sometimes found it as low as 82 9 during the 

 paroxysm. 



XXXVI. If the frequency of respiration in 

 all cases produced animal heat, should we not 

 expect that the function, when accelerated to its 

 greatest extent, would evolve a proportionate 

 quantity of this principle ? But in this example 

 we perceive that a quantity of air, much greater 



