AMD ANIMAL LIFE. 63 



The results of this experiment differ little from 

 those already detailed ; and from these it appears 

 that animal heat is but slightly, if at all, disenga- 

 ged in the lungs by any artificial means we pos- 

 sess : but from this statement we are not to con- 

 clude that the lungs, in the natural condition of 

 life, are not the seat of any disengagement. I 

 have endeavoured to show, in this and the pre- 

 ceding chapter, that the temperature of an ani- 

 mal is increased or diminished according to the 

 character of respiration or mode of circulation ; 

 and I shall now attempt to explain why infla- 

 tion, however well conducted, does not materially 

 augment the temperature of the body, nor pre- 

 vent it from cooling in the same ratio as in an- 

 other unassisted by inflation. 



LI. Respiration may be considered partly an 

 instinctive and partly a voluntary function, 

 whose influence is to regulate the circulation of 

 the blood, and therefore the generation of ani- 

 mal heat. If its action be disordered during 

 life, by the preponderance of inspirations, for 

 a short time, the temperature of the body di- 

 minishes almost as much as in the rabbit we in- 

 flate. The asthmatic patient, of whom Dr BREE 

 speaks, had a temperature as low as 82 in the 

 paroxysm. I have observed, in Chap. I. xix. and 

 xx. that the air inspired is not immediately ex- 

 pelled by expiration, but that a portion is emit- 

 ted probably the whole which is deteriorated, r 



