174 THE LAWS OF ORGANIC 



CHAP. VIII. 



The means by which the System is enabled to bear 

 a Temperature much superior to that of the 

 Body. 



CXCII. From the preceding chapters the reader 

 has probably anticipated the greater part of the 

 views connected with the elucidation of the pre- 

 sent ; and, from the facility with which many of 

 the principles can be applied, may think it unne- 

 cessary to enlarge further upon them : but, for 

 so doing, I hope the importance of the investiga- 

 tion will be a sufficient apology. Different che- 

 mists and physiologists have entertained diffe- 

 rent opinions regarding the powers of the system 

 in accommodating themselves to a high tempera- 

 ture. It is stated by CRAWFORD, that the blood 

 is less venalized in the capillary vessels when the 

 body is subjected to great heat ; and, therefore, 

 the changes which this undergoes in the lungs 

 are less extensive for want of the combination of 

 the oxygen of the air with the usual quantity of 

 inflammable matter contained in the venous blood. 

 Dr EDWARDS of Paris endeavours to show, that 

 less oxygen is consumed in summer than winter, 

 and that the temperature of the system is, on 

 that account, little higher than at the latter sea- 

 son. I have already shown that his experiments, 



