108 EXPERIMENTS ON ANIMAL HEAT. 



Emily. But would not their temperature change, if 

 each were removed to the country of the other ? Place 

 the Esquimaux in the torrid zone, and I think he would 

 feel a little warmer, and even you or I would, though 

 the transition would be much less. 



Dr. JB. Of course, then, ii you would be consistent, 

 you suppose that our temperature is greater in summer, 

 than io winter. No ; the temperature of the body re- 

 mains the same through all the seasons. Our feelings 

 are no test of the temperature as indicated by a ther- 

 mometer. Even in the midst of a raging fever, when 

 the person feels as if he were actually burning up, the 

 thermometer will often indicate a degree of heat, a little 

 less than that of ordinary health ; while in the cold pa- 

 roxysms, when he is shivering from head to foot, it may 

 indicate a degree or two more. It is astonishing to see 

 how great a degree of heat the body will stand, and still 

 retain its natural temperature. Under the observation of 

 the Academy of Science, in France, two girls entered 

 an oven where fruits were baking, and stayed there sev- 

 eral minutes, without suffering any ill effect. Reaumur's 

 thermometer, which they carried with them in their 

 hands, stood at 150, equal to 337 1-2 of Far. 



Emily. -The story of Sir Joseph Bankes, Dr. For- 

 dyce, and Dr. Blagden's attempting to ascertain how 

 high a degree of heat the system could withstand, is 

 also very interesting. A suit of three rooms heated by 

 flues in the floor, was prepared, into which they entered, 

 without taking oft their clothes. When -they first en- 

 tered, the mercury in Far. stood at 1 50, and they con- 

 tinued 20 minutes ; during which time, the mercury 

 rose 12 higher. At another time, the mercury stood 

 at 198, and they continued in this heat )0 minutes. 

 In a heat of 21 1 at first, Sir J. Bankes remained 7 min- 

 utes; in which time the mercury sunk to 198. All 

 this time, the temperature of their bodies rose very lit- 

 tle above its ordinary state. Whenever they breathed 

 on the thermometer, the mercury sunk several degrees ; 



