VOL. LXXXII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. IQf 



minute and a half after immersion it stood at 87°. He remained motionless in 

 the water, and the mercury rose gradually; at the end of 12 minutes it stood at 

 g3°±. While he sat in the water, it occurred to me to examine his heat when 

 he rose out of it into the air: I had reflected on the power that must be employ- 

 ed to keep up his heat in a medium so dense as water, and where an inanimate 

 body, of the same bulk, would have cooled so much more speedily than in air 

 of the same temperature. Supposing that this heat-producing process, whatever 

 it may be, might continue its operations some time after the extraordinary sti- 

 mulus (the pressure of the water) was removed, I expected to see the mercury 

 rise by the accumulation of his heat, on changing the medium of water for air, 

 and therefore kept him exposed naked to the wind 2 minutes after taking him 

 out of the bath. To my surprise, though the attendants were rubbing him dry 

 with towels during this time, the mercury fell rapidly. He was put into a warm 

 bed, and his heat, when examined under the tongue, was 87°, at the axilla 89°. 

 Frictions were used, and brandy mixed with water administered; but I found on 

 this, as on all future occasions, that the best mode of counteracting the cold, 

 was to apply a bladder, with hot water, to the pit of the stomach (the scrobiculus 

 cordis,) a fact which I think important: this being done, his shiverings, which 

 before were severe, soon ceased, and he became more comfortable. Three 

 hours afterwards however he had not entirely recovered his former heat; but by 

 8 at night he was in all respects as usual. 



Exper. 2. The next day, at the same hour, the same person was again im- 

 mersed, as before. His pulse previously was 85, his heat 100°. He had been 

 put to bed 1 hour before, to save the time spent in undressing. The heat of 

 the water and of the atmosphere 44". The wind north-east, and strong. On 

 this occasion, as before, there was a rapid fall of the mercury; the following 

 table will save words: 



Ther. Ther. Ther. 



^ min. after immersion 89°2 7 min. after immersion 95°| 12 min. after immersion 9S° 



3 90 h 8 95 1 13 95 J 



4 92 I 9 95 I 14 and 15 95 



5 94 * 10 94 I 



6 95 11 95 



At the end of 1 S"' he was taken out, and stood 3™ naked, exposed to the 

 north-east wind, at the end of which time the mercury had sunk to 88°. A 

 draught of ale was given him, and he was put into a warm bed; in 3"" after the 

 mercury rose to 93°. An hour after his heat was g3°. The effects produced by 

 this alternate exposure to water and air of the same temperature, gave a new 

 direction to my thoughts, and determined me to inquire again into this singular 

 phenomenon. The most obvious method would have been to have prolonged 

 the process of alternation, and replunged the person cooled by the external air 



