Analyjis of the AW. \y\ 



equal to many pounds. Neither are its 

 counter-acting mufcles, thofe of the Abdomen, 

 able to exert a greater force. 



For notwithstanding a man, by ftrongly 

 compreffing a quantity of air included in his 

 mouth, may raife a column of Mercury in 

 an inverted fyphon, to five or {even inches 

 height, yet he cannot, with his utmoft /train- 

 ings, raife it above two inches, by the con- 

 tracting force of the mufcles of the Abdomen, 

 whence we fee that our loudeft vociferations 

 are made with a force of air no greater than 

 this. So that any fmall impediment in breathe- 

 ing will haften the fuffocation, which con- 

 fifts chiefly in the falling flat of the lungs, 

 occafioned by the groflhcfs of the particles 

 of a thick noxious air, they being in that 

 floating ftate moft cafily attracted by each 

 other : As we find in the foregoing Experi- 

 ments that fulphur and the elaftick repelling 

 particles of air do : And confequently unela- 

 ftick, fulphureous, faline, and other floating 

 particles will moft eafily coalefce; whereby 

 they are rendered too grofs to enter the mi- 

 nute veficles; which are alfo much con- 

 tracted, as well by the lofs of the elafticity 

 of the contained air, as by the contraction 

 occafioned by the ftimulating, acid, fulphu- 

 reous 



