V I T 



wind!), which, when they are ftrong, move al die rate of 

 from fixty to a hundred miles in an hour. In our winter, 

 the fouth-weft gales convey air, which has been purified by 

 the vaft forefts and favannas of South America,^ and which, 

 paffing over the ocean, arrives in an uncontaminated ftate. 

 The ftorms and tempefts which often occur at the beginning 

 and towards the middle of our winter, and which generally 

 blow from the fame quarter of the globe, have a falutary 

 influence. By conftant agitation and motion, the equili- 

 brium of the conftituent parts of the atmofphere is pre- 

 ferved ; it is fitted for the purpofes of Hfe : and thofe 

 events, which the fuperftltious formerly referred to the 

 wrath of heaven, or the agency of evil fpirits, and in which 

 they faw OFily diforder and confufion, are, it is faid, demon- 

 ftrated by fcience, to be miniftrations of divine intelligence, 

 and conncfted with the order and harmony of our fyftem. 



The clofe analogy which fome have fuppofed to exift be- 

 tween the abl'orption of vital air or oxygen, and the forma- 

 tion of carbonic acid gas in germination, and in the refpira- 

 tion of the fcetus, has been already contended againft ; and 

 ftmilar arguments will, it is faid, apply againft the purfuit 

 of this analogy, between the funftions of the leaves of the 

 adult plant, and thofe of the lungs of the adult animal ; 

 feveral of which are ingenioufly ftated : and it is concluded, 

 that the funftions of the leaf mud vary according to the 

 compofition of the fap paffing through it ; and according 

 to the nature of the produAs which are formed from it. 

 AVhen fugar is to be produced, as in early fpring at the 

 time of the developement of the buds and flowers, it is 

 probable that lefs vital air or oxygen will be given off, than 

 at the time of the ripening of the feed, when (larch, or 

 gums, or oils, are formed ; and the procefs of ripening the 

 feed ufually takes place when the agency of the folar light 

 is moft intenfe. When the acid juices of fruits become fac- 

 charine in the natural procefs of vegetation, more vital air 

 or oxygen, there is every reafon to beheve, it is faid, muft 

 be given off, or newly combined, than at other times ; for 

 all tlie vegetable acids contain more vital air or oxygen than 

 fugar. It appears probable, it is faid, that in fonie cafes, 

 in which oily and refinous bodies are formed in vegetation, 

 water may be decompofed, its vital air or oxygen fet free, 

 and its hydrogen abforbed. When the leaves of fome 

 plants, and particularly fuch as produce volatile oils, are 

 expofed in water faturated with vital air or oxygen gas, 

 this air or oxygen is given off in the folar light ; but the 

 quantity is very fmall, and always hmited ; and the ViTiter 

 has not been able to afcertain with certainty, whether the 

 Vegetative powers of the leaf were concerned in the opera- 

 tion, though it feems probable. In all cafes in vvliich buds 

 are formed, or {lioots thrown forth from roots, vital air or 

 oxygen appears to be uniformly abforbed, as in the germina- 

 tion or fpvouting of grain and feeds. This was fatisfattorily 

 (hewn by trial with the potatoe, which, when placed in 

 proper circumflances, foon threw forth a fhoot, which, 

 when half an inch long, had nearly abforbed a cubical inch 

 of vital air or oxygen, and formed about three-fourths of a 

 cubical inch of carbonic acid. There was a fvveet tafte in 

 the juices of the (hoot, when feparated from the root ; and 

 the abforption of vital air or oxygen, and the produftion of 

 carbonic acid, were probably, it is thought, connefted with 

 the converfion of a portion of ftarch into fugar. As frozen 

 roots of this kind become fweet when thawed, vital air or 

 oxygen may probably, it is fuppofed, be abiorbed in this 

 operation, and if fo, the change may be prevented by thaw- 

 iog them out of the contaft of air ; as under water lately 

 in the boiling ftate. See Air, &c. 



Thcfc and different other ftatcmrnts that ma\- be feen in 



V I T 



the work noticed above, (hew the great importance of vital 

 air or oxygen in the ways that have been mentioned in the 

 beginning of this article, as well as in the economy of vege- 

 tables, and for other purpofes. 



Vital FunSions. or Anions, are thofe operations of the 

 vital parts by which life is affefted ; fo as that it cannot 

 fubfift without them. 



Such are the mufculous aftion of the heart, the fecretory 

 aftion in the cerebellum, the refpiratory aAion of the lungs ; 

 and the circulation of the blood and fpirits through the ar- 

 teries, veins, and nerves. See Function and Action. 



Vital Principle, or Subftance, denotes a kind of agent or 

 inftrument, fuppofed by Dr. Grew to be employed under 

 the dircftion and in fubordination to the will of the Creator, 

 in the produftion of plants, animals, &c. 



This principle correfponds to the plaftic nature of Dr. 

 Cudworth. The fuppofed exillence of thefe principles pro- 

 duced a difpute between M. Baj-le and M. Le Clerc, which 

 the former conceived to favour atheifm, though he allows 

 that neither Dr. Cudworth nor Dr. Grew were aware of the 

 confequence ; but the latter maintains, that the plaftic or 

 vital natures, admitted by thefe writers, cannot in the leaft 

 favour the athcifts, becaufe they are only inftruments in the 

 hand of God, and have no efficacy but what they receive 

 from him, who direfts and rules all their aftions. Of this 

 difpute Dr. Warburton obferves, that Cudworth's plaftic 

 life of nature is fully overthrown by Bayle, whofe fuperiority 

 in the coiitroverfy with Le Clerc is clear and indifputable. 

 See Grew's Cofmologia Sacra, fol. 1701. p. 31, &c. ; and 

 Cudworth's Life, prefixed to Birch's edition of the Intel- 

 ledlual Syftem, vol. i. p. 15, &c. 



Vital Spirits are the fineft and moft volatile parts of the 

 blood. See Spirits. 



VITALBA, in Botany, a name given by fome authors 

 to the viorna, or traveller's joy. See Viorna. 



VITALI A, a name given by fome autliors to the cardiac 

 medicines. 



VITALIANUS, in Biography, pope, was born at 

 Segnia, in Campania, and elevated to the pontificate A.D. 

 657, on the death of Eugenius. When, according to cuf- 

 tora, he fent legates to Conftantinople, with his confefllon 

 of faith, to be prefented to the emperor Conftans and hii 

 fon Conftantine, the Monothelite doctrine was fa(hionable 

 at the imperial court, and, therefore, the pope was very 

 guarded in his communication. In 663 Conltans entered 

 Italy, and advanced towards Rome ; and though he was 

 treated with great refpedl by Vitalian and his clergy, he 

 was not thus prevented from robbii'.g the churches of all 

 the treafure to which he could have accefs. In 667, 

 Wighard, archbi(hopeleft of Canterbury, was fent to Rome 

 to receive ordination from the pope ; but as Wighard died 

 of the plague in that capital, the pope, notwithftanding the 

 compliment that was paid him by the Briti(h kings, took 

 this opportunity of extending the prerogative of the papacy, 

 and of nominating one Theodore, a monk, to fnpply the 

 place of the deceafed prelate. Vitalian, in fome other in- 

 ftances, manifelled his zeal for the intereil and influence of 

 the Romifli church, and the authority of its vifible head ; 

 but after a pontificate of 14^ years, he died in 672. His 

 zeal procured for him a place among the canonized pontiffs. 

 Some letters written by him on ecclefiaftical affairs are ftill 

 extant. Dupin. Bower. 



VITALIS, in Botany, a name given by fome authors to 

 the common tclephium, called the Englifn orpine, and live- 

 long, from its quality of living and flounfhmg a long time 

 afcer it is taken from the root. 



VITCHEGDA, in Geography, a river of Ruffia, which 



rifes 



