[448] 



fore death, which was really a confequence of it ; 

 or we may imagine it to be a natural change after 

 death, when it was truly a difeafe of the living 

 body. It is eafy to fee therefore, how a man in 

 this ftate of ignorance mufl blunder, when he 

 comes to connect the appearances in a dead body 

 with the iymptoms that were obferved in life ; 

 and indeed all the ufefulnefs of opening dead bo- 

 dies depends upon the judgement and fagacity 

 with which this fort of comparifon is made. 



There is a cafe of a mixed nature, which can- 

 not be reckoned a procefs of the living body, nor 

 of the dead ; it participates of both, inafmuch as 

 its caufe arifes from the living, yet cannot take 

 effect till after death. 



This fliall be the object of the prefent paper ; 

 and, to render the fubject more intelligible, it will 

 be neceffary to give fome general ideas concerning 

 the caufe and effects. 



An animal fubitance, when joined with the living 

 principle, cannot undergo any change in its pro- 

 perties but as an animal; this principle always act- 

 ing and preferving the fubitance, which it inhabits, 

 from dhTolution, and from being changed accord- 

 ing to the natural changes, which other fubft ances, 

 applied to it, undergo. 



There are a great many powers in nature, which 

 the living principle does not enable the animal 

 matter, with which it is combined, to refill:, viz. 

 the mechanical and molt of the ltronger chemical 

 folvents. It renders it however capable of re- 

 fitting the powers of fermentation, digeftion, and 

 perhaps feveral others, which are well known to 



act 



