MifceUanea Curiofa. 171 



A Diftourfe concerning fome Influ- 

 ence of Refpiration on the Mo- 

 tion of the Heart, hitherto un- 

 obferved. By J. Drake, M. D. 

 F. R. S. 



TH O' divers accurate Treatifes of the 

 Heart, and its A&ion, have been writ- 

 ten by Learned Men of fcveral Nations, efper 

 dally by two of our own Country ; the Great, 

 Dr. Harvey, to whofe happy Sagacity this Na- 

 tion owes the Glory of the Invention of the 

 Circulation of the Blood ; and the incompara- 

 ble Dr. Lower , to whom we are beholden 

 for a compleat Display of the Mechanical Stru-. 

 Bure of the Hearty and a moll: ingenious Ra- 

 tionale of its Action. Yet there remain feve- 

 ral Doubts and Difficulties about it (in my 

 Opinion ) not fufficiently accounted for ; to- 

 wards the refblving fome of which, I (hall of- 

 fer what my own Thoughts have fuggefted to 

 me, and leave it to the Confideration of the 

 Reader. 



The Learned Dr. Lower ( whofe accurate 

 Piece on this Argument will infure his Repu- 

 tation fo long as Phyfical Knowledge fliall laft 

 in efteem) has lb well accounted for the fy- 

 flole, or Contraction of the Heart, from the 

 Mechanical Structure of it, that he feems al- 

 moft to have exhaufted the Subject \ and had 



