Mifcellanea Curiofa. \ 8 9 



muft be drawn towards the left moveable : By 

 Which Rule, whether External or Internal Inter- 

 coftals be contracted, the lower Ribs will be 

 forc'd to approach the upper, that i?, be rais'd 

 up. \ 



As in the Elevation of the Cofta, the Blood, by 

 the paflage that is open'd for it, is in a manner 

 folicited into the Lungs j fo in the Depreffion 

 of them, by the fubfidence of the Lungs, and 

 the Contraction of the Blood- Veffels, both which 

 are consequent thereof, the Blood is forcibly 

 driven, as it were with an Embolum, through the 

 Pulmonary Vein into the Left Ventricle of the 

 Heart. And this, together with the general 

 ComfreJJion of the Body by the weight of the At- 

 mofphere, which furrounds and preffes upon the 

 whole Surface of it, is that Power which chutes 

 the Blood to mount in -the Veins, after the force 

 imprefs'd upon it by the Heart is broken and 

 ipent^ and which is fufficient to force the Heart 

 from its natural State to Dilatation. 



He that is able to compute the weight of a 

 Column of Air, equal to the Surface of the 

 whole Body, will readily grant it a power fuf- 

 ficient for the Effects, which are here afcrib'd 

 to it. And when he confiders, that the Bo- 

 dies of Animals are compreflible Machines, he 

 will find that it muft of neceffity affect them 

 in the manner here laid down. But though 

 our Bodies be entirely compos'd of Tubuli or 

 Veffels fill'd with Fluids • yet this preffure, 

 how great foevcr, being equal, cou'd have no 

 effect upon them, if the fuperficial Dimenfions 

 were not eafily variable ; becaufe being com- 

 prefs'd on all parts with the fame degree of 

 Force, the contain d Fluids cou'd not any 



where 



