MAN 
pofed by Tome to be the fame with the tarantula of 
Apulia. 
In Corfica there are but few noxious or mif- 
chievous animals: it neither contains ferpents nor 
beads of prey; but it is infefted with two fpecies 
of this venomous infeft. One has a round body, 
and the other an oblong one: they have each fix 
legs; and from this, and feveral other peculiari- 
ties, they appear to be of the ant kind, and per- 
fedlly feparated from the fpider tribe. The 
round-bodied kind, by it's bite, occafions violent 
pains, a fenfation of cold, and cramps all over the 
body. The long-bodied one is ftill more ve- 
nomous: it's fting occafions an immediate livid- 
nefs of the flefh, with intolerable cramps and con- 
vulfions, and fometimes it totally checks the na- 
tural evacuations. In both cafes, the cure is per- 
formed by cutting and cauterizing the wound, and 
drelTing it v/ith Venice treacle ; and alfo by giving 
the patient the fame ingredient diflblved in wine. 
MALPOLON. A fpecies of Ceylonefe fer- 
pent beautifully variegated with red marks, in 
the form of ftars. 
MALTHA. A voracious fifh of the fliark 
kind, the forat and lamiola of authors; a diminu- 
tive of Lamia, fignifying a fmall fnark. The 
teeth, which are broad and pointed, like thofe of 
the fhark, confift of feveral rows; the nofe is 
fhort; and the flefh is lax and foft, 
MAMMALIA. The firft clafs of animals in 
the Linnsean fyfl:em; divided into feven orders, 
namely, primates, bruta, ferte, glires, pecora, bel- 
iuse, and cete; comprehending forty genera, and 
two hundred and nineteen fpecies. 
MAN. In the Linnsan fyfl:em, the head of a 
clafs of animals, which he calls primates: but for 
the mofl: philofophical and curious account of this 
lord of the creation v/e are indebted to the elo- 
quent and penetrating Buffbn, who with a preci- 
fion that does honour to his genius, and an ele- 
gance that captivates while it inftru6ls, has traced 
him from his origin to his end; laid open the 
fprings of a£lion ; explored the diverflty of the hu - 
man fpecies; and exhibited nature in it's faireft, as 
v/ell as in it's humbled drefs. Following there- 
fore the lights he has fet before us, though occa- 
fionally confulting other authorities, we fliall pre- 
fent our readers with fuch a general hiftory of Man 
as may at once be interefl:ing and infl:ru6i:ive. 
If Man be compared with the other clafles of 
animated nature, we fhall find him to pofl!efs mofb 
of thofe advantages united, which the refl: only 
partially enioy. Infinitely fuperior to all others 
in the mental powers, he is alfo fuperior to them 
in the aptnefs and proportion of his form. He 
would indeed be one of the mofl: wretched beings 
on earth, if, with a fentient mind, he was fo con- 
ftrufted as to be incapable of obeying it's im- 
pulfes: but Nature has otherwife provided; as, 
with the mofl: extenfive intellecfts to command, 
fhe has furniflaed him with a body the befl: adapted 
for obedience. 
In infancy, however, that mind and this body 
form the mofl: helplefs union in all animated na- 
ture; and, if any thing can give us a compleat 
pifture of imbeciliity, it is a human being juft: 
come into the world. Incapable of employing 
it's organs or it's fenfes, the infant fbands in need 
of every fpecies of fuccour and anrifl:ance: it is 
more helplefs than the young of any other ani- 
mal; it's doubtful life feems every moment vi- 
brating on the borders of death. It neither pof- 
M A N 
felles abilities to move or fupport it's body; it is 
barely able to announce by cries the pain it en- 
dures; and, as if Nature intended to apprize the 
litde innocent that it is born to milery, it's firft 
founds are thofe of forrow and lamentation. 
An infant juft born may be faid to pafs from 
one element to another; for, from the watery fluid 
in which it was furrounded, it now immerges into 
air, and infl:antly feels the impreffions of that ac- » 
tive fluid. The air a(51s on the olfactory nerves, 
and on the organs of refpiration ; and this aftion 
produces a fliock, a kind of fneezing, which ex- 
pands the cheft, and gives the air a free paflage 
into the lungs by a dilatation of their veficles* 
The air having remained there for fome time, i3 
heated and rarified to a certain degree; and the 
ftimulus or fpring arifing from the dilatation of 
the fibres re-a£ts on this rarified fluid, and expels 
it from the lungs. To explain the caufes of the 
alternate motion of refpiration, v/ould lead to dif- 
quifitions not adapted for the prefent fubje6l • 
fuflice it to fay, that this funftion is effentiaily ne- 
cefiary to the exifl:ence of Man, and of many , 
other animals. If refpiration ceafes, the animal 
mufl: perifli: when once commenced, it never 
fl.ops till death; for, after the foetus begins to rc- 
fpire, it continues this adlion without interruption. 
It is, however, probable, that the foramen ovale 
of the heart does not clofe immediately on the 
birth, and confequently part of the blood may 
pafs through that aperture. The whole mafs of 
blood, therefore, does not enter at once into the 
lungs; and a new-born child may perhaps be de- 
prived of air for a confiderable time without fuf- 
focation. In order to throw fome light on this 
dark fubjeft, BuflTon fo placed a pregnant bitch, 
that her puppies were brought fortli in warm wa- 
ter, in which he kept them above half an hour at 
a time: however, he faw no chang-e in the animals 
thus newly brought forth; they continued the 
whole time vigorous; and, during the fpace they 
continued there, it is very probable that the blood 
circulated through the fame channels through 
which it pafled while they continued in the 
womb. 
The air, on it's firfl: entrance into the lungs, 
generally meets with fome obfl:acle, occafioned 
by a fluid fubfl'ance collefted in the wind-pipe 5 
this obftacle is greater or lefs, in proportion to 
the vifcidity of the liquor: but the infant, at it's 
birth, raifes it's head, which formerly reclined on 
the breafl:; and by this operation the canal of the 
wind-pipe is lengthened ; the air of courfe rufhes 
in, forces this fluid into the cells of the lungs, 
which it dilates ; and in this manner the mucous 
fubftance, which oppofed the free paffage of the 
air, is difflifed through the whole fubfl:ance of the 
lungs. The regular admiflion of frefh air foon 
dries up this fuperfluous moifl:ure; or, if itfliould 
fl:ill incommode the infant, it excites a cougii, 
and is expedlorated. 
As we are incapable of remembering any thing 
that happens at this early period of our exifl:ence, 
it is impofllble to paint the feelings excited in 
the child by the firft impreflions of the air; but 
the cries and groans it utters immediately after 
birth, are certain indications of the pain occa- 
fioned by the a£lion of the atmofphere. Equally 
fenfible of any degree of heat as well as cold, in 
every fituation it utters complaints ; and pain ap- 
pears to be it's firft and only fenfation. 
Almoft all animals have their eyes clofed for 
fome 
