MAN 
Irnmoderate length would render every fort of 
manual labour inconvenient, if not abfolutely 
impoffible, they are alfo regarded as a badge of 
exemption from toil, and an enfign of fuperior en- 
dowments. 
With regard to the proportions of the human 
figure, we have no exa6l knowledge; for the 
beauty of the beft ftatues is better conceived by 
obferving than by meafuring them. ThoP:: of 
antiquity, which were at firft copied after the hu- 
man form, are now become the models of it; nor 
is there one iVIan found whofe perfon approaches 
to thofe inimitable performances that have thus, 
in one figure, united the perfe61:ions of numbers. 
It is fufficient to fay that, from being at firft mo - 
dels, they are now become originals; and are ufed 
to corre£t deviations in that form from whence 
they are taken. ' We mufl not, however, pretend 
to give the proportions of the human body as 
taken from thefe, there being nothing more arbi- 
trary, and which good painters themfelves more 
defpife. Some, for infcance, who have ftudied 
after models, divide the body into ten times the 
length of the face, and others into eight. Some 
preten4 to tell us, that there is a fimilitude of pro- 
portion in different parts of the body: thus, that 
the head is the length of the face ; the thumb the 
length of the nofe; the fpace between the eyes the 
breadth of an eye; the breadth of the thigh, where 
thickeft, double that of the thickeft part of the 
leg, and treble the fmalleft ; that the arms, when ex- 
tended, are equal to the length of the figure; and 
that the legs and thighs are half the length of the 
body. All this, however, is extremely arbitrary ; 
and the excellence of a fliape, or the beauty of a 
ftatue, refults from the attitude and pofition of the 
v/hole, rather than from any determined meafure- 
ments, begun v/ithout experience, and fanftioned 
by caprice. It may in general be remarked, that 
the proportions alter in every age, and are ob- 
vioufly different in the two fexes. In women, the 
Ihoulders are narrower, and the neck is proportion- 
ably longer, than in Men; the hips alfo are confi- 
derably larger, and the thighs fliorter. Thefe 
proportions, however, vary greatly at different 
flages of life: in infancy, the upper parts of the 
body are much larger than the lower; and the legs 
and thighs do not nearly conftitute half the height 
of the whole figure. In proportion as the child 
increafes in age, the inferior parts lengthen; fo 
that the body is not equally divided till it arrives 
at it's full feature. 
There are great varieties in the fize of Men. 
Thofe are faid to be tall who meafure from five 
feet eight to fix feet in height; the middle ftature 
is from five feet five to five feet eight; and they 
are faid to be of a diminutive fize who fall fhort 
of thefe proportions. However, it ought to be 
remarked, that the fame perfon is always taller in 
the morning than on going to bed at night; there 
being fometimes the difference of an inch. The 
reafon of this diverfity of fiature is obvious. Be- 
tween all the joints of the back-bone a glutinous 
liquor is depofited, which ferves, like oil in a ma- 
chine, to give the parts an eafy play on each 
other: this lubricating liquor, or fynovia, accord- 
ing to anatomifts, is poured in during the feafon 
of repofe, and is confumed by exercife and em- 
- ployment; fo that after hard labour fcarcely any 
of it remains, but all the joints grow ftiff, and 
their motion is painful and uneafy. Hence, 
therefore, the body diminifhes in ftature: for this 
MAN 
rhoiR-ure being drained away from between the 
numerous joints of the back-bone, they lie clofc 
on each other, and their entire length is thus very 
fenfibly diminifhcd; but fleep, by reftoring the 
fluid, again fwells the fpaces between the vertebrae, 
and the v/hole is extended to it's former dimen- 
fions. 
As the human body varies in fize, fo it alfo 
differs in weight; and the fame perfon, without 
any apparent caufe, is found to be heavier at one 
time than another. If, after partaking of a plen- 
tiful repaft, the perfon fnould find himfelf hea- 
vier, it v/ould appear in no refpedt extraordinary; 
but the fad is, the body is very often found hea- 
vier fome hours after eating than immediately fuc- 
ceeding it. If a perfon, fatigued with the toils of 
the day, eats a hearty fupper, and is weighed on 
going to bed; after a found fleep, if he is again 
weighed, he will be found confiderably heavier 
than before: whence this adventitious weight is 
derived, it is not eafy to conceive; the body, dur- 
ing the whole night, rather perfpiring than im- 
bibing any fluid, and rather lofing than gaining 
moifture. 
Though the human body is externally more 
delicate, it is however very nervous, and perhaps 
ftronger, for it's fize, than that of the moft robuft 
quadruped. In forming a comparifon between the 
force of a lion and that of a Man, it ought to be 
confidered, that the lion is armed with teeth and 
talons; and that thefe dreadful weapons convey a 
falfe idea of real flrength. Nature has not fur- 
niflied Man with offenfive arms; and, perhaps, 
happy had it been for him, if Art had never put 
into his hands weapons more terrible, as well as 
more defl:ru6live, than the paws of the lion. 
But there is ajufter method of inftituting a com- 
parifon between the flrength of Men and that of 
other animals ; namely, by the weight they are 
able to carry. It is affirmed, that the porters of 
Conftantinople carry burdens of nine hundred 
pounds weight: and Defaguliers tells us that, by, 
means of a certain harnefs, by which every part of 
a Man's body v/as proportionably loaded, the per- 
fon he employed in this experiment was abletofup- 
port, in an ereft pofture, a weight not lefs than two 
thoufand pounds. A horfe, which is about feven 
times our bulk, would be thus able to raife a 
weight of fourteen thoufand pounds, if his flrength 
were in the fame proportion. But the fail is, a 
horfe cannot carry on his back above two or three 
hundred weight; while a Man, of confeffedly in- 
ferior flrength, can fupport two thoufand pounds. 
The reafon of this is fuffxciently obvious: a load 
on a Man's flioulders is placed to the greateft ad- 
vantage ; while, on the contrary, on the back of a 
horfe, it is placed to the greateft: difadvantage. 
Let us for a moment fuppofe a Man ftanding as 
upright as poffible under the aforementioned enor- 
mous weight; then all the bones of his body may 
be compared to pillars fupporting a building, 
and his mufcles will have very little employment 
in this dangerous duty: however, they are not ab- 
folutely inactive; as Man, let him ftand ever fo 
upright, will have fome bending in different parts 
of his body. The mufcles therefore give the 
bones a partial afllftance, and that with the great- 
eft poffible advantage. In this manner a Man 
may be capable of fupporting even a greater 
weight than two thoufand pounds; namely, by 
ftrapping the load round the bearer's fhoulders, by 
means of a ma:chine fomewhac refembling that 
^ , v.'hic]?. 
