MAN 
fenfibie approaches of our end, require any far- 
ther confirnnation, nothing can more effeftually 
prove them than the uncertainty of the figns of 
death. If we confult the writers on this fubjecfl;, 
and particularly Winflov/ and Bruhier, we fiiall 
receive full conviftion, that between life and death 
the fhade is often fo undiftinguifhable, as to elude 
all the pov/ers of the medical art: they inform us, 
that the colour of the face, the heat of the body, 
and the flexibility of the joints, are uncertain in- 
dications of life ; and, on the contrary, that the 
palenefs of the countenance, the coldnefs of tlie 
body, the rigidity of the extremities, the ceffation 
of motion, and the abolition of the fenfes, are very 
equivocal figns of death. The fame remark may 
be made with regard to the apparent ceffation of 
the pulfe, and of refpiration: thefe motions are 
often fo flow, that they elude all our perceptions. 
A mirror or a candle is applied near the mouth of 
a perfon fuppofed to be at the lafb gafpj and if the 
mirror be lullied, or the flame vibrates, it is con- 
cluded that life is not extinguifhed : but thefe ef- 
fefts are often produced after death has acflually 
taken place ; and fometimes they appear not though 
the patient be ftill alive. When we wifli to be 
convinced of the death of any perfon, we apply 
, fumes of tobacco, and other irritating fubfl;ances, 
to the noftrils; we endeavour to excite the organs 
by violent agitations; by pricking, or fcarifying 
the hands and feet; by applying red-hot iron or 
wax to different parts of the body; and by raifing 
loud and unufual cries: but infl:ances have occur- 
red where all thefe, and fimilar trials, have proved 
abortive ; and the perfon fuppofed to be dead has 
afterwards recovered the powers of life. 
Hence, nothing can be m.ore apparent, than 
that a certain condition of life has the fl;rongefl: re- 
femblance to aftual death. Both humanity and 
reafon, therefore, require, that we Ihould be cau- 
tious of abandoning the body, and of committing 
it too precipitately to the grave. No determinate 
number of hours are fufficient to diftinguifli a real 
from an apparent death ; fince inftances are not 
wanting of perfons returning from the tomb at the 
expiration of two or three days. Why fhould we 
accelerate the interment ofthofe perfons, the pro- 
longation of whofe lives we mofl: ardently defire? 
Why fliould a practice fubfift, in the abolition of 
•which all Men are equally interefbed? Are not 
the frequent abufes recorded by phyficians fuffi- 
cient to deter us from too precipitate inhumations ? 
Before Dr. Hawes, with a humanity that will im- 
mortalize his name, difcovered the method of re- 
ftoring life to perfons apparently drowned, how 
many, do we fuppofe, were hurried to an untimely 
grave, who might have enjoyed life for a confide- 
rable term of years, and proved a comfort to their 
families, as well as an advantage to fociety ? 
Winflow informs uS;, that the body, though liv- 
ing, is fometimes fo compleatly deprived of every 
vital funftion, that it has every external appear- 
ance of death. ' But,' he remarks, ' both religion 
and charity require, that a reafonable time fliould 
be allowed to difcover whether any figns of life 
may not fl:ill manifeft themfelves ; otherwife we 
become aftual murderers, by inhuming perfons 
who are not dead.' If we may credit the greateH 
number of authors, three days, or feventy-two 
hours, are fufficient for this purpofe ; and if, during 
this period, no fymptoms of life appear, but, on 
the contrary, the body begins to emit a cadave- 
rous odour, which is an infallible fign of death, 
we may then bury it without fcrnpk t>r hcfitauon. 
Having traced the hiftory of life and death 
with regard to individuals, we fliall nov/ confidcr 
boih in relation to the v/hole fpecies. 
_ Man dies at every age; and though the dura- 
tion of his life be longer than that of moft ani-^ 
mals, it is unoueflionably more various and un- 
certain. Attempts have been made to afccrtain 
thefe uncertainties, and by obfervations to fix iome 
fl:andard to the mortality of mankind at diffcreni: 
periods of life: and, from the moil accurate calcu- 
lations on this fubjcd, it appears that a new-born 
infant has an equal chance of living eight years ^ 
that a child of the age of one year will live thirty- 
three years; that an infant of two will live thirty- 
eight years longer; that a Man of twenty ftands 
a chance of living thirty-three years more; and 
that a Man of thirty may live about twenty-eisht 
years more. It is farther obferved, that fevei\ 
years is the age at which the longelt duration of 
life is to be expelled, for there is\hcn an equal 
chance of furviving forty-two years and upwards; 
that at twelve years, one-fourth of life is expired', 
fince we have no reaion to hope for above thirty- 
eight or thirty-nine years more; that at twenty- 
eight, or twenty-nine years, we have lived half our 
days, fince there nre only twenty-eight more to be 
expefted; and, laffly, that at tlie age of fifty, three- 
fourths of life are elapfed, the remaining chance 
extending only to fixteen or fcvcnteen years. 
Thefe phyfical truths, however mortifying, may 
be alleviated by moral confiderations. ' The firfi: 
fifteen years of our exiftence may be reo-arded as 
nothing; every thing that paffes during'this long 
period is either obliterated from the memory, or 
has fo little connexion with the views and objeils 
which afterwards occupy our attention, that it en- 
tirely ceafes to be intcrefting: the train of our 
ideas, and even the nature of our exiflence_, fuffer 
a total change. Our lives can fcarcely be faid to 
commence till we have learned to arrange our 
thoughts, to dired: them towards futurity, to af- 
fijme a kind of confiftency of charafter, fimilar to 
that ftate at which we are ultimately defl:ined to 
arrive. Confidering therefore the duration of 
life in this point of view, which is the only real 
one, at the age of twenty-five we have paffed one^ 
fourth of our days; at that of thirty-eight, one- 
half ; and, at the age of fH'ty-fix, three-fourths. 
Hitherto Man has been defcribed, in genera], 
as he appears in every nation and every Quarter of 
the globe; and as an individual endowed with ex-- 
cellencies above the reft of the creation. But Vv'c 
now come to confider the advantages v/hich one 
race of Men enjoys over another, and the various 
kinds with which our earth is inhabited. 
If the minute differences of mankind are com.- 
pared, there is fcarcely one nation on the earth thac 
entirely refcmbles another; and there mav be faid 
to be as many different kinds of Men as there are 
countries inhabited. One polifhed nation does 
not differ more from another than the mereft fa.- 
vages from thofe barbarians who lie contiguous to 
them; and it frequently happens, that a mountain 
or a river divides two barbarous tribes diffimilar 
to each other in manners, cuff:oms, features, and 
complexions. But however perceptible thefe dif- 
criminations may be, they do not form fuch as 
come within a general pifture of the varieties of 
mankind. Cuftom, accident, or fafliion, mav 
produce confiderable alterations in neighbouring 
nations; their being dtfcended from anceflors of 
a different climate or complexion, may contribute 
to make accidencal diflinctions, v/hich every dav 
become 
