592 Dr, Davy’s Account of some Experiments 
62, about four hours after the blood had been drawn, during 
which time each bottle had been closely corked. A delicate 
thermometer, by means of a perforated cork, was placed in the 
middle of the liquid. The botlle was then plunged into water 
of the temperature 140 Fahrenheit, and when the mercury 
had risen to 120, the bottle was quickly wiped and suspended 
in the middle of the room, and the progress of cooling was 
noticed every five minutes, till the thermometer had fallen to 
80. The following were the general results obtained. 
Water cooled from 120 to 80 in 91 minutes 
Arterial blood in - 89 
Venous blood in - - 88 
Considering therefore the capacity of water for heat to be de- 
noted by 1000, neglecting the effect of the glass bottle pro- 
ducing a difference only of about half a minute, and the same 
in each instance, and dividing the times of cooling by the spe- 
cific gravity, the relative capacities of venous and arterial blood 
without fibrin, appear to be as .92 1 and .934. 
In the following experiments the same kind of blood and 
the same quantity was used as in the preceding. The mix- 
tures were made in a very thin glass receiver containing a 
elicate thermometer. The temperature of the room was 66, 
Hot water temperature 121 ; cold water 61. Mixture of 
the two go, after two minutes 89, after three 88, and after 
eight 87. 
Venous blood 121. Water ^2.5. Mixture 89; after three 
minutes 88 5; after seven 87. 
Arterial blood 121. Water 63.5. Mixture 89.5; after three 
minutes 88.5, and after seven 87. 
Now, allowing about one degree of the cooling effect to 
