Anatyfis of the Air . 271 
weight equal to many pounds. Neither are 
its counter-aCting mufcles, thofe of the Ab- 
domen, able to exert a greater force. 
For notwithftanding a man, by ftrongly 
comprefling a quantity of air included in his 
mouth, may raife a column of Mercury in. 
an inverted fyphon, to 5 or 7 inches height, 
yet he cannot with his utmoft {trainings 
raife it above 2 inches, by the contra&ing 
force of the mufcles of the Abdomen v 
whence we fee that our loudeft vociferations 
are made with a force of air no greater than 
this. So that any fmall impediment in 
breathing will haften the fuffocation, which 
confifts chiefly in the falling flat of the 
lungs, occafioned by the groffnefs of the 
particles of a thick noxious air, they being 
in that floating ftate mod eafily attracted by 
each other : As we find in the foregoing 
experiments that fulphur and the elaftick 
repelling particles of air do : And confe- 
quently unelaftick, fulphureous, faline and 
other floating particles will mod eafily 
coalefce, whereby they are rendred too grofs 
to enter the minute veficles 5 which are alfo 
much contracted, as well by the lofs of the 
elafticity of the contained air, as by the con- 
traftion occafioned by the ftimulating, acid, 
fulphu- 
