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Received October io, 1766. 
VI. Experiments with Camphire , by- Mr. 
Alexander, Surgeon in Edinburgh. 
S medical authors have differed fo 
widely in their opinions concerning 
the nature and effedts of camphire, one part of them 
positively affirming that it heats, and another aflerting 
with the fame confidence that it cools the body ; I 
made the following experiments with it, in order, if 
poffible, to have cleared up the difficulty. 
If camphire was a heater, I concluded it would 
raife my pulfe, and augment my natural heat ; and 
therefore, previous to my taking it, I counted the 
number of pulfations in a minute, which were fixty- 
eight, and found that, in the fpace of five minutes, the 
mercury in Fahrenheit’s thermometer arofe eighteen 
degrees by the heat of my Stomach 
Having thus found the State of my pulfe, and of 
my natural heat ; I took 9 j of camphire in a little of 
the pulp of tamarinds ; and twenty minutes afterwards 
applied the thermometer to my Stomach : the mercury, 
in the fpace of five minutes, arofe exadly eighteen 
degrees, as it had done before taking the dofe, but my 
pulfe beat only fixty-fix, which was two Strokes lefs. 
Three quarters of an hour after I had taken the 
camphire, I applied the thermometer again j in the 
* The thermometer was applied to the pit of my Stomach. 
Vol. LVII. K fame 
