[ 487 ] 
frelh portions of the air were applied to our bodies in 
fuch a quick fucceflion, that no part of it could remain 
in contadl a fufficient time to be cooled, we neceflarily 
felt the full heat communicated by the ftove. It was 
obferved that our breath did not feel cool to the fingers 
unlefs they were held very near the mouth ; at a diftance 
the cooling power of the breath did not fufficiently com- 
penfate the effect of putting the air in motion, efpecially 
when we breathed with force. 
A chief obje6l of this day’s experiments was to afcer- 
tain the real effect of our cloaths in enabling us to bear 
fuch high degrees of heat. With this view I took off 
my coat, waiftcoat, and fhirt, and in that fituation went 
into the room, as foon as the thermometer had rifen 
above the boiling point, with the precaution of holding 
a piece of cloth conftantly between my body and the 
cockle, as the fcorching was otherwife intolerable. The 
firft imprefiion of the heated air on my naked body was 
much more difagreeable than I had ever felt it through 
my cloaths ; but in five or fix minutes a profnfe fweat . 
broke out, which gave me inftant relief, and took off all 
the extraordinary uneafinefs : at the end of twelve mi- 
nutes, when the thermometer had rifen almofi: to 220% 
I left the room, very much fatigued, but no otherwife 
difordered; my pulfe made 136 beats in a minute. On. 
this occafion I felt nothing of that oppreflion on my ■ 
breath which became fo material a fymptom in the 
experiment with my cloaths when the thermometer 
had rifen to 260°: this may be partly explained by the 
lefs quicknefs of my pulfe, the difference being at leaft 
VoL. LXV. Ttt eight 
