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Tranquilly obferving the progrefs of his 
difeafe, he pointed out. to his friends the 
different parts of his body which-were ftill 
fenfible, and unaff- ed by paralyiis: he 
expired without a ftruggle on the 1ith 
Nivole, and it may be truly affirmed, that 
he enjoyed, during the courfe of a long 
hife. a more uninterrupted degree of hap- 
pinefs than ufuaily falls to the lot of man 
mn this fate of exiftence. 
He received thofe funeral honours which 
Proceedings of Learned Societies. 
[ June-t, 
he fo juftly merited as an upright magif- 
trate, an illuftrious poilofopher, and a 
refpectable citizen: men of all ages and 
ranks were anxious to render homage ta 
his remains: they were depofited in that 
garden which his care had decorated, and 
his virtves honoured during fixty years, 
and which his tomb. will endear to every 
lever of virtue and fcience, by adding the 
charm of fentiment to the beauties of nae. 
ture by which it is embellifhed. — 
PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. 
ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 
HE Croonian le&ture vn mufcular 
motion was delivered during the pre- 
kent feffion, before this Jearned body, by 
ANTONY CaRLisLE, Efq. of which the 
following is an outline :—*‘* Mufcular mo- 
tion,’ fays Mr. Carlifle, «1s the firft fen- 
fible operation of animal life: the various 
combinations of it fuftain and carry en 
the multiplied funétions of the largeft ani- 
mals : the temporary ceffation of this mo- 
tive faculty is the fulpenfion of the living 
powers ; its total quiefcence is death.”’ 
Having defined the fubje&t to be difcuffed, 
the legturer proceeds to defcribe his object, 
which is Jimited to circumftances ‘that are 
connected with mufcular motion, confider- 
ed as caufes, or rather as a feries of events, 
all of which contribute more or or Jefs, as 
conveniencies, or effential requifites, to the 
phenomena. 
The mufcular parts of animals are moft 
frequently compofed of many fubftances, 
in addition to thofe which are purely 
mufcular. In this grofs ftate, they con- 
ftitute a flexible, compreffible folid, whofe 
texture is generally fibrous, the fibres being 
compacted into fafciculi cr bundies of 
various thicknefs. ‘Thefe fibres are elaitic 
during the contracted ftate of the mufcles 
after death, being capable of extenfion to 
more than one fifth of their length, and of 
returning again to their former ftate of 
contraction. This elafticity, however, 
appears to belong to the cellular mem- 
brane, and not to the matter of the mufcle. 
The attraction of cchefion, in the parts 
ef the mulcle, is frongeft in the fibres, 
being double that of the tran{verfe direc- 
tion. When mufcles are capable of reiter- 
ated contractions and relaxations, they are 
faid to be alive, or to poffefs irritability. 
This quality fits the organ for its funétions, 
When mufcles have ceafed to be irritable, 
their cohefive attraction in the direstion of 
their fibres is diminifhed, but it remains 
unaltered in the tranfverfe dire&tion. 
Mr. Carlifle fhews from experiments, 
that the attraétion of cohelion in the mat. 
ter of the mufcle is confiderably greater 
during the a€t of contracting, than during 
the paffive ftate of tone: he then proceeds 
to notice the colour and texture of the 
mufcular parts of different animals, which 
vary in different clailes of animals, and — 
not unfrequently in the fame individual. 
In the outfet of this- le€ture, Mr. 
Carlifle aflumes that no fatisfattory - ex- - 
planation has yet been given of the ftate or 
changes which obtain in mufcles during 
their contractions or relaxations ; neither 
are their correfponding conneGtions with 
the vafcular, refpiratory, and nervous 
fyftems, fufficiently traced. «* Thefe fub- 
jects, therefore,” fays he, ¢ are open for 
the prefent enquiry, and although I may 
totally fail in this attempt to elucidate any 
one of the fubjeéts propofed, neverthelefs £ 
fhall not efteem my labour ufelefs, or the 
time of the Royal Society alzogether un- 
profitably confumed, if I fucceed in point- 
ing out the way to the future attainment 
of knowledge fo deeply interefting to man- 
kind.” With this view the experiments, — 
obfervations, and reafonings, contained in 
Mr. Carlifle’s leéture are entitled to re- 
fpetful attention from thofe who may in 
future refume the enquiry. R 
In fpeaking of temperature ashaving an 
effential influence over the aétions of the 
mufcles ; and of refpiration as one of the 
known caufes which influences the tem- 
peratures of animals: the following faéts 
deferve notice : 
‘* Diminifhed refpiration is the firft flep_ 
into the ftate of torpidity: a deep fleep 
accompanies it ; refpiration then ceafes 
altogether ; the animal temperature is tos 
ee tally 
> 
