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at a fingle ordinary infpiration, is according to Dr. Menzies 43. 77 cubick inches; Mr. Bell and moft other modern writers ftate it at about 40 cubick inches.

It appears then, that a great proportion of the infpired air remains in the lungs after each expiration; and fome part of it through as many as feven or eight refpirations. If air, once refpired, would certainly extinguifh life, that which remains after every ordinary expiration must be fufficient to produce a fatal effect in all cafes. No animal could live a moment with it in the lungs. But men live, and breathe, and act, having this air in their lungs; therefore it is not deleterious.

That this retained air affifts the circulation of blood through the lungs is proved by Mr. Kite's experiments. Though it must have undergone the change of expired air, yet he found, that blood circulated more freely in this state of the lungs, than under a forcible expiration; and that animals will live longer with this air, than without any, in the proportion of 130 to 50. The fame gentleman has proved by experiment, on animals prepared for the purpofe, that in fubmerfion the heart continues to beat for a confiderable time after the blood, which is found in fmall quantities in the pulmonary veins and left ventricle, becomes black. It is shown by this, that although oxygenation of the blood may be neceffary to maintain the animal functions, it is not essential to the excitement of the heart*; and that the heart

* The oxygenation of the blood is not bere denied. An experiment is fomewhere related, in which the jugular vein Vol. II. No. 6. Pp

ccafes to contract, from the refift ance made to the paffage of blood through the lungs, by their want of expanfion. He has demonftrated by about two hundred experiments, that from this caufe is the blood accumulated in the right venous finus and right auricle of the heart.

The difference, in the volume of the lungs, between expiration and infpiration, and the confidcrable changes they must undergo in the various degrees of force, with which the function is performed, thew, that the pulmonary veffels must confequently be fubjected to confiderable viciffitudes of elongation and contraction. Even a fmall degree of expanfion would be fufficient in fome meafure to facilitate the circulation through them, as Haller long ago flatedt, and as later inquiries have proved. This mechanical dilatation of the veffels is fo conducive to refpiration, that water, injected into the lungs, will enable the blood to pass through them more freely, than it will do in a ftate of collapfe. This has been proved by an experiment of Mr. Coleman.

The apparent pulfation of the brain, when the cranium has been removed, is a phenomenon that

of an animal, being laid bare and oxygenous gas blown on it, the colour of the contained blood was changed to florid. Haller has calculated, that the coats of the pulmonary veficles are but the millionth part of an inch in thicknefs. Pricfley has proved, that gaffes act through bladders. This he proves drogen and nitrous gaffes. not only of oxygenous gas, but of hyOn the whole it fhould feem, that oxygen gas not only may, but that it muft, act on blood contained in the thin vellel, of the lungs.

↑ Vid. Haller, 1. viii. f. 4.

can fcarcely be explained on any other principle, than that of mechanical refiftance to the circulation through the lungs in the state of expiration. This motion of the brain correfponds not with the action of the heart, but precifely with that of the lungs. For at the moment of expiration the brain is protruded, because, the blood being refifted by the collapfed lungs, the jugular vein and right auricle cannot empty themfelves into the distended ventricle, and the brain is enlarged from the arterial blood*. In truth one would fuppofe, that the provifion of the foramen ovale in the foetus for the purpose of enabling the blood to pass through the heart, when a paffage through the lungs is denied it for want of refpiration to expand that organ, would be fufficient to prove the mechanical influence of refpiration. It is clearly demonstrated in the foetal fubject, that the volume of the lungs is increased by inflation. Before this inflation, they are extremely compact, and will fink in water; after the air has once diftended them, no preffure, nor even the exhauftion by the air pump, will fo far diminish their bulk as to prevent their swimming in water, than which they have become fpecifically lightert.

Vid. Haller vi. 4. 9.. † Ibid. viii. 4. 11. 27.

The effentials for the restora tion of the vital functions, in cafes of their fufpenfion, are, proper temperature and motion of the heart and lungs. In the infant juft born the temperature exifts, but the lungs are in a state of collapfe. Motion then is the firft thing required, and the most direct and effectual manner of exciting it is obviously by dilatation of the lungs : this will produce motion in the heart and origin of the great arteries, which we cannot fo readily do by any other means. For the action of the lungs, by the preffure this organ makes on the fides of the pericardium, greatly affifts in the propulfion of the blood through the heart. The alternate expanfion and compreffion of the lungs in' imitation of respiration, though in an imperfect manner, must alfo propel the blood through the pulmonary vessels toward the left ventricle of the heart, because the valves prevent its return to the right ventricle.

No man therefore can reafonably deny, ift. That air, commonly expired from the human lungs, is not fatal to animal life. 2d. That air, fimply by mechanical diftention of the lungs, greatly aids the paffage of blood through them; and hence will be useful or even neceffary in fufpendedanimation.

March 4th, 1805.

ORIGINAL LETTERS OF DR. FRANKLIN.

The unlaboured pleasantry and native and unrivalled grace of the correspondence of Dr. Franklin, give his flyle an individuality, which makes it unnecessary for us to offer any proofs of the genuineness of the following letters. They were written to a relative. in this torun, whe is now living, In the place of his birth there muft undoubtedly

wift many more in the bands of individuals, who would confer a very great favour en us by allowing us to give them a less perifbable exiftence than a fingle facet.

LETTER I.

To Mrs. Partridge, Boston.

Philadelphia, June 3, 1786.

MY DEAR CHILD,

I HAVE just received your kind letter of the 14th paft, which gave me great pleasure, as it informed me of your welfare. You complain with reafon of my being a bad correfpondent. I confels I have long deferved that character. If you keep my old letters, as I think you once told me you did, you will find in one of July 17, 1767, the best apology I could then make for that fault, and I cannot now make a better. I must therefore refer you to it; only requesting, that you would ascribe my neglect of writing to any cause, rather than to a diminution of that tender, affectionate regard I always had and ftill retain for you.

I hoped for repose when I fohicited my recal from France; but I have not met with it, being as much engaged in business as ever. I enjoy however, a good fhare of health, (the ftone excepted) as does all this family, who join with me in best wishes of happiness to you and yours. I am ever, my dear niece,

Your affectionate uncle,
B. FRANKLIN.
in his 81ft year.

LETTER II.

Philadelphia, Nov. 25, 1788.

MY DEAR CHILD,

I RECEIVED your kind letter of the 12th inft. inclofing one for Mr. Philips Vanhorn, physician in Philadelphia, which you defire me defire me

to deliver, and to folicit the forgiveness of his daughter. I immediately made inquiry for him, as to be inftrumental in fo charitable a work, and in concurrence with you, would have given me great pleafure, but I am affured by our oldest inhabitants, who have had most acquaintance and beft opportunities of knowing their fellow citizens, particularly fome of our phyficians, that no phyfician or other perfon of that name has ever been a refident here; fo that there must have been fome mistake in the information that has been given you, if indeed the whole ftory is not an impofition.

You kindly inquire after my health. I have not of late much reafon to boast of it. People that will live a long life, and drink to the bottom of the cup, mult expect to meet with fome of the dregs. However, when I confider how many more terrible maladies the human body is liable to, I think myself well off that I have only three incurable ones, the gout, the ftone, and old age; and thofe notwithstanding, I enjoy many comfortable intervals, in which I forget all my ills, and amufe myself in reading or writing, or in converfation with friends, joking, laughing, and telling merry ftories, as when you first knew me, a young man about fifty.

My children and grand-children, the Baches, are all well, and pleafed with your remembrance of them. They are my

family, living in my houfe. And we have lately the addition of a little good-natured girl, whom I begin to love as well as the reft.

You tell me our poor friend Ben. Kent is gone; I hope to the regions of the bleffed; or at leaft to fome place where fouls are prepared for thofe regions! ....I found my hope on this, that though not fo orthodox as you and I, he was an honest man, and had his virtues. If he had any hypocrify, it was of that inverted kind, with which a man is not fo bad as he feems to be. And with regard to future blifs, I cannot help imagining, that multitudes of the zealously orthodox of different fects, who at the last day may flock together, in hopes of feeing each other damned, will be disappointed, and obliged to reft content with their own falvation.

You have no occafion to apologize for your former letter. It was, as all yours are, very well written. That which is inclofed for your coufin came too late, he being failed.

By one of the accidents which war occafions, all my books containing copies of my letters were loft. There were eight volumes

of them, and I have been able to recover only two. Thofe are of later date than the tranfaction you mention, and therefore can contain nothing relating to it. ... If the letter you want a copy of, was one in which I aimed at confoling my brother's friends, by a company drawn from a party of pleasure intended into the country, where we were all to meet, though the chair of one being fooneft ready he fet out before the reft; I fay if this was the letter, I fancy you may poffibly find it in Bofton, as I remember Dr. Biles once wrote me that many copies had been taken of it. ....I too fhould have been glad to have feen that again among others I had written to him and you: But you inform me they were devoured by the mice. Poor little innocent creatures; I am very forry they had no better food. But fince they like my letters, here is another treat for them.

Adieu, ma chere enfant, and believe me eyer

Your affectionate uncle,

B. FRANKLIN.

My refpects to Mr. Partridge and Sarah your daughter.

ARGENIS:

A ROMANCE, TRANSLATED FROM THE LATIN OF BARCLAY.

Continued from p. 187.

TO this relation Archombrotus liftened with fixed attention. Already conceiving a warm intereft for the royal caufe, he gave vent to his feelings, as foon as PoJiarchus clofed, in the bittereft invectives against the partizans of Lycogenes. Afterwards, in the courfe of the converfation, he

chanced to inquire the age of the princefs, " of whom," faid he, "fame fpeaks fo loudly that even in the diftant climes of Africa there are few to whom the name, the beauty, and accomplishments of Argenis are unknown." This interrogation, to his great furprize, threw his companion into

the deepeft confufion. His countenance changed, his looks were downcaft, and his voice faultered so much, that his answer that she was juft twenty was fcarcely audible. His fudden emotion excited the most ardent curiofity in Archombrotus to difcover, whether it arose from a fond attachment to Argenis; or whether the current of conversation might not have borne too hardly on feelings, affociated with the remembrance of fomething unfufpected. To fatisfy himself on this point he gradually led him into a difcuffion concerning the pending negociations and the leader of the malcontents, and, when the countenance of Poliarchus had regained its wonted compofure, fixing his eyes upon him in the moft fcrutinizing manner, he queftioned him of the perfonal charms of the princefs and of the manner of her life. This inquiry renewed all his embarraffment, and he could only return a flight evafive anfwer. He was however relieved from his confufion by the delicacy of Archombrotus, who afked him, "what individuals then formed the ableft fupport of the royal caufe.?" "We are not yet," replied he, "fo far removed from the fostering care of heaven, as to want citizens, whofe talents and virtues honour their rank and entitle to the fignal favour of our fovereign. One of the most diftinguished for the wifdom of his politicks is Cleobulus. Eurimedes and Arfidas are eminent for their military qualifications, and not lefs for their general capacity. Ibburanes and Dunalbius, whofe merits overbalanced the dif advantage of their foreign extrac

tion, and raised them to the honors of the holy purple*, have, in all the tranfactions with Lycogenes, by their unexampled wisdom & firmnefs fupported the dignity of our fovereign in its proudeft attitude. We have still others, whofe undeviating prudence and fidelity have long fince infured them the confidence and affection of Meleander. With their distinguished merits a fhort refidence at court will make you fully converfant."

As the night was now far advanced, they were induced from a politenefs, that was reciprocal, to forbear a farther intrusion on each other's repofe, and the converfation, as if by concert, foon ceafed. The mind of each was, in this interval between watching and flumber, harraffed by its own private cares. The imagination of Archombrotus ftill dwelt on the unquiet fcenes, that had been pourtrayed by his companion; and the probable nearness of peace excited in him chill and comfortlefs reflexions. He now defpaired of a chance to fignalize himself in the presence of Meleander. "Negociation, thought he, will foon put an end to battles, and arms will be ufelefs when there are no enemies to contend with." Then recurred to him the mysterious behaviour of Poliarchus.

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[The boly purple.] From the ftation, which Urban VIII. and Ubaldinus, the real characters here fignified, once held, and becaufe the purple affords a very imprecife criterion of ancient facerdotal rank, it is most likely, that the author, though a little forgetful of his usual confiftency, meant to align to these feigned worthies of antiquity the rank, as well as the mantle of modern cardinals.

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