its energy, the nerves their fenfibility: the grand obstacle once removed, the fubordinate fprings of life prefently refume their respective movements.

From the privation of VITAL AIR in drowning, we can now explain, why the blood grows dark, the lips and countenance livid, and why the body lofes its native heat; fince, by renewing refpiration, circulation is renewed, and the blood, having regained its florid colour, all these symptoms foon disappear.

The primary object, therefore, in the fufpenfion of vital action, is to inftitute ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION till the NATURAL BREATHING can be re-established.

Thofe, who attribute the efficacy of this procefs to the mere mechanical expanfion of the lungs, for the easier transition of the blood, regard not the quality of the air; nay fome even have the folly to contend, that air blown warm from the lungs of a healthy person is better than atmospheric air.

Others deny that air, already vitiated by respiration, can be fit for the purpose (to say nothing of the indelicacy of the operation), and therefore justly prefer atmospheric air.

Being among the firft, continues the illuftrious Dr. FOTHERGILL, who recommended VITAL AIR in preference to the other two, not only from theory, but actual experiment on fome of the fmaller animals, its fuperiority has fince been confirmed by many refpectable writers both at home and abroad.

Nor is this to be wondered at, feeing it poffeffes every neceffary quality of common air, in a fuper-eminent degree, and is alone capable of producing that chemical change in the blood, upon which vital heat and irritability depend. For during the fufpenfion of refpiration, agreeable to what has been before hinted, the blood lofes its florid colour, from being deprived of the VITAL PART of the atmosphere. The animal heat is diminished, and the action of the heart grows fuddenly weaker every moment, until at length it ceases altogether.

In the act of drowning it is also well known, that though fuffocation generally takes place after a full expiration, that from 50 to 100 cubic inches of air still remain in the veficles of the lungs. This ftagnant air must therefore be highly vitiated, and therefore injurious to life, it cannot be evacuated by preffure, much less

meliorated

meliorated by fimilar air conveyed from another perfon's lungs; it may however be corrected by atmospheric air, and completely restored by VITAL AIR.

On the whole, it seems reasonable to conclude, that in the treatment of drowned persons, respired air must be lefs proper than atmospheric, atmospheric than VITAL; and could the latter be as easily and cheaply procured as the two former, few perfons could hefitate a moment in determining which of them they ought to prefer.

Whence is it then, that the ufe of VITAL AIR has hitherto been withheld from the human fpecies, and confined to a few experiments on brute animals? Because it is even yet but little known; and its virtues lefs understood. A remedy rarely to be had when most wanted, and never without fome trouble and expence. But we may foon, however, expect fome decifive experiments on this head, now that the VITAL AIR has not only unfolded the theory of respiration, digestion, and the animal heat, but also explains many other curious phænomena both in health and disease, and has been profecuted with fuch uncommon ardour, as to give birth to fome of the moft brilliant difcoveries that fhed luftre

on

on the prefent æra. -From Dr. FOTHERGILL's Prize Effay on the Sufpenfion of Vital Action.]

PROP. II.

It frequently happens in the case of drowning, that affistance cannot be procured till a confiderable time after the accident; every moment of which delay renders recovery more precarious, the chances of which are not only diminished in the parts where the first powers of action principally refide, but alfo in every other part of the body.

If a confiderable time, fuch as an hour, has been loft, it will feldom be fufficient to inflate the lungs with air; the heart having by this time loft its nice connection with the lungs.

It will be neceffary, having first inflated the lungs, to apply volatile falts to the nofe. It will be better if it be applied up both noftrils, as fuch applications to the olfactory nerves are known to roufe the living principle and put the muscles of refpiration into action, and are therefore likely to excite the action of the heart. Befides

the

the falt of vinegar, the fteam of the fame may be employed, for affections of those nerves greatly affect the living principle, for while a strong smell of very fweet flowers, as orange-flower, fhall in many cause fainting, the application of vinegar will immediately restore the powers to action again. Thus all perfumes in which there is fome acid, roufes rather than depreffes, as the fweet-brier, effence of lemon, &c.-HUNTER.

PROP. III.

Electricity has been known to be of fervice, and it is probably the only method we have of immediately ftimulating the heart; all other methods being more by fym→ pathy.-HUNTER.

[The effects of electricity were, fome time ago, finely illuftrated by the ingenious ABILGARD, in many curious experiments on apparently dead animals; wherein, by a dexterous management of its power, he is faid to have been capable of alternately suspending and restoring

animation