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phlogifticated air is changed, by refpiration, into fixed air. An
hundred parts of atmospheric air, containing 80 of phlogisticated,
18 of dephlogifticated, and 2 of fixed air, were reduced, by
paffing through the lungs, to 98 parts, containing 80 of phlo-
gifticated, 5 of dephlogifticated, and 13 of fixed air. The ex-
periment was feveral times repeated; and the above quantities
are the mean of all the refults. The opinion of Dr. Priestley,
that air is phlogifticated by paffing through the lungs, is there-
fore fhewn, by experiment, to be erroneous.
Dr. Goodwyn,
however, agrees with Dr. Priestley, that the florid colour which
the blood acquires in paffing through the lungs, is produced by
the dephlogisticated air; but the moft material parts of this in-
veftigation are the experiments, whence it is concluded, that
the chemical change which the blood undergoes in the lungs by
respiration, gives it a ftimulating quality, by which it is fitted
to excite the left auricle and ventricle to contraction.'

In the fifth fection, Dr. Good wyn examines the nature of the difeafe produced by fubmerfion. During the time that an animal is under water, all fupply of dephlogifticated air is cut off; and the fmall quantity of it that might be in the lungs at the time of fubmerfion, is gradually confumed; the blood, therefore, continually becomes lefs and lefs florid, and the contractions of the heart become proportionally flower, until they entirely cease.

Having afcertained the caufe of the difeafe, the author proceeds to afcribe to it a place in a nofological fyftem. According to Dr. Cullen's definition of Syncope, viz. "Motus cordis imminutus, vel aliquandiu quiefcens," drowned perfons would certainly come under this definition, if they were univerfally recoverable but many drowned perfons do not recover; and, therefore, the difeafe which they fuffer cannot be the Syncope of Dr. Cullen, which only admits the aliquandiu. Some phyficians have called the difeafe produced by fubmerfion, Asphyxia; and the definition which Gaubius gives of it, feems to accord with it in every refpect, viz. " Deletis omnibus vitæ indiciis, accedente etiam fuffocatione, mortis imaginem ita refert, ut merito dubitetur, vitamne, an mortem, prædicare fas fit." Dr. Goodwyn, however, gives no reason why he would not refer it to this genus; and after fome fatisfactory reasons why it should not be referred to apoplexy, he affigns to it a new genus, which he calls Melanama, and defines to be impedita fanguinis venofi in arterioJum converfio, cujus figna, fyncope, et livor cutis.' He adds, This genus would afford an afylum to feveral nofological wanderers that have not yet found a permanent refting-place.' This farcalm might have been spared; especially as Dr. Goodwyn's definition is not conformable to the rules univerfally admitted by nofologifts. Diseases are known only by fymptoms; and the • impedita

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'impedita converfio' is the confequence, not a fymptom, or an outward vifible mark, of an animal having been drowned.

The fubfequent fections are employed in determining the condition of the body in this difeafe, the means of diftinguishing it from death, and the beft methods of curing it.

What Dr. Goodwyn advances concerning the cure of the difeafe (or, in other words, the recovery of perfons apparently drowned) is founded on the opinion before delivered, viz. that the florid blood poffeffes the quality of irritating or ftimulating the heart to action. As the florid colour of the blood is produced by dephlogisticated air, therefore, the introduction of dephlogisticated air into the lungs is recommended (in conjunction with other means ufually employed for refufcitation) as the only method of changing the colour of the blood, and thereby rendering it capable of exciting the heart to motion, and of reftoring life; which, in the more perfect animals, Dr. Goodwyn defines to be The faculty of propelling the fluids through the circu lating fyftem.'

Heat, properly regulated, feems to be a moft neceffary application by keeping the body in a due degree of heat, refpiration frequently commences without any previous inflation of the lungs, either with atmospheric or dephlogifticated air; and we do not recollect that experience affords any inftance of a recovery without the application of warmth, increased by flow degrees. We have been induced to make this obfervation, in confequence of the judicious directions which Dr. Goodwyn hath given for the application of heat in a gradual manner; as we are fully perfuaded of the bad effects arifing from its fudden appliR......m..

cation.

ART. V. An Effay on the Recovery of the apparently Dead. By Charles Kite, Member of the Corporation of Surgeons. Being the Effay to which the Humane Society's Medal was adjudged. 8vo. pp. 274. 5s. Boards. Dilly. 1788.

R. Kite begins his Differtation with affuming the hypo

MR thefis that the abfence of irritability is the only mark by

which we may know a body to be abfolutely and irrecoverably dead. As many eminent phyfiologifts have entertained contrary opinions on the unequivocal figns of death, it would have been fatisfactory to many readers to have feen that circumftance fully demonftrated; contenting himself, however, with taking the fuppofition as granted, Mr. Kite proceeds to investigate the internal immediate caufe of death, and the manner in which this is effected, in those who die by drowning.' On this interefting fubject, various have been the opinions of phyfiologifts; and thete different opinions are recited by Mr. Kite, with the arguments REV. April, 1789.

X

that

that have been brought to fupport them, as well as the objec tions that have been urged against them. He adopts the opinion of death being occafioned by apoplexy, and the arguments which he ufes in fupport of it are ingenious. No facts, we believe, can contradict this hypothefis; but what is of greater confequence, no fatisfactory facts are appealed to for its confirmation.

The next fection is employed in examining the probable causes of the uncertainty of recovering drowned perfons. Here the Author displays much ingenuity. The doctrine of temperaments dependent on the fuppofed predominance of particular humours, is rejected; and a new one given, which is dependent on the ftate of the folids. Mr. Kite diftinguishes the temperament, or conftitution into, I. The Tonic-indicating strength, firmness, and vigour in the mufcular fibres. II. The Atonic denoting weaknefs, relaxation, and inactivity. III. The Irritable-exhibiting quick, lively, and impetuous motions. These temperaments are particularly defcribed, and reasons are given why perfons of an irritable temperament are fooner drowned, and more speedily recovered, than others.

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The author next enquires, Whether there are any positive figns of the extinction of life?" He here more fully explains what he advanced in the introduction. He diftinguishes death into two kinds or fpecies-apparent or abfolute. By the former, he means a ftoppage of the circulation, respiration, and the action of the brain; the irritability, or that peculiar property of the mufcular fibres which enables them to contract on being irritated, ftill remaining. By abfolute death, he means not only a ceffation of the vital, natural, and animal, functions; but also, an entire deftruction of the principle of irritability. He then examines the symptoms by which the prefence of irritability may be known. After refuting the opinions of former writers on the fubject, and relating feveral experiments of his own, Mr. Kite concludes his enquiry with these words:

From thefe confiderations, it appears that the electrical fhock is to be admitted as the teft, or difcriminating characteristic of any remains of animal life; and fo long as that produces contractions, may the perfon be faid to be in a recoverable state; but when that effect has ceafed, there can no doubt remain of the party being absolutely and pofitively dead.'

In explaining the method of conducting the process of recovery, Mr. Kite recalls the attention of his readers to the ftate of the vital organs, when life is fufpended by the ftoppage of refpiration. The confideration of the symptoms clearly point out two indications; viz. 1ft, To remove the compreffion of the brain, and the congeftion about the brain; 2d, To excite the irritability of the muscular fibres. The firft may be effected by blood

letting

letting by the imitation of natural refpiration-and by proper pofition; the fecond by general and local stimulants. Mr. Kite enters into a particular detail of the feveral operations which he recommends, and which have been found by experience to be attended with fuccefs; for thefe, we muft refer to the book.

The author adds fome excellent obfervations on the fufpenfion of the vital powers by noxious vapours, hanging, fyncope, and lightning: he adds alfo fome hints on the propriety of ufing the trepan in certain cafes of fufpended animation; and gives fome useful directions for the prefervation of those unborn children who furvive the death of their mother.

A pocket cafe of inftruments for the recovery of the apparently dead, made by Mr. Savigny, is described in the Appendix.

Mr. Kite's Effay gained the filver medal from the Humane R......m.

Society.

ART. VI. Memoirs of Great Britain and Ireland, from the Battle off La Hogue till the Capture of the French and Spanish Fleets at Vigo. By Sir John Dalrymple, Bart. Baron of Exchequer in Scotland. Volume Second. 4to. 300 Pages. 12s. Boards. Printed at Edinburgh, for Bell and Creech; and fold in London, by Cadell. 1788.

H'

ISTORICAL Memoirs, when written with judgment and impartiality, are juftly deemed a valuable clafs of literary productions; for, by allowing a latitude for investigation which regular hiftory does not admit, they give to the Atudent who wishes to inveftigate (with close attention) any particular period of hiftory, that degree of information refpecting the special object of his purfuit, which he would in vain fearch for in any other compofitions. Such Memoirs, therefore, have ever been received by the people of Great Britain with a peculiar degree of favour; when they were not evidently defective in regard to their principal characteristics.

Among the modern writers of hiftorical memoirs, perhaps, no one has more attracted the public notice than Sir John Dalrymple. The period of hiftory which he selected as the subject of his lucubrations, in the firft volume of his Memoirs, published many years ago, was a remarkable one in the British annals. The events to which it referred were important; and many of the characters which shone forth conspicuously at that time, were viewed by a great proportion of the people as examples worthy to be followed. Human perfections, however, in moft cafes, admit of a great alloy, and only excite a high degree of admiration, when feen at such a diftance as prevents a full view of the weakneffes, not to fay the vices, to which all

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mankind

mankind are fubjected. Whatever, therefore, tends to remove the veil that obfcured the motives and principles by which men have been actuated, tends to difcover weakneffes in them that were not apparent before, and greatly diminishes the veneration with which we had been accustomed to view them. In political tranfactions, especially in thofe of great importance, we too often difcover that the most flagitious vices have been disguised under the femblance of the fairest virtues. On this principle, when Sir John Dalrymple, by an accuracy of inveftigation that had not before been bestowed on this portion of our hiftory, and by the help of documents that till then had been carefully concealed from the public view, appreciated the transactions of the times, it happened that many blemishes were difcovered in characters that had, till then, been confidered as immaculate; hence, many individuals could not help being angry at the man who had dared to impeach the integrity of their favourite heroes: and this drew on him much obloquy and unmerited abuse.

As the authorities to which Sir John had access were not within the reach of every one, fome zealots did not fcruple to accuse him of having forged the papers which were produced in fupport of the charges he had brought against their favourites. Time, however, that beft friend to truth, hath effectually refuted this calumny; and many additional proofs of the fame general corruption have been brought to light fince he laid down his pen yet he ingenuously confeffes, that he fuffered fo much uneafinefs at having unintentionally hurt the feelings of many perfons for whom he bore the moft cordial efteem, that he had refolved to leave the manufcript of the remaining part of thefe Memoirs unpublished; and that he was only induced to depart from this refolution by fome recent events, which he thought, in a particular manner, called for the information that this work contains. We are told, however, that the volume here offered to the public, is not the whole of what is already finished, the remainder of it being ftill locked up in his own repofitory.

It will be admitted, that few things tend to throw the human mind into a more cheerless ftate, than to be obliged to alter our opinion of the character which we have been accustomed to reverence; and inftead of contemplating it with the warm glow of admiration, to be forced to view it with difguft: but in hif torical investigations, truth ought always to be the fole object of our purfuit, and every other confideration fhould be difregarded. However unpleafing, therefore, fuch researches may appear to the youthful mind, which is conftantly in ardent purfuit of ideal perfection; yet it is perhaps impoffible to devife a more effectual check to the dark and fecret workings of iniquity among men in exalted stations, than the full conviction, that though they should

be

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