we can account for one part of the appearances. Upon what other principle can we explain the power that can make

The knotty and combined locks stand an end,
Like quills upon the fretful porcupine?

Whence otherwise fhall we account for those fiery fcintillations of the eye firft excited upon a fudden alarm? And whence that fucceeding dimness, when the hairs of the body subside, and the limbs fink down powerless?

The phænomena of blood-letting will ferve us to explain the other fymptoms. I bled, fays Mr. HUNTER, a lady whofe blood at firft was of a dark colour; but the fainted, and while fhe continued in the fit, the colour of the blood that came from the vein was of a bright scarlet. Mr. HEwSON obferves alfo the power of the mind, as he terms it, of altering the character of the blood, and of three fmall cups, the firft fhall fometimes

zinc be placed between the gums and upper lip, and a plate of gold be brought into contact with the zinc, a fimilar flash of fe will be perceived: and if this experiment be tried on the tongue, an acid taste will be experienced fimilar to that of the electric aura. Vide VOL. I.; alfo Vol. III. the Section on the Brain.

When we are in the dark, fays the eloquent BURKE, in his Effay on the Sublime and Beautiful, there is a continual endeavour of the pupil to receive light. Hence arife thofe flashes and luminous appearances, which often feem in thefe circumstances to play before it, and which can be nothing but the effect produced by the nervous fibres in their efforts to obtain its proper object of vision,

contain

contain florid blood, the fecond venal, and the third florid again; but in animals that are bled to death, I always, fays this accurate experimentalift, found that the venal blood became brighter in proportion as the animals became faint and it coagulated the more *. Might not the violent palpitation of the heart; the hurry of the circulation; the retrogade motion of the absorbents; the coldnefs and palenefs of the fkin; the inability for muscular action, &c. depend upon the minute arteries not giving out their oxygen, as is manifeft from these experiments? If so, it will further confirm the doctrines contained in Vol. I. of this work t.

Hence it will be proper to allow the fwooning patient to remain in the ftate of quiefcence: for during this torpor the IRRITABLE PRINCIPLE will accumulate in the fibres, and by degrees the just balance will be restored betwixt the excitability and the natural ftimuli. To accelerate recovery, the perfon ought however to be expofed to

That VITAL BREEZE, which NATURE pours to fave

The breathless victim from the untimely grave;

* From poffeffing more OXYGEN, i. e. the principle of life, -Dr. BEDDOES.

+ The pulfation of the heart and arteries; the powers of the ftomach; the colour and warmth of the furface; the ability for mufcular action; was shewn before to depend on OXYGEN, Vide Vol. I.

and

and the forehead fhould be rubbed with vinegar which ought alfo to be sprinkled all around the fwooning patient; or the real oxygen air might be placed against the mouth and noftrils, while water is poured into the bottle; and the hands and face fhould be rubbed with cold water.

*Fermented liquors, when exposed to heat and air, abforb VITAL AIR, and become in confequence vinegar. Being fprinkled in fine fprays, it is rendered aeriform, and parts with its OXYGEN when it comes into contact with the animal fibre.

SECT.

SECT. III.

TEMPORARY EXHAUSTION FROM FATIGUE
OF MIND.

THAT Violent exertions of the mind fatigue the frame as much, if not more, than bodily labour, every day furnishes abundant proof.

During the late war with AMERICA, when it was propofed to continue on hoftilities, Lord CHATHAM, at the clofe of a very long and animating fpeech, faid-My Lords, you cannot conquer AMERICA. No man thinks more highly of my country than I do. I love and honour the English troops. I know their virtues and their valour. I know they can achieve any thing, except impoffibilities. As to the conqueft of AMERICA, I repeat, my lords, it is impoffible. You may fwell every expence and every effort ftill more extravagantly; pile and accumulate every mercenary affiftance you can beg or borrow; traffic and barter with every little pitiful German prince that fells his fubjects to the shambles of a foreign power: your efforts are for ever vain and impotent; doubiy fo from this mercenary aid on which you rely: for it irritates to an incurable refentment the minds of your enemies. To overTun them with the mercenary fons of rapine and plunder, devoting them and their poffeffions to the rapacity of hireling cruelty! If I were an American

as

as I am an Englishman, while a foreign troop was `landed in my country, I would never lay down my arms: NEVER-NEVER-NEVER.

Your army is infected with the contagion of thefe illiberal allies: the fpirit of plunder and of rapine is gone forth among them. I know it, I am informed from the most experienced officers that our difcipline is deeply wounded. Whilft this is notoriously our finking fituation, AMERICA grows and flourishes: whilft our ftrength is lowered, their's rifes and improves.

But, my lords, in addition to these disgraces and mifchiefs of our army, the minifters have dared to authorize and affociate to our arms the tomahawk and fcalping knife of the favage! have called into civilized alliance the wild and inhuman favage of the wood! have delegated to the merciless Indian the defence of difputed rights, and to wage the horrors of his barbarous war against even brethren!

My lords, this enormity cries aloud for redress, and unlefs thoroughly done away, it will be a ftain on the national character; it is a violation of the conftitution; I believe it is against the law.

It is not amongst the leaft of our national misfortunes, that our army is infected with the mercenary spirit of robbery and rapine, for, familiarized to the horrid fcenes of cruelty, it can no longer boast of the noble and generous principles which dignify a foldier, no longer fympathize with

"the