vine. By fuch collateral aid, but ftill more by the uncommon exertions of ONE INDIVIDUAL, has this institution at length happily filenced all objections, triumphed over prejudice, and diffused its benefits over a confiderable part of the known world *,

The reader will inftantly recollect, that the individual is no other than Dr. HAWES, to whofe unremitting zeal and activity, aided by Dr. LETTSOM and a few other fuch congenial characters, this fociety owes its existence.

* Gentlemen, fays Dr. LETTSOM (addreffing himself to the members of the Humane Society, affembled together to fee prefented their HONORARY MEDAL to Dr. FOTHERGILL for his Prize Essay on the Suspension of Vital Action), I cannot refift calling your attention at this moment to the establishment of an Humane Society under our aufpices at ALGIERS. I repeat ALGIERS; for it is furprising, and almost incredible, though indeed we know it as a fact, that in that barbarous foil a fpark of humanity is at length kindled! What a grateful contraft does this prefent of the Christian system to the barbarity of infidels. In that land, where a MULEY ISHMAEL immolated with his own hand eighty of his relatives, the amities of the Gofpel have led to an establishment that saves the life even of a stranger! Those who can recal the commencement and origin of this inftitution, and the state of knowledge at that time, and should next survey the present accumulation, must experience fingular pleasure in tracing the progress and evolution of SCIENCE as connected with the subject of the refufcitative art, much of which must be ascribed to the difquifitions which have resulted from the HONORARY PREMIUMS. I do not speak my own opinion merely, but that of Europe, for in almost every medical work of character, there are appeals to their judicious authorities as decifive of the facts, which they have established, enforced, and illuftrated. Of this kind is the valuable production, which has, at this time, brought together so many of our members and friends in the cause of active humanity. Vide page 44, vol. i. alfo page 4, vol. ii.

HE, undoubtedly, was the firft, in this country, who undertook to deliver a courfe of lectures on SUSPENDED ANIMATION, which was no easy task at that early period. He alfo firft propofed honorary premiums for the further elucidation of the fubject. To HIM, as the ever active agent, may, in a great measure, be applied that emphatic expreffion of the celebrated LINNÆUS, who on witneffing the fuperior activity, zeal, and energy, which diftinguished LONDON, beyond every other city he had vifited, exclaimed with rapture,

"Pundum vitæ in vitello orbis !"

IF SUCH HAS BEEN THE PROGRESS OF THE PRESENT INSTITUTION IN ITS EARLY STAGES, WHAT MAY

NOT BE EXPECTED, ADDS DR. FOTHERGILL, NOW

THAT PHILOSOPHY HOLDS UP THE TORCH ΤΟ

MEDICINE, TO ILLUMINE ITS VOTARIES, AND DIRECT THEIR COURSE IN THIS NEW PATH OF SCIENCE! A SCIENCE, NO LESS DIFFICULT, THAN IT IS SUBLIME AND IMPORTANT; INVOLVING AT ONCE, THE MOST INTRICATE PROBLEMS, IN PHYSIOLOGY, PA

THOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, AND PNEUMATIC PHILOSOPHY-CALCULATED NOT LESS TO EXERCISE THE KEENEST FACULTIES OF THE HEAD, THAN TO INTEREST THE FINEST FEELINGS OF THE HEART!

SECT.

SECT. XLVII.

JOHN HUNTER'S PROPOSALS FOR THE RECOVERY

OF DROWNED PERSONS.

Having been requested by a member of the Society established for the recovery of perfons apparently drowned, to commit my thoughts on that fubject to paper, I readily complied with the request, hoping, that although I have had no opportunities of making ́actual experiments upon drowned perfons, it might be in my power to throw fome light on a fubject fo clofely connected with the inquiries which, for many years, have been 'my favourite bufinefs and amusement. I have therefore collected together my obfervations and experiments relative to the lofs and recovery of the actions of life, which I now offer to the public.

HUNTER.

I CONSIDER an animal, apparently drowned, as not DEAD; but that only A SUSPENSION OF THE ACTIONS OF LIFE has taken place. I might compare the fituation of fuch a perfon to that of a person in a trance. In both the action of life is fufpended, without the powers of action being deftroyed."

Drowning may therefore be defined to be," A STOP PUT TO THE ACTIONS OF LIFE IN THE ANIMAL, but WITHOUT ANY IRREPARABLE INJURY TO ANY VITÁL PART; -WHICH ACTION, IF NOT RESTORED BY ART IN A CERTAIN TIME, IS IRRECOVERABLY LOST.” The ceffation of motion from drowning feems to arife from the lofs of refpiration, and the immediate effects which this has upon the other vital motions of the animal, except

4

except what may have arisen from the agitation of the mind, however the privation of breathing appears to be the first cause; and the heart's motion ceafing, to be the second or confequent; therefore most probably the restoration of breathing is all that is neceffary to restore the heart's motion; for if a sufficiency of life still exists to produce that effect, we may fuppofe every part equally ready to move the very instant in which the action of the heart takes place, their actions depending fo much upon it.

What makes it very probable, that in recovering perfons drowned, the principal effect depends upon air being thrown into the lungs, is, what happens in the birth of children, when too much time has been spent after the interruption of that life which is peculiar to the foetus; they then lofe altogether the difpofition for new life; and in such cases there being a total fufpenfion of the actions of life, the infant remains to all appearance dead, and would in fact die, if air was not forced into its lungs, by which means the action of the heart is esta

blished.

To put this in a clearer light, I shall give the result of fome experiments which I made in the year 1755 upon a dog.

A pair of bellows were provided, constructed in

fuch