A syllabus, of chemical and philosophical enquiries, composed for the use of the noblemen and gentlemen who have subscribed to the proposals made, for the advancement of natural knowledge, / by B. Higgins, M.D.

  • Higgins, Bry. (Bryan), 1737?-1820.
Date:
[1775?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A syllabus, of chemical and philosophical enquiries, composed for the use of the noblemen and gentlemen who have subscribed to the proposals made, for the advancement of natural knowledge, / by B. Higgins, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    77/78 (page 75)
    man; of the queries the following are a fpe*~ cimen .* Quer> Is it not poffible for men to arrive to a perfect knowledge of all properties of matter hitherto mentioned, and to difeover the caufe of all the phenomena hitherto men¬ tioned or implied ; except the few fuggefted in the nextqueflion. ghier. Is it poffible for men to compre¬ hend^ or reafon truly on, the properties of matter or laws of nature, or divine diipen- fations, whereby they are enabled to live, and reafon. Quer. It is poffible for the mind of man to investigate the caufe of vital heat, muf- cular motion, and fenfation •, or to difeover what is the nervous influence; what is that life, wiiich a vapour, an eledtric fpark, or a bodkin can detatch or deftroy. Why is fixabie air or phlogiflicated air, which extinguiffies blaze and conducts elec¬ tric matter, deleterious to animals which breathe it. Why do aethers, fpiritus re<5tors, vinous fpirits, the vegetables called narcotic, the vegetable animal and mineral fubftances cal¬ led antifpafmodies, atfedt our fpirits and fenfes ; and why is the moil inflammable or phlogiftic part of all thefe, when feparated from