Volume 2

The anatomy of the human body.

  • Bell, John, 1763-1820.
Date:
1797
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The anatomy of the human body. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

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    from the livor of the face, from the fobbing and ftruggles of the cheft, from the regular convulfive fighs of thofe creatures which are butchered, rather a defire for air than a want of blood. It is for the purpofe of this fecond circulation that nature has ap- pointed in every breathing creature two hearts, a heart for the lungs, and a heart for the body ; two veins, two auricles, two ventricles, and two great arte- ries, one the pulmonic artery or artery of the hints, the other the aorta or artery of the body. But ft ill there are other varieties which diftinguifh animals into creatures of cold or of warm blood ; for there are certain conftitutions which do not require that the blood mould be thus continually renewed. It is not becaufe animals are amphibious, or go into the water, that they have peculiar lungs; for the Land Tortoife, the Newt, the Cameleon,never go into the wa- ter; yet they have membranous lungs: nor indeed can your Amphibiae, as the Seal, the Porpoife, the Sea- Lion, &c. dive longer than a man can do \ though for whole days they lie in herds balking upon the fhore : it is their peculiar conflitution to need lefs than other creatures the office of the lungs. The cold-blooded animals are generally creeping animals, iluggiih, lan- guid, cold, inert, difficultly moved, -and tenaceous of life to a wonderful degree. They can bear all kinds pf ftimuli; they can bear to have their heads, legs, bowels, cut away; and among other peculiarities of this conftitution, they can live long without air; they •will rife from time to time above water, if you allow them ; they can bear again to be kept under water, if you force them: but if they can live long under wa- ter,