Mr. tin im ving ed by epend ; fpirit erience ɔ vege. quatic, ng able fuffice, which omain. ugh the the bye, As an an ath both Luid pro- thout and ments ments in the fluids; all which muft needs enfue from fuch a fubtile, active, Keterogeneous and elaftic fluid. 144. But there is, as we have obferved, fome one quality or ingredient in the air, on which life more immediately and principally depends. What that is, though men are not agreed, yet it is agreed it must be the fame thing that fupports the vital and the common flame; it being found that when air, by often breathing in it, is become unfit for the one, it will no longer ferve for the other. The like is obfervable in poifonous damps or fteams, wherein flame cannot be kindled. As is evident in the Grotto del cane near Naples. And here it occurs, to recommend the plunging them into cold water, as an experiment to be tried on perfons affected by breathing a poisonous vapour in old vaults, mines, deep holes or cavities under ground. Which, I am apt to think, might fave the lives of feveral, by what I have feen practifed on a dog convulfed, and in all appearance dead, but inftantly reviving on being taken out of the abovementioned Grotto and thrown into a lake adjacent. 145. Air, the general menftruum and feminary, feemeth to be only an aggregate of the volatile parts of all natural beings, which variously combined and agitated produce many various effects. Small particles in a near and clofe fituation ftrongly act upon each other, attracting, repelling, vibrating. Hence divers fermentations, and all the variety of meteors, tempefts, and concuffions both of earth and firmament. Nor is the microcofm lefs affected thereby. Being pent up in the vifcera, veffels, and membranes of the body, by it's falts, fulphurs, and elastic power, it engenders cholics, fpafms, hyfteric disorders and other maladies. 146. The specific quality of air is taken to be permanent elasticity. opinion. And yet, Mr. Boyle is expr whether there be thing as permanently elaftic air may be there being many things which feem to of this quality, or at leaft leffen and f exertion. The falts and fulphurs, for inft float in the air abate much of it's elaftici attraction. 147. Upon the whole it is manifeft, no diftinct element, but a mafs or mixtur the most heterogeneous and even oppof other (m), which become air, by aco elafticity and volatility from the attracti active, fubtile fubftance; whether it be æther, light, or the vital fpirit of the like manner as the particles of antimony felves not volatile, are carried off in 1 and rendered volatile, by cohering wi ticles of fal ammoniac. But action an being equal, the fpring of this æthere diminished by being imparted. It's ve fubtilty are alfo lefs from it's being r groffer particles. Hence found moves i light, as mud than water. 148. Whether air be only freed and generated and deftroyed, it is certain tha and ceases to exert or fhew itself, Mud riments feems to be generated, not only mals, fruits, and vegetables, but also bodies. And it is obferved by Sir Ifaa that air produced from hard bodies is m The tranfmutation of elements, each hath been anciently held. In Plutarch was the opinion of Heraclitus, that th fire was a birth to air, and the death of This opinion is alfo mai (m) 137, 145. to water. this fuch ted, he air d it's . that their air is things O each Eng an of fome Led fire, orld; in of them. imation the par reaction fpirit is city and ed with wer than fixed, or air begins by expe rom aniom hard Newton, ft elaftic. to other, we find in death of ir a birth ained by Sir Sir Ifaac Newton. Though it may be queftioned, whether what is thought a change be not only a difguife. 149. Fire feems the most elastic and expanfive of all bodies. It communicates this quality to moift vapours and dry exhalations, when it heats and agitates their parts, cohering clofely with them, overcoming their former mutual attraction, and caufing them, instead thereof, reciprocally to repel each other and fly afunder, with a force proportionable to that wherewith they had cohered. 150. Therefore in air we may conceive two parts, the one more grofs which was raised and carried off from the bodies of this terraqueous mafs: the other a fine fubtile spirit by means whereof the former is rendered volatile and elaftic. Together they compofe a medium, whofe elafticity is lefs than that of pure æther, fire, or fpirit, in proportion to the quantity of falts, vapours, and heterogeneous particles contained therein. Hence it follows, that there is no fuch thing as a pure fimple element of air. It follows alfo, that on the higheft mountains air fhould be more rare than in proportion to the vulgar rule, of the fpaces being reciprocally as the preffures: and fo in fact it is faid to have been found, by the gentlemen of the French Academy of Sciences. 151. Æther, fire, or fpirit being attracted and clogged by heterogeneous particles becometh lefs active; and the particles cohering with thofe of æther, become more active than before. Air therefore is a mass of various particles, abraded and sublimated from wet and dry bodies of all forts, cohering with particles of æther; the whole permeated by pure æther, or light, or fire: for these. words are used promifcuously by ancient philofo-, phers. 152. This T 152. This æther or pure invifible 153. The animal spirit in man is th 154. The order and courfe of things, Te u re Om gh eak ned lefs hole Η το zure, tions ch it k in s nano 0 of the nftru mold be culties æans, in ani O conomena -it that refides. ght to s in re and the a mind fyftem, as as the proper real agent and caufe. And that the inferior inftrumental caufe is pure æther, fire, or the fubftance of light (c) which is applied and determined by an infinite mind in the macrocosm or univerfe, with unlimited power, and according to ftated rules; as it is in the microcofm, with limited power and fkill by the human mind. We have no proof either from experiment or reafon, of any other agent or efficient caufe than mind or fpirit. When therefore we speak of corporeal agents or corporeal caufes, this is to be underftood in a different, fubordinate, and improper fenfe. 155. The principles whereof a thing is compounded, the inftrument ufed in its production, and the end for which it was intended, are all in vulgar ufe termed Caufes, though none of them be ftrictly speaking agent or efficient. There is not any proof that an extended corporeal or mechanical caufe doth really and properly act, even motion itself being in truth a paffion. Therefore though we speak of this fiery fubftance as acting, yet it is to be understood only as a mean or inftrument, which indeed is the cafe of all mechanical caufes whatfoever. They are nevertheless fometimes termed agents and causes, although they are by no means active in a strict and proper fignification. When, therefore, force, power, virtue, or action are mentioned as fubfifting in an extended and corporeal or mechanical being, this is not to be taken in a true, genuine, and real, but only in a grofs and popular fenfe, which sticks in appearances, and doth not analyse things to their firft principles. In compliance with eftablished language, and the ufe of the world, we muft employ the popular current phrafe. But then in regard to truth we ought to distinguish (c) 29, 37, 136, 149. its |