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Excerpt from A Letter to Lord Cathcart, President of the Board of Police in Scotland: Concerning the Recovery of Persons Drowned, and Seemingly Dead
To this purpofe, I would have them Obferve, That in men, and other animals, life does not im mediately ceafe upon the celfation of the aetion of the lungs and heart, and the confequent ceafing of the circulation of the' blood. Though the circulation of the blood 1s neeelfary to the fupport of life, the living {late Of animals does not confill: in that alone, but efpecially depends upon a cer tain condition in the nerves and mufcular fibres, by which they are fenfible and irritable, and upon which the aétion of the heart itfelf depends. It is this condition, therefore, which may be pro perly called the vital principle in ammalr; and as' long as this fubfifls, or, though much weakened, as long as It can be again refiored to its aetivity and vigour, while at the fame time the organi zation. Of the parts remains entire, it 18 prefumed.
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