pathological laws of caloric was essential to the completion of his undertaking; which at that time he supposed would not require more than twelve months : "But more advanced, beheld, with strange surprise, The performance of this task required a vastly greater amount of laborious research than he was prepared to expect, until he had proceeded too far to desist. In the mean time he had the satisfaction of perceiving that, with every additional knowledge of facts, he was conducted to a more elevated point of view, and to more comprehensive generalizations: the consequence of which has been, that in the Preliminary Chapter, he has entered more fully into the rationale of geological and astronomical phenomena, than he had ventured to do in the second and third Books. In addition to the many difficulties encountered at every step, much precious time was lost owing to ill health, by which the work has been still further and most painfully delayed, to the disappointment of the Publisher, whose liberality and forbearance merit the grateful acknowledgments of the Author. GENERAL CONTENTS. PRELIMINARY CHAPTER, being a Synopsis of the Work 1-46 CHAP. II. On the Atomic Constitution of Matter, and the relative Quantities of Caloric in different Bodies... 46-96 CHAP. III. On the Forces of Caloric in elastic Fluids.- CHAP. I. Theory of Cohesion, Conduction, and Radiation. 156-195 CHAP. III. Theory of Solution, and of Freezing Mixtures. 225-252 CHAP. IV. Theory of Capillary Attraction, and the Con- 253-279 CHAP. II. Ultimate Elements of organized Bodies.--Why 507-559 CHAP. III. Influence of Respiration on the Temperature and vital Energy of different Animals.-Cause of the Heart's Action, and of the Capillary Circulation 560-623 CHAP. IV. Theory of Digestion, Sanguification, Coagula- tion, Secretion, Nutrition, Muscular Motion, Sensation, CHAP. III. Influence of Climate and Season on the Diseases CHAP. II. On Aliments,-Wine, Spirits, and Malt Liquors. 887-937 CHAP. III. Theory of Sleep.-Influence of the Mind on |