In this gentleman’s case we may observe, that the contractile power of his Fibres was very much weaken’d, their sensibility in a great measure destroy’d, and his vital energy far exhausted, by the long and severe irritation in his Kidney; and that, when he composed himself on his Back, the motion of the Blood through the Lungs was easily stop’d, in the manner above-mention’d, viz. by the pressure of the Heart upon the left Auricle and Pulmonary Veins; to, which may be added, a small degree of volition in restraining the organs of respiration. In this dead state, we are told, he lay half an hour; in which time the greater part of Blood was drove into the Veins, as generally happens soon after respiration stops. Hence the right Ventricle must have been greatly distended and severely stimulated by the refluent Blood, ’till at length it was brought into a strong contraction, which put the Blood again in motion through the whole Body, and a small spark of vital vigour still remaining, continued it so for eight hours afterwards. The Mind too, in this case, as in many others of the like kind, was probably tir’d of its communication with the Body, and was willing to take its flight from an habitation in which it felt so much pain. I have offered this account to the curious, not because I think it altogether satisfactory, but hope, that its insufficiency may induce others to give one more adequate. If colonel Townshend had not compos’d himself on the Back, could he have produc’d that surprising effect? If he had been turn’d on his Side, would he not have sooner recover’d? Were not the Doctors very blameable for offering to go away without using some means to recover him? It is observable, that when People are far exhausted by Diseases, and are on the brink of dissolution, they generally lie on their Backs, because they have not muscular force sufficient to support the Body on either Side. From what has been said concerning the supine portion of the Body, it appears, that it helps considerably to close this scene of life, by stopping the Blood in the Lungs. Hence the immortal Boerhaave observ’d, “[18]Proximam mortis causam, et ultimum ferme omnium Lethalium morborum effectum esse Peripneumoniam.” If then the supine position has such a remarkable effect in stopping the Motion of the Blood, and consequently in putting an end to this Life, would it not be prudent to turn People on their Sides, and keep them so, who are so far spent in acute Diseases, that, they are unable to poize themselves in that salutary position? Would it not be often a means of prolonging the fatal, and of promoting an happy crisis? When the force of an acute Disorder, and the strength of Nature are nearly equal, would not the weight of the Heart cast the ballance? CHAP. V. _Of the concurring Causes of the Night-mare._