This is very plain in living Creatures put into the Receiver, exhausted by the Air-Pump, which always swell as the Air is more and more drawn out; their Lungs at the same time contracting themselves, and falling so together as to be hardly discernible.[24] E're we proceed to Matters of Fact, it may be worth the while to take Notice, That Effects depending on such Causes as these, must of necessity be most visible in Weak Bodies and Morbid Constitutions, when other Circumstances concur to their taking Place. For this reason, whatever Mischiefs do hence follow, cannot in the least disparage the Wise Contrivance of Infinite Power in ordering these Tides of our Atmosphere. The Author of Nature, we know, has made all things to the greatest Advantage that could be, for the whole System of Animals on our Globe, but it was impossible that such a disposition shou'd not in some Cases be prejudicial to a Few. The Position and Distance of the Sun are so adjusted, as to give in the most beneficial manner possible, Heat and Light to the Earth; yet this notwithstanding, some Places may be too hot for some weakly Bodies; some Autumns too sultry to agree with some Animals, and some Winters too cold to be endured by some tender Creatures: The whole however we must own, is most carefully provided for. Besides, as most of these last mentioned Inconveniencies are by easy shifts to be avoided; so there are such Powerful Checks put to this Aereal Flux and Reflux, so many ways of abating the Damages accruing from it now and then; that these are of no account in comparison of the mighty Benefits hence arising, in which the Race of Mankind does universally share. [18] _Epist. ad Thessalum Filium._ [19] Ὀυκ ἐλαχίστον μέρος συμβάλλεται Ἀστρονομίη εἰς Ἰητρικήν. De Aere Aquis & Locis. [20] Newton, _Princip._ p. 402. [21] _Princip. Lib._ 3. _Prop._ 36. [22] _Ibid. Lib._ 3. _Prop._ 37. [23] _Philos. Trans._ Nᵒ 181. [24] _Esperienze dell' Academia del Cimento_, p.m. 113. PART II. There are no Historys in Physick which we may more safely take upon the Credit of the Authors who relate 'em, than such as we are now going to mention. In some Cases a Point may perhaps be strained to serve a darling Hypothesis which the Writer has taken up, but here we are much more likely to have pure Matter of Fact, because hitherto no one has pretended the Appearances of this kind to be within the Reach of any Scheme of Philosophy.