Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Pages ...
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
696 COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA.
I fhall clofe this chapter with fome curious experiments made in Siberia by Dr.
Pallas, for afcertaining the difference of the heat in animals during their torpid and
natural ftates.
Pallas having made_ar incifion into the abdomen of a hedge-hog, during its tor-
pid ftate, and placed Fahrenheit’s thermometer in the belly, the mercury rofe only
to 393, and the animal gave no more figns of feeling than if atually dead, as well
whilff the incifion was making, as when the wound was fewing up; the animal
being conveyed immediately into a warm room, gradually recovered from its lethargy,
and walked about the chamber with as much infenfibility as if no operation had been
performed.
Pallas kept this hedge-hog in his houfe from December to the end of March ; and
although the heat of the apartment was feldom under 60.degrees, yet it eat no food, and
was never out of its torpid ftate, except once or twice, when it was placed behind the
ftove, in a heat from 77 to 80. Roufed by that expedient, it was awakened from its
lethargy, took a few turns about the room, and eat a few morfels ; but foon lay down
again, and paffed its torpid months as nature ordains.
Probably the bodies of thefe animials, which fleep during winter, are gradually
prepared for the torpid ftate by a deficiency of food, and a confequent diminution of
natural heat; for a thermometer plunged in the bellies of marmots and hedge-hogs
in their natural ftate, rofe to 76, 79, 81, 86, 88, 99, 994, namely, from 364 de-
grees to 50 higher than it rofe when plunged into the belly of the hedge-hog in its
torpid ftate.
The following fact alfo feems to illuftrate the conjeCture, that a certain flate of body
predifpofes to a torpid ftate. A tame marmot, which had become extremely fat during
fummer in the profeflor’s houfe, continued awake during the whole winter, although
expofed to the fame cold which threw the whole {pecies into their torpid {tate in that
part of Siberia ; nor was the doétor able to render it torpid, even with the afliftance of
the ice-cellar, wherein he fometimes confined it during feveral days.
By comparing this experiment with the fleeping hedge-hog, which Pallas was not
able to roufe during the whole winter, except for very fhort intervals, though expofed
to a heat of between 77 and 80 degrees ; it feems to follow, that a certain {tate of bod
is neceflary to affift nature in laying afleep fome animals, to which they are gradually
brought by a deficiency of nourifhment at the beginning of winter, when they fhut up
their holes, and retire to reft from inftinét ; and that the impulfe of the circulation and ~
animal fpirits, arifing from heat or nutrition, fuperfedes the neceflity of the torpid ftate,
and prevents their falling afleep.
It is alfo a curious circumftance in the ceconomy of nature, that Pallas found the heat
of birds more confiderable than that of quadrupeds; namely, from 103 to 111 degrees;
a wife arrangement of Providence, in proportioning the heat of the winged tribe to the
fuperior cold obtaining in that part of the atmofphere where they range.
CHAp,
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
