Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 002.djvu/161

 and Heart of the Trunk of a Tree, does not so much serve to the production of this or that Fruit, as the last Filtration that is made of those Juyces in the small Fibres of the Grafts; so also all those Digestions, which are supposed to be made in the Stomach and the Heart or the Liver of Animals, do not so much serve to give the particles of the Aliment those Figures, which they require to be converted into the substance of Man, as the diversity of Pores, that strain them last of all, and differ in the Bones, Flesh, Cartilages, and other parts; in which the Ancients for this reason did admit as many different Assimilating faculties. Now, saith he, though the new Blood, which is given in the Transfusion, undergoes not the first Concoction, made in the Stomach, yet it suffers the two others, in making many Circulations together with the native blood; and that therefore nothing hinders, but it may be fit to be changed into the substance of Man, without inconvenience.

The rest of the Objections, here alledged, seeming to be of no moment, though answer'd by our Author, we shall here pass by, and, for a general answer to all, employ Experience, and the several successful Transfusions, he relates; as those of Lambs-blood into Dogs, which, after the space of several months from the time of the Operation, do not only live, but are very well, and some of them grown fatter than they were before; and of Kids blood into a little Spaniel bitch of 12 years of age, which, a little while after the Operation, grew vigorous and active, and even proud in less than eight days. To which, he adds a considerable Experiment, lately made upon a person, that had been for three weeks affected with the complicated Distempers of an Hepatick Flux, a Lientery, and a bilious Diarrhæa, accompanied with-a, very violent Feaver; and had been attended by four Physicians, who having blouded, purged, and clystered him, as much as they thought fit, he grew at last so weak, that he was unable to stir, lost his speech and senses, and vomited all he took: whereupon they altogether despairing of and abandoning the Patient, and declaring that they did so, in the presence of divers persons of honor, consented to have the Experiment of Transfusion made upon the Patient, which his Relations had proposed, as the last Refuge; very unwilling to omit any thing, that might seem probable to rescue a dying Man.