Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 1, 1802).djvu/67

Rh ; on the contrary, terraqueous animals having respired from the moment of their birth, cannot support life for any length of time without it; because both the hole and canal above alluded to would be closed, or at least constricted in them, as is the case in land animals, if they did not instinctively, soon after the birth of the cub, instruct it in the exercise of that vital function. This is effected, by frequently carrying it into the water—a practice by which these passages are kept open during life, and the creatures enabled to procure that kind of food which is designed for them by the providential care of Nature.

Thus we may easily conceive that, in infants, the oval hole, by proper expedients and persevering exertions, might, without much difficulty, be preserved in an open state; for instance, by gradually accustoming young children, soon after their birth, to suspend their breath once, or oftener in a day, increasing the duration of the experiment with every attempt, so that the blood may at length be directed to circulate through its original passage, which, by several trials, cautiously repeated, would no doubt remain sufficiently lubricated, and never again be closed in the manner we generally find it in the deceased body.

That these are rational, and, we may venture to add, well founded conjectures, few will dispute; especially if it be considered that ordinary divers, without having been trained to this practice from early infancy, are capable of retaining their breath, and continuing much longer under water, than persons in whom that primitive organ of respiration, having never been exercised, has become unfit to act as an useful substitute for the lungs, while immersed under water.—Nay, there are well authenticated instances of persons who were in the full possession of the uncommon faculty here described: of others, we shall relate only that of a Sicilian, named the Fish-Colas, who possessed it in so eminent a degree, "that he lived rather after the manner of a fish than a man," in consequence of having from his youth, and by an assiduous practice, successfully acquired the habit of living in water, and thus effected a complete change of his physical nature.

We shall conclude tliis interesting subject with a short account of the alimentary uses, and properties, of amphibious animals.

In some countries, especially in old France and Italy, the legs of frogs were esteemed a delicate dish; but, in Britain, we regale our friends with the more delicious turtle. Yet these testaceous creatures, as well as animals of this class in general, and the West Indian guana in particular, contain an unusual proportion of fat; and ought, therefore, to be eaten not only with great moderation, but also with a considerable addition of salt, and acid: the former, for the purpose of neutralizing them into a saponaceous mass, which is most easily assimilated to our fluids; the latter, with a view to counteract their putrescent tendency, especially in warm seasons—both, in order to facilitate their digestion in the human stomach.  AMPUTATION is a term in surgery, and signifies the cutting off a limb from the body. It is sometimes rendered necessary, when a part is so diseased as either to