An inaugural dissertation on animal heat : submitted to the public examination of the faculty of physic under the authority of the trustees of Columbia College, in the state of New-York, the Right Rev. Benjamin Moore, D.D. president ; for the degree of Doctor of Physic, on the first day of May, 1810 / by Robert Morrell.

  • Morrell, Robert.
Date:
1810
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An inaugural dissertation on animal heat : submitted to the public examination of the faculty of physic under the authority of the trustees of Columbia College, in the state of New-York, the Right Rev. Benjamin Moore, D.D. president ; for the degree of Doctor of Physic, on the first day of May, 1810 / by Robert Morrell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    INAUGURAL DISSERTATION ON ANIMAL HEAT. 1 HE phenomena of animal heat have engaged the attention of many eminent physicians from the ear- liest ages to the present day. Theory after theory has arisen, flourished, been neglected, and forgot- ten. The subject, however, is of the highest im- portance, and, as such, demands our serious atten- tion. In treating on this subject, I shall first briefly state the phenomena which take place in every living animal with respect to heat, and then notice the various theories that have been from time to time advanced as to the cause of animal heat, toge- ther with their proofs and objections. There are various degrees of animal heat. Some animals preserve a heat of 100 or more of Fahren- heit's thermometer in all the different temperatures of the atmosphere. Others keep only a few degrees warmer than the medium which surrounds them; and, in some of the imperfect animals, the heat is scarcely one degree above the air or water in which they live. Animal heat is equally diffused over the body in health. Sometimes, indeed, the heat is less