[c] Tactus autem toto corpore æquabilitèr fusus est, ut omnes ictus, omnesque nimios & frigoris, & caloris appulsus sentire possimus. Cicer. ubi supr.
Tactus sensus omnibus est, etiam quibus nullus alius; nam & Ostreis, & terrestribus Vermibus quoque. Existimaverim omnibus sensum & Gustatûs esse. Cur enim alios alia sapores appetunt? in quo vel præcipua Naturæ architectio. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 71.
CHAP. VII.
Of Respiration.
Of all the Acts of Animal Life, this is one of the chief, and most necessary. For whatsoever hath Animal Life, hath also the Faculty of Respiration, or somewhat equivalent thereto[a]. Indeed so congenial is this with Life, that Breath and Life are in Scripture Phrase and Common Speech taken as synonymous Things, or at least necessary Concomitants of one another. Moses[] expresseth animal Life, by [The Breath of Life]. Saith he, Gen. vii. 21, 22. All Flesh that moved on the Earth, Fowl, Cattle, Beast, creeping Things, and Man; all in whose Nostrils was the Breath of Life in the dry Land died. So the Psalmist, Psal. civ. 29. Thou takest away their Breath, they die. So grand an Act therefore in common to all Animals, may justly deserve a Place in this Survey of the Works of God in the animal Kingdom.
And here I might launch out into an ample Description of all the Parts ministering to this necessary Act, and shew the curious Contrivance and artificial Structure of them; but a transient View shall suffice. I might begin with the outward Guards, the Nose and Mouth; but these have been already touched upon. But the exquisite Mechanism of the Larynx, its Variety of Muscles, its Cartilages, all so exquisitely made for the Purpose of Respiration, and forming the Voice[c], are very admirable: And no less so is the Tongue[d], which ministers to that, and many other Uses too.
Next, the Fabrick of the[e] Trachea deserves especial Remark. Its Valve, the Epiglottis on the Top, to fence against all Annoyances; its cartilaginous Rings[f] nearly environing it, with its membranous Part next the Gullet, to give the freer Passage to the Descent of the Food. And Lastly, Its inner Tegument of exquisite Sense to be readily affected with, and to make Efforts against every Thing that is hurtful or offensive; these, I say, do all justly deserve our Admiration.
And no less prodigious are the Parts farther within; the Bronchi, the Vesiculæ[g], with their muscular Fibres[h], as some assert they have, together with the Arteries and Veins, which every where accompany the airy Passages, for the Blood to receive there its Impregnations from the Air.