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Show 196 O N THE SLAVERY ,\ND C oMMERCE thefe, and a variety of other * obfervations, no maxim is more true in phyfiology, than that on tbe mucofum t·orpus depends tbe colour qf the bumall body; or, in other words, that the mucojitm corpus being of a different colour in different inhabitants of the globe, and appearing through the cuticle or upper furfacc of the ficin, gives them that various appearance, which il:rikcs us fa forcibly in contemplating the human race. As this can be incontrovertibly afcertain~ d, it is evident, that whatever caufes cooperate in producing this difterent appearance, they produce it by aCting upon the mucoJUm corpus, which, from the almoil: incredible manner in which the t cuticle is • Difeafes have a great effea upon the murofum corpus, but particularly the jaundice, which twrns it yellow. Hence, being tranfmittcd through the cuticle, the yellow appearance of the whole body. But this, even as a matter of ocular demonftr: aion, is not confined folcly to white people; negroes themfclvcs, while affcacd with thefc or other diforders, changing their black colour for that which the difeafe has conveyed to the 11JUcous fubfiance. t The cutaneous pores are fo exceffively fmall, that one grain of fand, (according to Dr. Lewenhocck's CJ.lculations} would cover many hundreds of them. perforated, oF THF. IIuvrAN SPECIES. 197 perforated, is as acccllible as the cuticle itJelf. T he!e caufes arc probably thofe various qualities of things, which, combined with the influence of the fun, contribute to form what we cal l climate. For when any pcrfon confiders, that the mucous fubflance, beforementioned, is found to vary in its colour, as the climates vary from the equator to the poles, his mind mull: be in!bntly il:ruck with the hypothclis, and he mull: adopt it with( lut any heft ta tion , as the genuine caufe of the ph;enomenou. This faCt, * '!} tbe variation q/ tbe mucous fuijlmlce according to tbe jituation '!}. tbe pia a , has been clearly afcertaiued in the numerous anatomical experiments that have been made; in which, fubjeets of all nations have come under conftdcration. The natives of many of the kingdoms and i!les of /ljia, are found to have their corpus mucofum black. Thofe of Africa, fituated near the line, of the J:1me colour. Thofe of the maritime parts of th~ fame continent, of a du!lcy brown, nearly • We do not mean to infinuatc that the fatne people have thc.ir (IJrpus mucofum fcnfibly vary. as often as they go into anoth.cz: latitude, hut that the fafl ii true only of different people, whp ~ave been long cftablilhed in different latitudes. N 3 approach- |