Note f — BOOK I.
Reading edition
By Experiments I made my self in the Air Pump, in September and October, 1704; I observed that Animals whose Hearts have two Ventricles, and no Foramen Ovale, as Birds, Dogs, Cats, Rats, Mice, &c. die in less than half a Minute counting from the very first Exsuction; especially in a small Receiver.
A Mole (which I suspected might have born more than other Quadrupeds) died in one Minute (without Recovery) in a large Receiver; and doubtless would hardly have survived half a Minute in a small Receiver. A Bat (although wounded) sustained the Pump two Minutes, and revived upon the re-admission of the Air. After that, he remained four Minutes and a half and revived. Lastly, After he had been five Minutes, he continued gasping for a time, and after twenty Minutes I re-admitted the Air, but the Bat never revived.
As for Insects: Wasps, Bats, Hornets, Grashoppers, and Lady-Cows seemed dead in appearance in two Minutes, but revived in the open Air in two or three Hours time, notwithstanding they had been in Vacuo twenty four Hours.
The Ear-wig, the great Staphylinus, the great black lowsy Beetle, and some other Insects would seem unconcerned at the Vacuum a good while, and lie as dead; but revive in the Air, although some had lain sixteen Hours in the exhausted Receiver.
Snails bear the Air Pump prodigiously, especially those in Shells; two of which lay above twenty four Hours, and seemed not much affected. The same Snails I left in twenty eight Hours more after a second Exhaustion, and found one of them quite dead, but the other revived.
Frogs and Toads bear the Pump long, especially the former. A large Toad, found in the House, died irrecoverably in less than six Hours. Another Toad and Frog I put in together, and the Toad was seemingly dead in two Hours, but the Frog just alive. After they had remained there eleven Hours, and seemingly dead, the Frog recovered in the open Air, only weak, but the Toad was quite dead. The same Frog being put in again for twenty seven Hours, then quite died.
The Animalcules in Pepper-Water remained in Vacuo twenty four Hours. And after they had been exposed a Day or two to the open Air, I found some of them dead, some alive.