De Respirationis Usa Primario Diatriba, Auth. Malachia Thruston M. D. Cui Accedunt Animadversiones a Cl. Viro in Candem Conscripta, una Cum Responsionibus Authoris. Londini, Apud Joh. Martyn, Reg. Societ. Typographum ad Insigne Campane, 1670

De Respirationis Usu Primario Diatriba, Auth. Malachia Thruston M.D. Cui accedunt Animadversiones a Cl. Viro in eandem conscripta, una cum Responsionibus Authoris. Londini, apud Joh. Martyn, Reg. Societ. Typographum ad insigne Campanae, 1670. This Learned Author, a worthy Member of the R. Society, in discoursing upon this no less difficult than important subject, observes this Method; First, he lays for a ground, that there is and needs must be Motion in the Blood. Secondly, he declares, what kind of Motion and how various that is, shewing also, that all those motions are to be ascribed to the Vital Blood, and to be preserved therein. Thirdly, he maketh it his business to prove (which is his main design) that those Motions are both continually produced, and maintained by the means of Respiration, premising something about the Nature and Properties of the Air, and the Fabric and Motion of the Pneumatick parts. This done, he sheweth the probability of his Hypothesis, as being intelligible, and able to solve innumerable questions, and among them such, as have been esteemed almost insoluble. And first, he teaches, how Respiration maintains that Progressive Motion, which he also calls the Motion of Rivers; and then, how it preserveth the Motions of Fluidity, and Warmth, by the Airs subduing, comminuting, and dilating the Blood. Where he digretheth to give an Answer to those, that will not allow the Air to have any ingress into the Blood; as also to explain the cause of Sanguification, ascribing it neither to the Heart nor the Liver, but principally to the Lungs in those that are borne; but in Fetus's, to the maternal Blood, and the Umbilical vessels. Next, he proceeds to explicate the many Problems of Respiration by the delivered Hypothesis: And chiefly why Respiration is so absolutely necessary to Life, viz. because Life principally consists in the motion of the Blood; which soon ceaseth, when Respiration is stopp'd. Upon which Question thus resolved, depends also the solution of divers others, to be found in this Book. To all which he adds the reason of the Difference, there is, as to Respiration, between the Borne and Un-borne; solving that knotty Herucan Problem, viz. Why a Fetus, being divested of the Secondine, and having once breathed in the open Air cannot live afterwards without it, but dyes presently? Which he imputes to the hindered Motion of the Blood, entertained by Respiration. But why, after that Respiration hath once begun, the Blood will not, when there is need, return to its former passage through the Foramen Ovale; we refer to the Author himself for an Answer: as we also do for other considerable Solutions of many other Difficulties occurring in this Learned Treatise.