the act of shaking a body, or tossing it backwards and forwards.

in physics, is often used for an intense commotion of the parts of a natural body. Fermentation and effervescence are attended with a brisk agitation of the particles.

AGITATION is one of the chief causes or instruments of motion: by the agitation of the parts of the blood and chyle, in their continual circulation, sanguification is in a good measure effected. Butter is made out of milk by the same means: in which operation, a separation is made of the oleous parts from the ferosus, and a conjunction of the oleous together. Digestion itself is only supposed to be an insensible kind of agitation.

AGITATION is reputed one of the symptoms of inspiration. Petit informs us*, that, in the last century, * Petit. de there arose in a church in Italy, for the space of a year, Syphila, i.e. a vapour of an extraordinary kind, which put all the Nouv. Rep. people into trembling and agitations, and unless they viii.p.1113, got away betimes, let them a dancing, with strange contortions and gesticulations. This seems to verify what has been related of the temple of Delphi.

AGITATION is also used in medicine for a species of exercise popularly called swinging. Maurice prince of Orange found this method a relief against the severe pains of the gout and stone. Bartholome mentions fits of the toothache, deafness, &c. removed by vehement agitations of the body.