is peculiarly used to denote the animated state of living creatures, or the time that the union of the soul and body lasts.

The Prolongation of Life is made by Lord Bacon one of the three branches of medicine; the other two relating to the preservation of health, and the cure of diseases. See Medicine.

The theory of prolonging life he numbers among the desiderata. Some means or indications that seem to lead to it, he lays down as follow:

Things are preserved in two manners; either in their identity, or by reparation. In their identity; as a fly or ant in amber; a flower, or fruit, or wood, in a conservatory of snow; a dead carcase in balsams. By reparation; as a flame, or a mechanical engine, &c. To attain to the prolongation of life, both these methods must be used. And hence, according to him, arise three intentions for the prolongation of life; Retardation of consumption, proper reparation, and renovation of what begins to grow old.

Consumption is occasioned by two kinds of depredation; a depredation of the innate spirit, and a depredation of the ambient air. These may be each prevented two ways; either by rendering those agents less predatory, or by rendering the passive parts (viz. the juices of the body), less liable to be preyed on. The spirit will be rendered less predatory, if either its substance be condensed, as by the use of opiates, grief, &c.; or its quantity diminished, as in spare and monastic diets; or its motion calmed, as in idleness and tranquillity. The ambient air becomes less predatory, if it be either less heated by the rays of the sun, as in cold climates, in caves, mountains, and anchorites cells; or be kept off from the body, as by a dense skin, the feathers of birds, and the use of oils and unguents without aromatics. The juices of the body are rendered less liable to be preyed on, either by making them harder or more moist and oily; harder, as by a coarse sharp diet, living in the cold, robust exercises, and some mineral baths: moister, as by the use of sweet foods, &c. abstaining from salts and acids; and especially by such a mixture of drink as consists wholly of fine subtile particles, without any acrimony or acidity.

Reparation is performed by means of aliment; and alimentation is promoted four ways: By the concoction of the viscera, so as to extrude the aliment: By exciting the exterior parts to the attraction of the aliment; as in proper exercises and frictions, and some unctions and baths: By the preparation of the food itself, so as it may more easily infuse itself, and in some measure anticipate the digestion; as in various ways of dressing meats, mixing drinks, fermenting breads, and reducing the virtues of these three into one: By promoting the act of assimilation itself, as in seafable sleep, some external application, &c.

The renovation of what begins to grow old, is performed two ways: By the inteneration of the habit of the body; as in the use of emollients, emplasters, unctions, &c. of such a nature, as do not extract but impress: Or by purging off the old juices, and substituting fresh ones; as in seafable evacuations, attenuating diets, &c.

The same author adds these three axioms: That the prolongation of life is to be expected, rather from some flated diets, than either from any ordinary regimen or any extraordinary medicines; more from operating on the spirits, and mollifying the parts, than from the manner of feeding; and this mollifying of the parts without is to be performed by substantial, imprints, and occults. See Longevity.

Life-Boat, a most important invention, consisting in an improvement of the ordinary construction of a boat, by which it cannot be sunk in the roughest sea; so that it is peculiarly fitted for bringing off mariners from wrecks during a storm, and thus saving many valuable lives. The life-boat was first conceived at South Shields, in the county of Durham. A committee of the inhabitants of that town, who had often been the sad witnesses of many melancholy shipwrecks in which by the ordinary means no relief could be given, in a public advertisement requested information on this subject, with models of boats which would be most proper for the purpose of saving persons from shipwreck. The committee it would appear, employed Mr Greathead, a boat-builder in South Shields, who had with others presented the model of a boat for this purpose, to build the first boat, which upon trial was found fully to answer the purpose. Two claimants have since appeared for the honour of the invention, which according to Mr Farles, the chairman of the committee, in his letter to Mr Hails the supporter of one claim, belongs to two of the members themselves, namely Mr Farles himself and Mr Rockwood. The claimants above alluded to are Mr Greathead, and a Mr Wouldhave a painter in South Shields, and a very ingenious man, who also presented a model to the committee. The claim of the latter is keenly supported by Mr Hails, in a pamphlet published in 1806, two years after Mr Greathead's pamphlet containing the history and progress of the invention, and of the boats which he had built for the purpose, his application to parliament, and the premium of 1200l. which he received for the invention, &c. and four years after this application to parliament. It is true that in 1822, Mr Wouldhave and his friends asserted his claim in the Monthly Magazine and in some provincial newspapers; but still this was one year after Mr Greathead's application for reward was made to parliament. But, without being at all understood to decide to whom the merit of the invention is due, we shall leave it to our readers to examine the evidence for themselves, and shall now proceed to give an account of the construction of the life-boat, of which 31 have been built by Life-Boat. Mr Greathead, and sent to different parts of Britain, and the north of Europe. The following construction is according to Mr Greathead's plan:

"The length thirty feet; the breadth ten feet; the depth, from the top of the gunwale to the lower part of the keel in midships, three feet four inches; from the gunwale to the platform (within) two feet four inches; from the top of the stems (both ends being similar) to the bottom of the keel, five feet nine inches. The keel is a plank of three inches thick, of a proportionate breadth in midships, narrowing gradually toward the ends, to the breadth of the stems at the bottom, and forming a great convexity downward; the stems are segments of a circle with considerable rakes; the bottom section, to the floor heads, is a curve fore and aft with the sweep of the keel; the floor timber has a small rife curving from the keel to the floor heads; a bilge plank is wrought in on each side next the floor heads, with a double rabbit or groove of a similar thickness with the keel, and on the outside of this are fixed two bilge-trees corresponding nearly with the level of the keel; the ends of the bottom section form that fine kind of entrance observable in the lower part of the bow of the fishing boat called a coble, much used in the north; from this part to the top of the stem, it is more elliptical, forming a considerable projection; the sides, from the floor heads to the top of the gunwale, haunch off on each side, in proportion to about half the breadth of the floor; the breadth is continued far forward toward the ends, leaving a sufficient length of straight side at the top; the sheer is regular along the straight side, and more elevated toward the ends; the gunwale fixed on the outside is three inches thick; the sides, from the under part of the gunwale along the whole length of the regular sheer, extending twenty-one feet six inches, are cased with layers of cork, to the depth of 16 inches downward; and the thickness of this casing of cork being four inches, it projects at the top a little without the gunwale; the cork on the outside is secured with thin plates or slips of copper, and the boat is fastened with copper nails; the thwarts (or seats) are five in number, double banked, consequently the boat may be rowed with ten oars; the thwarts are firmly flanchioned; the side oars are short (A), with iron tholes, and rope grommets, so that the rower can pull either way. The boat is fleered with an oar at each end; and the fleering oar is one-third longer than the rowing oar; the platform placed at the bottom within the boat, is horizontal the length of the midships, and elevated at the ends, for the convenience of the fleereman, to give him a greater power with the oar. The internal part of the boat next the sides, from the under part of the thwarts down to the platform, is cased with cork; the whole quantity of which, affixed to the life-boat, is nearly seven hundred weight; the cork indubitably contributes much to the buoyancy of the boat when full of water, is a good defence when going alongside a vessel, and is of principal use in keeping the boat in an erect position in the sea, or rather of giving her a very lively and quick disposition to recover from any sudden Life-Boat cant or lurch which she may receive from the stroke of a heavy wave: but, exclusive of the cork, the admirable construction of this boat gives it a decided preeminence. The ends being familiar, the boat can be rowed either way, and this peculiarity of form alleviates her in rising over the waves; the curvature of the keel and bottom facilitates her movement in turning, and contributes to the ease of the fleerage, as a single stroke of the fleering oar has an immediate effect, the boat moving as it were upon a centre; the fine entrance below is of use in dividing the waves, when rowing against them; and combined with the convexity of the bottom and the elliptical form of the stem, admits her to rise with wonderful buoyancy in a high sea, and to launch forward with rapidity, without shipping any water, when a common boat would be in danger of being filled. The launching or spreading form of the boat, from the floor heads to the gunwale, gives her a considerable bearing; and the continuation of the breadth well forward, is a great support to her in the sea; and it has been found by experience that boats of this construction are the best sea boats for rowing against the turbulent waves. The internal shallowness of the boat from the gunwale down to the platform, the convexity of the form, and the bulk of cork within, leave a very diminished space for the water to occupy; so that the life-boat, when filled with water, contains a considerably less quantity than the common boat, and is in no danger either of sinking or overturning.

It may be presumed by some, that in cases of high wind, agitated sea, and broken waves, a boat of such a bulk could not prevail against them by the force of the oars; but the life-boat, from her peculiar form, may be rowed a-head, when the attempt in other boats would fail (B). Boats of the common form, adapted for speed, are of course put in motion with a small power; but for want of buoyancy and bearing, are overrun by the waves and sunk, when impelled against them; and boats constructed for burthen, meet with too much resistance from the wind and sea, when opposed to them, and cannot in such cases be rowed from the shore to a ship in distress. An idea has been entertained that the superior advantages of the life-boat are to be ascribed solely to the quantity of cork affixed; but this is a very erroneous opinion, and I trust has been amply refuted by the preceding observations on the construction of this boat. It must be admitted that the application of cork to common boats would add to their buoyancy and security; and it might be a useful expedient, if there was a quantity of cork on board of ships, to prepare the boats with, in cases of shipwreck, as it might be expeditiously done in a temporary way, by means of clamps, or some other contrivance. The application of cork to some of the boats of his majesty's ships (the launches) might be worthy of consideration, more particularly, as an experiment might be made at a little expense, and without injury to the boats.

"The life-boat is kept in a boat-house, and placed

(A) The short oar is more manageable, in a high sea, than the long oar, and its stroke is more certain. (B) An extraordinary case might certainly happen, when a forcible combination of the wind, the waves, and the tide, might render it impracticable to row the life-boat from the shore. upon four low wheels, ready to be moved at a moment's notice. These wheels are convenient in conveying the boat along the shore to the sea; but if she had to travel upon them, on a rough road, her frame would be exceedingly shaken; besides, it has been found difficult and troublesome to replace her upon these wheels, on her return from sea.

"Another plan has therefore been adopted: two wheels of 12 feet diameter, with a moveable arched axis, and a pole fixed thereto, for a lever, have been constructed. The boat is suspended, near her centre, between the wheels, under the axis; toward each extremity of which is an iron pin. When the pole is elevated perpendicularly, the upper part of the axis becomes depressed, and a pair of rope slings, which go round the boat, being fixed to the iron pins, she is raised with the greatest facility, by means of the pole, which is then fastened down to the stem of the boat."

Temporary Life-Boat,—an invention by the reverend Mr Bremner, minister of Walls and Flota in Orkney, by which any ordinary ship's boat may be converted into a life-boat, so that in cases of shipwreck, the crew may be saved by means of their own boats. Mr Bremner states, in describing his plan to the Highland Society of Scotland, that it had received the approbation of the Trinity houses of London and Leith, of the Royal Humane Society of London, and of many captains of merchantmen. An experiment was made in the port of Leith under the superintendence of Mr Bremner himself, and in presence of a committee of the directors of the society. This experiment proved satisfactory to the committee, whose favourable report to the directors induced them to present Mr Bremner with a piece of plate in testimony of their approbation of his scheme. The following is a general description of the method of preparing a boat for this purpose.

"The dimensions of the sloop's boat, with which the experiment was tried, were 14 feet in length, 5 feet 4 inches in width, and 2 feet 2 inches in depth. The only addition or previous preparation of the boat, was four ring bolts in the inside, and two auger bores or holes in the outside of the keel, as points of security for fixing the necessary feizing ropes (c). The ring bolts, within side the keel, were placed, the one forward, one-third from the stem, the other aft, one-third from the stern; the other two, the one directly at the stem, the other at the stern. The auger bores, outside the keel, being half way betwixt the rings, viz. the one betwixt the two rings forward, the other betwixt the two rings aft.

"Two empty hogheads were then placed in the fore part of the boat, parallel and close to each other, and laid lengthways, fore and aft. These were secured in their places by passing the feizing ropes round all, that is, over the gunwales and through the auger bore in the keel, as also from the ring bolt in the stem to that next it in the keel, taking care in doing this, to pass the rope also through eyes on the slings of the casks, which have been previously prepared. The same process was observed in the after part of the boat. And lastly, a bar of iron about three hundred weight, was fixed to the keel, on the inside. A small quantity of cork was also placed in the stern, intended chiefly to raise to a proper height the casks placed above it, but without which the result of the experiment would have been the same.

"The quantity of cork necessary, which will depend on the size of the boat, is to be made up into several parcels, but none larger than one person can easily manage. Each parcel to be properly secured and numbered, so as that the whole may fit and fill up the boat completely, in the spaces betwixt the ring bolts, fore and aft, as above described; and to answer the end, it is material that there should be cork enough to rise nearly three feet above the gunwales, so as to form an arch from gunwale to gunwale. The cork being thus laid in the boat, it is to be properly secured, first by passing a strong rope round all, over the gunwales, and through the auger bore, outside the keel; as also by passing feizing ropes from the ring bolt in the stem, to that next it in the keel, taking care to make as many turns and feizings betwixt these ring bolts, as completely to secure the cork from slipping out. The very same thing to be done as to the rope round the gunwales, and through the hole outside the keel, with feizing ropes from the ring bolts, to be made aft, or in the stern of the boat.

"Where cork cannot be had, or may not be kept in readiness on account of its expense, which, however, is not very great, casks will answer the purpose, though it may be doubtful whether there would not be a greater chance that the fury of the waves might unloose them, unless particular care was taken to have them properly fixed. In the case of casks, two empty ones are to be placed in the fore part of the boat, parallel to one another, close together, and to be laid lengthwise fore and aft. Two other empty casks to be placed in the same way in the stern, or aft part of the boat, and the whole to be secured as firmly and compactly as possible, by strong ropes round the boat and casks, and also by feizing ropes in the same way as described in the case of cork; then two other empty casks, of the same dimensions, one fore, and another aft, to be placed over and in the middle between the two already fixed, and to be firmly secured, as above mentioned.

"As the boat is to be thus prepared on the deck of the ship, when danger appears, a piece of sail should be thrown in below, betwixt, and about the casks, for the more effectually securing them, and to prevent the feizing ropes from so readily slipping; it would be proper also to have slings on the casks, with eyes in them, through which to pass the feizing ropes.

"Lastly, both in the case of cork and casks, an iron bar, of about three hundred weight, for such a boat as above described, should be secured to the keel on the inside, in the middle or empty space. This middle, or empty space of the boat, is for the sailors, and in a ship's boat of the common size may hold eight people, with room to work a pair of oars. Every thing being previously

(c) It is probable, that ring bolts fixed in the gunwales, might answer as well as passing the ropes round the bottom of the boat and through the auger bores in the keel. Life-Boat previously ready, it is certain that the necessary fixing of the casks will not take up above ten or twelve minutes, and it is obvious the cork can be fixed in a much shorter period. It is also completely ascertained, that a boat so prepared, though full of water, will not sink, but on the contrary be extremely buoyant, and will easily go a-head: That it would be next to impossible the boat should overfet; but, in case of this at any time happening, she would instantly return to her proper position on her keel. Though the experiment was tried only with casks, with but a small quantity of cork, as before stated, yet it is generally believed, and Mr Bremner himself is of the same opinion, that it might answer equally well, and perhaps better, to have the cork or casks flowed in midhips, leaving an empty space in each end, by which means the management of the boat by the helm or rudder would be preserved, though the other plan seems better, in the view of using oars.

Vegetable Life. See Plants.

Life-Rent, in Scots Law. When the use and enjoyment of a subject is given to a person during his life, it is said to belong to him in life-rent.