ANTIPERISTASIS, in Philosophy, the Action of two opposite Qualities, one whereof, by its Opposition excites and heightens the Force of the other. See QUALITY. This Word is Greek, Ἀντιπερίστασις; formed of ἀντί, contra against, and περιίστημι, to stand round: q.d. Resistance or Renitency against anything that surrounds or besets another. It is usually defined, "the Opposition of a contrary Quality, whereby the Quality it opposes becomes heightened, or intensified; or the Action whereby a Body attacked by another, collects itself, and becomes stronger by such Opposition; or an Intensification of the Activity of one Quality, by the Opposition of another."Thus Cold, say the School-Philosophers, on many Occasions exalts the Degree of Heat; and Dryness that of Moisture. See COLD, etc.
Thus it is that Quick-Lime is set on fire by the Affusion of cold Water: So Water becomes warmer in Winter than in Summer, by Antiperistasis: And to the same Cause it is owing that Thunder and Lightning are excited in the middle Region of the Air, which is continually cold.
This Antiperistasis is a Principle of great Use and Extent in the Peripatetic Philosophy. "It is necessary," according to the Authors of that Class, "that Cold and Heat be both of them endued with a self-invigorating Power, which each may exert when surrounded by its contrary; and thereby prevent their mutual Destruction. Thus it is supposed that in Summer, the Cold expelled from the Earth and Water by the Sun's scorching Beams, retires to the middle Region of the Air, and there defends itself against the Heat of the superior and inferior Regions. And thus, also, in Summer, when the Air about us is sultry hot, we find that Cellars and Vaults have the opposite Quality: so in Winter, when the external Air freezes the Lakes and Rivers, the internal Air, in the same Vaults and Cellars, becomes the Sanctuary of Heat; and Water, fresh drawn out of deeper Wells and Springs, in a cold Season, not only feels warm, but manifestly smokes."Mr. Boyle has canvassed this Doctrine thoroughly, in his History of Cold. "It is certain that, a priori, or considering the reason of the thing abstracted from the Experiments alleged to prove an Antiperistasis, it appears highly absurd: Since, according to the Course of Nature, one Contrary ought to destroy, not to strengthen another: Beside, that it is an Axiom that natural Causes act as much as they can; which, as to inanimate Creatures, must be allowed physically demonstrative; in regard that these act not by choice, but by a necessary Impulse.""It is commonly, indeed, alleged, as a Proof of a Power Nature has given Bodies of flying their Contraries, that Drops of Water, falling on a Table, collect into little Globules, to avoid the contrary Quality in the Table, and keep themselves from being swallowed up by the dry Wood: but this we can account for on more intelligible Principles, viz. the Power of Attraction, and Repulsion.
See ATTRACTION and REPULSION.
As to the Antiperistasis of Cold and Heat, the Peripatetics talk of those Qualities being surrounded by their Opposites, as if each of them had an Understanding and Foresight, that in case it did not gather up its Spirits, and guard against its Antagonist, it must infallibly perish; which is to transform physical Agents into moral ones.
In effect, not only Reason, but Experiment also, concludes against the Notion of an Antiperistasis: The leading Argument urged in behalf of it, is the heating of quick Lime in cold Water: Now, who can sufficiently admire at the Laziness and Credulity of Mankind, who have so long, and generally acquiesced in what they might so easily have found to be false? For if, instead of cold Water, the Lime be quenched with hot, the Ebullition will oftentimes be far greater than if the Liquor were cold. See HEAT. Again; in freezing a Basin to a Joint-Stool with a Mixture of Snow and Salt, by the Fire-side, 'tis pretended, that the Fire so intensifies the Cold, as to enable it to congeal the Water that stagnated upon the Surface of the Stool, between that and the bottom of the Vessel.
But how little need there is of an Antiperistasis in this Experiment, appears hence, that Mr. Boyle has purposely made it with good success, in a place where there neither was, nor ever probably had been, a Fire. See FREEZE and FREEZING.
The Patrons of an Antiperistasis usually plead that Aphoristical Saying of Hippocrates, “The Viscera are hottest in Winter,” in behalf of their Opinion: But the only Proof usually brought of such greater Heat, is, that Men then have a greater Appetite; so that the Aphorism supposes Digestion to be made in the Stomach by Heat, which is easily refuted. See DIGESTION.
Another Argument, urged in favour of an Antiperistasis, is borrowed from the Production of Hail, which is presumed to be generated in Summer only, not in Winter; and, according to the Schools, is made in the lowest Region of the Air, by the Cold of the falling Drops of Rain being so highly intensified by the Warmth they meet with in the Air near the Earth, as to congeal into a solid form. See the Article HAIL.
As to the refreshing Coldness which subterraneous Places afford in Summer, it may be denied that they are then really colder than in Winter; though if the contrary were allowed, it would not necessarily infer an Antiperistasis. 'Tis certain, the smoking of Waters drawn from deep places in frosty Weather, does not necessarily infer such Water to be warmer than at other times when it does not smoke; since that Effect may proceed, not from the greater Warmth of the Water, but from the greater Coldness of the Air. For a Man’s Breath in Summer, or in mild Winter Weather, becomes very visible; the cold ambient Air suddenly condensing the fuliginous Steams discharged by the Lungs; which, in warmer Weather, are readily diffused in imperceptible Particles through the Air. See the articles WATER, COLD, etc.
