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seem to do.

Fluid, deferves to be tried, observed and confidered. Whether they adhere to, clog and balance fome acid Corpufcles, which divide the Bodies in the Fluid too fmall, and free other fharp Bodies, fo as to render the Fluid acid; or, whether they affift in dividing the Bodies in it to fuch a Degree of Smallness, as may prevent their Precipitation. They feem to What they be very fmall and penetrating, but in Time they sheath themselves in fomething in the Fluid, and they lofe their Effects upon our Palates, and their Effects are at leaft, not fo fudden upon our Stomachs. Almost all Sorts of Bitters, taken naked into the Stomach, heighten and thin the Steam, and perhaps irritate the Glands in the Stomach, and make them fecrete. At what Time the Gall-bladder and Pancreas iffue their Juices into the Duodenum, whether when the Steam is weakest there, and fo the Juices are the leaft refifted; or, when the Steam is ftrongest in the Duodenum and upper Guts, whereby their Pofition may be altered, or their Juices preffed out. This This might, if afcertained, lead to discover their Ufes, whether they be to heighten or flacken the Ferment. If the Juices in the Gallbladder and Pancreas be discharged only

into

into the Guts, 'tis very likely their chief Ufe is to prevent the Excrements, which fometimes undergo a long Fermentation there, from turning acid. And 'tis like fome Pofition of the Guts, which the See p. 85. Condition of the Contents puts them into, when they want this or that Juice, gives Chapter. it an Opportunity of venting into them.

and the

whole

CHA P. XXXVI.

Obfervations upon, and Comparisons between the Effects of volatile Salts, and Sea Salts or fixed Salt.

ALL vegetable Matter contains active, and volatile Salts and Spirits, fome acid, fome pungent, fome fheathed or blunted, but all entangled with Corpuf cles of the Plant which contains them, fo as to affect our Palate with various Senfations, as hot, bitter, four, fweet, &c. and our Noses with various Smells. All fresh Water contains fome mineral, and fome vegetable Salts, and all Creatures live upon vegetable Matter or Water, or upon the Flesh of one another; and the Juices of Plants, Vegetables and common Water, yield little Sea or fixed Salt. No Crea

44

ture

human

ture but Man, especially of thofe at Land, or in the fresh Rivers, which we live moftly upon, except Pigeons and Bees, ufe Sea Salt in their Food. Nor does any ObfervaCreature but Man prepare Meat by Fire, tions upon and though Fire bear off fome of the Diet, and volatile Salts, and the moft volatile Part the Manof the Juices in the Meat, yet it agitates, paring his ner of preand divides, and frees, more of the active Meat. and volatile Salts, remaining in the Meat, from the Corpufcles of the Meat, and the Corpufcles of the Meat from one another; makes the Salts more fharp and active, and the Meat more eafy to be diffolved, `and does much the fame. Thing, as the Sun does, in ripening Fruits, &c. only the Sun does it more leisurely, and preferves the fine Juices. Man extracts, and Upon his prepares, and divides his Drink by Fire, Drink. Diftillation, Fermentation, &c. eats and drinks more volatile Salts and Spirits, and more freed from animal or vegetable Matter, and more fharpened by fuch Extractions and Preparations, than any other Creature. Man eats most of his Meat, His manand drinks fome of his Drink hot; keeps using his his Body more defended from the Air by Victuals, Cloathing, Houses, Bed, Fire, &c. and of his keeping confequently hotter than any other Crea- himself as ture. Citizens, more than Country People, warmth.

where

ner of

their Li

where the Air is more replenish'd with volatile Salts, Corpufcles of Fire, &c. raised by the great Number of Fires, refpired from the People, &c. and the Air thereby lefs able to discharge fuch from the Lungs, &c. Country People more Brutes, and than the wild Indians, &c. The Stoving. machs of Brutes, which live upon cold raw Plants, nay, fome of them, without drinking any Fluid, can digeft them. The Stomachs of Brutes, which live upon dry Vegetables, and fimple Water, can digeft them. The Stomachs of Brutes which live upon raw Animals, and drink a small Proportion, or no Fluids at all, can digest them, Bones and all. And all of them Health lefs difcharge their Excrements regularly; conftant why fhould Man with Reason to choose, than and with Choice of all Sorts of prepared

Why Man's

theirs?

Diet, Affiftances of being kept warm, Skill of Phyficians, &c. digeft his Meat worse, discharge his Excrements with greater Difficulty, and be liable to more Disorders, and more difficult to be fet right, or be fed fat at Pleasure, than any other Creature? And more now than formerly? It cannot be for want of volatile, or active Salts or Spirits, that Man's Stomach digefts not fo well as thofe of Brutes; because Brutes and Savages, who

lie

lie out in the Cold, need most of them; and Man in Cities, Towns, &c. takes in more of them, and more freed, or fharpened than any other Creature of his bignefs, or in Proportion; and because we ufe a greater Quantity than formerly in Sugar, Spirits, Brandy, Rack, Rum, Wine, Spices, Coffee, Tea, &c. and because Physicians prescribe volatile Salts and Spirits in Cordials, &c. when we are out of Order; and becaufe those who take a leffer Quantity, digeft and difcharge better than those who take a greater Quantity. It cannot be for want of keeping our Bodies hot, because Brutes are kept cooler than we; and those who keep themselves but moderately warm, and much in the open Air, digeft better than those who keep themselves hotter and clofer. And those who keep themfelves hottest, are moft troubled with Vapours, &c. It cannot be for Want of Exercife, because moft Men use more than Brutes do, if they are left to themselves. Nor can it be in Quantity, becaufe every Brute eats more in Proportion than Man. It cannot be by using too much Sea Salt, because we use much less now than formerly, and Phyficians forbid the Use of it in moft Indifpofitions, and lefs of it is

used

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