i a NUTRIENTIA. Art. 1. 2. 3. 6. 



above it into contact with the under edges of the aperture. 

 There fhould alfo be a fmall tube or hole covered with a weight- 

 ed valve to prevent the danger of burfting the digefter. 



Where the powers of digeftion are weakened, broths made 

 by boiling animal and vegetable fubftances in water afford a nu- 

 triment ; though I fuppofe not fo great as the flefh and vegeta- 

 bles would afford, if taken in their folid form, and mixed with 

 faliva in the act of maftication. The aliment thus prepared 

 fhould be boiled but a fhort time, nor mould be fuffered to con- 

 tinue in our common kitchen-utenfils afterwards, as they are 

 lined with a mixture of half led and half tin, and are therefore 

 unwholefome, though the copper is completely covered. And 

 thofe foups, which have any acid or wine boiled in them, un- 

 lefs they be made in filver, or in china, or in thofe pot-vef- 

 fels, which are not glazed by the addition of lead, are truly poi- 

 fonous ; as the acid, as lemon-juice or vinegar, when made hot, 

 erodes or diffolves the lead and tin lining of the copper-veffels, 

 and the leaden glaze of the porcelain ones. Hence, where fil- 

 ver cannot be had, iron veffels are preferable to tinned copper 

 ones ; or thofe made of tinned iron-plates in the common tin- 

 fhops, which are faid to be covered with pure or block tin. 



<5. Another circumftance, which facilitates the nourifhment 

 of mankind, is the mechanic art of grinding farinaceous feeds 

 into powder between mill-ftones ; which may be called the ar- 

 tificial teeth of fociety. It is probable, that fome foft kinds of 

 wood, efpecially when they have undergone a kind of fermenta- 

 tion, and become of loofer texture, might be thus ufed as food 

 in times of famine. 



Nor is it improbable, that hay, which has been kept in (tacks, 

 fo as to undergo the faccharine procefs, may be id managed by 

 grinding and by fermentation with yeaft like bread, as to ferve 

 in part for the fuftenance of mankind in times of great fcarcity. 

 Dr. Prieftley gave to a cow for fome time a ftrong infufion of 

 hay in large quantity for her drink, and found that Ihe produ- 

 ced during this treatment above double the quantity of milk. 

 Hence if bread cannot be made from ground hay, there is great 

 reafon to fufpe£t, that a nutritive beverage may be thus prepared 

 cither in its faccharine ftate, or fermented into a kind of beer. 



In times of great icarcity there are other vegetables, which 

 though not in common ufe, would moft probably afford whole- 

 fome nourifhment, either by boiling them, or drying and grinding 

 them, or by both thofe proceiles in fucceffion. Of thefe are per- 

 haps the tops and the bark of all thofe vegetables, which are 

 armed with thorns or prickles, as goofeberry trees, holly, gorfe, 

 and perhaps hawthorn. The inner bark of the elm tree makes 



a 



