[ 36i ] 



to falling leaves, from which it may acquire an acid 

 quality, is alike exceptionable. To this caufe, M. 

 ^ronchin attributed the epidemick colick which 

 fome years ago prevailed at Amfterdam. 



Wines. — It is worthy obfervation, that the cn- 

 demial colick, which formerly was wont to infeft the 

 inhabitants of Poitou, fo as to become proverbial, 

 is now no longer known, fince the pradice of adul- 

 terating wines has been abolilhed from that diftrid. 

 In whatever country the liquors are impregnated 

 with lead, either by accident or defign, this difeafe 

 will be found to prevail, as will, I think, more 

 fully appear in the fequel. Hence the colick of 

 Poitou, and of Devonfhire, and the dry belly-ache 

 of the Weft-Indies, (whatever fome may aflfert to 

 the contrary) areevidendy one and the fame difeafe, 

 and may clearly be traced to the fame caufe, namely, 

 thepoifon of lead. 



Notwithftanding the feverity of the laws, the 

 fatal abufe ftill prevails, particularly in many parts 

 of France and Germany, where their weaker wines, 

 being prone to acidity, are ftill, in defiance of all 

 laws, human and divine, corredlcd with litharge, 

 or fwcetened with fugar of lead ! Nor is this wholly 

 confined to the lower white-wines, fuch as the 

 Rhenifli, and the Mofelle, for in a late French 



publicauon, 



