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longer, as reprefented at Jig. 3, F. All thefe faline particles were 

 exceedingly thin. There were many others formed in the fame 

 manner, but rather narrower, as at fig. 4, G : I alfo fliw many fa- 

 line particles in which I could not difcover any acute angles, ns fig. 

 5, H; but the greateft number of particles, being more than all the 

 reft put together, M'ere broad in the middle and drawing to points 

 at the fends, as reprefented at Jig. 6, I. Thefe laft particles were 

 of various lizes, and fome fo minute as to be fcarcely diftinguifh- 

 able. 



After the water had flood a whole day and night, I faw fome 

 faline particles collected together in an irregular form, fo that they 

 had two, three, or more points at the extremities, as appears at^^, 

 7, K, which I concluded was caufed by fome of the particles ad- 

 hering together. 



From thefe obfervations I concluded that the heat which we feel 

 in our tongues from Pepper, is nothing but the falts or faline parti- 

 cles pairing from the Pepper to the tongue, and the fliarp points of 

 which fo prick the tongue as to excite the fenfation we call heat, as 

 before mentioned ; but when thefe faline particles by degrees coa- 

 gixlate, as I have before obferved, and get into the ftomach and in- 

 teftines, they may, by fuch coagulation, fo alter their fliape as to be 

 prevented exerting fuch a ftimulating power as to caufe evacuation, 

 or at leaft thefe particles may alter their figure ; to which we may 

 add that the juices in the throat, ftomach, and bowels, may promote 

 fuch coagulation, or other difpofition of the pungent faline particles, 

 as to prevent their irritating the ftomach or inteftincs, if they are 

 not taken in too great a quantity. 



To fatisfy myfelf farther on this fubjecl, I took a new glafs and 

 put into it fome long Pepper, and, by applying fire to it, I drew off 

 oil from it ; the oil, or fpirit, which was firft driven oft' by the fire, 

 I often examined, but faw nothing in it worthy of note; the oil that 

 came off laft, being heavier, funk to the bottom, but iu this I re- 

 marked nothing particular. 



