[ t8' ] 



Odr fufpicions on this head will be Arongly incieafed if, on 

 reviewing the figns fuppofed to indicate acid acrimony, they be 

 found deficient and inconclufive. Curdled milk and green four- 

 fmelling fasces are the marks which have been generally thought 

 to charadcrife predominant acidity. Enough, I hope, has been 

 already faid to expofe the miftaken notions derived from the 

 firfl; appearance, viz. " curdled milk." Againft the fecond, we 

 are enabled to fpeak on the authority of Sydenham: In his 

 letter to Dr. Cole, on hyfteria, he afferts, that the green herba- 

 ceous coloured fluff thrown up in hyfleric cholic is no proof 

 of acrid humours being the caufe of the difeafe ; for, fays he, 

 healthy people when fea-fick evacuate fimilar matter. And 

 further, let us take his own words, " Annon et infantes in pa- 

 " roxyfmis convuljivis, in quibus fpirituum animalium maxime res 

 " agitur, tarn per ftiperiora quant per inferior a rnateriam ejujdem 

 ' ' plane color is ejiciunt ? Emeticis etiani et cathartic is frequent ius 

 *' propinatis ub'erior materiae viridis nafcitur feges. Et profeSio." 

 Says he elfewhere, " It a lubrica efl et evanida colorum Jpeculatio ut 

 " nihil certi exillis de corporum in quibus adparent natura queat 

 *' deprehendi." 



The opinion of green foeces in infancy being occafioned by 

 predominant acidity, refls very much on a fuppofition that bile 

 and acid mixed produce a green compound. Sylvius fays, " Non 

 " dubitamus ajjeverare, ortum habere mtatam alvi deje6lionem viridef- 

 " centem a, bile ab acido acri corrupt^, et in virorem dcdu6td ; quales 

 *' mutationes colorum^ haud ignotafunt tin^loribus." 



Harris, 



