t- 32 1 ] 



moift, and when it was fufficiently pounded, I fpread it into 

 a thin cake on an earthen difti, and fet it before the fire, and 

 it foon became quite dry. I found it had then a faponaceous 

 mild tafte, for the tafte of the fait was fcarcely perceptible. 

 Having macerated this flefh in warm water, and poured off the 

 clear liquor, I found it effervefced with vinegar, which fhewed, 

 that the fait was not fo far neutralized, but that it would unite 

 itfelf with an acid, fo that I confidered it as a mild alkaline 

 liquor, fuch as I fought for: However, that I might have an 

 opinion from a perfon of Ikill on the fubjed, I wrote to my 

 late worthy and ingenious friend, Dodor Mc. Bride, and ac- 

 quainted him with the preparation I had made, and the intention 

 of it. In his anfwer, he was pleafed to fay he approved of the 

 idea, and would make fome of the liquor 1 defcribed, and let 

 me know what he thought of it. He afterwards wrote to me, 

 and faid he had tried the alkaline liquor, and thought it might 

 prove a ufeful medicine, particularly as it might be mixed with 

 milk and given to children, who have often acids in their 

 ftomachs. He alfo mentioned a phyfician then in Dublin, 

 to whom he recommended the liquor, and who had found great 

 benefit from it. I firft made this liquor in the year 1771, and 

 in the year 1777, being then at Bath, I met with an account 

 of fome experiments made by Mr. Bewly, an ingenious chymift, 

 which plainly proved that fixed air is an acid, and faturates 

 alkaline falts ; this at once informed me, what it was in the 

 ficfh of an animal, that alkaline falts had fuch a ftrong affinity 

 to. At the fame time I got from London one of Dodor Nooth's 

 glafs machines for impregnating water with fixed air, and to the 

 Vol. V. S s ^vater 



