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There feems to be a good reafon why fixed alkaline falts 

 fhould preferve flefh much longer than any fluid acid, fuch as 

 vinegar, can do ; for when the alkaline fait combines with the 

 flefli, it expells what is volatile, the mafs grows hard, and it is 

 eafily reduced to a ftate of drynefs, in which no fort of fermen- 

 tation or any inteftine motion can take place, and therefore there 

 is nothing that can efFedt a change in this compound fubftance : 

 whereas when an animal or vegetable fubftance is immerfed in 

 vinegar, a very heterogeneous mixture is formed, which, in length 

 of time, will be very apt to run into a fort of fermentation, with 

 an inteftine motion among the minute particles, and this will bring 

 on fome change in the texture of the fubftance, and every fer- 

 mentation, when long continued, ends in putrefadion, which, 

 indeed, is faid to be the laft ftage of fermentation. 



Whether the conjectures I have offered on this fubjed be 

 well or ill-founded is but of little eonfequence ; you may rely 

 on the fads I have mentioned, and if you think they throw any 

 light on your theory, you may, if you think proper, fubmit to 

 the confideration of the Royal Academy this paper as an appen- 

 dix to your's. 



I am. Sir, 



Your very humble fervant, 



Dublin, 

 April2,i794- HUGH HAMILTON. 



