309 



I have, in the former pages, expressed a wish, that 

 physicians should attend to the influence of acescent ali- 

 ments and drink, upon the state of urine of those who 

 habitually used them; as well as of alkaline matters, upon 

 that of such as occasionally must have recourse to these 

 substances. For it is obvious, that observations and expe- 

 riments, of this kind, must be more decisive, and less sub- 

 ject to lead us into error, than the most accurate that 

 could be devised, upon this, or any other of the human 

 fluids, when once excreted out of the system, and no 

 longer acted on, by the powerful agency of the principle 

 of life itself. 



This desirable object, I now find, has been, in part, al- 

 ready fulfilled, by the industry and ability of Mr. Alex- 

 ander Philip Wilson, who, in a publication on the Remote 

 Causes of Gravel, published in Edinburgh, so far back as 

 1792, and dedicated to Doctors Black and Monro, (but' 

 which I have to regret, only latterly fell into my hands,) 

 details a number of interesting experiments, made upon 

 himself and others. The result of a few of these, as not' 

 only highly important in themselves, but as naturally con- 

 nected with mine, instituted out of the body, I must re- 

 quest the indulgence of the Academy briefly to relate. 



From his first experiment, upon himself, it appears, that 

 the natural deposit of uric acid, from a given quantitv of 

 his urine, whilst living, as usual, on a diet of vegetable 

 and aninml matter, amounted to one grain and a half; 



VOL. X. • ur . but 



