f 17 ) 



M. Amy, of the Academy of Sciences at Paris, 

 obferves, that " verdegris is one of the moll vio- 

 lent poifons in nature :" yet, fays he, " rather 

 than quit an old cuftom, the greater part of man- 

 kind are content to fwallow fome of this poifon 

 every day". Amy's Treat, upon Cifterns, printed 

 at Paris, 1750. 



M.Thiery, in a thefis, which is added to this 

 trad, has more particularly confidercd the nox- 

 ious qualities of copper, and the various means, 

 by which they may be communicated to what- 

 ever we eat or drink. *' Our food, fays he, re- 

 ceives its quantity of poifon in the kitchen, by 

 the ufe of copper pans and diflies. The brewer 

 mingles poifon in our beer, by boiling it in a 

 copper. Salt is diflributed to the people from 

 copper fcaies, covered with verdegris/' Pickled 

 cucumbers are rendered green by an infufion of 

 copper coin. '^ The paftry-cook bakes our 

 tarts in copper patty-pans. But confeclions and 

 fyrups have greater powers of deilruL^ion : for 

 they are fct over a Hre in copper veffels, which 

 have not been tinned ; and the verdegris is plen- 

 tifully extradled by the acidity of the compofi- 

 tion. And though we do not, after all, f»vallow 

 C death 



