406] 
of reputation, that Plica is frequent 
in Tartary ; and that it was brought 
into Poland in the 13th century by 
the Tartars, who at that period 
made frequent irruptions into the 
eastern parts of Europe. 
A perfe¢t confidence in the libe- 
rality and candour of a society, 
the exertions of which have added 
considerably to the treasure of 
science, encourages me to submit 
to it these few crude and cursory 
remarks ; trusting that the most 
trivial coatribution to the general 
stock, will not be decined unwor- 
thy its attention. At some future 
period I hope to have opportunity 
and leisure to renew my observa- 
tions on the subjeé&t ; and I shall en- 
deavour to supply the deficiencies 
of the present sketch, by trans. 
mitting to the society the result of 
my future remarks. 
On the Power 'of the fixed Alkaline 
Salts to presesve the Flesh of 
Animals from PutrefoEions, by the 
Rev. Hugh Hamilton. From the 
TransaGions of the Royal Irish 
Academy, % 
I CAME to the knowledge of 
the above.mentioned power of 
alkaline salts, I may say, acci- 
dentally : I had a wish to procure 
some kind of alkaline liquor that 
might be safely taken for the 
purpose of correcting acidities: in 
the stomach. J knew that a solu- 
tion of salt of tartar was exceedingly 
offensive to the taste; and that, if 
it was of strength duliciene to neu- 
tr.iize any quantity of acid in the 
Stomach, it could not be swallowed 
without danger to the passages, 
from its causticity. It occurred to 
me, that its causticity might proba- 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1706. 
bly arise from its having a strong 
affinity to something or other, to 
get at which it burned or destroyed 
the texture of the flesh. If this 
should be the case, it was natural to 
suppose, that this salt, if intimately 
mixed with flesh, would saturate 
itself with whatever it was that it 
had such a strong appetite for; 
and, being so satarated, it would 
act no farther On our "echy and 
might, without danger, be taken 
inwardly. ‘To try this, I first en- 
closed some bits of lean raw mutton 
in a vial, with a strong solution of 
salt of tartar: but, after standing 
several days, no such alteration as 
I expected appeared in the liquor. 
I was willing to account for this, 
by supposing the salt had a greater 
aifinity to the water than to any 
thing in the flesh; I therefore cut 
some flesh from the breast ofaturkey, 
roasted the day before, and made 
it asdry as I could; this I pounded 
in a mortar, adding, by degrees, 
some dry and finely-powdered salt 
of tartar*, until I thought there 
was enough, for I had no rule to 
judge by. The mixture grew moist ; 
and, when it was ” sufficiently 
pounded, {[ spread. it into a thin 
cake on an earthen dish, and set 
it before the fire, where it soon 
became dry. I found it had then a 
saponuceous mild taste; for, the 
taste of the salt was scarcely per- 
ceptible. Having macerated this 
flesh in warm water, and poured 
off the clear liquor, I found it ef- 
fervesced with vinegar, which 
shewed that the salt was not so far 
neutralized but that it wauld unite 
-itself with an acid, so that I con- 
cidered it as a mild alkaline liquor, 
such as I sought for. However, 
that I might have an opinion from 
* This salt had been sent to me rendered caustic by quick-lime, though I had 
mot desired it, 
a person 
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