38 Dr Davy on the Action of Lime 
may take place under the influence of lime is a subject for further 
inquiry. Probably the effects of lime on cuticle, nail, and hair, on 
which, in the arts, its operation has been best known, led to the 
ideas of its agency on animal substances generally, which I have been 
under the necessity of combating. 
On the action of Lime on Vegetable Substances. 
Reasoning from analogy, from what I had witnessed of the effects 
of lime on animal substances, I was induced to question the views 
which are commonly entertained of the operations of this earth on 
vegetable matters, as its supposed power of facilitating their decom- 
position, and promoting their fermentation and solution. And the 
few experiments which I have made, have more than confirmed me 
in my doubts. 
As the subject is of very great importance in relation to agricul- 
ture, I shall describe the results which were obtained, using small 
quantities as most manageable, and best accordant with my limited 
means, hoping that my statements may induce others to repeat the 
experiments on a large scale, and extend them in a manner befitting 
the consequences involved. 
The experiments were commenced in June 1836, and they were 
concluded in November 1838. I shall describe them individually. 
On the 27th of June 1836, one portion of sawdust, I believe of 
Norwegian fir, was put into a bottle, with distilled water and quick 
lime (the bottle was about half filled with the mixture) and corked. 
Another portion of sawdust was put into a bottle with water and 
corked, but without the addition of lime. 
Examined on the 1st November 1838, the sawdust, with the lime, 
had no appearance of any material change ; its colour, perhaps, was 
a little heightened ; the water only just perceptibly coloured ; it had 
a strong taste of lime; evaporated to dryness, it afforded a light 
yellow residue, consisting chiefly of lime; the proportion of vegetable 
matter was hardly appreciable. 
The other portion examined after the same interval, also exhibited 
very little change; a mucilaginous film had formed over the sub- 
merged stratum of sawdust, too delicate and small in quantity to be 
collected and examined in a satisfactory manner ; the sawdust re- 
tained its colour, and the water was colourless, The water, evapo- 
rated to dryness, yielded a very minute brownish residue, slightly 
bitter, which had no effect either on litmus or turmeric paper. No 
smell was perceived on opening the cork of either bottle. 
On the 17th June 1836, some clover leaf and flower, and some 
leaf of the common mallow, were put into a bottle with quicklime 
and water; the bottle was corked, and the cork was covered with 
sealing-wax. The quicklime used was tested for carbonic acid, and 
found to be perfectly free from it,—not effervescing in the slightest 
