IX. 417 



other passages of nature, and not by a conflict of 

 heats. 



Experiment solitary touching bodies unperfectly mired. 



837. In versions, or main alterations of bodies, 

 there is a medium between the body, as it is at first, 

 and the body resulting ; which medium is corpus im- 

 perfecte mistum, and is transitory, and not durable ; 

 as mists, smokes, vapours, chylus in the stomach, 

 living creatures in the first vivification ; and the 

 middle action, which produceth such imperfect bo 

 dies, is fitly called, by some of the ancients, inqui- 

 nation, or inconcoction, which is a kind of putrefac 

 tion : for the parts are in confusion, till they settle 

 one way or other. 



Experiment solitary touching concoction and crudity. 



838. The word concoction, or digestion, is chiefly 

 taken into use from living creatures and their organs; 

 and from thence extended to liquors and fruits, &c. 

 Therefore they speak of meat concocted ; urine and 

 excrements concocted ; and the four digestions, in 

 the stomach, in the liver, in the arteries and nerves, 

 and in the several parts of the body, are likewise 

 called concoctions : and they are all made to be the 

 works of heat ; all which notions are but ignorant 

 catches of a few things, which are most obvious to 

 men s observations. The constantest notion of con 

 coction is, that it should signify the degrees of alte 

 ration, of one body into another, from crudity to 



