320 'Gaftric Fluid. [Book IX,- 



jfet to ftand in a watch glafs, depofited in a few hours 

 a copious fediment. As the fediment might be attri- 

 buted to the food fufpended in the gaftric juice, the 

 experiment was repeated on a crow, the ftomach of 

 which was empty. The fluid obtained in this cafe 

 was of a tranfparent yellow colour, depofited very 

 little fediment, but the tafte was the fame. The 

 gaftric juice did not burn when thrown on hot eoals, 

 and paper moiftened with it would not burn till the 

 fluid was evaporated. 



The motion of the ftomacK alfo aflifts in mixing 

 and intimately blending this fluid with the proper parts 

 of the aliment, fo as to enable its foiven: powers more 

 completely to act upon it. The fenfible qualities of 

 this fluid are, however, not fuch as to lead us to at- 

 tribute to it any fuch power j and I do not know 

 that it has been completely analized by any chemical 

 procefs, at leaft by any which enables us to explain 

 its folvent property. A French * author, indeed, ob- 

 fcrving the power which inflammable air has in dif- 

 folving the texture of animal matter, has intimated 

 an opinion, that a portion of the oily matter which 

 is taken in with the food, may be modified by the 

 ftomach into inflammable air, and may perform this 

 part of the procefs of digeftion. 



Digeftion differs from all other procefles, and can 

 be compared neither to putrefaction nor chemical 

 folution. A remarkable circumftance alfo with regard 

 to digeftion is, that by it both animal and vegetable 

 matter is converted into the fame fubftance.. 



Dr. Fordyce fed a dog with farinaceous matter, and 

 another with mufcle, and opening them both (in 

 which he does not appear to have been juftifiable) 



* M. Sage* 



during 



