Royal Society. 389 
and fome other parts of the mouth, partly by its own fluidity, 
infinuate itlelf into, and mix with the food, and noc only 
moiften and loften it, but excite the fermentation, which is to 
diflblve it 5 and when the aliment is thus mixed with the 
Saliva^ which ferves to ferment the whole mafs, it is then 
conveyed into the ftomach, that great digeflive veffel of the 
body, where it is kept in a digeftive heat, and the fermenta- 
tion not only continued but improved • this fermentation in the 
itomach firll agitates the finer and more fubtile parts of the 
food, and puts them into motion, and fo with the fermentation 
of its own, and thofe alimentary parts, which it firll commu- 
nicates a motion to, improved by the heat of the ftomach, the 
Saliva muit necefllirily acl upon the groflcr parts 5 for the 
inteftine motion, which is excited in the mafs, does not give 
the particles, which are fermented, the fame tendency, but 
what is lo various and confufed, that they mufl inevitably 
ftrike not only one againft the other, but againft thofe, which 
are more grofs, fo as to attenuate them ^ fometimes by a colli- 
fion, which llrikes oflf fmaller particles from the larger parts; 
Sometimes by a compreffion, when the pardcles, wnich are in 
motion, happen to ilrike direflly againft any grolTer part on 
every fide of it 5 and fometimes by a kind of explofion : For 
without doubt, the Saliva^ which is fluid, mfinuates itfelf 
into the interftices of the more grofs parts of the aliment; and 
whatever is agitated and expanded in thofe interftices, requir- 
ing a larger ipace for the freedom of its motion, and offering a 
violence to every thing that oppofes its tendency, will, like 
gun-powder included in a fhell, force its way out, and tear to 
pieces that matter which endeavours to confine it ; thus the 
grofler parts are divided, untill at laft they are fo far atte- 
nuated, as to mix more equally with the fluid, and with them 
conftitute one pulp, or chylous mafs: And altho' the Dr. 
does not apprehend, how the ftomach fliould, by its reciprocal 
motions in infpiration and exfpiration, be able to break and 
attenuate any matter that will not be foftcned and diflblved by 
agitation in a liquid; yet it is certain, that thefe motions 
caufed by the diaphragm and abdominal mufcles inrefpiration, 
make thofe parts which are broken off, as they are diflolved, 
mix more intimately with the liquid; as the meat, he digefted 
with oil of turpentine and oil of vitriol did by agitation, mix 
more equally with them, and became a pulp; It is further 
probable, that from the mixture of the two juices of the Saliva 
and their fermentation, there refults fuch a tertium quid, as is 
apt 
