426 THE FARMER AT HOME. 



soon returns with increased urgency ; and finally, the sipper of such 

 liquors is at length brought into the fever of drunkenness, and is 

 greatly surprised to find that his cold spirit and water, or cold wine, 

 or beer, should heat him so excessively. The only element in most 

 of these liquors, by which they at all palliate thirst, distinct from the 

 effect of their artificial coldness, is water. 



Next to simple water, and that with the addition of a little mu- 

 cilage, the fluid, with a slightly saline impregnation, is useful in 

 moderating thirst. Animals, especially herbiverous quadrupeds, 

 usually so particular in taking no other drink but simple water, will 

 often drink with avidity from a saline spring or lick. The vessels 

 called absorbents, which drink up fluids to be carried into the circu- 

 lation, to dilute the blood and aid in the various secretions, are usu- 

 ally very careful to exclude foreign matters ; but when they allow 

 the entrance of these, it is saline substances, in minute proportions, 

 in preference to all others. 



But as few salts are pleasant to the taste, when they have been 

 dissolved in water, it has usually been the practice to employ those 

 solutions in which there is an excess of acid, as in the cream of tar- 

 tar ; or what at the- moment of their formation largely evolves fixed 

 air, which stimulates agreeably the sense of taste, as in what are 

 called soda and seidlitz powders. When we use them, we dissolve 

 in one portion of water the acid, usually the tartaric ; and in another 

 the alkali, combined with fixed air or carbonic acid in the form of a 

 carbonate or bi-carbonate of soda. The tartaric acid unites with the 

 soda, forming a salt, the tartrate of soda ; whilst the fixed air is dis- 

 engaged from its combination with the alkali, and froths up in the 

 glass at the moment of the mixture of the two solutions. 



THRASHING MACHINE. 



THRASHING-. The act of beating out the corn from grain or other 

 crops, is called thrashing. The flail was the implement formerly 

 used in thrashing corn, and which separated the grain from the straw 

 and husks very effectually and expeditiously ; but as it has now be- 

 come expensive, where large quantities are raised, and always bruises a 

 great many seeds, it has bean attempted to avoid these inconveniences 



