152 GROWTH AND POOD OF ANIMALS. 



and eight grains of boiled beef. The sphere was returned in 

 forty-three hours ; the raw flesh had lost one scruple and two 

 grains, and the boiled one scruple and sixteen grains. Sus- 

 pecting that, if these substances were divided, the solvent 

 would have a freer access to them, and more of them would be 

 dissolved, Dr. Stevens procured another sphere, with holes 

 large enough to receive a crow's quill. He inclosed some 

 beef in it, a little masticated. In thirty-eight hours after it was 

 swallowed, it was voided quite empty. Perceiving how readily 

 the chewed meat was dissolved, he tried whether it would dis- 

 solve equally soon without being chewed. With this view, he 

 put a scruple and eight grains of pork into one cavity, and the 

 same quantity of cheese into the other. The sphere was re- 

 tained in the German's stomach and intestines forty-three 

 hours ; at the end of which time, not the smallest quantity of 

 either pork or cheese was to be found in the sphere. He next 

 swallowed the same sphere, which contained, in one partition, 

 some roasted turkey, and some boiled salt herring in the other 

 The sphere was voided in forty-six hours ; but no part of the 

 turkey or herring appeared ; for both had been completely dis- 

 solved. Having discovered that animal substances, though 

 inclosed in tubes, were easily dissolved by the gastric juice, 

 the Doctor tried whether it would produce the same effect 

 upon vegetables. He, therefore, inclosed an equal quantity 

 of raw parsnip and potato in a sphere. After continuing 

 forty-eight hours in the alimentary canal, not a vestige of 

 either remained. Pieces of apple and turnip, both raw and 

 boiled, were dissolved in thirty-six hours. 



It is a comfortable circumstance that no animal, perhaps, 

 except those worms which are generated in the human in- 

 testines, can resist the dissolving power of the gastric juice. 

 Dr. Stevens inclosed live leeches, and earth-worms, in differ- 

 ent spheres, and made the German swallow them. When the 

 spheres were discharged, the animals were not only deprived 

 of life, but completely dissolved, by the operation of this pow- 

 erful menstruum. Hence, if any live reptile should chance 

 to be swallowed, we have no reason to apprehend any danger 

 from such an accident. 



The German left Edinburgh before the Doctor had an op- 

 portunity of making a farther progress in his experiments. 

 He therefore had recourse to dogs and ruminating animals 

 In the course of his trials upon the solvent power in the gastric 

 fluid of dogs, he found that it was capable of dissolving hard 

 bones, and even bard balls of ivory ; but that, in equal times very 



