44 '^^^ ^^'^ ^f Farriery 



quors can tiie more eafily infinuate themfelves into 

 the Pores of the Aliments. And of all other Fluids 

 Water feems the moft fit for this Ufe : For, though 

 fome Spirituous Liquors may as eafily penetrate the 

 Subftances we feed upon, yet they have another 

 Property by which they hurt, rather than help, Di- 

 geftion ; and that is, their Particles have a llrong 

 attractive Force, by which, when imbibed into the 

 SubHance of our Food, they draw the Parts thereof 

 nearer to one another : So that in Faft, they con- 

 tract and harden, inftead of fwelling and diffolving 

 oar Victuals. And it is by this Property, that they 

 preferve from Corruption Animal and Vegetable 

 Subitances ; not but that we fometimes find they 

 help Digeftion, as they irritate and excite the Coats 

 cf the Stomach to a ftronger Contraction ; and 

 therefore, v^"hen they are duly diluted, they may 

 not only be ufeful but requifite. I fay, v/hen the 

 Pood is thus prepared, its Parts are foon feparated 

 from one another, and difiblved into a Fluid with 

 the Liquors in the Stomach, by the continual Mo- 

 tion of its Sides, v/hofe abfolute Power is demonf- 

 trated to be equal to the Preffure of 1 17088 Pound- 

 weight in a Fluman Body, and in a Horfe this Force 

 or Power of Digeltion is near double : To which, 

 if we add the Power of the Diaphragm or Midriff, 

 together with the Mufcles of the Ahdomen or lower 

 Belly, wiiich likewife conduce to afiilt in Digeltion, 

 then the Sum in a Human Body will amount to 

 250734 Pound-weight, which has been proved to a 

 very great Nicety by Dr. Wahrjjright , and others. 

 And fince T am advanced thus far into a Difcourfe 

 upon Digeltion, I hope it will not be unentertain- 

 ing for rne to fiiew how Nutrition is performed. 

 Nutrition Under this Term may be comprehended, Firfi, all 

 ^hat ami that pafiTes under Digeltion as already mentioned, 

 how per- Secondly, the Appofition of new Parts in the room 

 of thofe wore off by ACtion : But here is to be 

 taken Notice, that the Parts of the Food are not 

 diiTolved into efiential Parts, (as fome call them.) 



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