IMPROVE 1>. ^99 



loaths his ufual Food, and longs after Mud and Dirt ; 

 and what the divine Hyppocrates fays with relation to 

 Humr^n Bodies, will hold good in Brute Creatures, 

 whofe Compontiorx is of Solids and Fluids aftuated by 

 the fame Mechanick Powers with our own ; to wit^ 

 that thofe Tmnzs ^vhic'h the Appetite is fond of, are 

 7nuch more eaftly digcfed, than fuch as the Sto??iach 

 hath no defire after \ and therefore the common Pro- 

 verb is true, 'what eve Rtlljkes, Nourif^es. For, the 

 Stomach may truly be fnled the Kitchen of the 

 Body, its Office being; to receive the Food as into a 

 Store-Houfe, and to digeil the fame is its Primary 

 Aftionj whence Indigeftion is an undoubted Fore- 

 runner of the Deftrucdon of the whole Oeconomy. 

 Digeflion is frnply a Work of Nature, nor can 

 it be performed by Art ; for we can only affift and 

 help the V/ork of Nature, and fo corred the Fer- 

 ment in the Stomach, that it may be reduced to its 

 natural State. l^herefore, the fame Method I 

 have prefcribed for the Cure of Acid Crudities, will The Cure, 

 perform the Work with relation to Nidorous 

 Crudities. I Ihail jufl mention a Paffage in Mr. 

 Gihforis Book of Farriery, with regard to Horfes 

 which are troubled with foure juices upon the Sto- 

 mach, and which ibr fuch Reafon defire to eat 

 Ciuy out of the Wails, &c. He tells us, '' that 

 " when he attended the Arm.y, he took an Oppor- 

 " tunity of gratifying a Horfe in a very ardent De- 

 *' fire of tiiat Kind. The Horfe had fafFered very 

 " much from his Keeper, and had been often beat 

 " for eating Clay out of the V/all ; " he then fays, 

 " he brought him a Piece of Chalk the bignefs of 

 *' a Man's Fift, and laid it in the Manger ; the 

 *' Horfe turned it o%^r with his Nofe feveral Times, 

 " and at lafl broke off fome of the Corners and eat 

 *' them ; v%'hereupon Mr. Gihfon took up the Chalk 

 ** to break it into fmaller Pieces ; but becaufe the 

 ** Horfe thought he was going to be robb'd of it, 

 ♦' he puihed his Head after it with all imaginable 

 ** Eagernefs, and when it was broloe he eat the 

 K 4, " greatell 



