J 4 NUTRIENTIA. ART. I. 2.4.1. 



By the future improvements of human reafon fuch govern- 

 ments may poflibly hereafter be eftabliflied, as may a hundred- 

 fold increafe the numbers of mankind, and a thoufand-fold their 

 happinefs. 



IV. i. Water mud be confidered as a part of our nutriment, 

 becaufe ib much of it enters the compofition of our folicis as 

 well as of our fluids ; and becaufe vegetables are now believed 

 to draw almoft the whole of their nourilhment from this tource, 

 As in them the water is decompofed, as it is perfpired by them 

 in the funfhine, the oxygen gas increases the quantity and the 

 purity of the atmofphere in their vicinity, and the hydrogen 

 leems to be retained, and to form the nutritive juices, and con- 

 fequent fecretions of refin, gum, wax, honey, oil, and other veg- 

 etable productions. See Botanic Garden, Part I Cant. IV. 

 line 25, note. It has however other ufes in the fvnVm, befides 

 that of a nourifhing material, as it dilutes our fluids, and lubri- 

 cates our folids ; and on all thefe accounts a daily fupply of it is 

 required. 



2. River- water is in general purer than fpring- water ; as the 

 neutral falts wafhed down from the earth decompofe each other 

 except perhaps the marine fait ; and the earths, with which 

 fpring-water frequently abounds, is precipitated ; yet it is not 

 improbable, that the calcareous earth diflblved in the water of 

 many fprings may contribute to our nourimment, as the water 

 from fprings, which contain earth, is faicl to conduce to enrich 

 thofe lands, which are flooded with it, more than river water. 



The Chinefe are faid, by Sir G. Staunton, to purify the water 

 of fome muddy rivers or canals, by ftirrin^ them with a hollow 

 cane full of fmall holes, in the tube of which are enclofed fome 

 pieces of alum. And the bakers in London aflert, that one ufe 

 of alum is to clear the New River water, and thus to render 

 their bread whiter. Where any volatile alkali is mixed with 

 water, as often happens from the liable dung and other ordure 

 of populous towns, it will be converted to vitriolic ammoniac by 

 a folution of alum ; and calcareous earth may be converted into 

 gypfum, and fubfide along with the earth of the alum. See 

 ClafsII. 1.6. 1 6. 



^3. Many arguments feem to (hew, that calcareous earth con- 

 tributes to the nourifhment of animals and vegetables. Firft 

 becaufe calcareous earth conftitutes a confiderable part of them, 

 and muft therefore either be received from without, or formed 

 by them, or both, as milk, when taken as food by a la&efcent 

 woman, is decompofed in the ftomach by the procefs oi digef- 

 tion,and again in part converted into milk by the peftoral glands, 

 Secondly, becaufe from the analogy of all organic life, whatever 



has 



