i6 NUTRIENTIA. ART.I. a. 4.4. 



which may be owing to the elementary fluid of heat confolidated 

 in the lime. It is the fleam occasioned by this heat, when water 

 is fprinkled upon lime, if the water be not in too great quan- 

 tity or too cold, which breaks the lime into fuch fine powder as 

 almod to become fluid, which cannot be effefted perhaps by 

 any other means, and which I fuppofe mud give great prefer- 

 nce to lime in agriculture, and to the folutions of calcareous 

 earth in water, over chalk or powdered lime-done, when fpread 

 upon the land. 



4. It was formerly believed that waters replete with calcare- 

 ous earth, fuch as incruft the infide of tea kettles, or are faid to 

 petrify mofs, were liable to produce or to increafethe (lone in 

 the bladder. This miflaken idea has lately been exploded by 

 the improved chemiftry, as nr^ calcareous earth, or a very minute 

 quantity, was foundi in the calculi analyfed by Scheele and Berg- 

 man. The waters of Matlock and of Carl (bad, both which cover 

 the mofs, which they pafs through, with a calcareous cruft, are 

 fo far from increafing the done of the bladder or kidneys, that 

 thofe of Carlfbad are clebrated for giving relief to thofe labour- 

 ing under thefe difeafes. Philof. Tranf. Thofe of Matlock 

 are drunk in great quantities without any fufpicion of injury ; 

 and I well know a perfon who for above ten years has drunk 

 about two pints a dav of cold water from a fpring, which very 

 much incrufts the veffels, it is boiled in, with calcareous earth, 

 and affords a copious calcareous fediment with a folution of fait 

 of tartar, and who enjoys a date of uninterrupted health. 



V. i. As animal bodies confid much both of oxygen and 

 azote, which make up the compofition of atmofpheric air, thefe 

 fhould be counted amonsfl: nutritious fubilances. Befides that 

 by the experiments of Dr Priedley it appears, that the oxygen 

 gains admittance into the blood through the moid membranes 

 of the lungs ; and feems to be of much more immediate conTe- 

 quence to the prefervation of our lives than the other kinds of 

 nutriment above fpecified. 



As the bafis of fixed air, or carbonic acid gas, is carbone, 

 which alfo conditutes a great part both of vegetable and animal 

 bodies ; this air fhould Hkewife be reckoned amongd nutritive 

 fubdances. Add to this, that when this carbonic acid air is 

 fwallowed, as it efcapes from beer or cyder, or when water is 

 charged with it as detruded from limeftone by vitriolic acid, it 

 affords an agreeable fenfation both to the palate and ftomach, 

 and is therefore probably nutritive. 



The immenfe quantity of carbone and of oxygen which con- 

 flitute fo great a part of the limedone countries is almod be- 

 yond conception, and, as it has been formed by animals, may 



again 



