Sedt. II. Agriculture and Vegetation. 141 



muft join with the vitriolic acid. But this 

 conclufion will not be allowed as a juft one, 

 feeing thefe putrefied fubftances may have 

 other ufes, as we will fliow. It will pre- 

 fently appear, that nitre may be got with- 

 out any oily matter. 2. The fpirit of 

 nitre has a reddiih colour, which they fay 

 is an argument, that it contains an inflam- 

 mable fubftance, and it is that fubflance 

 which gives the colour to all bodies. But 

 we know many bodies which are coloured, 

 although we have never yet been able to 

 mew that they contained an qil ; therefore 

 this may not. 3. The inflammability of 

 nitre, which it owes to its acid, proves, 

 they fay, that it contains an oily principle, 

 which is the only inflammable body that 

 we know. To this opinion the anfwer is 

 plain, That nitre of itfelf is not inflam- 

 mable, unlefs it meets with an inflam- 

 mable body. This argument becomes ra- 

 ther an objection againft this opinion, as it 

 may be faid, that nitre inflames with all 

 bodies which contain an oil ; and as it is 



not 



