SECT. XIX. PHYSIOLOGY. 159 
death. This solution of substance he represents as 
not confined to the stomach, but extending to the 
contiguous viscera, and corroding even the dia- 
phragm itself. Mr. Hunter’s acuteness of obser- 
vation, and fidelity of description, are worthy of 
every credit; but that these morbid decompo- 
sitions are the effects of the gastric juice, is highly 
improbable, as it is found to possess no such 
active properties, when procured even in its purest 
state. But on this subject, some observations will 
be offered in the sequel. 
cecxci. The Abbé Spallanzani repeated the 
experiments of Reaumeur, and varied his method 
of artificial digestion, which was attended with 
rather more success than that of his prede- 
cessor. The two following experiments are ex- 
tracted from the Abbé’s elaborate work, and 
seem the most favourable to the theory which he 
advocates. 
cccxcty. “ I exposed to the sun two phials 
filled to a certain height with gastric juice from 
crows, in one of which were immersed several 
pieces of beef, and in the other crumbs of wheaten 
bread. Nine hours of sunshine much forwarded 
the artificial digestion, which was the object of 
my inquiry <A good part of the flesh was reduced 
to a kind of glue, which adhered to the fingers 
when handled : nothing like flesh remained in any 
of the pieces but the nuclei, which were still con- 
