162 ANALYTIC SECT. XIX. 
extremities were drawn out so as to form elongated 
cones; through the open ends of these cones I 
poured a quantity of gastric fluid, together with 
a few pieces of flesh. I then introduced the cones 
by the bases, into the stomach of some crows, 
allotting one to each bird ; and when they rested 
upon the bottom of the stomachs, their apexes 
came out at their mouths. The flesh remained 
several hours immersed in the gastric fluid with- 
out showing any sign of decomposition.” But 
“ when the cones were kept ten or twelve hours 
in the stomachs, the flesh was generally reduced 
to a coloured gelatinous pulp.” p. 99. 
eccxcvitt. The late Dr. Montegre, who possessed 
the faculty of vomiting voluntarily, made, some 
years back, repeated experiments on his own 
gastric juice, vomited in the morning before 
breakfast; but all his efforts to dissolve food in it 
proving abortive; he alleged that the gastric juice 
is only a bland diluent like saliva, and is destitute 
of the active solvent properties ascribed to it by 
Hunter and Spallanzani. These opinions were 
submitted in a memoir to the Royal Academy, 
and were favourably received by that learned 
body. Professor Thenard also leans towards the 
same way of thinking, in his public Lectures on 
Chemistry, in the College of France. 
cccxcrx. Some very eminent physiologists be- 
fore Montegre, have set little value on the decom- 
