2S2 THE PHILOSOPHY 



into the fhomachs of turkeys, and allowed to continue there 

 a confiderabie time, they were found to be broken, cruflied, 

 or diftorted, in a moft flngular manner. * Having found,' 



< fays Spalanzani, < that the tin tubes which I ufed for com- 



< mon fowls were incapable of refifting the ftomach of tur- 

 ' keys, and not happening at that time to be provided with 



< any tin plate of greater thicknefs, I tried to flrengthen 

 *■ them, by foldering to the ends two circular plates of the 



< fame metal, perforated only with a few holes for the ad- 

 *■ million of the gaftric fluid. But this contrivance was inef- 

 « fedtual 5 for, after the tubes had been twenty hours in the 



< ftomach of a turkey, the circular plates were driven in, and 



* fome of the tubes were broken, fome comprelTed, and 

 « fome diftorted, in the moft irregular manner*.' 



The fmooth and blunt fubftances formerly employed, 

 Spalanzani remarks, though fo violently acled upon, could 

 not injure the ftomach *, he therefore tried what efFcifls 

 would he produced by iliarp bodies thrown into the gizzards 

 of fowls. He found that the ftomach of a cock, in the fpace 

 of twenty-four hours, broke oft" the angles of a piece of 

 rough jagged glafs. Upon examining the gizzard, no 

 wound or laceration appeared. * Twelve ftrong tin needles,' 

 « fays Spalanzani, ' were firmly fixed in a ball of lead, the 



< points projecSling about a quarter of an inch from the fur- 

 « face. Thus armed, it was covered with a cafe of paper, 



< and forced down the throat of a turkey. The bird retain- 



< ed it for a day and a half without flicwing the leaft fymptom 

 « of uneafinefs. Why the ftomach ftiould have received no 

 « injury from fo horrid an inftrument I cannot explain ; 



< The points of the twelve needles were broken off clofe to 

 « the furface of the ball, except two or three, of which the 



* ftumps projeifted a little higher. Two of the points of the 

 S needles were found among the food ; the other ten I could 



• Sjvalanzatii'i DilTcrtations, vol i. jv 12. 



