OF NATURAL HISTORY. 235 



three hours: The raw flefh had loft one fcruple and two grains, and 

 the boiled one fcruple and fixteen grains. Sufpeding that, ifthefe 

 fubftances were divided, the folvent would have a freer accefs to 

 them, and more of them would be difTolved, Dr Stevens, procured 

 another fphere, with holes large enough to receive a crow's quill. 

 He inclofed fome beef in it a little mafticated. In thirty-eight hours 

 after it was fwallowed, it was voided quite empty. Perceiving how 

 readily the chewed meat was difTolved, he tried whether it would 

 diflblve equally foon v/ithout being chewed. With this view, he 

 put a fcruple and eight grains of pork into one cavity, and the fame 

 quantity of ckeefe into the other. The fphere was retained in the 

 German's ftomach and inteftines forty-three hours ; at the end of 

 which time, not the fmalleft quantity of either pork or cheefe was 

 to be found in the fphere. He next fwallowed the fame fphere, 

 which contained, in one partition, fome roafted turkey, and fome 

 boiled fait herring in the other. The fphere was voided in forty- 

 fix hours ; but no part of the turkey or herring appeared ; for both 

 had been completely diffolved. Having difcoveied that animal fub- 

 ftances, though inclofed in tubes, were eafily difTolved by the gaftric 

 juice, the Dodlor tried whether it would produce the fame eSc€t up- 

 on vegetables. He, therefore, inclofed an equal quantity of raw 

 parfnep and potatoe in a fphere. After continuing forty-eight hours 

 in the alimentary canal, not a vef^ige of either remained. Pieces of 

 apple and turnip,, bothraw and boiled, were difTolved in thirty- fix- 

 hours. 



It is a comfortable circumftance, that no animal, perhaps, except 

 thofe worms which are hatched in the human inteftines, can refift 

 the difTolving power of the gaftric juice. Dr Stevens inclofed live 

 leeches, and earth-wormSj in different fpheres, and made the Ger- 

 man fwallow them. When the fpheres were difcharged, the animals 

 were not only deprived of life, but completely difTolved, by the 

 ti ^ S. operatioai 



