55^ 



PRODUCTION 



• Sect. XIX. 6. 2, 



\ 



r 



or are convertible 



thefe ingredients which compofe animal chyle, 



into them by the power of digeftlon, may be fuppofed "to contain the 



moft nutriment for red-blooded animals. 



To this may be added, that the nutritive quality of fugar is in- 

 conteftably evinced from the known fad, that the flaves in the fugar 

 iflands become in better condition during the fugar feafon, though 

 they are compelled to labour harder. The nutritive quality of fimple 



mucilage was fhewn in a -remarkable inftance on record; wh 



re a 



caravan by fome misfort 



had 



fumed or loft all their oth 



provifions, and lived many weeks on the gum arable 



which 



ftituted their principal merch 



dif( 



Th 



nutritive quality of 



is obfervable in the procefs of feeding cattle with oil-cake, and 

 the habits of the natives of the northern latitudes, who ufe the oil 



/ 



of fiQi for both meat and drink, and derive from 



u 



iiourilhment. 



th 



principal 



Sugar is known to be the fame, from whatever vegetable it is ex- 



traded, whether from the fruit of the vine or apple-tree, from the 

 joints of the fugar- cane, from the fap-veflels of the maple, from the 

 alburnum of the rhanna a(h, from the feeds of germinated barley and 

 rice, from the roots of beets, carrots, and potatoes, or, laflly, from 

 the ne6laries of flowers. 



A, 



believed not much to differ from each other in refpe(5l to the nutriment 

 they contain, though fome of them may approach nearer to the na- 

 ture of animal fat; as the painters diftinguifh them by their greater 

 aptitude to dry, when mixed with their colours and expofed to the 



The exprefled oils of vegetables are alfo 



air. 



But the word mucilage has been ufed for flarch, which will 



not diflblve in cold water, as well as for gum arable, and other mu- 

 cilages properly fo called, which will diflblve in cold water, and even 

 for the crluten of wheat, which will not diflblve in either hot or 



cold water. We may therefore conclude, that thofe parts of vege- 

 tables, which contain the moft of thefe materials, are the mofl: 



• • 



nutritive. 



< 



