156 MiJceUanea Curio/a. 



triol, or any fuch-like Acid, will diffolve even 

 fo (olid a Body as Iron. And it cannot be de- 

 Tif d, but that Oil of Vitriol will diffolve Flefli- 

 meat, and reduce it to a Pulp ; but it is not to 

 be fuppos'd, that the Fibres of the Stomach 

 can admit any fuch ftrong and corroding Acid, 

 without (bmething to correcT: it, but it muft be 

 injur'd in its Tone, and labour under great and 

 extraordinary Pains. Neither does fuch a Men- 

 ftruum, tho 5 it will digeft fbme things, (eem ca- 

 pable of diffolving fb great a Variety of Things 

 as we eat, efpecially when a great many of them 

 are of a contrary Nature. Some will have the 

 Menflruum to be a nitro-aerius Spirit, that is, 

 quick, and very penetrating, and included in its 

 proper Vehicle 5 which, being in its own Nature 

 apt to penetrate the Mafs of the Aliment, does 

 diffufe it felf through the Whole, and break- 

 ing the Vinculum of the more (olid Parts, 

 does diffolve their Compages. By others, it is 

 thought to be fbme (aline Juice in the Sto- 

 mach, by which the Parts of the Aliment are 

 divided and diffolved, and thofe which are fit for 

 Nourifhment, are volatiliz'd. 



Laflfa There are fome others who rejecl: the 

 Opinions I have already mention'd, and fup- 

 po(e the Digeftion of the Food to be perform'd by 

 fhe Benefit of a Ferment ; which, when it 

 is mixed with the Aliment, excites in the Mafs 

 an inteftine motion \ and the different and con- 

 trary motions and tendency of the Parts, making 

 fome kind of Collifion, gradually break off Par- 

 ticles from the groffer, and more folid Parts, 

 till they are fb attenuated as to be apt to mix 

 more equallly with the Fluid, and with them to 

 make one (oft or chylous Subftance. But yet 

 there is not amongft them an univerfal Con- 

 tent, 



