( \7 ) 
Animals, is to Keep it among Brandy; and every one 
knows, that Water immediately diliolves Sugar, which 
Brandy will not do. Therefore Senna will impart its 
purgative Quality to Water or Ale, having its faline 
Particles more difengag’d ; but the purgative Virtue of 
jaJap confiding in its refine, requires Wine or Brandy 
for the Menflruum or Difiblvent. 
Therefore, in my humble Opinion, a mod proper 
Means to find out the Virtues of Plants, is to have re- 
courfe to the proper Menflruums . A Simple may be in- 
lus d in Rain Water, Snow Water, or pure Fountain 
Water ; if its Texture is loofe, and it abound with fe- 
line Particles, thofe pure Elements will be impregnated 
by it ; but if the Texture be more compact, firm and 
folid, if its Particles are more fix'd. Mineral Waters ; or 
by the addition of a proportional quantity of the fix’d 
Salt of a Plant, a proper Menflruum may be prepared. 
And next to the adhibiting of the Bitters in fubdance, 
fuch as Wormwood, Gentian, and Camomile Flowers, 
this is the mod convenient way of adminidring 
them 3 not but their Tincture extra#ed by Brandy or 
Wine may do very well; But fince they abound very 
much with a fix d Salt, a great deal of their Virtue 
may be communicated to a Ids fpirituous Liquor, when 
a more fpirituous will not extra# it. The proper 
means to know which Menflruum will bed extra# the 
more ufeful parts of any Simple, or rather fufpend irs 
more folid Particles, is to ufe the Hydrodatical Bal- 
lance ; when having weighed the Menflruum before in- 
fufion, and after the Materies has been infus’d for (ome 
time, it will foon be obferv’d by the Augmentation of 
the Weight, how far the Menflruum is impregnated, and 
which is the mod proper Didolvent. The propereft 
Method of adhibiting the fix’d Simples, if not in Sub- 
dance, is by Deco#ion, Jnfufion,'or Tin#ure, (N”. B . 
F It 
