Analyfis of the Air. 29 1 
mals of putrefadion; which operations 
they attribute to very different caufes, the 
immediate caufe of fermentation is (they 
fay) the motion of the air intercepted be- 
tween the fluid and vifeous parts of the 
fermenting liquor; but the caufe of putre- 
fadion they would have to be, fire itfelf, 
colleded or included within the putrefying 
fubjed. But I do not fee why thefe may 
not reafonably enough be looked upon as 
the effeds of different degrees of fermen- 
tation; nutrition being the genuine effed 
of that degree of it, in which the film of 
theattrading adion of the particles is much 
fuperior to the fum of their repulfive power : 
But when their repelling force far exceeds 
their attradive, then the component parts 
of vegetables are diffolved. Which diffolving 
fubftances, when they are diluted with much 
liquor, do not acquire a great heat in the dif* 
folution, the brisknefs of the inteftinc moti- 
on being checked by the liquor: But when 
they are only moift, like green and damp 
Hay, in a large heap, then they acquire a 
violent heat fo as to fcorch, burn and flame, 
whereby the union of their conftituent parts 
being more throughly diffolved, they will 
neither produce a vinous, nor an acid fpirit : 
V z Which 
