Ts4 10 ) 
For further fatisfaction, I caufed the faid Copper For- 
ringer to be well cleaned, and poured in as much R.ain 
Water, as had lain upon the broken Pearls, and then fet 
it over the Fire again, and boiled it till two thirds were 
wafted 5 then I put the fame Water upon clean Glaffes 
in order to evaporate, to the end that l might fee whe- 
ther there were as many Salt Particles in this Water, as 
there were in that, wherein I had infufed the Powder 
Pearls, but the difference was fo little that it was not 
worth naming. 
But as the Salt Particles of both the iaft mentioned 
Waters were fo foft, that when they were coagulated in 
dry Weather, my Breath alone was fufficient to reduce 
’em to a Watry Vapour; on the contrary, the Salts that 
were coagulated from the burnt Pearls, were fo inflexible, 
that I imagined, they could not be diffolved any other 
way, than by Fire, or very (harp Waters. 
Now fince we fee, that notwithftanding the boiling 
of Pearl Powder in Water, fo few Salts are extracted 
from it, that its hardly worth the fpeaking of 5 we have 
a great deal of reafon to believe, that the Stomach and 
Bowels have a much lefs power over the Pearl Particles 
that are given to Sick Men ; and as for what belongs to 
the Salt Particles, wherewith the Water is impregnated 
by burning of the Pearls , and which coagulate in the 
Water, like a petrified Matter, we ought to believe, 
that thofe do rather prejudice than profit our Bodies ; 
and the more, becaufe the Juices, that remain in the Sto- 
mach and Bowels, do fo coagulate the Salts of thofe 
Meats and Drinks which we make ufe of, that few or 
none of them mingle themfelves with the Blood, but 
are difcharged with the reft of the Excrements; and thofe 
Salt Particles, which do not coagulate , we ought for the 
010ft part, to look upon as bad as Poifon, and efpecially 
thofe which put our Bowels into fuch a motion, as to 
protrude the Chyle too haftily : This is plainly feen in 
the 
