[ 333 ] 
the way to many other gentlemen, among whom 
excell Dr. Gaber, and Dr. M‘Bride, whole nume- 
rous experiments lliew the ingenuity, and fagacity^ 
they are polTelTed of ; but the I'ubjedt is not yet ex- 
haulled, nor will it be very ealily. I .have made 
fome experiments relating to it ; and lliould be very 
glad, if they threw a new light on fome points of 
the greateft importance to medicine. 
Dr. Gaber has proved, by his experiments, the pre- 
fence of a volatile alcali produced by putrefadlion j but 
as he did not difeover by the fame proceedings [<^] any 
in its beginning or end, though there was a very 
putrid fmell, he denies its exillence in thefe flates, 
and concludes, that this volatile alcali is not a necef- 
fary produdl of putrefadlion [c]. This doftrine 
feemed to me not quite conformable to the phaeno- 
mena : for, as all fmell, as much as we know at lealf 
till now, depends on a faline matter, joined with a 
Acla Taurinenf. Vol. I. p. 78. Cum attegcrint fummum 
eft’ervefeentiae gradum, continuato ejufdem loci calore eflervef- 
centiae vim amiferunt. P. 79. Citius pleruinque prodiit foetor, 
quam alkali, idemque tardius defiit. P. 82. Mafl'am inde relinqui 
foeteiuiffimam, led emiffo alkali ad eft’ervefccntiani ineptam. 
Id. p. 83, 13. Q^ium foetcret graviffime refidtjum deftil- 
lacionis, quamquain omni alkali orbatum, manifeftum videtur, ab 
alkali foetorem exaitari quidern pofle, 6c magis penetrantem 
cffici, non autem ab eodem proJuci, quandoquidem fupereft eo 
fublalo — 16. Videtur is odor a volatilibus admodum paiticulis 
proficifei, fed quae ab alkali diffimiles funt, plcrumque citius 
gignantur, tardiuTque diflipentur — alcalefcemia adtife poteft 
medico foetori conjundla — viciffirn maximus foetor abfque alcali— 
Kx quibus. differentia inter foetidas alcalinafque partes confirmari 
videtur. — P.84, 17. Videtur alcali non effe produelum neccllari- 
iim putrefadlionis neque gradum alea'.efcentiae gradui putrefadii- 
cnis refpondere, 
I ' phlogiflon, 
