. [ 334 1 
phloglfton, and thefaline matter producing the putrid 
ftench, was not very likely an acid; I fuppofed it to 
be a volatile alkali, which, involved in phlogidic 
matter, might fly off, before the alkali was deve- 
loped. I wanted to know by experiment, if I was 
right; for this purpofe, I put, the 19th of June 
(the thermometer being 58° of Fahrenheit, and con- 
tinuing between 58° and 62° all the time I obferved), 
in a pretty large receiver, fome beef cut in very fmall 
pieces ; I covered the bottom with it thinly, and 
poured upon it water, about two inches high. The 
22d, the putrid fmell was very fenfible: but I let it 
ifand till the 24th, when I poured off the fluid [^f], 
adding again about the fame quantity of water to 
the flelh. I filtrated then the fluid through a piece 
of fine linen, and mixed with fome of it the fyrup 
of violets, which it did not alter; neither did it effer- 
vefe with the fpirit of vitriol, diluted to a fiiarpnefs 
near that of the vegetable acid. I thought of keep- 
ing it in digeflion for fome days ; but, for fear that 
fome little folid particles might have paffed through: 
the linen, and by that means, in growing putrid, 
might give fome alcali, and render the trial in- 
accurate, I diflilled the fluid by a heat of about 160°,. 
after which, I repeated the trial with the fyrup of 
violets and the fpirit of vitriol but it produced no^ 
[4] It requires fome attention to find out the proper 
time when to pour off the liquor ; if it is done toofoon, it will 
give too little volatile alcali to be much fenfible by experiments 
for, though it fmells firongly,it is known how little matter is re- 
quired to produce a. ftrong fmell. If it is delayed too long, it 
fliews already figns of an alcali. For that rcafon, I made many, 
experiments- in vaiw. 
change.^ 
