[ 4^2 ] 
Many chemifts have affirmed, that the vitriolic is 
the only original acid in nature ; and that the nitrous 
and marine are only this acid changed into different 
forms by foreign mixtures ; and Dr: Boerhaave *, 
Vogel “f*, Macquer f:, and moft late chemifts, feem 
to think, that as all trees, plants, and other vegetable 
fubftances, receive their nourifhment from the bowels 
of the earth, therefore their acids are only fome of 
the mineral changed into a different form by the ve- 
getative procefs ; and that they all approached in 
their nature either to the vitriolic, the nitrous, or the 
marine : and as the neutral falts, produced from the 
mixture of the vegetable alkali, with vinegar, cream 
of tartar, and other common vegetable acids, have 
a good deal of the fame external appearance, moft 
chemifts have concluded, that all vegetable acids were 
nearly of the fame nature ; though fome few have 
fufpedted, that they might be found to differ from 
one another, and to have different degrees of affinity, 
if they were examined with care ; and to confirm 
this, Dr. Vogel § tells us, that if fome of the 
Rochelle falts be thrown into a decodlion of tama- 
rinds, the alkaline bafts of the Rochelle fait will unite 
with the acid of the tamarinds, and the cream of 
tartar will be precipitated. . 
and vegetable acids ; to wit, with vinegar, cryftals of tartar, 
and lemon; and one with the native acid fait (as he calls it) of 
urine, and the volatile alkali, and one with the acid of tartar, 
and the volatile alkali. 
* Boerhavii Element. Chemiae, vol. I. 804. 
f Vogel, Inftitut. Chemiae, p. 2x5. fe£t. 468. Ed. II. 
j Macquer, Elemens de Chymie Theorique, chap. xvi. 
p. 240. 
§ Vogel, Inftitut. Chemiae, p. 216. fcff. 469. 
As 
