1798. ] 
gas by their decompofition, are prefented 
to the plants—fuch as putrifying aniinal 
and vegetable matters—and hence, in 
part, the theory of the beneficial effeéts 
of manure. 
The fun&ion which this fubftance 
(azote) performs on its introduction into 
the vegetable fyftem, is not clearly afcer- 
tained ; it enters into the compoiition of 
feveral vegetable matters, and re-appears 
in the gafeous form when the plant un- 
dergoes decompofition. 
<¢ When vegetables ({ays Chaptal, p. 275, 
vol. iii.) are heaped together, and their tex- 
ture is foftened by the humidity with which 
they are impregnated, together with their 
own juices, the phenomena of decompoiition 
are the-following : the colour of the vegeta- 
ble is changed, the green leaves become 
yellow, the texture becomes Jax, and the 
parts lefs coherent; the colour of the vege- 
table iticlf changes to black or brown; the 
mafs rifes, and perceptibly fwells up; the 
heat becomes more intenfe, and is perceived 
on approaching the heap; and the fumes 
which afife have already a fmell, which 
fometimes is not difagreeable ; at the fame 
time bubbles arife, and break at the furface 
of the liquid, when the vegetables are re- 
ducedtoamagma, This gas isa mixture of 
nitrogene hydrogene and carbonic-acid. At 
this epoch alfo an ammoniacal gas is emitted, 
-which is formed in thefe ciccumftances, &c.” 
The numerous diicoveries with which 
shemiftry has of late years been enriched, 
have exhibited a wonderful analogy be- 
tween the vegetable and animal king- 
doms, with regard to their conftituent » 
principles. Beccari was the firft who 
made known this analogy, by his difco- 
yery of the glutinous principle, which, on 
account of its refembiance to animal fib- 
dtance, was denominated by fome che- 
mifts the vegetable animal fubftance. It is 
more particularly obtained from grami- 
neous vegetables; the green fecula of 
plants likewife afford it, according to the 
experiments of Rouelle. It is likewile ob- 
tained from the expreffed juice of herba- 
mates 
ceous plants, and is in faét found in the 
fubftance of almoft all. Wuthout enter- 
ing into a defail of experiments, I fhall 
obferve here, that this vegetable gluten is 
proved to be identical with the su/cuwlar 
fibre and fibrous part of the blood, the only 
difference arifing from the proportion of 
their conitituent principles, one of which 
I need not ftate, is azote. Fourcroy has 
t 
alfo difcovered another fubftance in the’ 
fame plants, to which he has given the 
name albuminous, from its exhibiting 
the fame properties as the white of eggs ; 
and this too contains azote. The am- 
moniac which many plants, but moftly 
the, cruciform, aiford by diftiJlation, is 
d 
Mr. Taylor on the Origin of Alchemy. 
195 
another proof of the exiftence of azote, | 
which forms the bafe of volalkali; and 
though the compefition of the other two 
alkalies has not been fo clearly afcer- 
taincd as this of ammoniac, yet I think 
we have juit reafon to, conclude, both 
from experiment and analogy, that azote 
likewife torms the bafe of them. I might 
extend thefe ebfervations further, and 
point cut feyeral curious analyfes between 
the animal and vegetable kingdoms, but 
I fear to encroach on your limits. J hope 
the few particulars I have brought to- 
gether will be fufficient to put your cor- 
refpondent in a way of convincing him- 
felf that fuch: vegetables as were tor the 
food ef animals, do contain a portion pf 
azote. ‘That this is the only fource from 
whence the animal ceconomy derives this 
principle, I pretend not to affirm, but 
that it is not an inconfiderable one, 1° 
think, an examination of the fubje& will 
lead any oneto conclude, J am, &c. 
King -fireet, Cheapfide, — ALKALS. 
Dec. 8, 1797. 

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
T has been generally believed that Al- 
4. chemy cannot be folidly proved to be 
more ancient than the time of the Emperor 
Dioclefian,and even its exiftence as far back 
as that pericd has been fufpected by 
fome critics, as it refts upon the autho- 
rity of Suidas alone. ‘The following eb- 
fervations, however, prove, that it is of 
much higher antiquity than the zva of 
Dioclefian. Whether the art itfelf is a 
mere deception, or contains any thing et 
reality, I fhall leave the chemifis to de- 
termine. 
In the firt place then the Emprefs 
Eudocia, in her Greek Diétionary, p. 108, 
publifhed by Villoifon, obferves as fol- 
lows concerning the famous Golden 
Fleece: Asovucos o MituaAnvasos, coy gcmroy 
Quo _yeyerna das manccuysi'yos tov DevEsus 
ovouclb Kproy” Hab onus (OUTOULLNADY, OU 
Ws Siig Abas a BiCAsoy nv a 
Degincer YEVCLAAEVGYS TEQLEN OY OF WS Ost 
YEVET IOS Byte NUILEIS YeUTOUY, EbMOTWS ovy 
op TOle Astyess yeurouy wyoucCoy auto Oegcess 
Ose Try && avTov evecyeimy. i.e. 6* Dio- 
nyfius the Mitylensan fays, that a man 
whole name was Krius* was the Peda- 
gogue of Phryxus, and that the fheep- 
ikin hada golden fleece, not conformable, 
to poetic affertion, but that it was a book 
written in fkins, containing the manner 
in which gold ought to be made accord- 
ing tothe Chymic art. Juftly, therefore, 
fays he, did thofe of that period denomi- 
: * This Word figaities a Ram. 
4 Nat 
