The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-10-03


digeftive proceis, or fpotaneous foluton, as the
heih, fat, fkin, and bones, of animals with their
tecretions OF bile, faliva, mucus; and their ex-
cretions of urine, and ordure and alto the fruit,
meal, oil, leaves, wood, ofyegetables, when pro-
perly decompofed on or beneath the foil, fupply
the NOT nutrtive food to plants.
Secondly, the chyle of all animals is fimlar to
the fap-iuce of all vegetables in this crcum-
itance, that they both contain mucilage and fu-
gar, and feem only to differ in this reipect, that
the chyle of animals alto contains oil, which be-
ing mixed with the mucilage gives it its white
neis like milk. Hence thois matters mutt fup-
ply nutrinent mott expeditiouly to vegetables
which contain muciase and fugar, or produce
them with the leaf decomposition, as the ielles
from the fhavings OF horns, from hair, woollen
rags, and the iaccharine matter of fweet fruits,
roots, kernels, feeds; and in the fame manner
thefe things with the addition of Gil are mott eX-
peditiouily nutritive to animals.
Thirdly, fuch materials as contain in folution
tloie iimpe fubitances which conititute great
part of vegetable bodies as carbon, which is
found in MOT earths & oxygen, On hydrogen,
and nitrogen, which are found in water and in
air; and from hence we may conclude, that
whatever material has contributed az part of liv-
ing organic bodies, may again confitute part
OF them and that with more expedition, ifthey
can be uied without being decompoied into
their primary clements.
Mr.. Bewley, the Norfolk philosopher, faid to
a friend, who was riding by his Eide, that when
he wanted a whip, ne habituallv looked for
dead Rick in the hedge, unwilling TO pluck off
a leafy branch, and defroy 70 many living buds.
He might have added, that to burn hair or
ftraw urnecefiarily dminiihes the fun of matter
mt for quick nutrition by decompofpg it nearly
into Its elements, and ihould therefore give fome
computations 20 mind of universal fympathy.
1t would feem therefore, that long roots fixed
into the earth, and leaves innumerable waving in
the air, were necefary for the decomposition &
new combinatlonSO OF water and air, and the con-
veriion of them into faccharne and muclagi-
nous matter; which would have been not only
cumbrous but totally Incompatible with the To-
comot;cns OF animal bodies for how could a
man or quadruped have carried or his head or
back foreit of leaves, or have trailed after him
long branch lacteals terminating on the filrface
OF the earth Animals therefore fubliit on We
lgeta5leS; that is, they take the matter 70 far
prepared, and Ioheis organs to prepare it fur
Their for the purpoles of greater fenGbility, and
higher animation.
1. Earth which contains carbon. Carbon is the
Pure part of the charcoal, free from fats, wa
ter or air. Carbonic earth is the black foil,
which covers the furface of the ground.
2. 44irS.-I'his is one of the technical terms
of the New Chemical Nomenclature.
3. The gas, or asriform fluid, which rites from
the fpirits of hartihorn, or volatile falts, pro-
ducmg very pungent fmell.
4. The baje of hgRamna6ie air. This air NAV
be eally made by putting pieces of zinc or
the things ofiron, intooilof vitriol or lulphuric
acid, diluted with or times its quantity of
water. An effervefcenrc takes place, and the
inilammable air may be fet or fire as it paaes
out of the vial.
). i he new pane for the aqua .torti5 of the apo
thecaries fhops.
6. The new name for fired air: 70 called from
It's ipecfic gravity. 1T is found in old cellars,
and at the bottom of old wells, where it is
10 destructive to anirnalliie. Ii may be eafiy
obtained by pouring diluted fulphuric acid
upon chalk.
7. The noxious part of atmospheric air.
8 The new name for Volatile Alkal.
8 & 10. When the food gets into the ftomach
and inteftines it is difolved by its Juices, and
becomes whitifh fluid, not very diIimilar TO
milk. In this tate it is called chyle. The
chyle is conveyed by fnall tubes or -,e1eL,
called the haeteak5, into the Receptacuum
Chy, from thence thro' theThoracic duct in
to the MATS of blood.
II. The pure part of atmospheric air. 1t may
be obtained by pouring the fulphurc acid
upon red lead. ~ See Chaptal'S Chemifry.