A letter to a gentleman concerning alkali and acid being an answer to a late piece, intituled, A letter to a physician concerning acid and alkali : to which is added A specimen of a new hypothesis for the sake of the lovers of medicine / by Thomas Emes ... Emes, Thomas, d. 1707. 1700 Approx. 128 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 33 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A70016 Wing E710 ESTC R236727 12409856 ocm 12409856 61509 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A70016) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 61509) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 938:10) A letter to a gentleman concerning alkali and acid being an answer to a late piece, intituled, A letter to a physician concerning acid and alkali : to which is added A specimen of a new hypothesis for the sake of the lovers of medicine / by Thomas Emes ... Emes, Thomas, d. 1707. 64 p. Printed for Tho. Speed ... London : [1700] Reproduction of original in Cambridge University Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Chemistry -- Early works to 1800. 2006-10 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2006-10 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2007-10 Elspeth Healey Sampled and proofread 2007-10 Elspeth Healey Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A LETTER TO A GENTLEMAN CONCERNING Alkali and Acid. Being an ANSWER to a late Piece , Intituled , A Letter to a Physician concerning ACID and ALKALI . To which is added A Specimen of a new Hypothesis , for the sake of the Lovers of Medicine . By THOMAS EMES , Author of the Dialogue between Alkali and Acid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Bonis nocet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 malis . LONDON ▪ Printed for Tho. Speed , over ●●●…inst Jonath●●'s Coffee-House in Exchange-Ally in Cornhill , Price 6 d. At which Place the Dialogue is told , 8vo . Price 1 s. A LETTER TO A GENTLEMAN CONCERNING ALKALI and ACID . SIR , WE have a small Champion lately come forth for the Acid Cause ; he conceals his Name , but he saith he is a Gentleman , hoping , I suppose , to find the better Quarter : But he professeth his Aversion to such an Undertaking , but that he is at length , and at last overcome by Zeal for the Service of his Acid Physician . And he saith that at his first reading my Dialogue , he discover'd so much unbecoming Language , that had not Requests , as forcible as Commands , chang'd his Resolution , he had never been condemn'd to a second reading , much less to the Task of writing Remarks upon it . Well , the Gentleman is to be excus'd , because he did it unwillingly ; and I readily confess , there is indeed much unbecoming Language even within in the first eighteen Pages ; and truly had it not been too nauseous , the Reader might have had a great deal more on 't ; but what he has , was but just enough to shew a Specimen of the immodest Self-applause , shameful Contempt , and abuse of all Physicians , wherewith the Pretender to a new Acid Hypothesis abounds , and what sort of Answer such Language deserveth . At which the Gentleman was so uneasie , that he leap'd over two Pages more where there is none ; but the ground of Mr. Acid's Hypothesis examin'd . He tells us , pag. 4. That undecent personal Reflections are no marks of Probity and Virtue , but are below the cognizance of a generous Mind ; and tells us in Greek too , that it is Blasphemy . I answer , if it be Blasphemy to reflect upon the Follies and Confidence of a raw Empirick , boasting himself the only Doctor in the World ; I think it is but just to be such a Blasphemer . And since there is nothing so foolishly said by such men , but catches Patients now-a-days , when so few understand Nature or good Sense , and they are so often caught to the damage of their Lives and Healths ; I think it is not only the part of a good and generous Mind , and a Virtue , but a Duty to expose them , and that sometimes in the way Solomon advises , Pro. 26. 5. But I think no body hath expos'd Mr. Colebatch so much as he has expos'd himself , to the thinking part of those that read him . The Gent. is amaz'd , he says , to see the ingenious Author of the Hypothesis of Acids treated with the utmost Contempt and Scorn . But I am as much amaz'd to see any Gentleman admire the Wit in his Writings , or Physician take him for the Author of any thing but the abuse of Acids ; and that his Friend should say , that not one Author has examin'd his Hypothesis by Reason and Experience , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 th read my Dialogue more than once , and confesses it becomes Men of Letters , Gentlemen and Philosophers , ( as Physicians are ) to weigh and consider the force of every Man 's reasoning . I think it will be confess'd by those that are Judges , I have weigh'd Mr. Colebatch's Reasoning , and found it very light ; and I am now resolv'd to put that of the Gentleman , his Champion , also into the Scale , and see how much it comes to . I am glad the Gent. acknowledges Physicians to be Gentlemen and Philosophers ; but I begin to doubt whether he be a Philosopher and a Physician ; because he altogether blames Jesting , when it is well known to such Men , that some Diseases are cured thereby , and that Satyr is often prescrib'd against some Maladies endangering the Life and Health of Men , that have their root in the Mind ; such as Pride , Ignorance , Confidence , Covetousness , &c. in a Practioner , which the Dialogue was compos'd as a Medicine to cure Mr. Acid of , if not incurable . The Gent. says farther , that Poetry is a very pretty thing ; but agrees with his Doctor , that the Character of a Satyrist and a Physician are vastly different . I am of the same Mind ; but I find the Gent. does not love a Satyr , the Panegyrick to the unknown Doctor Colebatch would relish well enough with him ; but he is not a thorough Proselyte to Acids yet ; for a Sarcastical Couplet is too sharp for his Stomach , and he thinks it should not be press'd against its will to affront a Professor of Physick . And I think it was not , in the case he means , but came only against a Professor and Abuser of Acids . But Sarcasms I 'le maintain are Acids , or they are not Sarcasms ; and Acid with Acid methinks should well agree : But perhaps these are Acids out of his Practice . But I 'll say one thing more for them , they need not be press'd , but are apt enough to come Volunteers , and muster freely upon any proper Occasion . But the Gentlemen that value themselves upon their Wit , he esteems the more genteel Mountebanks . 'T is well they are the more genteel sort ; and I should chuse , I confess , if we must all be Mountebanks , to be of that number . He allows they shew more Wit and fine Language , in their sarcastical Bills distributed by the Booksellers , than what breaks forth from beneath merry Andrew ' s Charcoal Whiskers , or wraps up John Saffold's Pills and Powder ; but the Nature , Design , and Effect of the Farce is the same . He 's a Conjurer ! he can tell they all aim at Money with common success , and so does Mr. Colebatch . But he that is bubbled on 't , I think , had as good be bubbled by a witty Conceit as a foolish one ; and if he has nothing else , have some Wit for his Money . But the Gent , says , he will never trust his Life in the hands of a Physician , who takes so much pains to convince the World he is a rare Poet. I confess a Man may be a rare Poet and not a Physician , and a Physician and not a Poet : But I think a Man that has Wit enough to be a Poet , may have enough to be a Physician , if he apply himself to that Study : But he that has not enough , I think is never the rather to be trusted with ones Life , till by a Demonstration he proves , that tho' a correct Canto will not cure a Disease , as the Gent. says , yet A dull Assertion that he can do more , Than all the Doctors that have gone before , will do the business . But for my part , I 'll never trust my Life in a Man's hands that hath nothing sharp but Medicines . But what has Poetry to do with the pretended new Hypothesis of Acids , or the Dialogue between Alkali and Acid ? What unlucky Wag has thrown a Distich at Mr. Colebatch , and hit a Gentleman also ? And why must I answer for it ? But the Gent. comes to talk of Experiments , pag. 5. He follows Mr. Acid's method , first he plays a little , and then he comes to work . And he says , I have not given one Experiment , or laid down the process of any one Medicine I would recommend to the World for the good of Mankind , or that might overthrow the Hypothesis of Acids . I answer , as for Experiments to overthrow the Hypothesis of Acids , I leave it to the Judgment of the intelligent Reader , whether there are not enough to do it in my Dialogue ; tho' some of them I find the Hypothetick knows not how to make , which is a shame , whilst he professes himself a Philosopher and a Chymist : But he may have more before we have done . But as for commending my Medicines or self to the World , in the manner some do , I count it but Quacking , and like it not , nor have any necessity so to do . The People are fond of Recipe's , and the Doctor knows 't is not against his Interest to let them have some , his Books will sell the better ; and if he does not tell them they are to be had at reasonable rates of the Author , and prescribe the making them a more chargeable way than he himself makes them , the indiscreet administration some Dablers make of them , does but breed business for the Doctor ; but the rich and cautious will have Advice , and who so sit to advise with , as that honest Gentleman who is so kind as to let them know with what Instruments he does their business . I do not esteem it impolitick in Physicians to publish some Medicines to the World , or to permit Horse-Doctors , or licence other ignorant Fellows , since they so frequently make work for one another . And I believe Mr Colebatch did not offer his unreasonable method of pr●●● 〈◊〉 point of Honour , that the Learned might 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 observe it , with any hopes they would do so , but that he might get Money ( of the ignorant , ) which he has profess'd is the only thing he cares for . Neither do I think the Learned will spend their time in his trivial Books ; nor should I , had not Philanthropy , and my Duty to Mankind ( not commanding Requests ) engag'd me to oppose what I saw was likely to be dangerous to those who should have so little Judgment as to admire it . The Gent. says , pag. 5. He hath confirm'd his Arguments for Mr. Colebatch ' s Doctrine with variety of Experiments , but he reserves a far greater number for his Service , if I , or any for me , think fit to answer . 'T is well he has a Reserve , for his variety is small , and not much to his purpose , as we shall see by and by . But let us have them that are ready , and I 'll promise him I 'll never request any Gentleman to answer for me , being old enough to speak for my self . Well , but the Gent. comes first , pag. 6. to consider my Arguments , whereby , he says , I endeavour to defend Alkali as not being the Cause of Diseases , for th●… other Causes that are not Alkalies may be assign'd . But I must tell the Gent. there is no such Argument in my Dialogue ; and had there been such , I should have been asham'd of it , as he ought to be of saying so . It would be but a poor Argument , that Alkali cannot be the cause of Diseases , because other Causes may be assign'd : But that Alkali cannot be the cause of all Diseases , when other Causes must be assign'd , is that which I think I have demonstrated . The Gent. says , my Definition of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , tho' granted , no way militates against the Hypothesis of Acids . For when we speak of the Cause of a Disease , which Physicians are said to discover and remove , we always suppose the proximate Cause , which the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can never be . But the Gent. almost perswades me here that he is more like to be a Gentleman than a Physician , because he says , we always suppose the proximate Cause ; that is , we Gentlemen , when as Physicians know well that the Proximate Cause is not the only Cause to be discover'd and remov'd : Of which I need not give many instances . The various Aporrhea of the Body , of themselves innoxious by undue retention , are often alter'd and become hostile , which ill qualities are the Proximate Causes of divers Diseases ; the alterations of which ill Qualities are far from being the only things to be done , nor is it enough for a Physician to endeavour even the Ejection of the peccant Matter , but the faults of the Instruments of Secretion are to be amended , as the prime Causes of the Diseases ; so that if Alkali it self unduly retain'd or abounding , were suppos'd the Proximate Cause of some Disease , yet there would be the Cause of that Retention or Abounding , as the chief Cause to be known and taken away by the Physician . But I fancy the Gent. if not a Physician , is so much a Friend to the Practice , he would willingly have the proximate Causes only meddled with ; have the Pump plyed , rather than the Leak stop'd , lest the Crew should want Employment . The Gent. lets the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rest here , so that if we will see what he has farther to say that it can't be the Proximate Cause of a Disease , and so dispatch the Subject all together , we must go to the 10th . page , where he falls on him again for contending to have a share with Alkali in the Cause of Diseases . He says , I should have told them what these exorbitant Desires of the Will of Man were , whether Desire of Money , Women , Revenge , or popular Applause : If I mean these , Tyburn gives proofs that by them the Blood comes to be retarded , as well as the subtile Liquors disorder'd . And I am of the opinion , that if the Desire of these would produce or retain such malign Particles , as he believes Alkalies to be , Mr. Acid had been mortally sick of them e're now ▪ and if simple Man-slaying were Death by the Law , some Acid Practitioners might e're now have been unable to secrete their own mortal Alkali , by reason of the astringency of their Collars , notwithstanding the sourness of the Crab-tree . But the Gent. says , pag. 11. he will not affirm the production of Alkali by the Operation of the Mind ; but a disappointment of the Mind he knows will of a sudden cause a Relaxation of the whole Systema Nervosum , whereby Perspiration and all Secretions are obstructed , &c. which often happens to Women : And by such Relaxation of the Nerves , and Constipation of the Pores , there are frequently induced Convulsions , &c. and the Disappointment is but an antecedent Cause , which Medicine meddles not with ; but the Materia ex qua is Alkali's malign Particles , whose Secretion is thereby prevented , which retain'd is sufficient to produce the most dismal Symptoms . Here the Gent. is profound ! But I would know of him , whether a Relaxation of the whole Systema Nervosum , which he says is caus'd by a sudden Passion , be not a Disease . But that a Relaxation of the Nerves should cause such universal Obstructions , yea Constipations and Convulsions , must be found out by some new light in Philosophy , that can demonstrate , that loosing is binding and plucking together : But if he had consider'd that some sudden Passions of the Mind have not only let go into the Breeches that which should have been deposited in some more convenient Receptacle , but produced universal Sweats , he would hardly have been of that Opinion . But the Gent. defies me to prove that Nature ever secretes any thing in a state of Health , that will come under the denomination of an Acid. A Morbid Body , says he , when the Nerves are relax'd , will sometimes eject the most benign Juices , &c. as in Scrophulous , Cancerous , Venereal , and Cachectical Bodies . Here the Gent. has caught himself , as I will prove by Argumentum ad hominem . Nature secretes common Salt in the Urine plentifully , and Saliva in a state of Health , both which he has asserted to be Acids ever since he has been a Proselyte to the Doctrine ; therefore Nature in a state of Health , according to his own Opinion , secretes things that will come under the denomination of Acids . What 's become of his Defiance ? But if he recants , and says these things are not Acids , then he loses as much another way , and I 'll ask him what he thinks of the Succus Pancreaticus , which is secreted into the same place the wicked Bile is unloaden . But he stumbles as bad in what follows . The Relaxation of the Nerves before caus'd Obstructions , and retain'd the malign Alkali ; but now it ejects the most benign Juices , and that in Scrophulous , Cancerous , Venereal , and Cachectical Bodies , whose Recrements , according to the Gentleman , are the most benign Juices : But I believe these Patients , and such as have been too familiar with some of them , sometimes have not found them so friendly . But the Gent. takes no notice that the too rapid motion of the Blood was assign'd as another morbous effect of sudden Passion of the Mind . Now we must go back to the 7th . Page , where the Gent. gives his Opinion , That the undue Conformation of the solid parts is no Disease ; but to make his Opinion good , he will suppose that they retain their due Texture , and duly perform their Offices ; he 's a cunning Man ! he instances the Organs of Hearing , Seeing , Smelling , and Tasting , being disproportionate as to size and shape , are not call'd Diseases . But if he had consider'd a little , or askt some Physician , methinks he might have understood , or been inform'd , that an Eye , for instance , being unduely form'd , too flat or too protuberant , the Humours too much or too little , too thick or too thin , are the Causes of divers Defects of Sight , a great Tongue a hindrance to the Speech , &c. He enquires whether a cartilaginous Aorta , which , he says , is what Physitians call the Bone of a Stag's Heart , did ever cause a Distemper ? He might as well have askt Physicians , whether ever they heard the Stag complain of it . But he is ill inform'd by those that tell him that a gristly Artery is a bone in the Heart . And now I am speaking of the great Artery , it brings into my Mind an Observation I have read , of divers Persons that died with very odd Symptoms , whose Disease could not be found out or remedied , 'till by dissecting one , there was sound a large Worm in the great Artery near the Heart ; which I think was very unlikely to be produc'd by Alkali or Acid either . This case was very uncommon , but Worms in some parts of the Body are very frequent , producing bad Effects , and very unlikely to be caus'd by Acid or Alkali , both of which given are very effectual to destroy them . He says , I cannot assert that ever any Man was diseased , or died , because of narrow Veins or small Lungs . I answer , narrow Veins must needs contain less Blood , and if disproportionate to the Body , ( otherwise I don't call them narrow ) little Blood must needs give little Heat and Vigour , and small Lungs must needs receive but little Air , and drive on the Circulation of the Blood more slowly , which enclines to divers Diseases . The Gent. says farther , he hath often observed in dissecting Bodies who have had one Kidney obstructed by Stones , Gravels , &c. that the sound Kidney hath been enlarg'd considerably , and hath perform'd the Office peculiar to both ; and to prove the distemper'd Kidney caus'd by an Alkali in such cases , he would have the Stones , Gravel , &c. examin'd , which will give the Phoenomena of the most fixt Alkali . Here the Gent. asserts himself an Anatomist , and to have often made Dissections , where one of the Kidneys hath been useless ; whereby he would seem something besides a Gentleman . 'T is no very common thing to find one Kidney useless : not one Dissection perhaps in a hundred gives such a Case , yet he has often observ'd it : I confess I never dissected such a Body but once , and the other Kidney was no larger than ordinary , but that affected was nothing but a Bag of Stones , and Matter , of which Stones would have been generated , which was white and soft like a Pap or thin Mortar , full of Stones and Grit , not Alkali Salt. But how one Kidney should perform the Office peculiar to both , I don't understand ; or how an Alkali should be the Cause of a Kidney : I rather guess it peculiar to the Gentleman to talk so . I am sure the examination of the Stones will no more prove an Alkali the Efficient either of the Kidney , or Stones in it , than the Pyrotechnical Analysis of Bones will demonstrate that any one of the Products made them . The Calculus will not give the Phoenomena of the most sixt Alkalies , as he says , but yielding a volatile Salt and Oyl , leaves a Caput Mort. insipid , having no signs of a fix'd saline Body in it . Nor have we such a thing as a sixt Alkali in Animal or Vegetable Substances , but it is produced by burning those things that contain the Materials of it , nor are Alkalies coagulable into Stones , without meeting with larger quantities of other Matter , which with more reason may be said to be the Cause of the unhappy Concrete . Our Gent. tells us , pag. 8. That a large Liver is no more a Disease than a large Nose , but of excellent use to secrete the Bile , that most pernicious Excrement of the Body ; and the larger the Liver , the more Bile it will secrete , and so much the more we are benefitted . But a large morbid Liver he would have granted to be caus'd by a superabundance of Gall. The Gent. is resolved the Gall shall be an Excrement , and the most pernicious one , forgetting Alkali it self , while the Gall is but a compound . But methinks , whoever considers the place into which it is discharged , must be of another Opinion , or believe the Animal Oeconomy very ill contriv'd . If this Liquor had no use , but were to be rejected as a mere and pernicious Excrement , one would have thought it in vain separated out of the Blood , to be poured into the nutritious Juice before it enters the lacteal Veins ; and the more on 't the better would be very strange . One would have thought a Gentleman's Nose might have been large enough to smell out some use for the Bile , better than to make a large Liver ; and for a large Liver , better than to make a great deal of Bile . But pag. 9. he shews admirable Sense , for he tells us , It is from Particles of Matter admitted into the Blood , that is both the Cause of the Disease , and of the thickness or thinness of the Blood ; and the reason he gives is , If there were not a retention of some Particles which ought to be carried off , or admission of others that should be prevented , the Blood would be neither too thick nor too thin , but always the same . The thickness and thinness of the Blood then are both from Particles admitted into it , because it would be neither too thick nor too thin , were there not a Retention of some that should be carried off , or an Admission of some that should be prevented . But what 's this to prove Alkali the Cause of all Diseases , any more than to good sense ? But what comes after is profound , that in Physick it may pass for a Demonstration , that if you find the Blood of one that has the Rheumatism , Scurvey , or Gout , to abound with Alkali , and be viscous , and when he is cur'd by the use of Acids , you find it yield less Alkali , and be florid , and of a good Consistence , it is to him a Demonstration , the Diseases came not from Acids but from Alkalies . That is , if the Blood have indeed too much Alkali , and thence be viscous , and the Person be cured by Acids driving out and diminishing the Alkali , and reducing the Blood to its due Consistence , the Disease was caus'd by Alkali , and cur'd by Acids . That is , If the Disease was caus'd by Alkalies and cur'd by Acids , it was caus'd by Alkalies and cur'd by Acids ; a Wit ! But there 's an If in the case , which makes the Argument worth nothing : For if this cannot be found ( as I am sure it has not yet by any certain Experiments the Acidists have given us ) we are never the better for the Supposition . But he says , it will appear that this is matter of Fact to any that will make the Experiments . And he dares affirm , that I can't produce one instance of a Person cured of those Distempers by Alkalies . But I say he should not be so confident that it will appear so to any Man , unless it had appear'd to some one that hath try'd it . And as for his daring Affirmation , I dare affirm the contrary . The Gent. says again , pag. 12. That I suppose there should be 10 or 20 parts of Alkali to one of Acid , and from either of these exceeding their Proportion , the Acid or the Alkali may be said to abound , but while they keep to that Standard , neither can be suppos'd the Cause of a Disease . I say still , that whatever the Proportions are , either may exceed and cause a Disease , the one as well as the other , if there be any such thing as their exceeding ; but when in due proportion , neither can be thought so to do while duely mix'd , but if separated and lodged apart in some place , tho' there is no more than there was in the whole Body , yet the Part where the separated Acid or Alkali is lodged , may soon suffer their bad Effects . But if there may be suppos'd 20 parts of Alkali to one of Acid in a Man in a state of Health , ( tho' I believe there is a greater difference ) yet it may well be thought that the Proportion differs in divers Persons , though all in Health , yea in the same Person at divers times , though he be well ; wherefore his Inferences that these Proportions are constantly to be found is not natural , nor does he imagine how hard it will prove to find them , if he should attempt it . But he says , he has been in Health for some Years , and so his Blood must , on this Supposition , have abounded with such like Proportions of Acid and Alkali . That is , suppose in a state of Health a Man's Blood should have 20 parts of Alkali to one of Acid , the Gentleman being in a state of Health must have his Blood abound with Acid and Alkali ; he abounds in Acid Discourse ! and supposes they are in due proportion , yet he says it follows they abound , yea and both at the same time . He ought , he says , therefore to have a care that what he eats and drinks should have but one part of Acid , to 10 or 20 of Alkali , but he has taken other Measures , for he has drank within this Year one quart of Crab Verjuice in 24 hours , which was sufficient to impregnate his Blood with six times the quantity . He 's a crabbed Gentleman , I believe ; but I suppose he would not be thought to drink a quart every Day for this twelve Months , but in some one Day within the time ; however we don't know , but that he may have a very large Liver , from whence he may abound with the pernicious Alkalous Excrement Gall , and that must meet with his Verjuice before it get into the Blood , unless it has discover'd a way through the undiscover'd passages at the bottom of the Stomach ; or his Blood may abound with Alkali , and so he may bear more sharp Doses than some Folks can . Besides , if he will believe what Dr. John his Master hath taught him , viz. That the Blood can't ever abound with Acids , either in a morbid or healthy State ; for the Stomach will reject whatever is too much , but is often defective in conveying in enough , and that there is never any Acid in the Blood but in a state of perfect Health . I say , if he believes this as he ought to do , all the store at the Verjuice Coffee-House will neither hurt him , nor help him . But on the contrary to what he asserts , I my self , and many others are as healthy as he , as vegete and sprightly , and yet eat mostly things abounding with Alkalies , as fresh Meat , Fowls , Fish , Milk , &c. And neither love nor want sour Sauces to help the Appetite , and find nothing so hurtful as Acids . But the Gentleman I am perswaded commends Acids rather for the Wealth they bring the Doctor , than the Health they bring the Patient ; for the Doctor seldom takes Physick . But he says , he could give a multitude of Instances , where Gentlemen have complain'd of their Diseases being exasperated by taking Medicines , Phisicians call Alkalies , but soon wonderfully reliev'd by Acids , the truth of which a multitude of Apothecaries in this City will inform you . The Gentleman I find is a fellow Citizen with his Physician , and needs not much Epistolary conversation with him . And we cannot but think he would now be thought some man of great Practice , though he was shy at first , and call'd himself a Gentleman , when a multitude of Gentlemen make their complaints to him . But he would , I suppose , have Gentlemen-Patients , to whom there is little odds whether he speak sense or no ; if he be but confident , and so professes himself a Gentleman . But those Medicines , he says , they complain of , tho' Physicians call them Alkalies , possibly Gentlemen may call Acids , and sometimes do Cures with them , and relieve the Patients : For I believe , I shall find the Gentleman but an ill judge before I have done . But we are to be inform'd of the truth of the Gentleman's Assertion , by a multitude of Apothecaries . I confess , I never thought it worth while to enquire , but I never heard any one such story related by an Apothecary , or his Boy , tho' I have been in Town ever since the wonders of Acids have been talk'd of ; but I have been told of divers mortal Cures soon done by the Acid method , even in Diseases that seldom use to kill , and in such Patients as have often been recover'd by Alkalies . The Gent. says , pag. 13. That I assert there may be Acid enough in the Blood to cause a Disease , tho' it will not turn the Syrup of Violets green , but have not proved it . No truly , I have not proved it , nor ever was such a Fool as to assert that Acid would turn the Syrup of Violets green . But if he will try , I 'll warrant him he may inject Acid enough into the Blood to cause a Disease , and kill , and yet he shall not find the Serum of the diseased Blood turn Syrup of Violets red . The Gent. saith , pag. 14. That from the 24 page of my Dialogue to the 29 , there 's nothing but scurrility , and quotations out of Etmuller , Hossman , Helmont and Hypocrates , so that the strength of my Arguments depend altogether upon an ipse dixit . As for what he calls Scurrility , I shall not excuse it , the recitation of John's panegyrical abuse of the College , and dull praise of his own admired self , must needs bring some ill Language into the pages ; nor did I , without the advise of the wisest Man , answer a Fool according to his folly , lest he be wise in his own Eyes . But the Gent. seeing something he did not like , or care any more to stir in , makes too much hast over the 5 pages , or else he might have seen some notable Quotations out of Colbatch de Assheadis , viz. That the Blood has never any Acid in it , but in a state of perfect Health . That all Persons have some degree of Sickness . That overmuch fatness , if it may be call'd a Disease , is caus'd by Acids . Yet that Acids ( tho' never in the Blood , but in perfect Health ) mortifie and expel the Luxuriant Alkalous Particles , make the thick Blood thin , and the thin Blood thick : But that he that can shew how this is done , must be as wise as the wisest Man that ever was , or shall be ; but yet he tells us how Acids do these things , by being differently specified with other things . Therefore the Gentleman has not done genteely by me , in saying , there was nothing in the 5 pages but scurrility , and quotations out of Helmont , Hoffman , Hypocrates , and Etmuller , whose ipse dixit's I hope are yet as good Arguments with the Physical World , as Colbatch's , or any small Author 's of greater Confidence , and little time , and Practice . He says also that I have falaciously taught a wrong way of experimenting , whether Acids will thicken and coagulate the Blood ; for he understands that I made my Experiments on Blood that had stood , when the grumous part was coagulated , which is a very irrational way . I answer , his understanding is too short , I did not make a few Experiments on Blood , or a few ways ; I have not only tryed Blood when cold , or in a Porringer , but let it run out of the Vein unto Acid , and other Liquors , and that diluted , and with warm Water . If the Acid be much it will make a great alteration ; if little , proportionally ; but tho' it be so little as to make no alteration sensible to the Eye , yet the Acid particles may pin together some of the Globules of the Blood , so as to make a Figure , and size , that will not pass some small Vessel or other , and that stop more , and that stagnated Blood may corrupt , and get a peregrine ferment , and either produce some topical Maladie , or excite some disorderly fermentation in the Blood that presses upon it . But as to the Gentleman's question , whether Acids diluted and taken inwardly will coagulate the Blood when its warm , fluid , and perpetually circulating through it's Channels , and a due commixture made of all its parts with whatever is ingested ? I answer , This Question amounts to this , whether the Blood will be coagulated by Acids while it retains its due Motion and Consistence ; that is , in short , whether the Blood will be coagulated while it is uncoagulated ? A wise Question ! But he tells us , to convince us , that Acids will not coagulate the Blood when judiciously used , ( judiciously , that is I suppose by the prescription of an Acid , Dr. or else they may . ) We may take 4 or 5 drops of Oyl of Vitriol , or Sp. of Niter in 3 or 4 spoonfuls of Water ; &c. Such a proportion of Acid is as much , or more than can be admitted into the Blood at any time , when taken inwardly . But how does the Gentleman know that no more can be admitted ? Why he says so , and he 'd have us believe him . Well we will for once ; but then say I , I doubt Acids will do no wonders in casting out the Devil Alkali : For suppose a Man should have 12 Ounces of Alkali in him ( which is a small quantity to what may well be supposed , ) but by some error in Diet , or by some other means he has 13 or 14 Ounces ; 4 or 5 drops of Oyl of Vitriol , or Sp. of Niter will do very little towards expelling , or mortifying an Ounce or 2 of Alkali , as any one may see by mixing such Quantities ; nor can the Gentleman ensure that small Cargo of Acid to arrive safe into the designed port , but ten to one some part of it may be lost by the way , splitting on some Alkalous Rock in the Stomach , or be pyrated by the Gall , and so carried another way out of the body . But tho' there is great doubt what may become of it if given inwardly , yet it is certain it may be mixt in what quantity one pleases in a Porringer ; but then whether the Porringer would not borrow a little of it , or lend it some Matter to make Sacch . Saturni of , I suppose the Gent. never enquired , or whether the Goose Quill he stirs it with , and the Water does not do more to hinder its Coagulation , than the Acids did to hinder or promote it . But we come to the Gentleman's Experiments . He tells us , the way to make Experiments on Blood is , having open'd a Vein , begin to drop your Acid mixture into the Porringer , and agitate it with a Goose Quill till the Blood is cold . And by this method , be says , he has with Oyl of Vitriol , and Sp. of Niter , &c. preserved Blood fluid , and also free from Putrefaction , the last of which , is what neither Volatil , nor sixt Alkalies will do , as may be seen by the following Experiments . EXPERIMENT 1. He mix'd with 5 or 6 Ounces of Blood , 6 Drops of 🝆 of 🜖 diluted in 2 Ounces of Water , and it preserved the Blood fluid , gave it a better colour and consistency than some of the same he mix'd nothing with , he kept it in a Viol 18 Days , and it was equally free from any smell , or signs of Putrefaction , as when it stream'd from the Vein . In Answer to which I say , he is not sure that the 2 Ounces of Water would not do more towards keeping the Blood fluid , thin , and of a bright colour , than the 6 Drops of 🝆 of 🜖 could do one way or other . But to do the Gent. all right , and to Answer fairly to his Experiments , I try'd them more nicely than he did : For I took the same Proportion of 🝆 of 🜖 and Water that he did , and having made it just blood-warm in the Viol , I let the Blood of a healthy young Man run from the Vein into it , till I had that just quantity by weight in proportion to the 🝆 of 🜖 and Water , and shaking them well together , and stoping the Viol with a Cork , I set it by : It soon look'd of a muddy black Colour , and being open'd at 14 Days it began to stink . EXPERIMENT 2. The like proportion of Blood , he says , he mix'd with 30 Drops of Oyl of Tartar , in 2 Ounces of Water , it seem'd to remain fluid in the Porringer ; but having let it stand close stop'd in a Viol 3 or 4 days , the grumous part was precipitated , and it stunk most intollerably , and the smell was like that proceeding from a dead Body , whose Lungs or other Vicera have been Vlcerated . The Gentleman has 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this Experiment , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blood was like that of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have been exulce●●●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doubtless , that can dis●●●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 parts from that of all 〈◊〉 flesh corrup●●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wonder if he don't conclude the exulceration of the Lungs proceeds from Oyl of Tartar ! But I try'd this Experiment also , after the same manner I did the former ; I open'd it at 4 Days , and it had no more ill smell than when it came from the Vein ; at 8 Days I open'd it again , it was likewise free from any ill smell ; so again at 12 Days , at 14 , and at 18 , and at 23 , and at 28 Days , it look'd well , and had no ill smell , when some Blood that had nothing but the proportion of Water stunk in half the time . EXPERIMENT 3. He mix'd , he says , with the like quantity of Blood , 20 Drops of Sp. of 🜖 , dulc . in 2 Ounces of Water , and it preserv'd the Blood fluid , gave it a better colour , hindering its parts from subsiding , nor did it stink in the least while he kept it , which was 20 or 30 Days . In this Experiment the 20 drops of Sp. of 🜖 dulc . must have at least 10 of Sp. of Wine , which we know will preserve Blood. But I tryed this also as I did the foregoing , and having kept it 14 Days it stunk much , and look'd no better than that in which was nothing but Water . But in his 4 EXPERIMENT He says he mixed 30 Drops of Sp of 🜖 , with 4 Ounces of Blood , and it preserv'd it fluid ; but after 7 or 8 Days he open'd the Viol , and it sent forth a very offensive Stink . I also try'd this Experiment , as I did the others , and open'd the Viol at 8 Days , at 12 Days , at 16 Days , and at 20 Days , and it had no ill smell at all , lastly at 28 Days was thin , and of better colour and consistence than the Blood in any of the other Experiments , and had no ill smell ; but that with the 🝆 of 🜖 look'd worst of all . The Gent. adds , If these four Experiments are not enough to convince the Dr. of the falsehood of my Assertion , he has variety of others at his Service . I answer , he whose commanding Requests oblig'd the Gentleman to write , needs no more to convince him . But I think if they will serve him no better than these have done , he will do better to keep his service to himself . The Gent. says , pag. 17. that whereas I argue a juvantibus & ledentibus , and say that Acids are seen often to hurt in Hypochondriack , Hysterick and Scor●utical Cases , and in Vlcers , Issues , &c. which on the contrary are relieved by Alkalies , but he has 〈◊〉 my bare word for it . I say my Word is as good as anothers ; but I could give Observations not only of my own , but of divers famous Physicians : But no Authorities , but those of Acid Doctors , are any thing to the Acid Gentleman ; who farther says , should he undertake effectually to prove that Acids are the only Medicines which cure those Diseases I have named , it must be by enumerating observations of Cures perform'd by them , which would make his Epistle too long . Here the Gentleman speaks well ; for if he should prove that Acids , are the only Medicines that cure these Diseases , he must not only enumerate all the Acid Doctors Cures , ( who I am well inform'd often Cure sine recidiva ) but he must enumerate all the Cures that have been done in the World of these Diseases , and ascertain us that all of them were done by Acids , which would indeed be too long for a Letter to a Man of business . But I believe he would in his own Practice hardly be able to give us many instances of Ulcers cur'd with nothing but Acids , or be willing to be dress'd with nothing else himself . But to save the vast labour , he gives us a Catalogue of some of the most celebrated Medicines used in curing those distempers , as steel in its best Preparations , all the Acid Spirits and Elixirs , Crem . Tart. Tart. Vitriolat . Sal. Succini , &c. and refers to Dr. Colbatch his Authority . But I must tell the Gentleman , Dr. Colbatch his Authority , and his reasoning , are no better one than the other . Steel , Acid Spirits , &c. he says are the most celebrated Medicines in use , in the cure of the foremention'd Diseases . Ergo , those Diseases are cur'd by nothing else : And would that be good Logick , yet the Medicines enumerated are not all Acids , or cure as such , as we may have occasion to shew before we have done . But our Gent. says , pag. 18. He won't believe me that an Acid can be got from Blood or Vrine , of either healthy , or diseased Persons , because I have not told him the process . Answer , I thought I had told it plain enough to any one that understands a little Chymistry : And I can make him believe it very easily , but that I don't write to teach Gentlemen Chymistry , but to shew them the Ignorance , and groundless Confidence and danger of Acid Quacks . But he complains farther , that I will not teach him the Legerdemain of mixing Alk. and Acid , so that no Acid , but an Alka●ous Liquor shall be distill'd from it . An Alk. and Acid ; so that neither Alk. nor Acid , shall be obtain'd , but a Salsum . Again an Alk. and Acid , so that neither Alk. Acid , nor Salsum shall be obtain'd , but an Oleum . I must confess , these tricks are Legerdemain , and till he understands a little Chymical Legerdemain , he will never comprehend them , and I beg his excuse for not teaching them , there is something more than ordinary in them , and they must not be profaned . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . But I will demonstrate the truth of any of these Operations , when ever I shall have a sufficient Reason for so doing . The Gentleman also says , The natural or artificial Conjunction of an Acid and an Alkali , which I say will make a Salsum , he calls an Acid , because the Acid is most predominant , and does operate as such ; for Tartar Vitriolat . which I call a Salsum , dissolved in Water , will work upon Steel as manifestly as Sp. of 🜖 , which is allow'd to be an Acid. I answer , he may call it an Ass-head , if he will ; but I say , where the Ass-head is predominant , there is not the true Salt savour ; and Tartar Vitriolat . if it be a Salsum as it should , be has neither the Ac. nor Al. predominate ; nor does its working on Steel prove it to be an Acid , or to Operate as such ; as the Gentleman himself , being better inform'd , and forgetting what he had said , asserts , pag. 43. Iron , says he , will be dissolv'd by Acid , Alkali , or Sal nutrum , and instances in Sp. of Vrin , Sp of 🜖 , Crem . Tartar , Tartar Vitriolat . and Com. Salt. The Gent. asserts farther , pag. 19. That common Salt , by often dissolving and crystalizing , will be so deprived of its Bittern , as to act as an Acid by dissolving Steel , &c. But if you would do it at once , you must put an Ounce of Sp of 🜖 into 2 Quarts of solution of Salt , and then evaporate , &c. and you will have the Salt much more wholesome , and useful in all Cases ; and pag. 20. having thus proved Sea Salt to be an Acid , he cannot imagine how it should be the cause of the Scurvy , when there 's scarce a better Medicine known for its Cure than Sp. of 🜖 . I answer , the Gentleman having quitted his Opinion , ( as before said ) pag. 43. that the solution of Steel is an Argument of the dissolvents being an Acid , I hope he will alter his Opinion in other things where he is mistaken , or at least see he hath contradicted himself , as his Master Acid used to do . But if he adds Sp. of 🜖 to his Com. 🜖 , I confess that may work as an Acid in it , and do what the Salt would not do , but it will not be more wholesome or better in all Cases ; for Bittern it self is good for something , tho' the Gentleman's Master Colbatch hath Damn'd it . So if Sp. of Salt were a Medicine , good for the Scurvy , it does not follow that common Salt too much eaten may not cause it . And as to the Gentleman's Assertion , that there 's scarce a better Medicine known for the Scurvy than Sp. of Salt , I say he talks as old Wives use to do ; whatever they have heard commended , they will say is the best thing in the World. But let it be good ; yet , if I thought he would not be angry , because I don't tell what , I would affirm , I know 2 or 3 better Medicines for the Scurvy . But he adds , The Scurvy being the Symptom of a Putrefaction of the Juices of our Bodies , it will still look more like a Paradox , that Salt which is the known preservative of dead Flesh , should be the cause of Putrefaction in that which is alive . I answer , a Putrefaction in the Juices of living Bodies , except in Sores and Ulcers , has not I think been shewn : But it is certain , that which will preserve dead Bodies , would kill living ones ; as drying ▪ for instance : and I believe even an Acid Doctor , if he were Sous'd , or hang'd up in a Chimney a little while with Bacon , ( tho' he were very well salted first ) would soon be of this Opinion . So Sp. of Wine , tho' it preserves Flesh , being drunk in too large a quantity will make corrupt Work , in the vital oeconomy ; yea , I don't question but 🝆 of 🜖 Crab Verjuice , or Lemons , and Oranges themselves , may be taken in quantities large enough to kill a Man , as I believe some Persons have experimented . Nor is the Gentleman 's reasoning more sharp , in saying , Nor will the want of the spiritual Parts of Flesh , and Fish , appear to be the cause of any Disease , when Physicians prescribe to venerial Patients , Flesh roasted or boyled to driness , and such other food as yields the least of spirituous , and volatile Alkalous Parts ; as Water-gruel , Bisket , &c. Physicians ( whether they do wisely or no 't is no matter ) prescribe things that yield the least volatile alkalous , and spiritual Parts in the Pox , Ergo the want of spirituous and volatile parts in our Meat , can't be the cause of any Disease . But I believe the Gentleman's Physician never prescrib'd him Flesh boyl'd to dryness . But he rejoyns as sharply , that if he did not design brevity , he could bring instances to prove that Acids are not the cause of the Scurvy , but the only salubrious Medicines in use against that Distemper . I answer , it is good to be brief ; but I don't know that I ever said Acids are the cause of the Scurvy , and therefore he says nothing against me . But to prove they are the only salubrious Medicines in use for this Disease , he must know all the Medicines that are in use , and their success . But instead of this , he gives us only a Story that another worthy Gentleman told him , that having been long troubl'd with the Scurvy , by reading Doctor Colbatch ' s Tracts , he was prevail'd upon to eat Lemons stoutly , by which method he recover'd , after the ineffectual use of the Prescripts of the Physicians of the best repute . This is what the Gent. has to say , to perswade us that Acids are not the Cause , but the only Medicines in the Cure of the Scurvy . One Gentleman told another ; but were Gentlemen infallible in connecting Causes , and Effects ( as Physicians are not ) yet the single matter of Fact comes to us but upon the word of an unknown Gentleman , who 't is said was so lucky as to meet with Mr. Colbatch his Tracts , whereby ( not to omit the best of the Story ) he became such a prodigious Lemon Eater , as that he soon arriv'd to the perfection of eating 30 in a Day , this was a perfection the Quaker never attain'd , 't is pity he conceals his Name , I believe he might make himself as famous as Will. Joy , or the great Cock-eater . The Gent. shews , pag. 21. that he has misapprehended me , for I never said as he would make me ; That we lose more in weight , sitting still in a frosty Morning , than if we were in the Bagnio , or that the coldness and moisture of the Air opens the Pores to promote Perspiration . But I say still , there is certainly more matter carried off by insensible Perspiration , than by sweating , taking one time with another ; and that a fresh air promotes Perspiration , is not only proved by Seamens eating more , and voiding less other Excrements than those at Land , but is reasonably concluded from the consideration of the dissolving Power of the Air , whereby any tenacious Matter in the surface of the Body stopping the Pores is removed ; and perhaps this is a chief Reason that a clear Air is so beneficial to divers sick Persons ; and tho' the Air at Sea may be suppos'd more moist than the Air at Land , yet the Sea certainly sends up fewer clammy Effluvia than the Land , that abounds with so many sulphurous Matters . Again he says , pag. 22. That I confess I can't see how an Acid can be separated from Sea Salt when in the Blood , and yet I affirm in the next page , that Acids are found separated in farther recesses than the Stomach and Guts . I answer , I did not then only confess , but do profess still , I don't see how an Acid can be distill'd from Sea Salt in the Blood , &c. Yet I affirm that Acids have been found in farther recesses than the Stomach and Guts ; as the Gent. also does , pag. 33. instancing the Pancreatick Juice . But I did not say from Sea Salt ; for there are divers other things eaten and drank , that are indeed Acid , or capable of being made so , without the help of a strong Fire . And I affirm ( as all Physicians that consider will acknowledge ) contrary to the inconsiderate Assertion of the Gentleman , that there are other separations to be made of our Food , ( tho' not of Sea Salt , which is ejected as it went in ) requisite besides a dissolution of their Texture , or else the various Juices of our Bodies could not be maintained and repaired . The Gentleman , pag. 23. talks of the relation I gave of Mr. Smith's Death , by tasting an Acid Liquor in a Cistus of a cancerous Breast , more like a Gentleman than a Physician . For he saith , a Man that is poisoned is commonly delirious on his death-bed , and 't is not unusual to hear such accuse the most proper Medicine as the cause of their Death . If he had been a little inform'd of the nature of Poison , he would have learnt that Poison is a general name common to many different and opposite things , that kill in small quantity with various and opposite Symptoms , and does not always make Men delirious , neither can he suppose this Cancerous Liquor was given Mr. Smith as a Medicine . But supposing Mr. Smith was poison'd , ( adds he ) it will follow according to my Assertion , it was not done by an Acid , because I could not see how an Acid Spirit can be separated from any thing while in the Blood. I answer , I don't know where I said an Acid could not be separated from any thing in the Blood , but that Sp. of Salt could not be distill'd there ; but had I said so , it will not follow that Mr. Smith was not poison'd by that Liquor , or that it was not an Acid ; for that Liquor doubtless was produced in the part by a preternatural Fermentation , after whatever was the matter of it was separated from the Blood. But he adds , granting it a strong Acid , how will you account for its not making way throw the Breast before amputation ? I answer , very easily ; no dissolvent tho' ever so strong acts in an instant , but must have time ; that had not time enough to do it . I will hold Aq. Fortis , or a stronger Liquor in my Hand without dissolving it . But he says farther , if it had been an Acid it could not fail of raising an Escar on Mr. Smith ' s Tongue , and that would have fill'd his Mouth with a stink , far surpassing that of any Acid Liquor . Here the Gent. forgets himself , and contradicts what he endeavour'd before to prove , viz. That Acids preserve from Corruption and Stink ; but he shews himself but a Small Surgeon , and little acquainted with Chymical Liquors . For an Escar does not stink so soon , tho' made with Acids , nor do the strongest Acids make them so hastily : I will taste Aq. Fortis , or any common Acid at any time without hurting my Tongue , but I can shew him an Acid Liquor that stinks , worse than any mortified Flesh he ever saw . But he presumes that the Physician who told me this Story had the care of Mr. Smith , and fail'd not in giving the most celebrated Alkalies , which , it appears did him no Service , wherefore he believes the Liquor be tasted did not kill him , without other help . But to shew that all this is indeed presumption , I will bring the Gentleman to the Physician , if he pleases , before whom I am perswaded he will not so presume . But the Gent. says , pag. 24. That my supposition , that if the Blood in the small Pox , Scurvy , and Gout , yields more Alkali , it is hence that the Acid is precipitated and fix'd in the extremities by meeting Alkalies , is overthrown by analyzing the Chalkey substance in the Gout , which exhibits the Phenomena of Alkalies . I rejoyn , I hope the Gent. will not any more urge that the Chalkey substance in the Gout , yielding the Phenomena of Alkalies , overthrows what I said in the small Pox , and Scurvy ; nor does it , say I , necessarily disprove my Assertion even in the Gout ; for I have told him that an Acid and an Alkali joyn'd , will sometimes yield no Acid in distillation , but an Alkali , as I can demonstrate at any time , tho' I have not yet thought sit to teach proud Empyricks , or all sorts of Gentlemen the Art of Chymical Legerdemain , whereby I can demonstrate that all the Experiments the Gentleman builds upon are fallacious . He says also that he knows 't is difficult to give judgment to a grain in the distillation of Blood , yet the difference is so manifest between morbid and sound Blood , that 60 or more grains may be allow'd for Perspiration , deficiency of fire , or waste in large Glasses , &c. But I tell him , neither he nor his Doctor have made Experiments enough , or nice enough , to find a certain Difference . But if we should suppose that the Blood does in some Diseases yield by distillation more Alkali than in Health , it will not follow that the Disease was caus'd by Alkali , but the Alkali may rather be suppos'd the effect of the Disease ; for it is well known , that even Bodies that will yield large quantities of Acid in Distillation and no Alkali , will by a fermentative Heat be so alter'd , as to yield a great deal of Alkali and no Acid ; and in like manner the preternatural Ferment in some Diseases may so alter the Liquors of our Bodies , as that they may yield more Alkali , and less or no Acid. But the Gentleman says , pap . 25. My Experiment of the Saliva's turning the Syrup of Violets green , does not prove that it is not impregnated with a manifest Acid , which is what Dr. Colebatch asserts ; for there are a multitude of other Bodies which will turn the Syrup green , yet have in them a manifest Acid , as Oyls and vinous Spirits , which tho' they have a manifest Acid , yet it s so sheath'd in the other parts of the fluid , that it cannot be unlock'd or set at liberty , to exert it self by so dammy a Body as Syr. of Violets , yet they operate on other Bodies by vertue of their Acid , as Oyl of Turpentine will dissolve Copper , the Acid in Sulphur , Turpentine , Spittle makes Quicksilver easily embody with them ; and because I say , it s from the Turpentine's consisting of ramous and flexible parts , he thinks it is the same with saying , they consist of nothing at all ; for 'till I shew him those ramous and flexible parts , he must belive it is from the Acid that they embody with Mercury . What the Gentleman says now is much to the purpose , I hope he will help to bring the Acidists to sense . For if the Saliva's turning the Syrup green , does not prove that it is not impregnated with , and does not act as a manifest Acid , then the Serum of Blood 's turning Syrup of Violets green , does not prove that to abound with an Alkali , and not to be an Acid ; and so what Mr. Colebatch asserts is a Mistake , and his Criterion fallible , and so the ground of his Hypothesis is gone , and the Gentleman must take his Doctrine merely upon his Word . And if there are a multitude of other Bodies which turn Syr. of Violets green , that are to be denominated Acids from their quality , of which if they were divested , they would fail of their Intension which they perform with it , as he says , pag. 26. Then Gentlemen can be no more Judges of his Master Colebatch's Hypothesis . But how the Gentleman should assert that vinous Spirits and Oyl of Turpentine , &c. have manifest Acids , I can't tell , unless the constant use of Crab Verjuce makes all things relish so with him , for I am sure he never made it manifest to any that was not an Acidist ; and that Oyl of Turpentine's Acid can't be unlockt by the clammy Body of Syr. of Violets , and yet that it works upon the much more tough body of Copper , is very strange if true ; but it 's stranger that things consisting of ramous parts should be consisting of nothing , or that whatever is not done by Particles a Gentleman can see must be done by Acid ; but the Gentleman must believe it , and who can help it ? But he professes he will not believe me , that insipid Calxes will kill Quicsiklver , till I tell him more of it , for he knows none that will hold it so long as Saline or Acid Bodies . Well , because he is now a Gentleman , I will tell him more of it than I did before . I did not say that Calxes indifferently will hold Quicksilver so long as any saline or Acid Bodies , what the Calxes of Gold and Silver may do , I will leave to them that have made all the enquiry into the nature of Metals Human Industry is capable of . I know it will amalgam with Metals that destroy Acids , but if you take almost any Calx , or Earth not too dry , you may rub Mercury in it so as to lose sight of it , and so as you shall not be able to separate it but by Fire : Yea Mercury is so ready to be concern'd with things that are no Acids , that it will become invisibly embodied with common Water , and the Parts and Humours of a Man's Body , notwithstanding all his Alkalies in Sickness and in Health . The Gentleman says , the Trials I made on Saliva being of that taken from sound Persons often eating and drinking Acids , he understands Acids did not impair their Health . I answer , he does understand no such thing , for Acid did often so much towards impairing , that had they not used alkalous things to over balance them , they would not have been sound long . And tho' in the distillation , as he minds me , I found a Salsum in the Cap. Mort. from which an Acid might be got , yet that Salsum I take to be nothing but Sea Salt , which would not be turned into an Acid otherwise than by a strong Fire . Our Gentleman remarks also , that I say , Saliva when evaporated yielded a grateful Smell : But his Dr. knows that Nutmegs , Cinnamon , &c. and all odoriferous Vegetables abound with Acid and Sulphur , from whence proceed their grateful Smells ; It is not then reasonable to conclude , that that pleasant Smell in the Saliva came from Acid and Sulphur ? I reply , the Dr. knows no such thing , he never saw Sulphur in , or got from aromatick or odoriferous Plants , nor does their Smell proceed from Sulphur and Acid , but from pure Oyls ; the smell of Sulphur every body knows is not pleasant , but mixed with Oyls both become abominable Stinkers . But he gives a reason , such as it is , for all animal Substances when tending to Corruption , emitting a noxious Smell , and from them in that state he cannot find a Salsum as I did from Saliva . But I say , That from Animal Substances in a state of Corruption I can find a Salsum , as from Blood , Urine , &c. tho' he can't . The Gentleman in Answer to what I said of the Stomach , that there 's no need of an Acid there , and that my Stomach is best when there 's not so much as to curdle Milk ; replies , that there may be an Acid in the Stomach , tho' not so much as to curdle Milk ; for a small quantity of Wine , nay Vinegar diluted in Water , pour'd slowly into Milk will not curdle it , and Wines have in them a manifest Acid ; and Vegetables , in whom Acid abounds , decocted in Milk will not coagulate it . I answer , A small quantity of Acid , tho' not enough to coagulate Milk pour'd into it slowly , will yet do it if digested in a heat like that of the Stomach ; but Wines are not manifestly Acid , unless they taste four ; and the Vegetables he talks of are nameless . He says farther , pag. 27. to convince me that the Saliva acts as an Acid , he will enquire what Juices are brought into the Stomach to cause Hunger , and he can find none but the Saliva ; therefore he concludes Hunger is caus'd by the Juice strain'd from the salival glands , and in Fevers , when that Moisture is deficient , there is no desire of Food ; and also that Lemons and Oranges cause Hunger ; and if Hunger is caus'd only by Acids , he would have me prove what Juice is brought into the Stomach from any other Part that yields more Acid. The Gentleman is so profound at Reasoning , one must sometimes have a long Line to fish for his Arguments . Come on then , let us try to catch this . The Saliva acts as an Acid ; and why ? because he can find no other Juice brought into the Stomach to cause Hunger ; and if Hunger is caus'd only by Acids , I must prove some other Juice brought in from some other Part that yields more . Well , but if Hunger is not caus●d by Acids , or by Juices , and he has prov'd neither , then the Argument is gone . Yes , but Lemons and Oranges cause Hunger ; then , I say , the Saliva may be excus'd from that Office , since Acid Doctors are so ready to convey them in . I wish they don't breed a Famine . But in Fevers , when the Saliva is wanting , there 's no Appetite . But 't is no matter , since Lemons and Oranges are more sharp than the Saliva it self , for the very thoughts of them , will put a Man's Mouth in disorder . But if one may speak freely to a Gentle man , I must tell him , a Clown would have given a better Reason of Hunger , that it is caus'd most commonly by want of Victuals , and not by swallowing ones Spittle , or eating Lemons and Oranges ; for if one do neither , yet Fasting will bring that sense ; and if one can get neither Lemons nor Oranges , the want of a Breakfast or two , will make one have a Stomach to ones Dinner . But the Gentleman comes to prove Mr. Colebatch's Opinion , that there are some Vessels passing from the bottom of the Stomach to the Kidneys ; and he confesses he could never find them in all the Bodies he hath dissected . I believe so . Gentlemen don't use to dissect Bodies very oft ; but yet to prove these undiscover'd Canula's , he gives us the Authority of several Stories ; one of a Man that voided by Urine great quantities of Herbs , and two Pills . Of another that voided a leaden Bullet the same way . And of a third , that pissed the Stones of Raisins . Of others that piss'd Needles , Alkekengi , and Melon-Seeds , &c. besides he has observed the Urine has been perfum'd in 10 or 12 Minutes , by eating Asparagus , or taking Oyl of Turpentine . Now , say I , if we admit these Stories to be true as to matter of fact , it does not prove these undiscover'd Passages , unless the Gentleman could prove that these things could pass no other way ; but as for those things that may be suppos'd to pass through very small Passages , there are such discover'd , thro' which they are more like to pass , than thro' these that are so very small , if any , that no Body could ever see them . But perhaps there is some Law in Nature , that those Passengers that are permitted to go the short way to the Kidneys , must shut the Door after them . The Gent. is not pleas'd , pag 30 , and 31. that I assign a considerable use to the Gall ; but he has either not considerately read , or mis-represented what I said of it . He says , that the Dung affording a fixt Salt ( as I told him ) like that obtain'd from the Bile , and the Chyle not appearing ting'd with Greenness , nor Milk yielding any such fixt Salt , are indications that the Gall is carried down with the rest of the Excrements , but not mix'd with the Chyle ; neither , thinks he , will the narrowness of the Venae Lacteae admit so thick a Liquor as the Gall. I answer , I did not say that the Gall was carried into the Venae Lecteae , and mix'd with the Chyle there , tho' it must be thought to receive its supply that way ; as all the rest of Juices of the Body do . But any one will confess ( except he that thinks himself bound to say any thing to defend a senseless Error ) that the Gall cannot issue forth into the Duodenum , without being mixed with the Chyle , where it may very profitably seize the inimical Acid , and carry it out at the Back-door of the Body . But the Gent. goes on to defame this notable Part in the vital Machine , and if what he says of it were true , one might think the Body might have been contriv'd better , than that such an Enemy should be placed in so inward a Recess , at liberty to disgorge its Venom into the nutritious Juice . And he possitively affirms , that the Gall●s presence in the Guts can be of no use , but to be in a way of being ejected by Stool . If it can be of no use we can●t help it . But the Gent. hath not proved it usless . But he says , If it be detain'd in the Guts , the consequences are dismal , yet if any quantities pass downwards , a ▪ Diarrhea ensues , &c. 'T is dismal indeed , that whether it stay or go its morbous effects are inevitable . I thought he said 't was all to be ejected by Stool , yet if it go that way we must have a Flux . When the Bile is brought into the Stomach , I agree with the Gentleman , it causes Disorders ; but Viscera , as he calls it , I think is a new name for the Stomach . But he says , it may be known that the Colick , Iliaca Passio , Diarrhea , are Symptoms produced from that Juice by the Excrements being ting'd therewith . But I say that is not a sufficient Argument , but these Symptoms may be caus'd by too much Acid , wherewith it is loaded , and he should have used another Sense beside Seeing , to know whether the Gall were too much in the mixture ; I believe he would hardly taste it bitter . But the Gentleman goes on to accuse the wickedness of the Gall , pag. 32. in two instances , One of a Gentleman he help'd to dissect , having many defects in him , but particularly that the Gall-Bladder was empty . Another of a Child , who had the same Defects . But there is nothing in the Relations , if true , that will prove that those Defects found in the Bodies were caus'd by too much Gall , rather than that they were occasion'd by too little ; so I shall pass it , only taking notice of two things remarkable . 1. That Gentlemen may dissect one another . 2. That if it be true as he says , that those Bodies stink soonest , in whom the Gall Bladder is found empty , then the Gall must needs be allow'd to be at least a preservative against Corruption . But he comes to Arguments , to convince us that Acids are admitted into the Blood ; and that he does , by putting us in mind of the Pancreatick Juice , which , he says , is manifestly acid to the tast . And the Chyle taken from the Venae Lactae of a Dog he tasted manifestly Acid , when it has been kept some time ; and from Milk's turning sour . But he had no need to prove that against me , for I never said the Gall kept out all the Acid , but only hindred that so much , as otherwise would , goes not in . But as for discerning the acidity of the Pancreatick Juice , or of the Dog 's Chyle , that , as he says , had stood , ( and turned sour ) by his Taste ; it is no good evidence , because he takes so many Acid Draughts in a day , that his Mouth , I doubt , can hardly ever be free from a sour relish ; and if we had not better reason than his Evidence , we should doubt of the Pancreatick Juices Acidity . The Gent. has a farther attempt , pag. 35. to take off what I said , as to Acids coagulating and corrupting Blood , Flesh , Skin , Tendons , &c. and he tells us again , my Experiments were tryed a fallacious way , for the Oyl of Vitriol alone will coagulate Blood when it 's cold , and a separation made of its grumous Parts from the Serum , yet if it be diluted in a proper quantity of an aqueous Vehicle , which is the method of giving such Acids , it will preserve the Blood fluid , and free from Putrefaction . I answer , the Oyl of Vitriol will coagulate the Blood , and alter its due Texture , before there is a separation made of the Serum , yea , while in the Veins , if injected ; and in all reason that which will coagulate much in such or such a quantity , will do it a little in a small quantity . But Water will certainly dilute and make thin the Blood ; and perhaps two ounces of Water will do more to thin the Blood , than two or three drops of oyl of Vitriol to thicken it , if they always accompany one another ; and I do not think it possible to give so much Oyl of Vitriol in at the Mouth as is enough to coagulate the mass of Blood in the Veins , without killing by something it will do before it comes there ; but Oyl of Vitriol , and such like things , being not subject to the ferments of our Bodies , and not so easily carried off by our Heat as Water , if they come into the Blood , must have their Being some where or other , and if they six and adhere to any particular Part , may cause a small Coagulation there , or by thickning the Blood retard its motion , or by retarding its motion thicken it , and so give occasion to some stoppage in some small Veins ; and wherever the Blood stagnates it will be coagulated and corrupted , tho' the thing that caus'd the Stagnation were not the immediate cause of the Coagulation and Corruption . But if Oyl of Vitriol and such Acids be so excellent to thin the Blood , and consequently accellerate its Motions , I would know what Gentlemen give it for in Feavers , and such like Distempers , rather than Sp. of Sal. Armon . which will do so ; if it cools , I should think it is by retarding the rapid Motion of the Blood , and if the Blood run slow it is more apt to Coagulate . But perhaps Gentlemen Acidists give it not , because it retards , or accelerates the Blood , thickens it , or thins it , cools it or heats it , but merely because it is an Acid , and will do every thing , and that because Mr. Colebatch says , Acids are the only Medicines that cure all Diseases , he is sure of it , ( tho' he does no more Cures , except deadly ones , than others ) and his little Satelites must say so , tho' neither he nor they can tell how it Operates , or why they give it . But the Gent. urges farther , that 2 Ounces of Sp. of Niter in a convenient quantity of Water , ( what that is he wont tell us ) preserved an Embrio . And 't is the Acid of Salt preserves Flesh and Fish from Putrefaction : For if you divest the Salt of its Acid , what remains will never do the business . Vinegar and Salt preserve Cucumbers , Capers , &c. I answer , 2 Ounces of Sp. of Sal. Armon or of a ●ixivium , yea or Bittern , that wicked thing , in a convenient quantity of Water , will do as much , or more ; but why ? Not because they are call'd Acid or Alkali , but because they are saline Bodies , which in such quantities hinder Fermentation . So Sea Salt , not because it is call'd an Acid , or an Alkali , or a S●●sum , but because it hinders that inward motion of the particles of Flesh , &c. that would bring it to Corruption . But whether what remains , will do the like , when Sea Salt is divested of its Acid , Mr. Acid , nor his Gentleman ever tryed : For I must tell them what I find they are ignorant of , that Sea Salt will be distill'd all into Spirit , and be reduced all into Sea Salt again , it is so homogeneous a Body . But perhaps he means the Earth , with which it is distill'd , will not do . It is from the same reason that Salt and Vinegar preserve Cucumbers , &c. But yet I believe , if the Gentleman or his Physician either , were kept a little while in such pickle , he would find it not very friendly to the vital Frame , tho' it might keep them from stinking . Our Gentleman , pag. 36. tells us , that I said , that Animals that yield half their weight of Acid Liquor , will putrefie sooner than others , that abound with more Alkali . But he can't conceive what Animals these should be . No wonder a Gentlemen is unacquainted with the Materia Medica , that can't recite what I said : For I did not say sooner than others , but as soon , or sooner than some others ; not that abound with more Alkali , but that abound with Alkali ; for those Animals don't abound with Alkali , but with Acid. But tho' he grants what I said , it won't follow says he , That their Putrefaction is caus'd by the great quantity of Acids ; true , I never argued so , for Acid is their proper Nature ; but notwithstanding they are such sour Fellows , they will corrupt , contrary to Mr. Colebatch his Assertion , that it were impossible that Bodies full of Acid shuld putrifie . But he thinks the Animals putrified , because of the deprivation of their Acid , it going off in Effluvia . But he is mistaken , for they were crose stopp'd in a Glass , and perspire much more when alive . The Gentleman goes on to make the same mistakes , asserting that I said Vegetabl●s that yield most Acid , and Oyl , will rot sooner than others ; when I said as soon , or sooner than some others ; and that Crabs , Oranges and Lemons will rot sooner than Apples , that are not so sour ; when I said sooner than some Apples that are not sour ▪ But he says , Experience informs us how false this Assertion is ; for Lemons are preserved longer than Apples , and will not putrifie but when bruised ; and Lemon-pill will be preserved many Years by drying . I answer , Lemons are preserved longer than some Apples , but not than others ; and thanks to their Peel , which according to the Acid Doctors should rot first , being less Acid. He adds , that he hath kept a Vegetable 2 Years in Water , acidulated with Sp. of Salt , sound and entire . I believe it may be true , if try'd on some sort of Vegetables . But he concludes , with a defiance to shew him an Alkali , Volatile or fixt , that will preserve Animals , or Vegetables from Putrefaction , tho' I gave him 2 or 3 in the same Leaf , and I would give him another , if I thought he would still believe Bittern , that wicked thing , to be an Alkali . But he comes , pag. 37. at length to Alum , and he is not contented , that I said Alum is not an Acid , nor has the effects of an Acid , because it turns Syr. of Violets green , and that Alum is us'd in making Leather , on the account of its astringency . But the Gentleman is of another Opinion , for he finds 't is the Chalky substance in Alum turns the Syr. green : But his reason is no better than this , that the Acid Sp. will turn the Syr. red ; very good ; but I spake of the whole compound , that it was not an Acid , because it turns the Syr. green , and the Gentleman says it is , because one part of the product turns it red . But I have Master Colebatch on my side , who says , those things that turn the Syr. green are manifest Alkalies , or abound with Alkalies . But as for the Leather-dressing , he says , ' t is the Acid part in Alum , makes the Skins compact , because if the Acid be separated , the remaining part will be of no such use . I answer , if these parts be separated , neither will be of use , the Caput Mort. will do nothing , and the Acid will spoil the Skins . I 'll appeal to our Country-man , Mr. Yardly , the Philosophical Glover whether ever he dress'd Leather with Spirit of Alum . He says , he can easily answer for the rotting of Coffins , when the Bones that abound with Alkali remain firm ; the rottenness is produced by the Alkalous Flesh , and Juices of the Cadaver , entring the Pores of the Wood , but the hardness of the Cortex of the Bones , having smaller Pores than Wood , will not so readily admit the Alkalous Essluvia . But I answer , if Bones had any thing call'd a Cortex , and that were so compact , and there were not very large and numerous Pores in the Bones , yet one would think the Alkali already in their most intmate recesses , and wherein they are digested from without , should rot them sooner than the Coffins that have it on one side only , and are guarded within and without , with the mighty preserver Acid. The Gentleman replies to what I asserted , that Acids are not the only things that will quench thirst in Diseases , for Niter will sooner do it . That he knows by Experience if you take from Niter what is Acid , the remaining substance will not quench Thirst . I answer , 't is true , the Earth with which Niter is distill●d will not quench Thirst . If you take from Niter , what will by distillation be made an Acid , you take all away ; for it will all come over in Spirit , but Niter given in a proper Vehicle will quench Thirst much better than the Spirit . Pag. 39. The Gentleman has done ungenteelly by me , as well as in several other places , for he says , that I say , Oyl of Vitriol is a noble Medicine in Feavers , and he agrees with me ; when as I said to Mr. Colebatch , that I would grant that Oyl of Vitriol might be , the best Medicine in continual Feavers he knew ; but I knew a better , and that an Alkali . He makes me agree with him , and then says he agrees with me , Oyl of Vitriol is far from a noble Medicine , so is Com. Oyl of Vitriol , from what may be made of Vitriol . But he will believe that the Medicine , I say I have that is better , is an Acid ; unless I will produce it . But truly I can't help it if he will believe so ; for I suppose good Medicine , and Acid are Synonymous with him : and whatever is proved to be good , is to him sufficiently proved to be an Acid. But my Medicine is already produced , and if he or any other civil Gentleman will come to me , he shall taste it . The Gentleman says , in the same Page , That the use of Acids in the small Pox is now so generally believed and practis'd , that he need-not trouble us with Arguments from that Topick . I answer , that it is a very poor Topick to prove the goodness of a thing , that it is generally used , ( but I suppose he means by the Acid Doctors ) and he might have told us Whores are now generally used for the great Pox , and have added , that it is seldom cured without them . His story which he subjoyns of the success of Acids in the small Pox , I shall believe to be as he calls it , a Storys not questioning the veracity of his Author , or his skill , who never imagin'd that Acids would cure a Disease . In answer to my Assertion , That Alkalies , when in Solution , are not coagulated alone , but by meeting with Acids ; and so that the Chalky Matter in the Gout will not prove the Disease caus'd by Alkali , rather than Acid ; he replys , pag. 81. That alkalous Salts , when insolution are coagulated with what I call Alkalies ; for Volatile Alkalies will embody with Copper , and make what is call'd Salt of Vitriol , if suffered to stand in the cold for a Month. I answer , This instance is not a thing whereof he informs us , only I was used to think Copper dissolved was not Salt of Vitriol , but if he has found Copper enough in gouty Persons to coagulate the Alkali in their Blood ; we will acknowledge he hath discover'd a Mine ; but I am apt to think he can find nothing in the Body of Man that is an Alkali , that will coagulate the Spirit of his Blood. But he says farther , That Sp. of Sal. Armon . being an Alkali in solution , will in distillation so unite it self with Lime a fixt Alkali , that he shall never be able to separate any Volatile Alkali Salt from it again . Indeed it may have the smell of a Volatile Alkali , but no Salt is to be got from it , as may be seen ; for if it be 3 or 4 times distill'd from Lime , it shall be so far from what we call an Alkali , that it shall make no ebullition with a manifest Acid. I answer the Gentleman , that the Volatile Alkali does not unite it self with Lime ; if it did , it would either become a fixt , or the Lime a Volatile ; neither of which is done , but the Vol. Alkali is so alter'd by the Lime , that it is better united with its Phlegm that holds it , so that both rise together . But I will teach the Gentleman how to separate a dry Salt from them again , when ever he is willing to practise Chymistry , and thinks it will do him a kindness . But he gives an odd reason of this his Opinion , that if 3 or 4. times distill'd from Lime , it shall be so far from what we call an Alkali , as not to make an ebullition with Acids . But I say , tho' it be so far from what Acid Gentlemen , who don't believe their Senses call Alkali , yet others will call it Alkali , who know that ebullition with Acids is not the only thing that shews an Alkali , for that very Sp. will destroy his Acids , and be destroy'd so far as to make a Nuter , but will not be irrecoverably lost . He says , pag. 42. that I grosly mistake what Offa alba is , because I said it is a precipitation of the urinous Salt , not a Coagulation of the urinous Spirit , whereas it is as much in a Coagulum at the top , as at the bottom . I answer , the Gentleman , I believe , takes the notion of Precipitation only from the sound of the Word . But a thing is said to be insolution when the Particles are invisible in the Dissolvent , but precipitated when they coalesce so as to be seen , tho' being light they may not presently fall to the bottom . But a Coagulum of a vinous Sp. and urinous Salt into one Body he never saw , or any such Union but what is separable . But however , this Offa alba can't be made in the Veins , to coagulate into Chalk in gouty Persons , as his Master teaches him . He asks what I 'll think of some he has seen drink high rectified Sp. of Wine ? I 'll tell him , they are no strange Fellows , nor more gouty than others ; I have often done it , and never had the Gout . The Blood is not an Alkalous Spirit to coagulate it , nor can it be carried in through the Stomach , without being weakned too much to do the feat , if there were such a Spirit within . But he tells us a great Secret in Chymistry , viz. That if the Alkalous Sp. be distill'd from testaceous Pouders , it will be destroy'd . But I tell him he is mistaken , he never saw the Alkalous Salt destroy'd in his Life . But then he tells us , it will fix it self ; but I tell him , if it be fixt it is not destroy'd ; if destroy'd , it is not fix'd ; but I tell him he is mistaken in both , and never saw a volatil Alkali fixt , any more than a fixt one volatilized . But the Gentleman comes , pag. 42. to something more weighty , a very grand point , and that is to do what his Master Colebatch could never do , and yet it must be done , or the Acidists must knock under board , viz. to prove Iron an Acid. Iron they professedly use , and nothing can be a good Medicine but an Acid they say , therefore they are cast by their own Verdict , unless Iron can be made an Acid ; help Neighbours ! a Gentleman had need of commanding Requests to put him on this difficulty . Well let 's see what Efforts he makes . Iron , says he , making an Effervescence with an Acid , is no more an argument that it is an Alkali , than that Butter of Antimony ( which is allow'd to be a strong Acid ) is an Alkali , because it makes an Effervescence with Sp. of Nitre or Vitriol , which are Acids . I fancy the Gentleman has learnt Logick of Mr. Colebatch , ( altho' he would be thought to converse with him only in an epistolary way ) he argues so like him . Let us feel the strength of this Argument . Butter of Antimony an allow'd Acid , making an Effervescence with Sp. of Niter an Acid , don't prove it an Alkali , therefore Iron making an Effervescence with an Acid , don't prove it an Alkali . But I say it don't follow , but the Gentleman is to prove Iron an Acid , and it s not being an Alkali , if it were not , don't prove it an Acid , unless there were nothing but Alkali and Acid ; and if its Effervescence don't prove it an Alkali , much less does it prove it an Acid ; but I tell him Butter of Antimony does not effervesce with an Acid , because of its Acidity , but because of the Antimony in it not wholly dissolved ; the Butter is nothing but Sp. of Salt , and the body of the more metalline part of Antimony , mixed by an imperfect Dissolution ; but when the Sp. of Nitre comes and dissolves it wholy , it makes an Effervescence in dissolving it , but with Sp. of Salt alone it will not do so . 2. Iron , says he , is not properly an absorber of Acids , but of Salts in general , for it will be dissolved by Acid , Alkali , or Sal nutrum . But I answer , this don't prove it an Acid , if it be so . But he says , if you put upon Filings of Iron a volatil Alkali , there will a gentle Ebullition ensue . I say , it must be very gentle certainly , for I could never see it , tho' I try'd it on purpose ; but perhaps 't was an Ebullition caus'd by the Fire , upon which Acid , Alkali , vinous , oleous , or watery Liquors , yea or metalline , will boyl . But to go a little farther , in the matter , says he , and do something towards proving that Steel abounds with Acid and Sulphureous Particles , which , he says , I deny , and not with alkalous , and so consequently ought to be call'd an Acid. The Gentleman here confesses he hath done nothing to it yet , but now he is resolved to prove Iron abounds with Acid , and sulphureous Particles ; but , I say , the consequence will not be that it is an Acid if it do , unless those Acid Particles are more than the rest . Well , but first he will shew that Iron is very much impregnated with Sulphur ; and then prove , contrary to my Assertion , that there is a burning Brimstome to be obtain'd from it . Well this is a secret in Chymistry , I long to be at it ; how is it done ? Why Filings of Steel flung through the Flame of a Candle will take fire sooner than Gunpowder , and as soon as common Sulphur , and the violent motion of a Flint and Steel will do the same . I answer , the Gentleman has shewn his Ignorance sufficiently here ; these Phaenomena are not the firing of any thing combustible in the Steel , but only the heating small particles of the Mettal red hot ; the first by the flame of the Candle , the second by the rapid stroke of the Flint , striking off a particle of the Metal red hot , and sometimes melted , as it may be seen , if caught on a piece of white Paper , and viewed in a Microscope ; but the Metal will be found unaltered ; which , if it were burnt , would be otherwise . But if the Steel be softned it will not do , the blow not meeting with so much resistance , the Flint will strike off too much to take the heat . But again he is pleas'd to say , that when the filings of Iron are in dissolution in Sp. of Salt , the Fumes that arise will take fire ; and if done in a convenient Glass , and a lighted Paper held to the Fumes , it will fulminate as loud as a Musquet ; and he hopes I am satisfied by this time , that there is such a thing as common Brimstone in Iron . Truly Sir , I am not yet satisfied ; I could never see the Fumes of Sp. of Salt take fire , and if they did , it could be nothing of the Iron , which won't rise in Fumes , as any one may see by distilling the matter . An Explosion , I know , may be , if the Mouth of the Glass be too small , or stopt ; and so there may be of any rarifiable Liquor . But if this won't do , he is so kind as to give us a process to make Brimstone out of ron . Now he comes to something like a Tansie , and I must write it down ▪ Recip . Sal Martis , dissolve it in common Water , add Oyl of Tartar more than will precipitate the Iron , evaporate all to dryness , flux it with Carcoal , and you will have a sulphureous Salt , dissolve in Water , and filter , and with distill'd Vinegar , or Sp. of Salt , you may precipitate a Sulphur that will burn and stink like common Sulphur . I thank the Gentleman , but I must tell him , this Sulphur comes not at all from the Iron . For first , if his Sal Martis be that made with Spirit of Wine and Oyl of Vitriol , they will yield Sulphur enough without the Iron ; the Oyl of Vitriol will coagulate the inflamable part of the Sp. of Wine into Brimstone . If it comes not hence , the Oyl of Tartar has a Sulphur in it , as all fixt Alkalies have more or less . If this won't do , the Charchoal has enough ; and if he uses Vinegar to precipitate it , that can spare a little . But let him take Iron , and work on it how he will without any thing that can supply a combustible Body , I defy him , or a Horse with a bigger Head , to get me a grain of Sulphur . So in his process of Tartar Vitriolat . and filings of Iron , if true , the Sulphur comes from the other things , not the Iron . But he says , he has not mentioned the proportions of his Ingredients , because he is talking to a Chymist . It seems he takes the Physician he writes to for a Chymist , but he talks not like one ; for proportions of things necessary in order to divers resulting Products in Chymistry , that a Man has not tried and observed , are not hit easily by any Rules in Chymistry , and in many Operations much depends on proportion . But if these Experiments won't prove a Sulphur in Iron , he says , he may chance to produce 20 more , but these , he supposes , will satisfie the reasonable . I answer , I suppose these were not his worst , and if he produces no better , 40 won't do to satisfie the skilful , whatever the reasonable may think . But he says , he must conclude Steel to be rather an Acid than an Alkali . That 's his Misery , that he must conclude it an Acid , tho' none ever got an Acid from it . But if he can get a Sulphur from it , he hopes none will doubt but he may also get an Acid in quantity . I answer , to conclude this mighty point , if the Sulphur he supposes he gets from it , were indeed from it , t is so little , that it would not denominate Steel a Sulphur , and that Acid in the Sulphur is much less , and would much less give Iron the title of an Acid. But let an honest Country man ( Mr. Yardly if you please ) taste filings of Steel , not knowing what it is , or any thing indeed produced from it , and if he says it tastes sour , I 'll be an Assheadist . I thought I had done with Steel for this bout , because something else comes next , but I find there 's another touch upon Steel afterwards , so I 'll go to that , that we may dispatch all the martial Man's business together . The Gentleman tells us , pag. 46. I say the Doctor 's Preparation of Steel with Sal Armon ▪ is not made with an Acid , and he thinks it is ; and to prove it , says he , if you make it in a Retort and a strong Fire , nothing but an Alkali will rise , and the Acid will remain with the Steel ; for if you take the Cap. Mort. and distill , you shall have nothing come over but a pure Acid , of great use in Physick . I am at a little loss to know who he means by the Doctor , it must be some body sure that is a Doctor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as Aristotle was known formerly by the name of the Philosopher ; but the Gentleman being one that loves Verjuice well , I guess he means Mr. Colebatch ; but I 'd faign know what made him a Doctor , whether Ignorance , Confidence , or a Licence to kill , or all together . But now I think on 't , Doctor is a Teacher , and he teaches the abuse of Crabs , Oranges , and Lemons , therefore he is a Doctor . But the Doctor 's Preparation of Steel must be with an Acid. If it be , I say , 't is because the Doctor is an Acid ; for Sal Armon is not , being a compound of com . Salt and Vol Salt of Urin , neither of which is an Acid ; and tho com . Salt may be distill'd into an Acid , yet 't is not an Acid before Distillat on , any more than Lead , for instance , is Glass , because it may be turn'd into Glass . But when Salt is turn'd into an Acid Liquor , it then ceases to be a Salsum , tho' it may be brought back again very easily into its old and natural Form ; as the Glass of Lead may likewise soon be reduced into Lead again . And the Doctor 's Preparation is made with it before distill'd . But the Gentleman adds , if we dissolve Filings of Steel in Sp. of Salt , and distill as before , we shall find the Cap. Mort. the same as that made with Sal Armon . And farther , says he , ' t is not the com . Salt , but the Acid Spirit of it , that is one part of the compound of Sal Armon . and Vol. Alkali the other ; for a mixture of Sp. of Salt and Vol. Alkali will produce good Sal Armon . Right , but these Alkalous Bodies change the acidity of the Sp. of Salt into a body not Acid , but a Salsum , its natural old Form ; and in that form it works , not in that it has not when so changed . But not to let go what the Gentleman says , pag. 46. without a Remark ; he there tells us , he is sure a Disease caus'd by Acids may be cured by Acids . But here he unwittingly gives away the Cause , by confessing a Disease may be caus'd by Acids , which is the very thing I would prove ; and there are divers kinds of Acids having different Effects , therefore Acids may cause divers Diseases . But still he holds fast to one part of the Doctrine , that all Diseases , even those caus'd by Acids , may be cured ( he should have said must ) by Acids . And how proves he this ? Why Acids operate upon , or alter the texture of one another ; and if the texture be alter'd its qualities must be alter'd ; and it must act differently from what it did . I answer , whatever change Acids make on one another , they do not change one another from being Acids ; and the Disease being caus'd by the Acid , as Acid , the change of the Acid will but change the Disease , not cure it ; that must be done , by taking away its Acidity , or expelling the Acid ; and if Acid could be supposed to expel Acid , 't would be but one Devil entring to cast out the other , this being as troublesome a Guest as that disposs'd ; and the Experiment the Gentleman brings to confirm his Opinion , is nothing pertaining to Medicine or Man's Body : For Sp. of Nitre , or Aq. fort . says he , dissolves Silver , but Sp. of Salt mixed with them , makes it it shall never dissolve Silver as it did . But our Bowels are not Silver , to be dissolved in Sp. of Nitre , that Sp. of Salt should be a Medicine to render ineffectual . The Gentleman ▪ says , pag 47. that I am very angry with Doctor Colebath for saying Cinnabar is an Acid , but have not proved , or said it is an Alkali . To which I tell him , I was never angry with Doctor Colebatch in my Life , nor with his Gentleman , but I think I said enough to prove that Cinnabar is not an Acid , much less running Mercury 13 sixteenths of it . But the Gentleman refers to all the World , whether running Mercury will act as Cinnabar does ; if not , then Cinnabar does all by vertue of the Sulphur embodied with it . But I 'll refer it even to the Acidists , by the same Argument , whether common Sulphur will act as Cinnabar does ; if not , then Cinnabar does all by vertue of the Mercury embodied with it ; and if the Argument be good , it is 13 to 3 on my side . But I tell the Gentleman , to leave these Logical Depths for Experience , Cinnabar acts as Cinnabar , and not as Mercury , or as Sulphur , otherwise we need not be at the trouble to compound them . And the Gentleman goes on with his Argument , Sulphur is an Acid ; why ? Because I allow it to be compounded of an Acid and an Oyl , but not of an Acid and an Alkali . The Argument runs thus in the whole latitude of it . Sulpur is an Acid , because it is compounded of a little Acid and an Oyl ; and Cinnabar is an Acid , because it has a little of that that has a little Acid in it . By the same Logick I may prove the Gentleman is a Calf , because he dined upon Veal , and has a little of a Calf in him . But the Gentleman talks on , shewing more Ignorance , saying , he believes Mercury an absorber of all kind of Salts , Alkalies or Acids , rather than of Acids . But I must tell him , it is not an Absorber of Alkalies , for they revive it , and disengage it from Acids which it hath absorb'd . But he says , it will dissolve Mettals , which is an Argument I often use to prove the Acidity of a Body . I answer , it will not truly dissolve Metals , it only pulverises them . But he continues to abuse me , so as a Gentleman can't be thought to do ; for I never , that I know of , much less often , made it an Argument to prove the Acidity of a Body , that it will dissolve a Mettal ; tho' he would be contented it should be took for one . I suppose , that if he should be convinc'd that Sp. of Sal Armon . is a good Medicine , he would prove it an Acid by its dissolving Copper . But he says , Mercury will ferment with Gold if well managed , and make a heat not to be endured by the Hand . But this is no Argument that Mercury is an Acid ; and tho this story he has heard be true , he knows not what the well managing of the Mercury is , or the cause of the Heat . He says , he has often met with two Acids that will ferment with one another ; but he has given no instance , but what he is mistaken in . But the Gentleman , pag 48. wishes I had told them how to make the Quintessence of Wine an Alkali , ( which I said I would oppose to all the Acids in the World ) that it might be us'd , and judged whether it be so noble an Alkali or not . I answer , this Alkali has been us'd , and is us'd , and judg'd , and found to be a noble Alkali ; and I have cured considerable Diseases with one small Dose of it ; and have had a Patient sick in bed , and fear of Death one day , and up , and pretty well on the morrow , by the use of this Alkali . But I did not say , I would oppose it to all the Acids in the World , but to Mr. Colebatch's Acids ; for there are better Acids than he is aware of , useful in some , tho not in all Cases . But if the Gentleman has a mind to see the effects of this Medicine , I say still , let there be a number of Patients , sick of such Diseases wherein I think it useful , divided between Mr. Colebath and I , or any other Acidist , and I will use the Quintescence , and he shall use what Acid he pleases , and if I don't recover more than he , I 'll be an Acidist . But the Gentleman can guess what this Quintescence of Wine is ; and he supposes it is the finest rectified Sp. of Wine , talk●d of by some , that is so subtile a Drop will not fall to the Ground . Such an Essence of Wine he has seen , and can make at any time ; but he affirms it will come under the denomination of an Acid. I answer , I confess such an Essence of Wine will come under the denomination of an Acid , if Mr. Colebatch says 't is an Acid , ( as he must do if he should use it ) or if it be found in the ingenious Mr. Stringer's Catalogue of Acids ; but there is no better Argement for its Acidity . But to satisfie the Gentleman , I tell him this Alkali is as much an Alkali , as any thing he ever saw ; and 't is not his supposed Essence of Wine , or any other Essence , but a Quintessence , if he knows what that means . But yet to satisfie him sufficiently , ( if he be a Philosopher as well as a Gentleman , as , he says , Physicians are ) I 'll tell him why this is call'd a Quintescence , and what it is . The Quintessence is the fifth state or being of Wine . The first is in the Must or Juice of Grapes . The second , in the Wine when fermented and brought to its perfection , as an inflamable Spirit ; ( and in this state the Gentleman's Essence is found . ) The third , when this second inflamable Spirit is turn'd into an incombustible Salt The fourth , when this Salt is mortified and seemingly destroy'd . The fifth is its change and resurrection into a noble Alkalous and green Spirit . The Gent says , pag. 49. Sp. of Salt diluted in a convenient quantity of an aqueous Vehicle , is better to preserve Flesh than com Salt ; and com Salt , by an addition of a proper quantity of Sp. of Salt , will be more useful in all respects . I answer , if he had told us his convenient and proper quantities , the Tryal of the matter might soon have been made . But if you take a piece of Meat season'd as the Gentleman prescribes , and another after the ordinary way , I 'll engage , on Tryal , the last shall eat best ; and Mr. Colebatch himself would say so , if he knew nothing of their seasoning . The Gentleman adds , that in Opposition to Mr. Colebatch , I affirm that Bittern is not an Alkali but an Acid , because Sp. of Salt is to be obtain'd from it in Distillation ; but I have not told in what quantity , for I knew the proportion is inconsiderale to what remains after Distillation , there being at least four parts of Alkali in Bittern to one of Acid , which turns Syr. Viol. green , and answers the intentions of a strong Alkali ; and he has known Soap made of it , which is not done without a great quantity of Alkali : And tho' Sp. of Salt may be obtain'd from Bittern , yet this will not prove it an Acid , or that the Sp. is any part of the Bittern , for it is but some remains of the Acid part of the Salt ; for the Bittern , after Distillation , will cause Thirst more than it did before , and the Spirit will allay Thirst if judiciously used . I answer , the Gentleman has so often , unbecoming a Gentleman , made me say what I never said , that I now can hardly believe he is indeed a Gentleman , but rather some little Medicaster , or very small Surgeon . I never said Bittern was an Acid , because Spirit of Salt may be distill'd from it , but I said Bittern in its natural form is but a Salsum ; and by skill in Chymistry Mr. Colbatch his damn'd ●ixt Alkali ( as he call'd it ) becomes a blessed Volatil Acid. But the Gentleman cannot conceive the Chymical Metamorphosis of Bodies , his Pyrotechny is only separatory . I told the Gentleman's Physician also , that Bittern would rise in the Fire , and come over ( I did not say yeild ) good Spirit of Salt. And the Gent. is much mistaken in supposing the Spirit is inconsiderable to what remains , or that Bittern has 4 parts of Alkali to one of Acid. For , as I said , it leaves nothing behind but an insipid white Earth , and that is inconsiderable to what comes over , if it be skilfully distill'd ; nor will that Earth cause thirst so much , as Sa it in which there is no Bittern . I do not believe he ever saw Soap made of Bittern , as he says , but I know Soap may be made with a very little Alkali . But the Gent. concludes , he is of the Opinion that I cannot produce a Catalogue of Medicines equaly efficacious in the Cure of Diseases with Mercur. dule . Turpeth . Min. Red precip . Cinnabar . Sal Succini . Sal Martis En. Veneris . Oyl of Vitriol , Sp. of Nitre , Oyl of Sulphur , and Dr. Colebatch ' s Elixir Vitrioli ; all which operate by vertue of their Acids : for if they be divested of their Acid Particles they will never produce those effects . And if the use of Alkalies cannot be thus demonstrated , he shall remain a Proselyte to the Doctrine of Acids . And thus , says he , he has given his Thoughts in answer to those Objections that seem most material in the Dialogue , but has omitted to take notice of what has not a relation to Acids and Alkalies , being the Cause or Cure of Diseases , and in so doing , hopes he has answer'd the Doctor 's Request . I answer , I can produce the same Catalogue , and a better . But the Medicines named are not the invention of any Acid Doctor , but were common to all Physicians , before any such sharp Fancy had turn'd the Brains of any Pretenders to Physick ; nor are they all Acids , nor do any of them , except the Spirits , operate by vertue of their Acids . But I might say , if I could allow my self to reason as the Gentleman does , by vertue of their Alkalies ; for if you take away ☿ , ♀ , and ♂ , the Acids now joined with them , will never produce the Effects alone . But I know better , they operate by vertue of their Texture resulting from their Conjuction ; even as Gun-powder does not operate by vertue of Sulphur , or either of its Ingredients , but by Nitre , Sulphur , and Charcoal all together . And if the use of Acids ( or Alkalies either ) cannot be better demonstrated than the Gentleman , or his Master Colebatch , have demonstrated their pretended Hypothesis of Acids , I shall not be a Proselyte to either , The Gentleman has at last answer'd his Doctors request , and pick'd out here , and there an expression in my Dialogue , which he thought he could say some thing to , but how well he has answered what was indeed Material , and how much he has Omitted , I must yet leave to the judicious Reader of my Dialogue , wherein I think stands unanswer'd enough to shew the groundlessness and danger of the pretended new Hypothesis of Acid and Alkali ; as well as the immodest self applause , shameful contempt , and abuse of all Physicians , gross mistakes , and great ignorance of the Pretender : Which want of Learning and Vertue the Gentleman in his Letter , has not so much as excus'd ; wherefore I hope his Master is also Conscious thereof , and will amend . And the Gentleman perhaps in a little time may see , that he is a Proselyte to so very sensless , and mean a Sect , he may be asham'd on 't , or he may be blown with some less biting or dangerous Maggot , or become fond of some newer Fancy ; since Gentlemen are inclinable it seems , to be as well pleas'd with their Physicians for imposing new Fashion'd sufferings upon them , as with their Taylors for putting them into new fashion'd Cloaths : And for such Gentlemens sakes I have a good mind , before I Conclude , to start a yet newer Hypothesis that may serve them , when that of Acids is out of Fashion , which when it shall be strongly asserted by some Man of Confidence , I don't question but it will take , please as well , be more effectual , and le●s dangerous than the practice of Acids . I have been inform'd by a Person of Credit , that a certain Doctor in France , who was fam●d for his Cures , gave nothing to his Patients but Brick-dust . And I have heard of another of considerable repute in another Place , who , as a Panacea , gave all that came to him convenient quantities of common Water . These Doctors wanting a more generous Principle , both disguised their Medicines ; they seem to have acted contrary , but which appear'd to have the better success , I was not well inform'd ; but some of the Patients of both no doubt recover'd , and some of them died , those that lived would swear the Doctor heald them , but those that pack'd off were left out of the Catalogue of his Cures . But let it be how it will , the hint gives me ground enough to build a new Hypothesis upon , now that of Acids grows old . Brick-dust and Water then shall be two Principals , into which bodies may be resolved . Distillation and Transmutation reduces all into them . Whatever is Liquid comes over either in the form of Water , the one principle required , or in the form of Oyl , or of a saline Spirit . The Oyl 's Unctuosity and Inflamableness may soon be changed , and the sapor of the Salts be destroyed ; the Vita Media of both may be soon took away , and the Liquor reduced into common insipid Water . But whatever is solid may be by the Fire reduced either to a Liquid , to be wrought on as before said , or by burning will be reduced to a Caput Mort. which expos'd to the action of the Air , will be rotted and turn'd into common Earth , which then by art may be made into Brick , and then easily pulverised ( if you will follow the French Man ) fine enough for the Stoma●h of a Lady . How these two Principles are concern'd in the Life and Death of all things in the Macrocosm , I could readily teach , if an exact Physiology were thought necessary to a Doctor . Now let these two Principles be taken , instead of Acid and Alkali , for the Life and Death of things , and for the Cause and Cure of Diseases , ( it shall be all one to me , which is the Killer , and which is the Curer ) and I will make out the Aitiologie of all Deseases , and their Cures from them . But forasmuch as Gentlemen now-a-days are generally great lovers of the Bottle , and will rather cause a dose from the Glass , than from the Trowel , and a Physicians business is to humour them , Brick-dust shall be the cause , and Water the cure of all Diseases . But because we will recommend our selves by talking learnedly as Physicians ought , that is so as our Grand-mothers may not readily understand us , we will call them Arid , and Humid , and say Arid is the Cause , and Humid the Cure of all Diseases . Let us begin at the Mouth , as Physicians commonly do , at which death is so often let in , in this our luxurious and Pharmacutick Age. It is apparent that no Food , if it abound with Arid , can agree well with us ; therefore nature has placed certain Cataracts under the Tongue pouring out their Humid Saliva , which tempers the Arid and carries it along ; without which even deglutition cannot be performed , without soon terminating our Life by choaking . This Humid accompanying our Food down into the Stomach , there digests our Food , and that not by its Acid , or Alkali , bitterness or sweetness , or any other affected relish , but by vertue of its self , as Humid . The truth of which any Man may be satisfied with , if he but considers how Water is necessary for the macerating of all things fermentable , in order to a separation of their parts , the Humid from the Arid , the profitable from the unprofitable . Now when a due quantity of Humid is administer'd by the Salivia , which carries our Food down , mixes and ferments it , and Drink being added in a convenient quantity , ( the more watry the better ) farther to dilute it , and to supply Matter for more Saliva , the mixture passes the Pylorus , and in the small Guts is farther altered ; whence the Humid Chyle , with a little fine Arid to increase or supply the defects of the solid parts , is separaby the Lacteals ; but most of the Arid inviscated by the Gall and Pancreatick Juice , ( which make a tough slimy Matter , ) is carried down as noxious through the Guts , and turn'd out at the back Door . Now if for want of a sufficient quantity of Humid in the Stomach , there is not a due natural Fermentation , so as that the Particles in the compound have not liberty to move without breaking their Figures against one another , or that they ad-here and combine , and remain not enough separated , they are not only unfit to supply the defect of the Vital Juices , but lying heavy in the Ventricle they don't work up , and pass out of the Pylorus as they ought ; whence proceed lothings , pains in the Stomach , and Spontaneous Vomitings , &c. To remedy which , some large draughts of Humid being given , the indigested matter is easily ejected , the Stomach washed clean , and render'd fit for its office again , till it be again over-charg'd with Arid , or defrauded of its due quantity of Humid . But if the abounding Arid , be not so much as totally to hinder the fermentation in the Stomach , but yet the Humid be not such as is sufficient for the due performance thereof , then a gross Chyle , wherein Arid does abound , is retain'd , inseparable from it in the Duodenum : The grosser part of which being not able to enter the Lacteals , is carried downwards ; which being too tough and clammy adheres to the sides of the Colon , and lies too long in its Cells , causing the Cholick , dry Gripes , and divers mischiefs of that nature , till by the Irritation and Excoriation of the Latera of the Guts , nature pours forth the Lymphatick Juice , and so there are produced Fluxes , more or less , according to the greater or less disorder and irritation of the rough Arid Particles . But that part , which being not so gross , is carried into the Lacteal Veins , sometimes adheres there , in the small ramifications of those Vessels , causing Obstructions ; whence the nutricious Juice being not plentifully carried into the Blood , a Tabes or Aridura must needs follow . But by the due and timely administration of Humid , these Arid Particles are washed out into the Blood , and separated thence by Urine , and the Chyle again freely distributed to the recovery and health of the Body . But if these Arid particles are too abundant in the Blood , and not duely separated by Urine , they do not only render the Blood too thick , and so retar'd its due Motion , but after sticking in the capillary Arteries and Veins , hinder its Motion in divers particular Places , whence the Blood stagnating there , a preternatual Ferment is excited , and the Blood put into an intestine Motion , and thence come Feavers of all sorts , differing according to the different Circumstances of places obstructed , and of more or less Arid Matter . But by a proper adhibition of the friendly Humid , these rough Arid particles are made flow , and carried off by Urine or Sweat , and the heat alay'd , and so the Patient recovers . But sometimes when those abounding Arid particles , are not carried off by a sufficient quantity of the Humid , either by Urine or insensible Perspiration , then they fix in the Limbs and outward parts from whence there follow Gouts , Rhumatisms , &c. which by a large administration of Humid , ( if the Disease be not too stubbornly fixt ) are carried off , or their rough Acrimony attemper'd , and so the Patient enjoys Ease and Health . And I challenge all the Acid Doctors in England , even Alkins himself , could we have him again from the lower World , with all the Lemons and Oranges in Spain , or Oyl of Vitriol , in Europe , to cure half the Patients I will cure of the Gout , by a regular course of pure Humid . But if I should go from the Blood to the succus Nervosus , I could abundantly shew what dismal effects the abounding pernicious Arid does , in thickning and in stoping the animal Spirits , and so causing Apoplexies , Palseys , Megrims , Deliriums , &c. Yea I could shew you how these rough Arid particles fixing in the membranes , and other parts that are tense , cause Pains ; but that this specimen would swell into a large Book : and I could give so rational an account of the matter that most Gentleman that love new Discoveries might readily believe it the very truth , and be fond on 't , unless some one or other that should chance to have a Dropsie , should object against my new Doctrine , and say , what , will this fellow pretend his Aridum is the cause of that , where it is Water which apparently abounds ? I answer , let the Gent. have a little Patience , if I make out this Point , I hope he will believe I am able to account for all the rest that may be explain'd on the same Hypothesis , and I need not proceed any farther in this Specimen . The Dropsie it self , say I , is caus'd by the Pernicious abounding Arid , and cured by the due administration of the friendly Humid . For the demonstration of which let it be consider'd , that even the Humid's unequal and undue distribution and stagnation is a Disease ; even as in the Body politick the setling or stagnation of the Vital-blood-mony in any of the members , and chiefly in the Head , is not without very many bad effects . So when the Humid stagnates in the Legs , Head , Cods , Abdomen , or habit of the Body , it gives names to divers sorts of Dropsies ; for I will not say of the blessedest Humid , as Mr. Colebatch does of his Acid , there can never be to much of it . But nevertheless Arid , with his rough and harsh particles , I affirm is the cause of the Humids abounding , wherever it is unduely distributed ; for if a Man Perspire well , and Piss well , he will never have a Dropsie . But when the Arid particles abound , and obstruct the natural Course of the Humid , which is ordain'd to dilute , separate , and waft them off , the Humid it self by its pressure breaks some Vessels , or passes through outlets corroded by the Arid , and so falls into the cavity of the Abdomen , or is extravasated into some other part of the Body , which effect we call a Dropsy . But now for the Cure of it , by Humid you 'll say it is impossible , this is not adding Oyl to the Fire , but as bad , Water to a deluge . Have a little patience Gent. and I 'll warrant you I 'll demonstrate it , better than Mr. Colebatch did the cure of four Stomachs by Oyl of Vitriol . Let it therefore be consider'd . That the extravasated Humid cannot be discharg'd the way it came , not only because the passages it should have went are stop't for want of its due Course in the Vessels , but because it has lost its Motion , and so lying long soaking the more fleshy parts , dissolves somewhat of them , and so becomes clammy : Now the obstructing Arid must be carried off , which cannot be done but by a Humid , thinning the blood which is in Motion , and tho the stagnated Humid may be somewhat increas'd by the addition of more Humid , yet it will be render'd more thin , and apt to flow when the obstructing and corroding , Arid is washed away , and there will be nothing to hinder Nature : but by the Motion of the Parts , the Humid is press'd out into the Vessels , and carried off again And now I think I have sufficiently shewn how the hardest part of this new Doctrine may be accounted for ; but yet I must needs , as a Friend to the Faculty , insinuate something of the necessity , or at least , conveniency of the direction of a Physician to order proper Times , Quantities , Diet , Wine , Exercise , &c. in this easie Course of Physick ; for tho' I don't question , but by a little discretion a Man may cure or prevent most Diseases by this new method , chiefly by washing the Pot , viz the Stomach clean when ever it is foul ; yet I must warn my Readers ( which let be a caution to Drunkards , who may think they can't hurt themselves at all with humid ) that some humids , as sophisticated Wines , and unripe Mault Drinks , have a gross and noxious Arid swimming in them , which is very apt to Precipitate , and cause divers ill effects in the Body : And that any Man may do himself a mischief , even by the most wholsome and innocent things indiscreetly used , as well as the Physician by slighting his advice , which he is always ready to give on advantagious Conditions . I could also confirm this Hypothesis by a large account of Cases in Practice , but I shall forbear at present , only offering one Consideration , viz. That all the real benefit received by Drinking the Waters , comes merely by the large quantities of Water taken , washing the Bowels and diluting the Blood and other humours of the Body , and not by the nasty Minerals they are impregnated with , which Nature abhorring rejects with disturbance ; and I would advise Persons hereafter to repair to some pure Spring , and there Drink as at the usually frequented places , and if they don't receive more than usual benefit , I will recant and turn an Aridist , and be as ready to assist John , or any other Hypothetick in the Doctine of Arid , as I am now farther to demonstrate that of Humid , as that which I think will be the most safe , and likely to do my Friends a kindness , now the dangerous Doctrine of Acids begins to go out of Fashion . FINIS .