Some further CONSIDERATIONS Concerning Alkaly and Acid, &c.

I Thought to have ſaid no more upon this Subject, until the Publication of my Hiſtory of Human Blood: But I finding that to be a thing of greater difficulty, and that a much greater Num­ber of Experiments than I at firſt thought of, will be ne­ceſſary to make that Hiſtory2 compleat in all its Parts; by which means it will be ſome­thing longer than I at firſt in­tended, before that Piece ap­pears in the world: There­fore I have thought fit,

Firſt, To explain the Terms, or what is meant by Alkaly, and what by Acid; which I find very many people, who are not Phyſicians, are in great meaſure ignorant of.

Secondly, To explain the Na­ture of them ſomewhat more fully and clearly than I have yet done.

Thirdly and Laſtly, To an­ſwer the Objections that have been raiſed againſt ſome parti­cular things contained in my Eſſay.

All which Heads I ſhall han­dle with as much Brevity and Perſpicuity as poſſibly I can; omitting the more full Proſecu­tion of them, till the Publi­cation of my Hiſtory of Hu­man Blood, which, I hope, will be ready for the Preſs a­bout the Month of June.

I ſhall make bold to declare, That I have not Publiſhed this Doctrine of Alkaly and Acid, out of any deſign of appearing ſingular, or being the Head of a Faction, but out of mere Pi­ty and Compaſſion to Man­kind, my Fellow-Creatures, whoſe deplorable Circumſtan­ces under Miſtaken Methods, I have long bewailed; to ſee Phyſick made the Scene of4 Slaughter, and ſo many miſe­rable Mortals (the helpleſs Sick) ſent daily to their Laſt Homes, as Victims to Error and Ignorance: Whilſt the Learned Preſcriber jogs on in his old miſtaken Alkalious Road; not dreaming (as the Wiſe-Man ſays) that Death is there, and that his Portion (I mean the Patient's) is with the Worms.

But that I may return to my Buſineſs.

Firſt, To explain the Terms, or what is meant by Alkaly, and what by Acid.

Alkaly derives its Name from the Herb Kaly, from the Aſhes of which Herb is extract­ed a large quantity of Salt,5 which by the Venetians and o­thers is much uſed in the ma­king of Soap and Glaſs; and this Salt they call Sal Kaly, and by leaving out the S Alkaly. Now the Aſhes of all or moſt Vegetables affording a Salt of the ſame nature with the Aſhes of the Herb Kaly, therefore all Lixivial Salts are equivocally called Alkalies, and all other things of the ſame nature, whether manifeſtly Saline or not, Alkalies; ſuch are Arſnick, and all the Teſtacea, as Pearl, Coral, Crabs-Eyes, Oyſter-Shells, &c.; and all Urinous Spirits and Salts, ſuch as Spirit and Salt of Blood, Urine, Harts-horn, &c. And ſome think, that of theſe Alkalies6 are made the famous White Powder, ſo much talk'd of, which kills without a Bounce, and murthers without making a Noiſe.

Acid, I ſuppoſe, did firſt derive its name from Acaid, an Arabian Word for Acetum, Vi­negar, which is the moſt com­mon and known Acid; and therefore all things of the ſame Taſte and Nature with Vine­gar, Acids; ſuch are the Jui­ces of moſt Fruits and Plants in their Natural ſtate, and unfer­mented; though all fermented Vegetable Juices do after fer­mentation retain ſomething of their priſtine Acidity, though not in ſo eminent a degree: But every body knows that all7 fermented Juices, ſuch as all ſorts of Wine, Ale, Beer, &c. let them be preſerved with ne­ver ſo much care, will at laſt return to their priſtine ſtate of Acidity. All Metaline Sul­phurs ate to be ranged amongſt the Number of Acids, they being nothing but a Congeſtion of Acid Particles. I may likewiſe without preſumption reckon all ſorts of Balſoms and Pinquedinous and Oleaginous Subſtances, amongſt the num­ber of Acids; by reaſon that in the moſt bare and ſimple Di­ſtillation, they afford large quantities of Acid Subſtances, but nothing that is Alkalious. Bread alſo, that is, not without reaſon accounted the Staff of8 Life, affords alſo by Diſtilla­tion a large quantity of an Acid Subſtance, which is no deſpi­cable Menſtruum. Sugar, which though in its Taſte ſeems to be nothing leſs than an Acid, yet by a Philoſophical Management appears to be no­thing elſe but a Congeſtion of Acid Particles.

Thus for the preſent I think I have given a ſufficient ac­count of what I mean by Al­kaly, and what by Acid; and alſo what things are to be ac­counted Alkalies, and what Acids.

There are ſome things which ſeem to be of a mixt na­ture between Alkaly and Acid, which things we call Neutrals. 9Now thoſe things of this Tribe which afford by much a greater quantity of Acid Subſtances than Alkalious ones, I ſtick not to call Acids, becauſe the Acid predominates; and thoſe that afford by much a greater quantity of Alkalious than A­cid Subſtances, I call Alkalies. Though in a more ſtrict ſenſe they deſerve rather to be called either Sub-Acid Alkalies, or Sub-Alkaline Acids, according as either the one or the other predominates.

I ſhall now proceed to my Second thing, which is, To ex­plain the Nature of Alkalies and Acids more fully and clearly than I have yet done.

For the well Performance of which Task, I ſhall compare the Operation of them both upon Human Bodies, both in­ternally taken, and externally applied.

I ſhall begin with Sal Kaly, which is the Standard of Alka­lies, and compare that with Vinegar the Standard of Acids.

Sal Kaly, and ſo all Lixivi­ous, Vegetable Salts, as Salt of Wormwood, &c. being ap­plied outwardly to the bare Skin, ſcorcheth and burneth the ſame, all one as if a Red Hot Iron were actually applied to it, cauſing an Eſcar, which falling off, an Ulcer follows: Nay, indeed there is ſcarce any other Cauſtick uſed, than11 a Lixivium of Sal Kaly, which is what the Chyrurgeons call Capital or Strong Soap-Lees, evaporated to Drineſs. The ſame being taken inwardly, without being greatly diluted by ſome Aqueous Vehicle, in moſt people cauſeth enormous Vomitings, which I my ſelf have formerly experienced; and if it be never ſo much di­luted, if it doth not excite Vo­mitings, it rarely fails of either depraving, palling, or totally deſtroying the Appetite: Be­ſides, being conveyed into the Blood, by breaking its Glo­bules and ſpoiling of its Tex­ture, it cauſeth either Scor­butes, Rheumatiſms, Sciatica's, Conſumptions, Gout, Palſies,12 or ſome other of the fatal Tribe of Chronical Diſeaſes.

Now I have ſhewn what Sal Kaly, and the reſt of the Tribe of Vegetable Lixivious Salts will do; in the next place let's ſee what effects even com­mon plain Vinegar, which is the ſtandard of Acids, will have, being externally uſed, and internally taken.

It is well known, that Vine­gar being externally applied, is of extraordinary uſe in a great many ſorts of Inflamations, of ſingular uſe in an Eriſipelas, or St. Anthony's Fire. Cloaths being dipp'd in it, and applied to the Forehead and Temples, to the Wriſts, the Stomach, and bottoms of the Feet, I have ex­perimentally13 found to be of ex­traordinary uſe in ſome very burning Feavers: I have like­wiſe my ſelf (before I had found out a more certain Re­medy) ſometimes made uſe of it with good ſucceſs in great Bleedings at the Noſe, by dip­ping a Spunge in good ſtrong Vinegar, and applying it to the Scrotum. I have alſo known it with good ſucceſs to have been made uſe of by poor people, in ſtinking old Ulcers. From all which it ap­pears, that being externally applied, it's no Cauſtick, and will make no Ulcer, but on the contrary, will cure Ulcers, eaſe Pain, &c.

Now we have ſeen ſome of its good Effects, being exter­nally applied; let's ſee what it will do being internally taken.

In the firſt place I ſhall men­tion an Account given of it by the Ingenious Dr. Baynard: He ſays that he was called in to a Perſon who had a Total Sup­preſſion of Urine, under which he had laboured ſome conſide­rable time, and that ſeveral things had in vain been given him; he immediately gave him a large Draught of Vine­gar, which ſoon made him to Piſs freely; and by repeating of it two or three times, he was perfectly freed from his In­diſpoſition. The Doctor has given an account of this in one15 of the Philoſophical Tranſacti­ons; but I have not read it, neither have I time at preſent to look over thoſe Papers. I think alſo he has told me, that the ſame thing he has done with the ſame plain Medicine two or three times. He like­wiſe gave me ſeveral Inſtances of many Perſons in moſt vio­lent Fevers, who have been preſently cured by drinking large Draughts of Atterpool Wa­ter well acidulated.

I am alſo moſt creditably in­form'd, That Dr. Bently, a late famous Phyſician in Che­ſhire, who lived to almoſt a Hundred Years of Age, had ſuch wonderful Succeſs in Fe­vers, that he acquir'd the Name16 of the Feaver-Doctor, and that his Medicine was nothing elſe but the Decoction of a certain Herb well acidulated with the Spirit of —; a Noble Acid, which I am obliged not to re­veal.

A Worthy Lady, whoſe Name I muſt not mention, has aſſured me, That ſhe has brought in the uſe of Vinegar or Verjuice Poſſet-drink, a­mongſt her poor Neighbours in the Countrey where ſhe lives, in the Small-Pox; and where that has been uſed from the be­ginning, ſhe has ſcarce obſerv'd any one to dye or be disfigur'd; which is agreeable to what I obſerve in my Eſſay, p. 24.

I have likewiſe frequently obſerved, that three or four Spoonfuls of Vinegar, will immediately check the moſt violent Vomitings, occaſioned by the taking of ſome harſh Antimonial Medicines.

A great many other good qualities hath ſimple Vinegar internally taken, and external­ly applied (beſides its being a good Menſtruum) that I think not fit here to enumerate.

The next thing I ſhall do will be to compare Arſnick, as the higheſt and moſt exalted Alkaly, with Oyl of Vitriol, the moſt exalted Acid.

As for the external uſe of Arſnick, I know nothing of it18 experimentally; but it being a thing of that pernicious con­ſequence internally taken, I ſuppoſe it can have no very friendly operation externally applied.

Internally taken, it cauſeth the moſt enormous Vomitings and Convulſions of the Sto­mach, Cold Sweats, Palpita­tions of the Heart, Swoonings, moſt violent Thirſt, and in ge­neral, ſeems to be a direct Ene­my to Life, which in a ſhort time it fails not to deſtroy. All which effects it will not fail to have, given in never ſo ſmall a quantity. And all thoſe peo­ple who have been ſo vain as to pretend to correct the Poy­ſonous Venomous Quality of19 Arſnick, ſo as to convert it into a good and ſafe Medicine, have attempted it only by the means of Acid Salts, ſuch as Sea-Salt, Nitre, Tartar, Vitri­ol, &c. wherein I cannot tell whether any man hath yet been ſo happy as to ſucceed.

To prove Arſnick to be an Alkaly, and as ſuch is the Cauſe of all thoſe dreadful Symptoms that attend thoſe people who are ſo unhappy as to take it, I ſhall inſert a Relation made to me by Mr. Payne an Apo­thecary of Brandford, on Satur­day, Feb. 16. which was as fol­lows:

A certain Young Woman of Brandford having taken a very20 large quantity of Arſnick (as he told me, an Ounce) ſhe was immediately attended with all the moſt violent Symptoms imaginable; upon which Dr. Morris was called in, who gave her large Quantities of Sallad Oyl, the uſual Remedy, with­out in the leaſt abating the Symptoms: Upon which he ordered them to procure a large quantity of Lemmons, and to preſs the Juice out of them, of which Juice he plentifully gave her, which ſoon took off and abated thoſe imminent and direful Symptoms which inevi­tably threaten'd Death; though the Operation of the Acid might be ſomewhat impeded, through the quantity of Oyl ſhe had taken before.

But to return to my Buſi­neſs, which is to ſee what are the Effects of Oyl of Vitriol.

I confeſs the Acid Particles of Oyl of Vitriol are ſo concen­trated, as to make it unfit to be externally applied, or inter­nally taken, of it ſelf; but being diluted in any proper Vehicle, is a Medicine ſecond to none that I know of. A few Drops in Canary, given to the young­eſt Children who are troubled with Worms, ſeldom or never fails of having the deſired ef­fect. It being mixed with Honey of Roſes, is one of the beſt Medicines that perhaps is known, for the Scurvy in the Gums, breeding Fleſh where it it is wanting, and faſtening the22 Teeth. Being mixed with Spring-Water and Brandy, of each equal parts, to a mode­rate Acidity, is no deſpicable Medicine in giving eaſe in the moſt Tormenting Pains of the Gout, the Part being foment­ed with it Night and Morning. I may be almoſt poſitive, that the Medicine uſed by the Inge­nious Swiſs Gentlemen who now reſide in this City, and are become ſo deſervedly fa­mous, particularly for the Cure of Sir Robert Howard, is no­thing elſe but a Mixture of Oyl of Vitriol with a certain Oleagi­nous Body, in due proportion. The ſame Medicine is alſo uſed and ſold by Mr. Fiſher, Chy­rurgeon in Alderſgate-ſtreet:23 Which Medicine rarely fails gi­ving immediate Eaſe in the moſt Tormenting Pains of the Gout. Which is a Confirma­tion of the Truth of what I have ſaid in my Eſſay concern­ing the Gout, wherein I aſſert, that it is not from any Acidity in the Blood that the Gout is occaſioned, but from Particles of a quite contrary nature, (viz.) Alkalious ones; as plain­ly and evidently appears by Analyzing the Chalky Sub­ſtance contained in the Nodes.

A better general Medicine than Oyl of Vitriol is ſcarce known in moſt continued Fe­vers, any ſmall Liquors, as Barley-Water, Small-Beer, &c.24 being well impregnated with it, and drank freely.

The following Mixture is a very noble Medicine in that painful Diſtemper the Stone in the Kidneys.

I could mention a great ma­ny Caſes more in which this Medicine is of ſingular uſe; but in ſo doing I ſhould ſwell this Appendix to too great a bulk.

I ſhall next compare the Te­ſtacea, ſuch as Pearl, Coral, Crabs-Eyes, &c. with natural Balſoms and Gums, ſuch as Balm of Gilead, Tolu, Peru, &c. Gum Ammoniacum, Galbanum, &c.

As for Pearl, Coral, and Crabs Eyes, I know not that they are of any uſe at all, being26 externally applied; and being internally taken, no body that I know of pretends that they are uſeful any further than to abſorbe the Acidity of the Sto­mach, where people labour under any Indiſpoſition that is attended with an Acidity there. But they are ſo far from being uſeful in that caſe, that I have ſcarce known them uſeful to any one that has taken them upon that ſcore: And in any other caſe they have not the leaſt ſhew of being at all uſe­ful, but frequently do a great deal of miſchief, as I have ob­ſerved in my Eſſay upon the Small-Pox, &c.

Here give me leave to men­tion a ſhort Caſe related to me27 by my worthy Friend Dr. Bay­nard, pertinent to this place.

A Merchant's Wife of ſome Eminence in the City of Bri­ſtol, labouring under a decayed Stomach, was reduced to ſuch Weakneſs as not able to go, vomiting all ſhe took: Her Phyſicians ſuppoſing her Blood abounded with Acids, had from time to time loaded her weak Stomach with the whole Reti­nue of the Alkalious Kingdom, keeping their old Circle, from the Teſtacea to the Volatile Alkalies, and from thence to the Teſtacea again; and at laſt ſhe was perfectly cured with ſome few Doſes of the Gas Sulphuris, given in the Bath-Waters28 cold, twice or thrice a day.

As for Balſams, if I ſhould take upon me to deſcribe their Excellencies, it would be more fit for a large Volume than to take any room in the Appendix to a ſmall Eſſay. What a No­ble Medicine is Balm of Gi­lead in many caſes? The Ex­cellency of which is ſuch, that God by the mouth of an Inſpi­red Writer, by way of Alluſi­on, when his people were in a calamitous Condition, cries out, Is there no Balm in Gilead? Are there no Phyſicians there (to ap­ply it)? Why then is not the wound of the daughter of my peo­ple healed? What a Noble Me­dicine is Ammoniacum in the29 moſt deplorable Aſtma's? the Spirit diſtilled from which, and an equal quantity of Verdi­greaſe, in a naked Fire, I be­lieve to be as Noble a Medi­cine as ever was uſed; nay, all the Gums and Balſams freed from their Ramous, Viſcous parts by Diſtillation, become much better Medicines than when they are in their Natural ſtate.

I ſhall ſay no more of Bal­ſams, for fear I outrun my bounds; but ſhall proceed to anſwer ſome Objections raiſed againſt what I have ſaid in ſome parts of my Eſſay.

Object. 1. You ſay that the Scurvey is occaſioned by too30 great a quantity of Alkalious Particles in the Blood, and is only cured by Acids. How comes it to paſs that thoſe peo­ple that live upon nothing al­moſt but highly-ſalted Meat, are more troubled with the Scurvey than other people, when you own Sea-Salt to be an Acid?

Anſwer. I own that Seamen and People who live by the Sea ſide in Marſhy Grounds, who for the moſt part live up­on Salt Meat and Fiſh, are more troubled with the Scurvey than other people: But this does not proceed from their eating a larger quantity of Salt than other people, but from their eating more Fleſh and Fiſh31 than other people do, which abound with Alkalious Particles, and from the moiſtneſs of the Air about them, which hin­ders their free Perſpiration. As for the Sea-Salt which is in great quantities mix'd with their Food, that is all or moſt part of it ſoon carried off by Urine, and with it ſome of the Alkalious ones alſo, and there­by framing an Armoniack Salt, which it is well known the Urine of ſuch Perſons abounds with: Now what we call Sal Armoniac, is only a mixture of Volatile Alkaly and Sea-Salt. But the Pores being ſhut by reaſon of the moiſture of the Ambient Air, the Volatile Al­kaly which ſhould be diſcharged32 either by inſenſible Tranſpira­tion or Sweating, being pent in, cauſes all the Symptoms complained of by thoſe Per­ſons. To confirm the truth of which, it is well known, that Seamen at Sea, or thoſe people who live in Marſhy Grounds, will ſcarce be made to Sweat by the moſt violent Labour. Now all people who have been ſo curious as to taſte Sweat, do very well know, that it hath an Alkalious, and not an Acid Taſte; ſo that Sweat­ing or free Tranſpiration being hindered, the Blood muſt ne­ceſſarily abound with too great a quantity of Alkalious Particles; all thoſe that ſhould have been diſcharged by the Cutaneous33 Glands, being kept in it. And ſo I hope this Objection is an­ſwered.

Object. 2. In your Eſſay, Page 80. you do allow that Acids in ſome Diſtempets do exorbitantly abound in the Sto­mach: Now how comes it to paſs, that there being ſo great a quantity of Acid in the Sto­mach, that the Blood and other Juices ſhould be deſtitute of Acidity; there being no other way to convey any thing into the Blood or Juices, but through the Stomach; and therefore whatever the Stomach abounds with, one would think muſt neceſſarily be imparted to the Blood and other Juices?

Anſw. I have before obſer­ved, Nov. Lum. Chyr. pag. 3, 4. That there is no Innate Fer­ment in the Stomach, but that the Menſtruum made uſe of to diſſolve our Food, and to turn it into a Nutritious Juice, is the Liquor that by chewing of our Meat is ſqueezed out of the Glands of the Mouth, and parts adjacent, which by nu­merous Experiments does ap­pear to be an Acid. Nay, all or moſt of the Noble Men­ſtruums I know of, either in the Animal, Vegetable, or Mi­neral Kingdoms, are Acids. Now the Food being conveyed into the Stomach, and mixed with the Volatile Acid Liquor of the Glands of the Mouth,35 is by the means of the ſaid Vo­latile Acid Liquor diſſolved, and turned into a Subſtance fit for the Nutrition of our Bo­dies; a ſtate of Health being ſuppoſed.

It is very well known, that few people are troubled with an Acidity in their Stomachs, but thoſe who uſe very little exerciſe, or whoſe Buſineſs diſpoſes them to a Sedentary Life, and by this means the Chyle when made, for want of Motion and Exerciſe, the Fi­bres of the Stomach alſo ha­ving loſt their Tone, and be­come laxe, is not ſoon enough carried out of the Stomach, and lying there too long, the great­eſt part of it is turned into a36 Subſtance like unto the Ferment which at firſt diſſolved it: All people who know the nature of Ferments, will readily e­nough agree with me in this, That it is the nature of them to endeavour the Change of thoſe things they are mixed with, in­to their own nature.

Object. 3. But ſome will ſay, We can agree with you in what you have ſaid hitherto; but how will you do to clear your ſelf of your own ſeeming Ob­jection, which is, That this Acid Subſtance ſhall be kept from being conveyed into the Blood, and ſo being the only Cauſe of many Diſeaſes?

Anſw. I have always obſer­ved, That thoſe people who complain of an extraordinary Acidity in their Stomach,

• Firſt, They make Water often, and in large quantities.
• Secondly, They are very Lean. And
• Thirdly, They are (for the moſt part) very Coſtive.

All which Symptoms I ſhall endeavour to prove are occa­ſioned for want of the Acid Subſtance contained in the Sto­mach, being conveyed into the Blood.

As for the firſt Head, Why people who complain of an Acidity in their Stomachs, make more Water than thoſe who are deſtitute of it; the38 Reaſon I judge to be as fol­lows:

The ſolid Food they eat, in­ſtead of being converted into a Viſcid, White Liquor, we call Chyle only, by means of too great a quantity of Acid is over-attenuated, and converted into a Thin Limpid Subſtance, and that in a ſhort time; which Thin Subſtance, by means of the Liver preſſing up­on the Stomach, inſtead of paſ­ſing into the Small Guts through the Pylorus, is ſqueezed into certain Veſſels which paſs from the bottom of the Stomach to the Kidneys, and ſo is carried off by Urine.

To prove that there are ſuch Veſſels which paſs immediately39 from the bottom of the Sto­mach to the Kidneys, I ſhall tranſcribe a Paſſage out of Do­leus's Encyclopedia Med. pag. 359, 360. ſpeaking of the parts af­fected in the Dropſy.

I ſuppoſe (ſays he) that Liquid Subſtances may be con­veyed from the Stomach through the Omentum or Cawl, to the Kidneys; hence it is thoſe Animals who have no Cawl, make no Water, as may be ſeen in Birds and Fiſhes. For the Confirmation of which Opinion, I have diſſected ma­ny Animals, always taking care before the Operation to gorge them with large quanti­ties of clear Water, afterwards have diſſected them alive: I40 have found the Stomach as yet diſtended with the Water, but preſſing the Veſſels of the Cawl which lead towards the Sto­mach, which being covered over with Fat like unto the Milky Veins, were to my no little ſatisfaction very Turgid: And foraſmuch as in a living Body the Pores of the Sto­mach and other Paſſages are al­ways more open than in dead ones, where all things are flaggy, and fall together, there­fore the ſaid Tranſmutation is not at all to be wonder'd at: And, which is worth taking notice of, in thoſe Hydropical People I have opened, I have always found the Cawl either Putrid, Torn, or full of Tu­mors. 41The following Experi­ment has alſo much confirmed me in my Opinion, viz. That there are Veſſels to convey Li­quid Subſtances from the Sto­mach, through the Veſſels of the Cawl to the Kidneys: Not long ſince, an experienced Herniotomiſt or Cutter of Rup­tures, of Hanover, whoſe Name was Wedling, by Section cured a certain Perſon of an Omental Rupture; and becauſe a part of the Cawl was alſo cut away, the Patient, who is yet alive, does greatly com­plain of a difficulty in making Water; and if at any time he drinks any large quantity, he perceives a very great Weight and Pain about his Stomach,42 and is always looſe; hence, in my conjecture, ſome Veſſels which carry the Urine right on to the Emulgents, were cut, by which means all the Drink he drank was carried into the Duodenum, and ſo hinders the Fermentation that is there per­formed, and makes all the Fi­bres laxe. From all which may be proved, that all we drink, and of conſequence all other Subſtances made very liquid in the Stomach, do not paſs through the Inteſtines to the Lacteal Veins, and from thence through the Thoractuck Duct to the Heart, becauſe the Pylorus is reflex to the Stomach, leſt the Liquid Subſtances con­tained in it ſhould ſlide out:43 It is therefore certain that Li­quid Subſtances lying at the bottom of the Stomach, do paſs through it in that part which is joined to the Cawl; and if theſe Veſſels, or the Cawl it ſelf are either lacerated, broken, putrified, or obſtructed with Oedematous Tumors, it neceſſarily follows that the Li­quid Subſtances contained in the Stomach muſt be let fall in­to the Cavity of the Abdomen, and ſo a Dropſy is cauſed. But being free from any ſuch diſ­order, Liquid Subſtances muſt freely paſs through them to the Kidneys, and ſo to the Bladder. I could cite other Authorities, beſides my own Obſervations, as Sir George Ent, Charlton,44 Waldſmiedght, &c. but this one is, I think, ſufficient.

From this Doctrine may ve­ry great Conſolation be afford­ed to People labouring under the Stone in the Kidneys and Bladder; and Induſtrious Phy­ſicians need not deſpair of find­ing out ſuch Medicines as will Diſſolve or Break to pieces Stones contained in either of thoſe parts. One great reaſon I verily believe that has hindred Perſons from making diligent ſearch after ſuch Medicines, has been from a ſuppoſition, that ſcarce any Medicine could retain its Virtue, but muſt be in great meaſure or altogether de­ſtroyed by the many Alterati­ons it muſt undergo, according45 to the ordinary Laws of Cir­cumlocution; but were they fully ſatisfied (as there is no reaſon to the contrary) of this nearer Cut, I ſuppoſe people would not think the diſſolving Stones in the Kidneys and Blad­der, ſo difficult a Task as it hath hitherto been thought to be.

To prove the Exiſtence of the foreſaid Paſſages for Fluid Subſtances from the Stomach, through the Veſſels of the Cawl to the Kidneys, and that Medicines may paſs unalter'd to the Kidneys and Bladder, I ſhall inſert a Couple of Caſes.

One Mr. Bradford, an Emi­nent Tradeſman of Worceſter, ſent to me one Afternoon, de­ſiring me to make all poſſible46 haſte, for that he was upon the Wrack: When I came to him, I found him in a moſt dreadful condition, he not having made Water of two Days, and ſuch an intolerable Pain in his Back, that he was not able to ſupport himſelf under it. I preſently gave him ſome Medicines, or­dering him to take them in large quantities once in half an hour: In an hour and half's time, at furtheſt, he ſent to me to acquaint me that he was well, and at eaſe, having piſs'd two large Chamber-Pots full, which held at leaſt Two Quarts apiece, and in the firſt Pot-full above Two Large Spoonfuls of ſmall pieces of broken Stones. He ſeveral47 times ſince, occaſioned by hard Drinking, has been under the ſame Circumſtances, and upon taking the ſame Medicines has found immediate Relief. Now had theſe Medicines been con­veyed from the Stomach to the Small Guts, and from thence by the Lacteal Veſſels, the common Receptacle of the Chyle in the Meſentery, and ſo on to the Blood, and from thence be ſeparated by degrees in the Kidneys, as it is brought there by the Emulgent Arteries, it had been altogether impoſſi­ble that the Effect could have been ſo ſudden, and that the Medicines ſhould not have been greatly altered, or totally deſtroyed, by the many changes48 they muſt have undergone be­fore they could come to the Part affected. But by the way I have been ſpeaking of, the Medicines might all of them, and that without being in the leaſt impaired in their Virtue, be tranſmitted to the Part af­fected, and ſo perform their Operations in breaking to pieces the Stone or Stones they met with, either in the Kidneys or Bladder.

Mrs. Wheatly, a Glaſier's Wife without Smithfield-Bars, had a long time been afflicted with the Stone in the Bladder, and for about Nine Months had confined her ſelf to her Chamber, the Miſery ſhe un­derwent being ſuch, that made49 her altogether uncapable of any buſineſs; and of ever be­ing delivered ſhe was perfectly in deſpair, all common means having in vain been uſed; at laſt by ſome means or other ſhe was prevailed with to ſend for me: When I came to her, ſhe gave me a moſt lamentable Account of her Caſe; and al­though I gave her all the En­couragement imaginable, yet all that I could ſay, made but little impreſſion upon her, ſhe ſuppoſing her Condition to be ſo deplorable, that to expect deliverance was vanity in the higheſt degree: However, ſhe was at laſt prevailed upon to try what I could do for her: I began to give her ſome Medi­cines,50 which ſhe took in large quantities, and repeated them once in four hours: It was upon a Monday morning ſhe began to take them, and on the Wedneſday night next following I exami­ned her Water, and found ſome ſmall ragged Pieces of Stone in it; and taſting the Water, I could diſcern the Taſte of the Medicines, which were Salino-Sulphureous ones, to be as vigo­rous altogether, as they were before ſhe had taken them into her Mouth, and not, as I could diſcern, in the leaſt altered in their taſte. On the Morrow Morning, being Thurſday, by Five a Clock ſhe ſent her Maid-Servant to me, to my Houſe in St. Martins-Lane, to acquaint51 me that ſhe was delivered from her Miſery, and perfectly well. About Eight a Clock I went to viſit her, and found a Stone that ſhe had voided with little Pain, the Medicines having acted upon the Sphincter Muſcle of the Neck of the Bladder, and ſo relaxed it, as to make it give way for the Stone to paſs: The Length of the Stone was an Inch and half and half a quarter; it was Three Inches and a half round one way, and Two Inches and a half another. There were ſome ſmall flaws in it, which were made by thoſe little rag­ged pieces which came away the Night before, which I found in the Chamber-Pot. 52The thing was ſo extraordina­ry, that it came to the Ears of her late Majeſty, who deſired to ſee the Stone, which I pro­cured for Her, and ſhe was pleaſed to ſay, That it was the moſt Extraordinary Thing She had ever ſeen or heard of, to be brought away without Cutting or Inſtru­ments. Any one who doubts the Truth of this Relation, may yet ſee the Stone at Mrs. Wheatly's, who carefully preſerves it: The extraordina­ry Veracity and Integrity of the Perſon is ſuch, that I am ſure ſhe would not tell an Un­truth to do any man ſervice.