This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1764 Excerpt: ...in it, they may then be cut of any sie that the party pleases for if time be K 3 given, given, the subtile gas will penetrate, and produce its effect. EXPERIMENT 18. Even acids will sweeten pretty large piecestwo bits of putrid beef, of an ounce weight, were left severally in diJlilled vinegar, and in melaffes wajb, just as it had done worjting. The first was found very much, though not entirely, sweetened, after lying twentyfour hours; but the second was rendered perfectly sweet. In order to see if they were thoroughly penetrated, and sweetened to the heart, I boiled both the pieces, and was surprized to see the one which had lain in the acid go all to pieces in the boiling, which I thought the more odd, as it had been rendered hard and firm; an effect wherein the dijlilled vinegar differs widely from that which is not distilled. This dissolution I ascribed to the peculiar dijfohent quality of the vinegar, and did not believe, until I tried it, that a mineral acid would produce the same effect. EXPERIMENT 19. But an ounce of putrid beef, after lying twenty-four hours in dilute spirit of vitriol, and coming out perfectly hard, sweet, and contracted, upon being boiled, fell all to pieces, exactly as did the one which had lain in the distilled vinegar; and when rubbed between the fingers, it melted away like so much wet paste. To be certain that nothing of this was owing to too much boiling, I put a little bit of beef, of a drachm weight, that had been sweetened by the volatile alcali, into the vessel along with it, and suffered it to remain the whole time of the boiling; but it came out white and firm, and, as hath been mentioned already, strong of the volatile alcali. For the alcalies cannot be said, with priety, to rejiore sweetness; they only drive off a ...