ing animals, the fourth stomach alone serves as a coagulum to milk. It is no less curious, that live fishes put into milk produce this effect; but if dead, whether raw or boiled, they lose their coagulating qualities. Ir has been supposed, that the various coagula produce this effect by means of their acidity; but the contrary is proved from this circumstance, that the addition of alkalies, or antacids, does not diminish their coagulating force. Nevertheless, the addition of a quantity of an acid, as for example the juice of lemon, increases the virtue of any coagulum. Now, to account for the phenomenon. What is the cause, say you? I say, Putrefaction. My reasons for this hypothesis are the following. The animals stomach with its contents, being salted, is hung in the chimney-corner till it has gone through a considerable degree of putrefaction; it is then steeped in salted water for twenty-four hours; a quantity of this pickle or runnet is mixed with milk which has been previously heated; these conjoined make a troop of I dreadfully dread the implacable revenge of all the gods and godlings. I DESIGN giving you a complete and serious account of the curdling of milk; in which I propose to invent a new hypothesi as to the cause of coagulation, &c. * ALTHOUGH a calfs stomach is most con monly used by country people for the coag lation of milk; yet experience shews, th the stomachs of sheep, oxen, cows, hors goats, deer, hares, conies, cocks, geese, duc' crows, &c. &c. are all possessed of the sa coagulating virtue. The succus gastri of abortive children, or of new-born babes fore they have received the sincere milk also the flowers of the artichoke have power of curdling milk. In short, * The rage for hypoth valent fashion of the Ed inued very putrefactive gentlemen, and must of necessity forward the putrefaction of a substance so remarkably liable to putrescency as milk. To sum up all in a few words: If milk is kept a few hours in a warm room, it will coagulate without the assistance of any runnet. The addition of a coagulum only forwards or hastens a process which, I ima→ gine, begins to take place immediately after the milk is drawn from the udder, &c. SEND me your remarks on Hybrids; to which I shall add whatever I think deficient, and prepare it for a place in the Magazine. I have carefully marked the day on which you invented the most convincing of all arguments in favour of the sexual system; and shall depone accordingly. Yours, &c. WILLIAM SMELLIE. No. XXXIX. Mr WILLIAM SMELLIE to ******* DEAR SIR, INSTEAD of disrelishing the subject of commemoration; there is not any thing in which I would so much desire to be fully instructed, to have my doubts cleared up, my apprehensions removed, and my resolution strengthened *. I WILL not enter into any argument upon the propriety or impropriety of the institution, as it would be highly base and disingenuous to find any fault with what my reason and conscience approve. I will rather -endeavour, with all the candour I am master of, to lay open to you the real motives which have hitherto obstructed my compliance. It is long since I began to think of this subject. When very young, my feelings were strong, and my desires of being old and worthy were ardent. Afterwards, although I cannot accuse myself of being altogether sceptical, I wished to be fully satisfied with regard to the truth and authenticity of Christianity. For this purpose, but not with such diligence as I ought, I made it my business to read and This is an interesting letter, in which our young philosopher, probably then under twenty-three years of age, opens his mind unreservedly to his companion, who was a student of divinity, upon the subject of religion; on which he anxiously courts his assistance and advice. |