Dolæus upon the cure of the gout by milk-diet: To which is prefixed, an essay upon dietDoläus, Johann
Science
Dolæus upon the cure of the gout by milk-diet: To which is prefixed, an essay upon diet
Doläus, Johann
Gout -- Treatment -- Early works to 1800; Milk -- Diet therapy -- Early works to 1800
This Juice, when it first enters the Root, is Earthy, Watry, Poor, and
Acid, it is in the Form of a fine and subtle Water; the nearer it is
to the Root, the more it retains of its proper Nature, the further it
is from the Root, and the more Action it hath sustained it approaches
nearer to a Vegetable Nature, as will appear by pursuing it a little
further. In the Trunk and Branches it is further prepared, tho’ even
here it is Watry and Acid, as appears by tapping Trees at the proper
Season: It is more concocted in the Bud, where the Leaves coming to
be unfolded, serve as Lungs for the further Preparation of it in the
Course of Circulation; in the Flower, Leaves and Parts of Generation,
it is still further elaborated, and becomes in its utmost Perfection,
fine enough to preserve and nourish the Embryo in the Seeds of Plants.
This Nutritious Juice or Chyle is pretty universal, and is found in
every Part of a Plant, but more or less in Quantity, and more or less
impregnated with the more Elaborate Juices, according to the Number and
Degree of its Circulations. It seems to be the universal Diluent and
Conveyer of other and more elaborated Particles. Besides what I have
mentioned, there are Juices particular to particular Parts of Plants;
as Oyl, Wax, and Manna to the Leaves; Volatile Oyl or Spirit, and Honey
to the Flower; a very fine Essential Oyl or Balm to the Seed, and
that in great Quantity; Oyl, Balm, Pitch, Resin and Gum to the Bark:
Besides which, there is a Juice peculiar to each Plant, and received in
Vessels of its own, in which a good Deal of its Specifick Nature may
consist, (for it is not reducible to any of those before mentioned)
most of the _English_ Authors call this the proper Juice of the Plant,
but _Boerhave_ and later Writers call it the Blood. I should digress
too much to enter into the natural History of these several Parts of
Vegetables; my Design at present reaching no further than with Respect
to their Assimilation into Animal Substance; and therefore I refer to
the Authors who have expresly treated of these Matters, and proceed to
examine Vegetable Juices in another Light.
The Juices of Plants are Watry, Saline, Oily, Spirituous, Gummy,
Balsamick, or Resinous, all discoverable by Art. The Water is generally
found in the Absorbent Vessels of Plants, but mixed with a Proportion
of Salt, which, tho’ always soluble in Water, otherwise appears of
very different Nature in different Plants, and differs in Degree of
Volatility.
The Oily Part is that which grows Fluid at the Fire, proves
inflammable, and will not unite with Water, without the Intervention of
Salt. It is seldom obtained pure from Vegetables, because therein it
exerts so very strong an attractive Force upon Salt, Water, and Earth,
that nothing less than the Force of Fire, assisted by the Action of the
Air, can separate them, as appears in _Helmont’s_ Everlasting Coal.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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