Note l — BOOK IV.

Among the many noble Contrivances for Food, I cannot but attribute that universal Aliment, Bread, to the Revelation, or at least the Inspiration of the Creator and Conservator of Mankind; not only because it is a Food used in all, or most Parts of the World; but especially because it is of incomparable Use in the great Work of Digestion, greatly assisting the Ferment, or whatever causes the Digestion of the Stomach. Of which take this Example from the noble Mr. Boyle. “He extracted a Menstruum from Bread alone, that would work on Bodies more Compact than many hard Minerals, nay even on Glass it self, and do many Things that Aqua-fortis could not do——Yet by no means was this so corrosive a Liquor as Aq. fort. or as the other acid Menstruum”. Vid. the ingenious and learned Dr. Harris’s Lex. Tech. verbo Menstruum, where the way of preparing it may be met with.