tendency in the phosphorus to escape, and combine with the oxygen of the
atmosphere; and would hence shew, that this kind of flesh is not so
perfectly animalized as those before mentioned. This light, as it is
frequently seen on rotten wood, and sometimes on veal, which has been kept
too long, as I have been told, is commonly supposed to have its cause from
putrefaction; but is nevertheless most probably of phosphoric origin, like
that seen in the dark on oyster-shells, which have previously been ignited,
and afterwards exposed to the sunshine, and on the Bolognian stone. See
Botan. Gard. Vol. I. Cant. I. line 1 and 2, the note.

3. The flesh of young animals, as of lamb, veal, and sucking pigs, supplies
us with a still less stimulating food. The broth of these is said to become
sour, and continues so a considerable time before it changes into
putridity; so much does their flesh partake of the chemical properties of
the milk, with which these animals are nourished.

4. The white meats, as of turkey, partridge, pheasant, fowl, with their
eggs, seem to be the next in mildness; and hence are generally first
allowed to convalescents from inflammatory diseases.

5. Next to those should be ranked the white river-fish, which have scales,
as pike, perch, gudgeon.

II. 1. Milk unites the animal with the vegetable source of our nourishment,
partaking of the properties of both. As it contains sugar, and will
therefore ferment and produce a kind of wine or spirit, which is a common
liquor in Siberia; or will run into an acid by simple agitation, as in the
churning of cream; and lastly, as it contains coagulable lymph, which will
undergo the process of putrefaction like other animal substances, as in old
cheese.

2. Milk may be separated by rest or by agitation into cream, butter,
butter-milk, whey, curd. The cream is easier of digestion to adults,
because it contains less of the coagulum or cheesy part, and is also more
nutritive. Butter consisting of oil between an animal and vegetable kind
contains still more nutriment, and in its recent state is not difficult of
digestion if taken in moderate quantity. See Art. I. 2. 3. 2. Butter-milk
if it be not bitter is an agreeable and nutritive fluid, if it be bitter it
has some putrid parts of the cream in it, which had been kept too long; but
is perhaps not less wholesome for being sour to a certain degree: as the
inferior people in Scotland choose sour milk in preference to skimmed