38o THE VIRTUES OF LIME-WATER
any remarkable virtues ; and fince he obferves, that, unlefs the lime*
Rone is put red hot into the water, and boiled with it, and its wa¬
ter poured out while it is yet boiling in order for evaporation, it
either affords no fait at all, or very little ; we may fafely conclude*
that the virtue of lime-water does not lie in this fait.
<5o. Alt ho’ lime-water changes the blue colour of fyrup of vio¬
lets into green, and affords an alcaline abforbent earth, which ef-
fervefces with, and deflroys acids ; yet as the water itfelf does not
effervefce with vinegar or fpirit of vitriol, it feerns to partake but
little of an alcaline nature. Nor do the virtues of quick-lime con-
fift in an alcali : for quick-lime effervefces much lefs with vinegar
than with fmall-beer, and is very difficultly flaked by either* while-
water, which is neither acid nor alcaliy being poured upon it, pro¬
duces great ebullition and heat, and quickly diffolves it., And al¬
though quick-lime makes a great ebullition with the flronger acids,,
as fpirit of vitriol, nitre, and fea-falt yet this arifes from the ter-
reflrious alcali which it contains in common with flaked lime, the
fcum of lime-water,, and the other abforbents, and not from any
particular fait of that nature. Nor is the a&ivity and corrofive
power of quick-lime owing to its alcaline nature * fince the calca-
rious matter of lime-water, which is infipid, and altogether void
of the peculiar tafle of the lime, makes & greater effervefcence with
vinegar than it, and fince Mr Homberg has obferved that flaked
lime requires as much fpirit of nitre, or fea-falt, to faturate it as
quick-lime #.
The drinking of lime-water does not render the urine alcaline :
for Mr Millar's urine neither eflervefced with vinegar, nor turned,
fyrup of violets green ; altho' he alledged he could perceive the tafle
of the lime-water in it.
Hence we may conclude, that the flrong-fcented alcaline urine
voided by fuch perfons as have taken Mrs Stephens's medicines, was
not fo much owing to the lime in them, as to the alcaline fait or
- potafh, which makes up fo confiderable a part of the foap. And
the
* Mémoires de l*Acad. des fciences an. 1700.
