most of those Fermentations, which arise upon Mixtures made for Experiments, are produced from the mixture of two things; and it is not so easie to find out three or four such Liquors of a different Nature, as will, upon the mixtion of them all, produce a Fermentation, and from the omission of any one of them discover no Discord or Disposition to ferment: Besides, it is certain that two do better secure the End, which Nature designs. For, if there were three or four different Juices, of which the Saliva naturally consists, these must all have their proper Qualities preserved to them, or else the Fermentation, which should arise between them, will not necessarily follow upon their mixture; and it is certain, that there would be more Danger, that one of three or four should be deprived of its Natural Quality, than one of two.
What Nature these two Juices are of, I do not pretend positively to determine; but so far as I have been able to make my Conjectures about it from Experiments, I do think one of them to be an acid Juice; the other an oleaginous Liquor, something like Oil of Turpentine. For amongst the many Experiments I have made, there was no one that gave me so much Satisfaction, as that which I made with Oil of Turpentine, and Oil of Vitriol, though I try'd several other things, that will produce a Fermentation upon their Mixture. And it was for this Reason, that I made the Experiment with Oil of Turpentine and the other Oil.
I took a piece of raw Flesh, and having cut it into pieces, but much larger than what our more solid Food is reduc'd to by due Mastication, I mix'd some Crums of Bread with it, then I pour'd in the Oil of Turpentine to them, and upon that the Oil of Vitriol; and having shak'd them together, I digested them about four Hours in Balneo Mariæ, and then shaking them again in the Glass, I found the Meat