S P I
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S P I
The great Properties of this Liquor are, that it penetrates and opens fblid Bodies, corrodes, breaks, diffolves, and even diffolves cef rain mix'd Bodies $ coagulates others, and produces an Infinity of Effects 5 and thole even contrary to one another.
In the general, the Chymifts call Spirits, all the fine fubtile, and not aqueous Particles, raifed from Bodies by Heat, and reduced into Liquors by Diftillation 5 fuch art Spirit of Vitriol, of Salt -petre, of Salt, tfc.
They alio call Spirits, thole aqueous Liquors drawn by Liquidation, when they are impregnated with Salts, or other active Principles, raifed, together with them, by the Vio- lence of the Fire.
Thefe, when they excite any SenTation of Heat on the Tongue, are particularly called Acid, or Sharp Spirits.
When they make any Erofion on the Tongue, they are call'd Corrofwe Spirits. See Corrosive.
Such as Talle fomewhat like common Salr, are call'd Saline Spirits. See Salt.
Such as partake of the Tafle of common Sulphur, Sul- phurous Spirits. See Sulphur.
And when this Tafte is very ftrong, Urinous Spirits. See Urinous.
Such as take Fire readily, JnflamaUe or Ardent Spirits. See Inflamable.
Such where the Acid predominates, though qualified with a little Sulphur, lie. are called Mix d Spirits.
In this Senfe, the Chymifts are laid to draw a Spirit from Sulphur, Salt and other Bodies, when they extract rhe Effence, or the fubtileft Part thereof, by Diftillation or orherwife. See Distillation, &c.
Spirits is alio a general Name among Diftillers, for all diftill'd Liquors that are neither Oil nor Phlegm.
Spirit of Wine, is only Brandy rectified once or more Times, by repeared Diff illations. See Brandy.
One may likewife make a perfect Rectification of Brandy into Spirit of Wine, at one fingle Diftillation, by uling a chymical Inftrumenr, confifting of feveral Cucurbires, de- imbed by Glafer. See Rectification.
Spirit of Wine is ufed in Dying, as a non-colouring Drug, and giving no Colour itfelf, but ierving to prepare the Stuffs to receive the Colours. See Dying.
The Confumption of Spirit of Wine is very considerable in feveral other Works and Manufactures, particularly the making of Varniih. See Varnish.
Spirit of Sulphur, is a Spirit drawn from Sulphur melted and inflamed ; the moft fubtile Part whereof, is converted into a Liquor, by flicking to a Glals Bell fufpcnded over it, whence it falls Drop by Drop, into a Trough, in the Middle whereof, is placed the Stone Pot wherein the Sulphur is burnt. See Sulphur.
This Spirit is held Specific for the fame Difeafes as Spirit if Vitriol. See Spirit of Vitriol.
Spirit of Salt, a yellow Liquor drawn, by Chymiftry, from Sea Salt. See Salt.
The beft, is that prepared in England. 'Tis much ufed in Medicine 3 but has not, perhaps, all the Virtues afcribed to it. The common Spirit of Salt, being very cotrofive, may be dulcified, by letting it digeft three Days on a gentle Sand heat, with an equal Quantity of Spirit of Wine mix'd therewith. See Dulcifying, FR-zsn-ivater, $3c.
Spirit of Vitriol, is Vitriol dried in rhe Sun, or in Defect thereof, by the Fire, and then diftill'd by chymical Opera- tions feveral Times repeated ; firft by a reverberatory Fire, and then in Salneo Marine. See Vitriol.
'Tis held excellent againft the Epilepfy, as welt as againft burning and malignant Fevers.
The laft Spirit drawn from Vitriol, and which is impro- perly called OiloflVitrioi, isufedinthe Diffolution of Metals and Minerals.
Spirit of Tartar -\ ( Tartar.
Spirit of Sugar ( „ )Sugar.
Spirit of Turpentine f 1 Turpentine.
Spirit of Venus J C Venus.
Spirit, in Phyficks. Sir Ifaac Newton clofes his im- mortal Trincipia, with oblerving, That he might " there " have added lome Things, concerning a moft iiibtile Spirit " which pervades all, even the denfeft Bodies, and lies hid " therein ; by the Force and Aflion whereof, the Particles " attraft each other, at very fmall Diftances, and when con- " tiguous, cohere: And electric Bodies act at greater I)i- " fiances, both attracting and repelling the neighbouring " Corpufdes ; and Light is emitted, reflected, and in- " fleeted and warms Bodies ; and all Senfation is excited 5 " and the Members of Animals moved at the Inftance of the " Will, viz. by Vibrations of thisSpirit, propagated through
" Number of Experiments, whereby the Laws of the Actio « of this Spirit might be precilely determined." See New" tonian Vbilqfophy ; fee alio Medium, Vacuum, tf c
SPIRITS, in Medicine, are the moft iiibtile and volatile Parts, or Juices of the Body ; by means whereof, all the Funcfi- ons and Operations thereof are performed.
The Spirits are uiiially diftinguiihed into Vital an j Animal.
The Ancients, indeed, made a fout-fold Diftinflion of Spirits ; into Vital, Animal, Natural mi Genital : Whereof the Firtt they placed in the Heatr ; the Second in the Brain ■ the Third in the Stomach and Liver ; and the laft in the Tefticles : But as this Divifion is founded on a falfe Hyp . thefis j 'tis now dcfervedly fet afide.
Vital Spirits, are only the fineft, and moft agitated Part of the Blood 5 wheteon its Motion, and Heat depend See Blood.
Animal Spirits, are an exceedingly thin, fubtile, move- able Fluid, Juice or Humour ieparated from the Blood in the Cortex of the Brain, hence received into the minute Fibres of the Medulla, and by them difcharged inro the Nerves by which it is convey'd through every Part of the Body| to be the Inftruments of Senfation, mufcular Motion, g?c. Sec Sensation, Muscular Motion, l$c.
The Animal Spirits, call'd alio Nervous Spirits and Ner- vous Juice, only differ from the Vital Spirits, in that thefe laft are ftill mix'd and blended with the groffer Parts of the Blood, and circulate along with it : Whereas, the Animal Spirits ate iecreted thence by the Glands wheteof the cortical Subftance is compofed ; and have a Motion, Circu- lation, t£c. peculiar to themlelves. See Circulation.
Dr. Willis conceives, that the Animal Spirits are prepared by a proper Diftillation of the fubtileft Part of the artetial Blood, brought by the Carotides into the Cortex of the Brain ; and fhews, that the Blood contained in the Sinus's of the Dura Mater, adfs in this Diftillation in the fame Man- ner as Fire does in the chymical Diftillations perform'd by Defluxion, where being placed over the Matter to be diftill'd, it makes the fubtileft Parts thereof defcend.
The Exiftence of the Animal Spirits is controverted : But the infinite Uie they are of in the Animal Oeconomy, and the exceedingly lame Account we fhould have of any of the Animal Functions without them, will ftill keep the greatell Part of the World on rheirSide. And, in effefl, the leatned Soerhave had gone a good way towards a Demonftrarion of their Reality.
The Blood brought to the Brain by the Carotides, and Vertebral Arteries, he ihews, is infinitely prepared, iecreted elaborated and changed from its natural State, e'er it arrives there, infomuch as, contrary to the Nature of the reft, irt- ftead of cohering by the Fire, it immediately refolves wholly into a thin Vapour, without any Faces behind. And is thus exceedingly well fitted for the Formation of io extraordinary a Fluid.
He fhews, further, That the Animal Spirits are notform'd from the Cruor, but the Serum of the Blood, which Mal- pighi's Hiftory of the Growth of the Fietus in an incubated Egg, fhews to be divifible into Parts or Corpuicles, incon- ceivably fmaller than the Cruor.
He adds, That the Nature of the Juice is fuch, as that no Salts or Oils in the Body can contribute any thing to it j and that in all appearance, 'tis only a moft fubtile, pure Water ; which Liquor is found to referable thefe Spirits in its extraordinary Mifcibility, Mobility, Solidity, Softnefs, Simplicity and want of Elaft'icity.
The lame Author fhews, further, from the Magnitude of the Carotids and Vertebrals, their ftraight uninterrupted Courfe, the great Quantity of Blood they bring, the Bulk of the Cortex, ££?c. rhat there mail be a very great Quantity of this Liquor ; that there is freffi ptepared every Moment of Life ; and that it is driven, every Moment, by the Action of Heat, Sfc. from the Brain and Cerebel, to all the Parts of the Body furniflied with Nerves ; which Motion, he ihews from the exceeding Finenefs, Crookednefs,^. of the Ramifications muft be very gentle, equable and conftant, one Part continually driving before it another. Upon the whole, 'tis no Wonder it efcapes the Notice of our Senfes ; and that no Ligatures, Wounds, Punctures, Injections or the like, make either it or the Apertures of the Nerves through which it flows, vifible : Nor does it avail, what ibme, who allow the Exiftence of the Animal Spirits, a'SP againft rheir being any coherent Juice or Li
iquor, viz
That
we fhould find it ooze out and wet the adjacent Parts, upon cutting a Nerve, as we do in cutting a Lymphatic, £S»£ rh at upon binding a Nerve, the upper Part would fwell ; that the Agitations which Objects make on the Filaments, would deaden, {J?c. that 'tis impoflible a Liquor fhould have two oppofite Motions at the fame Time ; and that the Velocity of
wiu,™^. oy viuranuns or ED1507W7F, propagated through
the folid Capillamenrs of the Nerves, from the external Schfations, and the Rapidity of the Motions of Man, prove, " mSs." ,0 ' ° '° * hat ' he An ' Wal *'»'» are " ther L »* ht th ™ * Linu°r. M<4-
But he chufes to poft.pone them ; " as not having a fufficient
de Tre
fir
