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Prejudice. and which now appear to be natural to us. He who has never had the advantage of such associations, and who acquires a knowledge of the duties suggested by them after he has come to the years of discretion, and chiefly by the efforts of his own reason, will seldom cœteris paribus, perform these duties with an energy and delight equal to that of the person who has. This remark appears to be confirmed by experience; for it is often found that the children of the great, who have been given out to nurse in their infancy, and who have seldom been in the company of their parents till their reasoning faculties have been far advanced, are much less dutiful and affectionate than those in the middle or lower stations of life, who have scarcely ever been out of their parents company.

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which

be wise if

it were possible.

Would it then be wise, even if it were practicable, to would not dissolve all those associations which tend so powerfully to increase the mutual affections of parents and children? We cannot think that it would; as we believe it might be easily shown that public spirit springs out of private affection. Plato indeed held an opinion very different from ours; for in order to extend that affection which is usually lavished at home to the whole state, he proposed that children should be educated at the public expence, and never be permitted to know the authors of their being. But this is only one of the many visionary projects of that great man, of which daily experience shows the absurdity. In modern times, we are certain that less dependence is to be had upon the patriotism of the man who, for the love which he pretends to his country, can overlook or forget his own partial connections in it, than on him who, at the same time that he wishes his country well, is feelingly alive to all the endearments of kindred affection.

Such affection may be called partial, and very probably has its foundation in that which is the source of all our prejudices: but if it be properly trained in early life, it will gradually extend from our nearest relations to the persons with whom we associate, and to the place which not only gave us birth, but also furnished our youthful and most innocent enjoyments. It is thus that the amor patriæ is generated (see PASSION and PATRIOTISM), which in minds unseduced by false principles is exceedingly strong; and, though a partial affection, is of the most general utility. It is this prejudice which reconciles the Laplander to his freezing snows, and the African to his burning sun; which attaches the native of the Highlands or of Wales as much to his mountains and rocks, as the apparently happier inhabitant of the southern counties of England is to the more fertile and delightful spot where he drew his first breath. And we find in fact, that when a native of Kent and a Scotch Highlander have in some distant some preju- corner of the world gained a competent fortune without being corrupted by luxury, they return, the one to his hop-gardens, and the other to his mountains. Were this prejudice, for such it surely is, wholly eradicated from the human mind, it is obvious that large tracts of country which are now full of inhabitants would be totally deserted; and that the hungry barbarians, to make room for themselves, would exterminate the proprietors of more favourable climes. From an affection to our friends and to our country, we naturally contract an affection for that mode of government under which we live; and unless it be particularly oppressive to our4

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Good effects of

dices.

selves or any order of citizens, we come as naturally to Prejudice prefer it to all other modes, whether it deserve that preference or not. This no doubt is prejudice, but it is a beneficial prejudice; for were the multitude, who are wholly incapable of estimating the excellencies and defects of the various modes of government, to become dissatisfied with their own, and rise in a mass to change it for the better, the most horrible consequences might justly be dreaded. Of this truth the present state of Europe affords too melancholy and convincing a proof. The man therefore who, under the pretence of enlightening the public mind and extirpating prejudices, paints. to the illiterate vulgar in aggravated colours the abuse of that government which has hitherto protected them from the ferocity of each other, is one of the greatest criminals if his views be selfish, and one of the worst reasoners if they be disinterested, that human imagination can easily conceive.

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remove

With the selfish patriot we have at present no con- Danger of cern; but we may with propriety ask the disinterested improper lover of truth, whether he thinks it possible, that in a attempts to large community, of which nine-tenths of the members' them. are necessarily incapable of taking comprehensive views of things, or feeling the force of political reasonings, any form of government can be acceptable to the people at large, which does not gain their affections through the medium of prejudice? It has been shown by Mr Hume with great strength of argument, that government is founded on opinion, which is of two kinds, viz. opinion of interest, and opinion of right. By opinion of interest, he understands the sense of the general advantage which is reaped from government, together with the persuasion that the particular government which is established is equally advantageous with any other that could easily be settled. The opinion entertained of the right of any government is always founded in its antiqity; and hence arises the passionate regard which under ancient monarchies the people have for the true heir of their royal family. These opinions, as held by the philosopher conversant with the history of nations, are founded upon reasoning more or less conclusive; but it is obvious, that in the minds of the multitude they can have no other foundation than prejudice. An illiterate clown or mechanic does not see how one form of government promotes the general interest more than another; but he may believe that it does, upon no other evidence than the declamation of a demagogue, who, for selfish purposes, contrives to flatter his pride. The same is the case with respect to the rights of hereditary monarchy. The anatomist finds nothing more in the greatest monarch than in the meanest peasant, and the moralist may perhaps frequently find less; but the true philosopher acknowledges his right to the sovereignty: and though he be weak in understanding, or infirm in years, would, for the sake of public peace, and the stability of government, maintain him in his throne against every compe titor of the most shining talents. The vulgar, however, who would act with this philosopher, are influenced by no such views, but merely by their prejudices in favour of birth and family; and therefore it is ridiculous to think of changing the public mind with respect to any form of government by pure reasoning. In France a total change in the minds of the people has indeed been effected, and from the most violent prejudices in favour of royalty, they have now become more violently prejudiced

Prejudice. diced in favour of republicanism. Bad as their government unquestionably was, the change that has now taken place is not the effect of calm reasoning and accurate inquiry (for of that the bulk of mankind appears to be incapable), nor are their prejudices less violent than they were before. They are changed indeed; but no one will deny that prejudice, and that of the most violent kind, leads them on at present; nor can any one assert that their new prejudices have rendered them more happy, or their country more flourishing, than their former ones, which made them cry Vive le Roi under the tyrannic government of Louis XIV.

This ex

The influence of prejudice is not more powerful in fixing the political opinions of men, than in dictating their religious creed. Every child of a religious father receives his faith by inheritance long before he be capable of judging whether it be agreeable or disagreeable to the word of God and the light of reason. perience shows to be the fact; and sound philosophy declares that it cannot be otherwise. Parents are appointed to judge for their children in their younger years, and to instruct them in what they should believe, and what they should practise in the civil and religious life. This is a dictate of nature, and doubtless would have been so in a state of perfect innocence. It is impossible that children should be capable of judging for them selves before their minds are furnished with a competent number of ideas, and before they are acquainted with any principles and rules of just reasoning; and therefore they can do nothing better than run to their parents, and receive their directions what they should believe and what they should practise.

This mode of tutoring the infant mind, and giving to our instructions the force of prejudice, before reason can operate with much effect, will, we know, be highly displeasing to many who challenge to themselves alone Absurdity the epithet of liberal. With them it will be cramping of keeping the genius and perverting the judgment: but we cannot hildren help thinking, that such an objection, if it should be

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Lorant of eligion rom the dread of rejudice.

Origin of igotry,

made, would be the offspring of ignorance; for it requires but very little knowledge of human nature to be able to see, that if children be not restrained by authority, and if we do not insinuate a love of good principles into their minds, bad ones will insinuate themselves, and a little time will give them the force of inveterate prejudice, which all the future efforts of reason and philosophy will find it difficult to eradicate. The idea of keeping a child ignorant of the being of a God, and the grand duties of morality and religion, till he shall come to years of discretion, and then allowing him to reason them out for himself, is an absurd chimera; it is an experiment which never has been tried, which to us it appears impossible to try, and which, if it could be tried, could not possibly produce any good effect. For suppose we had a youth just arrived at years of discretion, totally ignorant of all these things, and unbiassed to any system of opinions, or rather possessed of no opinions at all-it would, in the first place, we suspect, be absolutely necessary to direct his thoughts into a particular train, and for some person to lead him on from one idea to another, till he should arrive at some conclusion but in all this there is the influence of autherity, association, and of prejudice.

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It being therefore absolutely necessary that sentiments of religion be instilled into the minds of children before

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they be capable of discovering by the use of their reason Prejudice. whether those sentiments be just or not, it need not excite wonder, nor is it any reflection upon religion, that most men adhere with bigotry to the creed of their fathers, and support that creed by arguments which could carry conviction to no minds but their The love and veneration which they bear to the memory of those from whom they imbibed their earliest opinions, do not permit them to perceive either the falsehood of those opinions, or their little importance, supposing them true. Hence the many frivolous disputes which have been carried on among Christians; and hence the zeal with which some of them maintain tenets which are at once contrary to scripture, to reason, and to common sense. A due reflection, however, on the source of all prejudices ought to moderate this zeal; for no man is wholly free from that bias which he is so ready to condemn in others: and indeed a man totally free from prejudice, would be a more unhappy being than the most violent bigot on earth. In science, he would admit nothing which he could not himself demonstrate; in business, he would be perpetually at a stand for want of motives to influence his conduct: he could have no attachment to a particular country; and therefore must be without patriotism, and without the solaces of friendship; and his religion, we are afraid, would be cold and lifeless.

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swered.

What, it will be said, are the authors of a work in objecwhich professes to enlighten the public mind by laying tion anbefore it a general view of science and literature, become at last the advocates of prejudice, which is the bane of science, and the prop of superstition? No, we are advocates for no prejudice which is either inimical to science or friendly to absurdity; but we do not think that the moralist would act wisely who should desert his proper business to make himself master of the higher mathematics, merely that he might not be obliged to trust occasionally to the demonstrations of others. The writers of this article is not skilled in trade; but it is not his opinion that the merchant would soon grow rich, who should never make a bargain till he had previously calculated with mathematical exactness all the probabilities of his gain or loss. That to dissolve all the associations which are the source of partial attachments of kindred, affection, and private friendship, would tend to promote the public happiness, we cannot possibly believe, And we think, that the experience of the present eventful day abundantly confirms Mr Hume's opinion, that far from endeavouring to extirpate the people's prejudices in favour of birth or family, we should cherish such sentiments, as being absolutely requisite to preserve a due subordination in society. That men would be better Christians if they were to receive no religious instruction till they should be able by their own reason to judge of its truth, daily observation does not warrant us to conclude; for we see those who have seldom heard of God when children, "live without him in the world" when they are men.

Pernicious prejudices we have traced to their source elsewhere, and shown how they may be best prevented by proper attention in the education of children. (See METAPHYSICS, N° 98.). We shall only add here, that the earlier such attention is paid, the more effectual it will be found; and that it is much easier to keep prejudices out of the mind than to remove them after 002

they

Prejudice. they have been admitted. This however must be some- philosophy, improved by Descartes, Mr Boyle, and Sir Prejudice. times attempted; and where prejudices are strong, se- Isaac Newton; and when they have attained a degree veral methods have been recommended for rendering of skill in this science, they will see these airy notions the attempt successful. The following are taken mostly of theirs, these imaginary powers, to be so useless and from Dr Watts's Improvement of the Mind. unnecessary, that they will drop them of their own accord. The Peripatetic forms will vanish from the mind like a dream, and the Platonic soul of the world will expire.

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Proper methods of removing

1. Never attack the prejudice directly, but lead the person who is under its influence step by step to the truth. prejudices. Perhaps your neighbour is under the influence of superstition and bigotry in the simplicity of his soul; you must not immediately run upon him with violence, and show him the absurdity or folly of his own opinions, though you might be able to set them in a glaring light; but you must rather begin at a distance, and establish his assent to some familiar and easy propositions, which have a tendency to refute his mistakes, and to confirm the truth; and then silently observe what impression this makes upon him, and proceed by slow degrees as he is able to bear, and you must carry on the work perhaps at distant seasons of conversation. The tender or diseased eye cannot bear a deluge of light at once.

Overhastiness and vehemence in arguing is oftentimes the effect of pride; it blunts the poignancy of the argument, breaks its force, and disappoints the end. If you were to convince a person of the falsehood of the doctrine of transubstantiation, and you take up the consecrated bread before him and say, "You may see, and taste, and feel, this is nothing but bread; therefore whilst you assert that God commands you to believe it is not bread, you most wickedly accuse God of commanding you to tell a lie." This sort of language would only raise the indignation of the person against you, instead of making any impressions upon him. He will not so much as think at all on the argument you have brought, but he rages at you as a profane wretch, setting up your own sense and reason above sacred authority; so that though what you affirm is a truth of great evidence, yet you lose the benefit of your whole argument by an ill management, and the unreasonable use of it.

2. Where the prejudices of mankind cannot be conquered at once, but will rise up in arms against the evidence of truth, there we must make some allow ances, and yield to them for the present, as far as we can safely do it without real injury to truth; and if we would have any success in our endeavours to - convince the world, we must practise this complaisance for the benefit of mankind. Take a student who has deeply imbibed the principles of the Peripatetics, and imagines certain immaterial beings, called substantial forms, to inhabit every herb, flower, mineral, metal, fire, water, &c. and to be the spring of all its properties and operations; or take a Platonist, who believes an anima mundi, "an universal soul of the world," to pervade all bodies, to act in and by them according to their nature, and indeed to give them their nature and their special may be powers; perhaps it persons by arguments, and constrain them to yield up those fancies. Well then, let the one believe his universal soul, and the other go on with his notion of substantial forms, and at the same time teach them how by certain original laws of motion, and the various sizes, shapes, and situations of the parts of matter, allowing a continued divine concourse in and with all, the several appearances in nature may be solved, and the variety of effects produced, according to the corpuscular

very

hard to convince these

We may give another instance of the same practice, where there is a prejudicate fondness of particular words and phrases. Suppose a man is educated in an unhappy form of speech, whereby he explains some great doctrine of the gospel, and by the means of this phrase he has imbibed a very false idea of that doctrine; yet he is so bigotted to his form of words, that he imagines if those words are omitted the form is lost. Now, if we cannot possibly persuade him to part with his improper terms, we will indulge them a little, and try to explain them in a scriptural sense, rather than let him go on in his mistaken ideas. A person who has been bred a Papist, knows but little of religion, yet he resolves never to part from the Roman Catholic faith, and is obstinately bent against a change. Now it cannot be unlawful to teach such an one the true Christian, i. e. the Pretestant religion out of the Epistle to the Romans, and show him that the same doctrine is contained in the Catholic Epistles of St Peter, James, and Jude; and thus let him live and die a good Christian in the belief of the religion taught him out of the New Testament, while he imagines he is a Roman Catholic still, because he finds the doctrine he is taught in the Catholic Epistles and in that to the Romans. Sometimes we may make use of the very prejudices under which a person labours, in order to convince him of some particular truth, and argue with him upon his own professed principles as though they were true. Suppose a Jew lies sick of a fever, and is forbidden flesh by his physician; but hearing that rabbits were provided for the dinner of the family, desired earnestly to cat of them; and suppose he became impatient, because his physician did not permit him, and he insisted upon it that it could do him no hurt-surely rather than let him persist in that fancy and that desire, to the danger of his life, we might tell him that these animals were strangled, a sort of food forbidden by the Jewish law, though we ourselves might believe that law to be abolished.

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Where we find any person obstinately persisting in mistake in opposition to all reason, especially if the mistake be very injurious or pernicious, and we know this person will hearken to the sentiment or authority of some favourite name; it is needful sometimes to urge the opinion and authority of that favourite person, since that is likely to be regarded much more than reason. We are almost ashamed indeed to speak of using any influence of authority in reasoning or argument; but in some cases it is better that poor, silly, perverse, obstinate creatures, should be persuaded to judge and act right, by a veneration for the sense of others, than to be left to wander in pernicious errors, and continue deaf to all argument, and blind to all evidence. They are but children of a larger size; and since they persist all their lives in their minority, and reject all true reasoning, surely we may try to persuade them to practise what is for their own interest by such childish reasons as they will hearken to. We may overawe them from

pursuing

strantes.

minished. The rule they followed was that of St Au- Premongustine, with some slight alterations, and an addition of strantes certain severe laws, whose authority did not long survive their founder.

Prejudice pursuing their own ruin by the terrors of a solemn shadow, or allure them by a sugar plum to their own happiPremion- ness. But after all, we must conclude, that wheresoever it can be done, it is best to remove and root out those prejudices which obstruct the entrance of truth into the mind, rather than to palliate, humour, or indulge them; and sometimes this must necessarily be done, before you can make a person part with some beloved error, and lead him into better sentiments.

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- Mutual

forbearance

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On the whole, we would recommend more mutual forbearance and less acrimony than is commonly found among writers on disputed subjects, as the only means by which our differences in religion, politics, and science, ever can be healed, and truth certainly discovered. If men were less violent in defending their particular opinions, they would always gain a more patient hearing, they would be less suspected of, and less liable to, prejudice, and of course more apt either to convince or to be convinced. They would likewise by so doing show, in the most unequivocal manner, their attention to sound philosophy, and above all to genuine Christianity; which, though it is far from encouraging scepticism, or a temporizing spirit, recommends in the strongest terms, among all its professors, universal charity and mutual forbearance. See PROBABILITY, TRUTH, and SUPERSTITION.

PRELATE, an ecclesiastic raised to some eminent and superior dignity in the church; as bishops, archbishops, patriarchs, &c.

PRELIMINARY, in general, denotes something to be examined and determined before an affair can be treated of to the purpose.

PRELUDE, in Music, is usually a flourish or irregular air, which a musician plays off-hand, to try if his instrument be in tune, and to lead him into the piece to be played.

PREMISES, in Logic, an appellation given to the two first propositions of a syllogism. See LOGIC. PREMISES, in Law, properly signifies the land, &c. mentioned in the beginning of a deed.

PREMIUM, or PREMIUM, properly signifies a reward or recompense: but it is chiefly used in a mercantile sense for the sum of money given to an insurer, whether of ships, houses, lives, &c. See INSURANCE.

PREMNA, a genus of plants belonging to the didy namia class. See BOTANY Index,

PREMONSTRANTES, or PRÆMONSTRATENSES, a religious order of regular canons instituted in 1120, by S. Norbert; and thence also called Norbertines.

The first monastery of this order was built by Norbert in the Isle of France, three leagues to the west of Laon; which he called Præmonstre, Præmonstratum, and hence the order itself derived its name; though as to the occasion of that name, the writers of that order are divided. At first the religious of this order were so very poor, that they had only a single ass, which served to carry the wood they cut down every morning, and sent to Laon in order to purchase bread. But they soon received so many donations, and built so many monasteries, that in 30 years after the foundation of the order, they had above 100 abbeys in France and Germany and in process of time the order so increased, that it bad monasteries in all parts of Christendom, amounting to 1000 abbeys, 300 provostships, a vast number of priories, and 500 nunneries. But they are now greatly di

The order was approved by Honorius II. in 1126, and again by several succeeding popes. At first the abstinence from flesh was rigidly observed. In 1245 Innocent IV. complained of its being neglected to a general chapter. In 1288, their general, William, procured leave of Pope Nicholas IV. for those of the order to eat flesh on journeys. In 1460, Pius II. granted them a general permission to eat meat, excepting from Septuagesima to Easter. The dress of the religious of this order is white, with a scapulary before the cassock. Out of doors they wear a white cloak and white hat; within, a little camail; and at church, a surplice, &c.

In the first monasteries built by Norbert, there was one for men and another for women, only separated by a wall. In 1137, by a decree of a general chapter, this practice was prohibited, and the women removed out of those already built, to a greater distance from those of the men.

The Præmonstratenses, or monks of Premontre, vulgarly called white canons, came first into England, A. D. 1146. Their first monastery, called New-house, was erected in Lincolnshire, by Peter de Saulia, and dedicated to St Martial. In the reign of Edward 1. this order had 27 monasteries in England.

PRENANTHES, a genus of plants belonging to the syngenesia class; and in the natural method ranking under the 49th order, Composite. See BOTANY Index. PRENOMEN, PRÆNOMEN, among the ancient Romans, a name prefixed to their family name, and answering to our Christian name: such as Caius, Lucius, Marcus, &c.

PRENOTION, PRÆNOTIO, or Præcognitio, is a notice or piece of knowledge preceding some other in respect of time. Such is the knowledge of the antecedent, which must precede that of the conclusion. It is used by Lord Bacon for breaking off an endless search, which he observes to be one of the principal parts of the art of memory. For when one endeavours to call any thing to mind, without some previous notion or perception of what is sought for, the mind exerts itself and strives in an endless manner: but if it hath any short notion before-hand, the infinity of the search is presently cut off, and the mind hunts nearer home, as in an enclosure. Thus verse is easier remembered than prose; because if we stick at any word in a verse, we have a previous notion that it is such a word as must stand in a verse. Hence also, order is a manifest help to memory; for here is a previous notion, that the thing sought for must be agreeable to order. Bacon's Works Abr. vol. i. p. 136. and vol. ii. p. 473.

PEEPARATION, in a general sense, the act of disposing things in such a manner as to render any foreseen event more advantageous or less hurtful according to its nature.

PREPARATION of Dissonances, in Music, is their disposition in harmony in such a manner, that, by something congenial to what precedes, they may be rendered less harsh to the car than they would be without that precaution: according to this definition, every discord ought to be prepared. But when, in order to

prepare

Prepara

tion.

tion.

is warm, care must be taken to prevent putrefaction, Preparafly-blows, insects, &c. This is easily done by the use tion. of a solution of corrosive sublimate in spirit of wine, in the proportion of two drams of sublimate to a pound of spirit: the part should be moistened with this liquor as it dries, and by this method the body of a child may be kept safe even in summer. Dried preparations are apt to crack and moulder away in keeping; to prevent this, their surface should be covered with a thick varnish, repeated as often as occasion requires.

Prepara- prepare a dissonance, it is exacted that the sound which forms it should before have formed a consonance, then there is fundamentally but one single dissonance which is prepared, viz. the seventh. Nor is even this preparation necessary in the chord which contains the sensible note, because then the dissonance being characteristical, both in its chord and in its mode, the ear has sufficient reason to expect it: it accordingly does expect it, and recognise it: nor is either deceived with respect to its chord nor its natural progress. But when the seventh is heard upon a fundamental sound which is not essential to the mode, it ought then to be prepared, in order to prevent all ambiguity; to prevent the ear, whilst listening to this note, from losing its train and as this chord of the seventh may be inverted and combined in several different manners, from this arise likewise a number of different ways by which it may seem to be prepared, which, in the main, always issue however in the same thing.

Edin. Med. Essays, vol. ii. p. 8.

In making use of dissonances, three things are to be considered; viz. the chord which precedes the dissonance, that in which it is found, and that which is immediately subsequent to it. Preparation only respects the two first; for the third, see RESOLUTION.

When we would regularly prepare a discord in order to arrive at its chord, we must choose such a career of the fundamental bass, that the sound which forms the dissonance may be a protraction into the perfect time of the same note which formed a consonance formerly struck in the imperfect in the preceding chord; this is what we call sincopation. See SINCOPA

TION.

From this preparation two advantages result; viz. 1. That there is necessarily an harmonical connection between the two chords, since that connection is formed by the dissonance itself; and, 2. That this dissonance, as it is nothing else but the continuation of the same sound which had formed a consonance, becomes much less harsh to the car than it would have been with any sound recently struck. Now this is all that we expect to gain by preparation. See CADENCE, DISCORD, and HAR

ΜΟΝΥ.

By what has been just said, it will appear that there is no other part peculiarly destined for preparing the dissonance, except that in which it is heard, so that if the treble shall exhibit a dissonance, that must be sincopated; but if the dissonance is in the bass, the bass must be sincopated. Though there is nothing here but what is quite simple, yet have masters of music miserably embroiled the whole matter.

Some dissonances may be found which are never prepared such is the sixth superadded: some which are very unfrequently prepared; such is the diminished seventh.

PREPARATIONS, in Pharmacy, the medicines when mixed together in such a manner as to be fit for the use of the patient. See PHARMACY, under MATERIA

MEDICA.

PREPARATIONS, in Anatomy, the parts of animal bodies prepared and preserved for anatomical uses.

The manner of preserving anatomical preparations, is either by drying them thoroughly in the air, or putting them into a proper liquor.

In drying parts which are thick, when the weather

Though several parts prepared dry are useful, yet others must be so managed as to be always flexible, and nearer a natural state. The difficulty has been to find a proper liquor for this purpose. Dr Monro says, the best he knows is a well rectified colourless spirit of wine, to which is added a small quantity of the spirit of vitriol or nitre. When these are properly mixed, they neither change their colour nor the consistence of the parts, except where there are serous or mucous liquors contained in them. The brain, even of a young child, in this mixture grows so firm as to admit of gentle handling, as do also the vitreous aud crystalline humours of the eye. The liquor of the sebaceous glands and the semen are coagulated by this spirituous mixture; and it heightens the red colour of the injection of the blood-vessels, so that after the part has been in it a little time, several vessels appear which were before invisible. If you will compare these effects with what Ruysch has said of his balsam, you will find the liquor above mentioned to come very near to it.

The proportion of the two spirits must be changed according to the part prepared. For the brain and humours of the eye, you must put two drams of spirit of nitre to one pound of spirit of wine. In preserving other parts which are harder, 30 or 40 drops of the acid will be sufficient; a larger quantity will make bones flexible, and even dissolve them. The part thus preserved should always be kept covered with the liquor: therefore great care should be taken to stop the mouth of the glass with a waxed cork and a bladder tied over it, to prevent the evaporation of the spirit; some of which, notwithstanding all this care, will fly off; therefore fresh must be added as there is occasion. When the spirits change to a dark tincture, which will sometimes happen, they should be poured off, and fresh put in their 100m; but with somewhat less acid that at first.

The glasses which contain the preparations should be of the finest sort, and pretty thick; for through such the parts may be seen very distinctly, and of a true colour, and the object will be so magnified as to show vessels in the glass which out of it were not be

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