a part of our ordinary food in a liquid form. See FOOD.

The general use of drink is to supply fluid; facilitate solution; in consequence of that, to expedite the evacuation of the stomach, and promote the progress of the aliment through the intestines: for, by the contraction of the longitudinal fibres of the stomach, the pylorus is drawn up, and nothing but fluid can pass; which, by its bulk, makes a hurried progress through the intestines, and so determines a greater excretion by stool, as less then can be absorbed by the lacteals. Hence a large quantity of common water has been found purgative; and, ceteris paribus, that aliment which is accompanied with the largest proportion of drink, makes the largest evacuation by stool. Here a question has risen, about where the feculent part of the aliment is first remarkably collected. It is commonly thought to be in the great guts: but undoubtedly it often begins in the lower part of the ileum, especially when the drink is in a small proportion, and when the progress of the aliment is slow; for when the contents of the guts are very fluid, they are quickly pushed on, and reach the great guts before they deposite any feculency. Another effect of drink is, to facilitate the mixture of the lymph, refulent from every part of the system, with the chyle. In the blood-vessels, where all must be kept fluid in order to proper mixture, drink increases the fluidity, and gives tension, by its bulk, without concomitant acrimony or too much elasticity, and so strength and oscillatory motion: hence drink contributes to fanguification, as sometimes food gives too dense a nutriment to be acted upon by the folds; and hence also we can see how drink promotes the secretions. These are the effects of drink in general; but what has been said must be taken with some limitations; for the more liquid the food, it is sooner evacuated, and less nourishment is extracted. Hence drink is, in some degree, opposed to nourishment; and so, ceteris paribus, those who use least drink are most nourished.

All the effects of drink above mentioned are produced by simple water; and it may be said, that other liquors are fit for drink in proportion to the water they contain. Water, when used as drink, is often impregnated with vegetable and farinaceous substances; but, as drinks, these impregnations are of little consequence: they add, indeed, a little nourishment; but this is not to be regarded in a healthy state. Sometimes we impregnate water with the fructus acido-dulces; and then, indeed, it acquires other qualities, of considerable use in the animal economy. All drinks, however, may be reduced to two heads: first, pure water, or where the additional substances give no additional virtue; secondly, the fermentata. Of the first we have already spoken; and the latter have not only the qualities of the first, but also qualities peculiar to themselves.

Fermented liquors are more or less poignant to the taste, and better calculated to quench thirst. Thirst may be owing to various causes: First, To defect of fluid in the system, which occasions a scanty secretion in the mouth, fauces, and stomach; the dryness of the mouth and fauces will also in this case be increased, by their continual exposure to the perpetual flux and reflux of the evaporating air. Secondly, Thirst depends on a large proportion of solid viscid food. Thirdly, On an alkalefcent aliment, especially if it has attained any thing of the putrefactive taint. Fourthly, On the heat of the system; but this seems to operate in the same manner as the first cause, giving a sense of dryness from its dissipation of the fluids. The fermented liquors are peculiarly adapted for obviating all these causes; stimulating the mouth, fauces, and stomach, to throw out the saliva and gastric liquor by their poignancy; by their ascendancy they are fitted to destroy alkalefcent acrimony, to quench thirst from that cause; by their fluidity they dilute viscid food; though here, indeed, they answer no better than common water. In two ways they promote the evacuation by stool, and progress through the intestines: first, by their fluidity and bulk; secondly, by their acefeciency, which, uniting with the bile, forms the peculiar stimulus formerly mentioned. Carried into the blood-vessels, in so far as they retain any of the saline nature, they stimulate the excretories, and promote urine and sweat; correcting thus alkalefeciency, not only by mixture, but dissipation of the degenerated fluids.

Many physicians, in treating of fermented liquors, have have only mentioned these qualities, rejecting their nutritious virtue, which certainly ought to be taken in; though by expediting the evacuation by stool they make lefs of the nutritious parts of the aliment to be taken up, and by stimulating the excretories make these nutritious parts to be for a shorter time in the system. All these and many more effects arise from fermented liquors. Their accefency sometimes promotes the dif-eafe of accefency, by increasing that of vegetables, acting as a ferment, and so producing flatulency, purging, cholera, &c.: fo that, with vegetable aliment, as little drink is neceffary, the moft innocent is pure water; and it is only with animal food that fermented liquors are neceffary. In warmer climates, fermentation would feem neceffary to obviate alkaliefcency and heat. But it should be confidered, that though fermented liquors contain an acid, yet they alfo contain alcohol; which, though it adds stimulus to the stomack, yet is extremely hurtful in the warmer climates, and wherever alkaliefcency prevails in the system. Nature in these cli- mates has given men an appetite for water impregnated with acid fruits, e.g. herbet: but the ufe of this needs caution, as in thefe countries they are apt to flun ani-mal food, uing too much of the vegetable, and often thus causing dangerous refrigerations, choleras, diar-rheas, &c.

Of varieties of fermented liquors. We shall only mention here the chief heads on which these varieties depend. First, They are owing to the quality of the fubject, as more or lefs vifcid; and to its capacity alfo of undergoing an active fermentation, although perhaps the more vifcid be more nutritious. Hence the difference between ales and wines; by the first meaning fermented liquors from farinacea, by the second from the fruits of plants. It depends, Secondly, On the acerbity, acidity, nature, and maturation, of the fruit. Thirdly, The variety depends on the conduct of the fermentation. In general, fermentation is progresive, being at first active and rapid, detaching the fixed air or gas syl- vegre, at the fame time acquiring more acid than before. These qualities of flatulency and acidity remain for some time: but as the fermentation goes on, the liquor becomes more perfect, no air is detached and, alcohol is produced; fo that fermented liquors differ according to the progress of the fermentation, and have different effects on the system. When fermentation is flopped before it comes to maturity, though naturally it proceeds in this way, yet by addition of new fer- ment it may be again renewed with a turbid intestine motion.