tic ftate unites with oil into a harder foap than that made with vegetable alkali. With fulphur it forms a hepar fulphuris in the fame manner the vegetable alkali, and yields a tincture with spirit of wine, which diffolves part of the fal whilft hot, but lets it fall again in a cryftalling form when cold. Gold, filver, or quickfilver, ar not affected by a folution of this falt; but coppe and tin are diffolved by it in the open air. It af fects lead, regulus of antimony, and cobalt, fight ky; but acts powerfully upon zinc, and forms kermes mineral with crude antimony. Copper iron, bifimuth, zinc, antimony, and regulus of co balt, fufed with two parts of foffil alkali, are al moft entirely diffolved in a very ftrong heat; bu tin, lead, and regulus of antimony, only fuftr partial folution in it.

(8.) ALKALINE SALTS, COMBINATIONS OF, WITH OILS, &c. The alkalies, befides their at traction for acids, have alfo an attraction for oils, fulphur, and fpirit of wine in the moift way, when the falts are deprived of their fixed air; and in this, as well as the dry way, with feveral metais, and vitrifiable earths and ftones.-With oil the vegetable fixed alkali forms a foap, though lefs per fect than that made with the caustic mineral aikali. When combined with fixed air, they scarceby unite with oils. Boiled with fulphur, or melted with it in their dry ftate, they unite into a very fætid compound called hepar fulphuris, which is foluble in water, but totally and very quickly decompofed by the contact of air. Vegetable alkali unites with iron, tin, and zinc; corrodes copper, and runs with it into a liquor of a deep blue colour, and joins with lead in fufion. It does not act upon gold in its metallic ftate; but if a fufficient quantity be added to a folution of gold in aqua regia, the calx of the metal will be firft precipitated, and afterwards diffolved.-Vegetable alkali is a principal ingredient in the powders called fluxes, used for the fution of metalline ores. It promotes the fufion of earths, and forms glafs with the cryftalline kind. It is foluble in an equal weight of diftilled water; and, when exposed to the air, it foon attracts moisture from it and flows into a liquid. In its cauftic ftate it diffolves in fpirit of wine, and forms with it a red tincture called Van Helmont's tincture of falt of tartar, formerly used both as an internal and external reme

at now in difrepute.-Foffil alkali in its cauf

(9.) ALKALINE SALTS, MEDICAL POWERS CE All the alkalis are of confiderable use in medicine though the particular virtues of vegetable and fo fil alkali have not hitherto been duly afcertained It is probable, however, that there must be a con fiderable diverfity in their operations on the b man body, as the vegetable alkali fhews it much more acrid aud powerful than the of As they both unite immediately with acids,

change them into mild neutral falts, if any of th ftrong mineral acids should fall upon any part the human body, and begin to corrode and pain, the immediate application of the lixi tartari, or of a folution of any of thofe alka falts in water, or of the falts themselves in der, will deftroy their caufticity, and prevent t doing further mischief: Or if any of thefe a fhould drop on clothes, linen, or other fubftance and alkaline falts are immediately ap: Fed, the will neutralize the acid, and prevent its fir corrofion : Or if a person should, through mif fwallow any of the mineral acids, or convefive limate, or any other corroding falt, which an a kali can decompofe, the fwallowing folutions the alkaline falts, or the falts themselves in prep dies, are the moft likely means of affording lief, if not given too late. Oil of vitriol, howe in its concentrated ftate, muft be excepted; i if it fhould happen to be swallowed, it contras fuch a degree of heat on the contact of any ous fluid as would deftroy the patient, indident of any other caufe. A perfon once mo a bottle of it for water in the night. He rece ed by fwallowing inftantly a great quantity milk. Another recovered by drinking a bottle Florence oil. Both the vegetable and fofil al applied externally in a cauftic ftate, firft imta and inflame the skin, and afterwards act as fir mortifying and deftroying it; and therefore ha been much used by furgeons for opening bubo and other abfceffes, and for eating away the pro flesh that sprouts out from fores. Various form læ of cauftic alkalis have been employed for the purposes. See CHEMISTRY and PHARMACY The alkaline falts, when much diluted with w ter, have been used as washes for removing p ples from the face; but if fuch wathes are con nued long, they are apt to fpoil the skin. 1 ancients often ufed to diffolve the foffil alkali their baths, and efteemed fuch baths ufeful fo removing itchings of the skin, the ftab, the imp

tigo, leprofy, and almost all forts of cutaneous eruptions; and they employed baths of the fame kind for promoting fweat, and curing various diforders, They mixed it with turpentine, oils, and fuds of various kinds, and applied fuch compofitions to the skin, to heal fores, to ftrengthen relaxed parts, to deftroy the poifon of the bites of mad dogs, and ferpents; and they esteemed it an antidote againft many other poifons. Alkaline falts preferve animal fubftances from putrefaction; on which account fome practitioners have concluded that they act as ftrong antifeptic emedies when swallowed as medicines, taken up by the lacteal vessels, and mixed with the blood. xperience, however, has shown that they have lets directly oppofite, and that by ftimulating te veffets and quickening the circulation, they tribute towards the diffolution of the vital d; of which Dr Monro fays he has feen feveinftances.-Alkalies promote the fecretions in neral, particularly by the kidneys; but by the lp of warm liquors and bed-clothes, their opetion may be directed towards the fkin. They ve also been employed in cafes of heartburn, where an acid prevails in the ftomach and wels, or where thefe organs are loaded with ad phlegm. They are likewife prefcribed to the operation of the bile when it is too weak, her by themselves, or mixed with purgative meanes. The foffil alkali has been alledged to be Sore powerful folvent of the human calculus n the vegetable, though perhaps without any foundation. See next article.

1C.) ALKALINE SALTS, MEDICAL PRESCRIPINS OF. In cafes of the ftone or gravel, the eral alkali is given from 5 to 20 grains three sa-day; and in fome cafes even to double quantity. It may be taken in any common or, or in clear broth made of lean meat, from ch the fat has been fkimmed off; or the powfalts may be made up into pills or bolufes ed with liquorice powder, by means of muciof gum Arabic or conferve.-The vegetable ii has long been used as a diuretic in dropfies > great fuccefs; and Dr Monro informs us, he has feen a number of cafes of anafarcha in n the water was carried off by it. As a diuit may be taken from ten grains to half a ha, or more, two or three times a-day, mixat fome distilled water, fyrup, broth, or wagruel, or with two ounces of white wine, h partly neutralizes the falt. When added falions of juniper berries, broom tops, horfe , muflard feed, winter's bark, &c. in wine beer, they prove powerful diuretics; and Dr gives the following formula.-"Take tops, horfe radish, and juniper berries, of an ounce; bruife them in a stone or marble r; put them into a large wide-mouthed botand add to them an ounce of fait of tartar two quarts of Rhenith wine. Infufe them for days; decant off the wine, and filter it gh paper for ufe. Two or three ounces may sen 3 or 4 times a day."-Or, "Take an e of canella alba, and as much mustard feed uniper berrics; bruise them well in an iron ar, and add an ounce of purified vegetable with two quarts of porter: infufe for 4 days

and filter the liquor through paper; let the pati ent take a wine glafs full every 5 or 6 hours."The diuretic powers of thefe medicines are fometimes increased by opium, and they have been fuccefsfully joined with effential oils and balfams. The most remarkable property of these falts, however, is that of diffolving the human calculus; for the difcovery of which, Mrs Stephens, in the year 1740, obtained a parliamentary reward of scool. At that time Dr Jurins being afflicted with the ftone, tried a number of experiments on thefe medicines; from which he concluded that their efficacy depended entirely on thegalkaline falts and lime which they contained; and therefore he began to try what effect a foap ley would have on himfelf. At first he took only a few drops, but gradually increased his dofe tiil he came to an ounce, and fometimes an ounce and a half, in a proper vehicle, in 24 hours. This produced the difcharge of fome fmall calculi, and relieved him of the fymtoms of the ftone. Dr Hartley, likewife, laboured under this complaint ; and believing that the efficacy of Mrs Stephens's medicines depended on the foap, lime, and alkaline falts which they contained, ordered a pafte to be prepared for himself, made of 8 ounces of foan, one of oyfter fhell lime, a drachm of falt of tartar, and as much water as formed the whole into a foft mafs; of which he took large quantities, and found himself greatly relieved, though not cured, as a ftone was found in his bladder atter his death. Thefe and other inftances of fuccefs, foon brought the medicines into general ufe: but though many found relief from them, others had all the fymptoms of their diftemper aggravated, by the falts rendering the blood, and other liquors of the body, particularly the urine, sharp and acrid, fo as to irritate and inflame the bladder, which was already in too irritable a state, from the conftant fiction of the calculus lodged within it. The late experiments of Mr Scheele, and Sir Torbern Bergman, however, have made it evident, that the human calculus is compofed of a concred acid joined to a fmall portion of animal earth. Moft people, therefore, who are afflicted with the ftone or gravel, with to try the efficacy of thefe remedies, rather than fubmit to the dangerous operation of lithotomy; we therefore fubjoin, from Dr Monro, the following directions for making and ufing the foap ley. "Take of falt of tartar, 8 ounces; of freth quick lime, 4 ounces; of distilled water, a quart: mix them all well together in a large bottle, and let them ftand 24 hours; then pour off the ley and filter it through paper, keeping it in well ftopped vials for ufe. Of this the dofe is from 30 drops to 3 or 4 drachms, to be repeated two or three times a-day. One of the best methods of taking this ley is, to mix the quantity to be ufed in the day with three pints of plain broth, which has been made with the lean part of veal, with all the fat or oily parts feparated from it, by putting it, when made, into a large bowl, and fkimming them off with a fpoon when cold, and to drink, within an hour, a pint of this broth, three times a-day-early in the morning-at noon-and in the evening; and to continue the use of this medicine, for 3, 4, or more months; and, during

this

the alkalis have obtained their reputation of be efficacious remedies against the bites of ferre and other venomous animals. It is as efficati against mineral acid poifons as the fixed alkali. (11.) ALKALINE SALTS, ORIGIN OF. Ther tural production of alkalis, in general, is v much involved in obfcurity; nor has the origin fixed alkalis been inveftigated with fuch diliger and fuccefs as that of the acids. Chemifts h been divided in their opinions, whether alkal faits be natural bodies, or formed by the fro fire, uniting the principles of which they cont in the burning or difilling the fubftances fr which they are got. It is generally fuppofed, t they are formed by the force of fire, unitive earth, an acid, and an inflaminable matter ther, fo as to form an alkaline falt, which thought to be compofed of these principles. fupport of this opinion, it has been argued. That the fixed vegetable alkali is produced burning vegetables which contain the prin fit for forming thefe falts; though no veftige an alkali can be discovered in thefe vegetables

this courfe, to live on fuch things as leaft counteract the operation of the medicine: to take for breakfast fome plain broth, fuch as has been defcribed, with dry toafted bread or bifcuit; or a dish or two of tea or coffee in place of the broth: for dinner, to eat the lean part of plain boiled or roafted meat, or a fowl, with their own gravy or juice for fauce; and to eat only of vegetables which contain but little acid, fuch as potatoes, &c. and to use for drink toaft and water, or water with a very small portion of fpirit in it; and to abstain from eating fruit and acceffent vegeta. bles, fat meat, butter, or oil; and from drinking wine, beer, cyder, punch, and in fhort from taking any thing which is likely to counteract or deftroy the effects of the ley." With regard to the ufe of the foap ley, the doctor obferves, "that he has feen a number of people who have taken it, both for graveilith complaints, and for the ftone; that many of thofe who had gravel, were relieved, and fome of them femed to be cured; that fome few of those who had the confirmed ftone, received confiderable relief for a time from its ufe: but the complaints afterwards returned; nor can he say that one complete cure was made; though from the accounts given by the late Dr Whytt of Edinburgh, and others, it fhould appear that this had fometimes happened: that in many cafs of ftone the ley occafioned pain and irritation, and increafed the violence of the fymptoms fo much, that the patients were obliged to lay it afide; and that this happened moft frequently where the bladder feemed to be already difeafed from the irritation of the fione: that at all times it is advifable to lay afide this medicine, at least for a time, whenever it irritates and occafions pain, or where there are appearances of its continued ufe having broken down the crafis of the blood." Inftead of the fonp ley, the following folution of vegetable alkali, fati rated with fixed air, has been recommended as a powerful folvent of the stone. "Take 2 ounces of falt of tartar, and diffolve it in 2 quarts of difilled water, and then faturate it fully with fixed air; and let the patient take 8 ounces of it every 8 hours." Dr Monro, however, fays he has feen only one gentleman who had found confiderable relief from this prefeription. Soap ley has Fkewife been recommended as a folvent of bilious calculi, and has fometimes been of fervice; but this has probably arifen more from its property of diffolving thick and vifcid humours, and aflifting the action of the bile, than by acting on the calculi themselves. The volatile alkali has many of the virtues of the fixed, but affects animal fubftances, particularly in its cauftic ftate, lefs powerfully. It gives a brisk ftimulus to the nerves and fibres of living animals; and is therefore employed in difcafes where the circulation is too languid; in low fevers, where the patient is in danger of finking; in apoplectic and lethargic diforders of elderly people of phlegmatic habits, in paralytic cafes, fainting fits, &c. where a ftimulating remedy is wanted. It is often used as a d'aperti and fuderific in cafes of rheumatifm, a the end of fevers, catarrhs, and other difeafes, a plentiful diaphorefis or fweat is required; it is principally owing to this quality that

their natural state. 2. That the effential fair vegetables, which contain an acid and an a on being calcined in a crucible with care yield an alkaline falt. 3. That by alternater lowing the vegetable alkali to run per deliqe and drying it again, it precipitates a quan earth every time it is diffolved; fo that the wa of the falt is at laft reduced to this kind of ex while the acid, phlogifton, &c. have evapor or been destroyed by the repeated application heat for drying the falt. 4. That the volate kali is produced by diftilling animal fubfta which contain the principles fit for products though no marks of volatile alkali could b covered in them while fresh. On the other t it has been afferted, that the alkaline falts. tained by burning vegetables, or difilling fubftances, exifted originally in the materials which they are procured; that they were ge td in the plants by the procefs of vegetation, freed by the fine from the other principles w difquifed them. In fupport of this opinier, following arguments are made ufe of by M Weigleb, Rofenftiel, Morveau, &c. r. This had not been able to procure an alkaline 1 mixing earths, oil and acids together, are jecting them to the most intenie fire. cryftals of tartar, which were formerly bi to be pure acid falts, have been found by his periments to contain a vegetable alkali. vegetable alkaline falt, when purified, is alwa the fame nature, from whatever substance procured; and therefore muft have been an ginal principle or body exifting in the vegeta from which it is procured: for had it been duced by art, it would have varied, and fhould have had different fpecies of it, aces to the principles which the plants contains And, 4. The neutral faits which have been to mixed with the afhes of plants, as vitriolated tar, nitre, and fea falt, are likewife ftrong pi of the original exiftence of alkali in vegeta Dr Monro obferves, that hitherto we han fufficient evidence to determine pofitively whe the vegetable alkali be produced by the for

hire, or if it exifted originally in the fubftances from which it is prepared, though he is inclined to favour the former opinion. With regard to the volatile alkali, however, we have abundant evidence of its being produced from fubftances which could not poffibly be fuppofed to contain it originally.. Dr Stahl affures us, that if any dry fixed alkaline falt be well rubbed in a mortar, with fuch a quantity of oil of turpentine, as is fufficient to make it of the confiftence of a pulp, and digefted for fome weeks in a cucurbit or retort, we obtain a volatile alkali. Mr Geoffrey relates, that having placed a large retort in a fand furnace, and adapted a large tubulated receiver to it, afterwards heatIng the bottom of the retort red hot, he put into it, by means of a long tube rifing from the upper part of the neck, a powder compofed of equal parts of nitre and charcoal, on which there came over into the receiver a liquor highly impregnated with volatile alkali. Cartheufer tells us, that if two parts of falt of tartar be mixed with one of fulphur, and be afterwards diftilled, they yield a volatile alkaline falt and fpirit. Boerhaave and Macquer affirm, that the vegetative procefs itfelf produces a volatile alkali; and that the juices got by bruiting mustard-feed and other alkalefcent vegetables, as they are called, contain a volatile altall which effervefces with acids: but this is desed by Cartheufer and Vogel, who affirm that hey could difcover no traces of volatile alkali in hele juices by any experiments they made. But hatever may be concluded from the experience f former chemifts, the late difcoveries of Dr riestley and Mr Cavendish have decifively fhown, hat the volatile alkali is by no means à fimple ement or natural principle, but a compound, and hich may be artificially prepared. Dr Prieftley forms us, that by the union of nitrous air with on, a volatile alkali is generated; (See AEROLOY, INDEX,) and Mr Cavendish, that by the action f the electric fluid, or pure elementary fire, upon logifticated air, the nitrous acid is produced: REACID, NITROUS,) the volatile alkali, therefore, ut be fuppofed to confift ultimately of phlogifcited air united to a great quantity of elementafire. In like manner, if we can fuppofe this ibtile element to enter into the fubftance of any ind of earth in fuch a manner as to exert its pehar action when that substance is applied to any ther, we may reafonably conclude that the fixed kalis alfo are not fimple and permanent prinples, but capable of artificial compofition and ecompofition. It is certain that the action of Aline falts is extremely fimilar to that of fire; ad as we know that this element is combined in atent ftate with fluids, there can be no abfurdifuppofing it capable of combining alfo with

ALKALIZATE. adj. [from alkali.) That uch has the qualities of alkali; that which is pregnated with alkali.-The odour of the fixed are is very languid; but that which it difcovers, ing diffolved in hot water, is different, being of in to that of other alkalizate falts. Boyle. The colour of violets in their fyrup, by acid liquors, turns red, and by urinous and alkalizate, turns green. Newton.

• TO ALKALIZATE. V. a. [from alkali.] VOL. I. PART II.

To

make bodies alkaline, by changing their nature, or by mixing alkalies with them. *ALKALIZATION. n. f. [from alkali.] The act of alkalizating, or impregnating bodies with alkali. To ALKALIZE, v. a. See To ALKALIZATE. ALKALZIKE, a town of Afiatic Ruffia. * ALKANET. n. f. [Anchufa, Lat.] The name of a plant.-This plant is a fpecies of buglofs, with a red root, brought from the fouthern parts of France, and ufed in medicine. Millar. ALKANET, in botany. See ANCHUSA. ALKEBLA, or ALKIBLIA. See KEBLA. * ALKEKENGI. n. f. A medicinal fruit or berry, produced by a plant of the fame denomination; popularly alfo called winter-cherry: the plant bears a near refemblance to Solanum, or Nightfhade; whence it is frequently called in Latin by that name, with the addition or epithet of veficarium. Chambers.

ALKEKENGI, in botany. See PHYSALIS.

ALKEKENGI, in medicine, is ufed as an abstergent, diffolvent, and diuretic. This fruit is celebrated for its lithontriptic quality; and prescribed to cleanfe the urinary pallages in the gravel, and other obstructions. Its deterfive quality alfo recommends it against the jaundice, and other dif orders of the vifcera.

ALKENNA, in botany. See LAWSONIA.

ALKER, a town of Lancashire, near Altmonth. ALKERINGTON, a small town, in Oxfordfhire near Banbury.

* ALKERMES. n. f. In medicine, a term borrowed from the Arabs, denoting a celebrated remedy, of the conliftence of a confection; whereof the kermes berries are the bafis. The other ingredients are pippin-cyder, rofe-water, fugar, am◄ ber-greafe, mufk, cinnamon, aloes-wood, pearls, and leaf gold; but the fweets are ufually omitted. The confectio alkermes is chiefly made at Montpelier. The grain, which gives it the denomination, is no where found fo plentifully as there. Cham◄ bers..

ALKES, a ftar in the conftellation Crater. ALKESHAM, a town of Kent, near Dover. ALKHAM, a small town in Gloucestershire, near Berkeley.

ALKINGTON, a village in Gloucestershire, near Stroud.

ALKLEY, a town in Nottinghamshire. ALKMANTON, a town of Derbyshire. ALKMERE, a village in Shropthire, near Shrewsbury.

ALKMONBURY, a fmall town in Huntingdonfhire, near Leighton-stone.

*

ALKOOL. See ALCOHOL.
ALKORAN. See ALCORAN.

ALKRINGTON, a village in Lancashire, near Manchester.

ALKUSSA, in ichthyology, a name given by the Swedes to a fifh, which they ako call lake. It is a fpecies of the flurus, and is diftinguished by Arredi by the name of the filurus with only one cirrus, or beard, under the chin. The common filurus, which is the glanus of the ancients, has four cirri. ALKY, among alchemists, a sweet suostance procured from lead. Nna ALKYNTON,