Volume 1

A treatise on the digestion of food / [George Fordyce].

  • George Fordyce
Date:
1791
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise on the digestion of food / [George Fordyce]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    44/230 page 26
    [ 26] hens a piece of old mortar was given, which they broke down and fwallowed, certainly not miftaking it for Canary feed, or any kind of food, but diftinguifhing it from a piece of brick which they did not either break down or fwallow,; another fet at the fame time were kept without any calcareous earth ; many of thefe died, while the others, although otherwife exactly in the fame cir- cumftances, were none of them loft. It appears therefore that birds have a neceflity for ftones being fwallowed for digeftion, and earths for other purpofes, and that they have an inftinét which difpofes them to choofe the proper quantity and quality re- . quired, Moreover, as Mr. Hunter ob- ferves, the noife of the grinding may be heard, and therefore there can be no doubt that this {tomach is made to contain {tones for the fame purpofes for which teeth are employed. ~ In-all thofe animals which have this kind of ftomach, there is a cavity, although not often a very large one, into which the food
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