ALI corded in the Gentleman's Maga- zine for January, 1755. It is sup- posed to consist of Turkey corn, roasted, powdered, and mixed widr a small quantity of sea-salt : six ounces of this composition, with less than a pint of water, afforded sufficient nutriment to one person fur twenty-four hours. Xo other provision was taken for fifteen days, during which time, it is said, these invalids continued well and hearty, though one was seventy years of age, and the odier rive were young men, who had lost some of their limbs. None experienced any in- convenience, either from faintness or hunger j several of them being employed in such bediiy exercises as were suited to their years ; and they frequently did not eat die whole of dieir allowance. To pre- vent any deception, they were con- stantly guarded by a centinel. Previous to its administration, the powder was prepared in the man- ner as follows : six ounces of it were shaken by degrees into boil- ing water, and briskly agitated with a spoon ; after having acquired the consistence of a thin panada, it was tit for use. The invention of it is ascribed to M. Bouch, late surgeon- major of a regiment in France. It is recommended to an army on forced marches, a besieged garri- son, and to the poor, at a time of scarcity, or when other provisions cannot be easily procured. Among the articles of diet afford- ing aliment in an uncommon pro- portion, we may enumerate the following, to which we refer the reader, under the heads of Arrow- Hoot, Hice, Sago, Salop-Pow- der, Tapioca, ice. — See also Food and Drink. AUsma PUmtago, L. See Great- er Water Plantain-. ALK [29 ■ ALKALIES, in chemistry, signify those substances which possess die following properties : viz. diey are 1 . incombustible ; 2. capable of con- verting a vegetable blue to a green colour 3 3. they manifest a hot and caustic taste j and 4. are soluble in water. Alkalies are divided into two kinds, fixed and volatile. The fixed are subdivided into vegetable and mineral ; die former being the pro- , of burnt vegetables in the open air ; and the latter have some- times been found native in the earth, though we generally obtain our soda by the calcination of ma- rine plants, chiefly from the differ- ent species of the glass-wort, or Salsoia, L. as well as from other saline vegetables growing near the sea-shore. — See die article Ba- rilla. Both die fixed alkalies endure a very intense degree of heat, with- out dissipation, and are used in the composidon of glass : the volatile are produced by distillation from animal substances ; in dieir pure state diey are invisible, ana so pun- gent to the smell, that they can- not be approached widiout great danger. All vegetable substances contain fixed alkali, in greater or less pro- portion. M. M. Deyeux and ai> auELix have proved by recent ex- periments, that one pound of die ashes of hoxse-chesnuts yields n six ounces and a hair of pet-ash; nay, die same quantity of the burnt husks produced more than six ounces, But, according to an accurate analysis made by these, chemists, the table alkali is contained in the fruit of t) i lilac, i the as] which yield more than one-h pure
