16. Instance, Liquor.

This is a natural and almost unavoidable imperfection in almost all the
names of substances, in all languages whatsoever, which men will easily
find when, once passing from confused or loose notions, they come to
more strict and close inquiries. For then they will be convinced how
doubtful and obscure those words are in their signification, which in
ordinary use appeared very clear and determined. I was once in a meeting
of very learned and ingenious physicians, where by chance there arose a
question, whether any liquor passed through the filaments of the nerves.
The debate having been managed a good while, by variety of arguments on
both sides, I (who had been used to suspect, that the greatest part
of disputes were more about the signification of words than a real
difference in the conception of things) desired, that, before they went
any further on in this dispute, they would first examine and establish
amongst them, what the word LIQUOR signified. They at first were a
little surprised at the proposal; and had they been persons less
ingenious, they might perhaps have taken it for a very frivolous or
extravagant one: since there was no one there that thought not himself
to understand very perfectly what the word liquor stood for; which I
think, too, none of the most perplexed names of substances. However,
they were pleased to comply with my motion; and upon examination found
that the signification of that word was not so settled or certain
as they had all imagined; but that each of them made it a sign of a
different complex idea. This made them perceive that the main of their
dispute was about the signification of that term; and that they differed
very little in their opinions concerning SOME fluid and subtle matter,
passing through the conduits of the nerves; though it was not so easy
to agree whether it was to be called LIQUOR or no, a thing, which, when
considered, they thought it not worth the contending about.