Monday,November6. 1665.
An Account of a not ordinaryBurning Concave, lately made atLyons, and compared with several others made formerly. Of MonsieurHeveliushis promise of communicating to the World his Invention of makingOptick Glasses; and of the hopes, given by MonsieurChristian HugensofZulichem, to perform something of the like nature; as also of the Expectations, conceived of some Persons inEngland, to improveTelescopes. An intimation of a way of making more lively Counterfeits of Nature inWax, then are extant inPainting; and of a new kind ofMapsin a lowRelievo, orSculpture, both practised inFrance. SomeAnatomicalObservations of Milk found in Veins instead of Blood; and of Grass found in the Wind-pipes of some Animals. Of a place inEngland, where, without Petrifying Water, Wood is turned into Stone. Of the nature of a certain Stone, found in theIndiesin the head of aSerpent. Of the way, used in theMogol'sDominions, to makeSalt-petre. An Account ofHeveliushisProdromus Cometicus, and of some Animadversions made upon it by aFrenchPhilosopher; as also of the JesuitKircher'sMundus Subterraneus.
An Account of a not ordinaryBurning Concave, lately made atLyons, and compared with several others made formerly. Of MonsieurHeveliushis promise of communicating to the World his Invention of makingOptick Glasses; and of the hopes, given by MonsieurChristian HugensofZulichem, to perform something of the like nature; as also of the Expectations, conceived of some Persons inEngland, to improveTelescopes. An intimation of a way of making more lively Counterfeits of Nature inWax, then are extant inPainting; and of a new kind ofMapsin a lowRelievo, orSculpture, both practised inFrance. SomeAnatomicalObservations of Milk found in Veins instead of Blood; and of Grass found in the Wind-pipes of some Animals. Of a place inEngland, where, without Petrifying Water, Wood is turned into Stone. Of the nature of a certain Stone, found in theIndiesin the head of aSerpent. Of the way, used in theMogol'sDominions, to makeSalt-petre. An Account ofHeveliushisProdromus Cometicus, and of some Animadversions made upon it by aFrenchPhilosopher; as also of the JesuitKircher'sMundus Subterraneus.
An opportunity being presented to revive the publishing of these Papers, which for some Moneths hath beendiscontinued by reason of the great Mortality inLondon, where they were begun to be Printed; it hath been thought fit to embrace the same, and to make use thereof for the gratifying of the Curious, that have been pleased to think well of such Communications: To re-enter whereupon, there offers it self, first of all a Relation of an uncommonBurning-glass, not long since made inFrance, in the City ofLyons, by one called Monsieurde Vilette, as it was sent to the Publisher of these Tracts, in two Letters, whereof the one was inLatine, the other in French, to this effect.
Concerning the Efficacy of Monsieurde Villetehis Burning Glass, all what theP. Bertethath written of it, is true. We have seen the effects of it repeated over and over again, in the Morning, at Noon, and in the Afternoon, alwaies performing very powerfully; burning or melting any Matter, very few excepted. TheFigureof it is round, being thirty Inches, and somewhat better inDiameter. On one side it hath a Frame of a Circle of Steel, to the end that it may keep its just Measure: 'Tis easie to remove it from place to place, though it be above an hundred weight, and 'tis easily put in all sorts of postures. Theburning Pointis distant from the Centre of the Glass, about three Feet. TheFocusis about half aLouys d'orlarge. One may pass ones hand through it, if it be done nimbly; for if it stay there the time of a second Minute, there is danger of receiving much hurt.
Green woodtakes fire in it, in an instant, as do also many other Bodies.
In short, there is hardly any Body, which is not destroyed by this Fire. If one would melt it by it any great quantity of Mettal, that would require much time, the Action of Burning not being perform'd but within the bigness of theFocus, so that ordinarily none but small pieces are exposed to it. One Mounsieurde Alibertbuys it, paying for it Fifteen hundred Livers.
Since this Information, there were, upon occasion given from thence, upon the same subject, further communicated fromParisthe following Particulars.
I see by two of the Letters, that you incline to believe, the Glasses ofMaginusandSeptaliusdo approach to that ofLyons: But I can assure you, they come very far short of it. You may consultMaginushis Book, where he describes his; and there are some persons here that have seen one of his best, which had but about twenty Inches Diameter; so that this ofLyonsmust perform at least twice as much. As toSeptalius, we expect the Relations of it from Intelligent and Impartial men. It cannot well be compared to that ofLyons: but in bigness; and in this case, if it have fivePalms(as you say) that would be about 3½ feetFrench, and so it were a Foot bigger, which would make it half as much greater in surface: But as to the Effects, seeing it burns so far off, they cannot be very violent. And I have heard one say, that had seen it, that it did not set Wood on Fire but after the time of saying aMiserere. You may judge of the difference of the Effects, since that ofLyonsgathers its Beams together within the space of seven or eightLines;and that ofSeptaliusmust scatter them in the compass of three Inches. Some here do intend to make of them yea and bigger ones; but we must stay till they be done,&c.
That eminent Astronomer ofDantzick, MonsieurHevelius, writes to his Correspondent inLondon, as followeth:
What hath been done in the grinding of Optick-glasses in your parts, and how those beginnings, mentioned by you formerly, do continue and succeed, I very much covet to hear, 'Tis now above Ten Years, since I my self invented a peculiar way of grinding such Glasses, and reduced it also into practice; by which 'tis easie, without any considerable danger of failing, to make and polish Optick-glasses of anyConickSection, and that (which is most notable) in any dish of any Section of aSphere: which Invention I have as yet discovered to none, my purpose being, for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, to describe the whole method thereof in myCelestial Machine, and to propose it to the Examination and Judgment of theRoyal Society; not doubting at all, but they will find the way true and practicable, my self having already made several Glasses by it, which many Learned Men have seen and tryed.
MonsieurHugens, inquiring also in a Letter, newly written by him to a Friend of his inEngland, of the success of the attempts made by an ingeniousEnglishMan for perfecting such Glasses, and urging the prosecution of the same,so as to shew by the effects the practicableness of the Invention, mentions thereupon, That he intends very shortly to try something in that kind, of the success whereof he declares to have good hopes.
Monsieurdu Son, that excellent Mechanician, doth also at this very present employ himself inLondon, to bringTelescopesto perfection, by grinding Glasses of aParabolicalFigure, by the means whereof he hopes to enable the Curious to discover more by a Tube of one Foot long, or thereabouts, furnished with Glasses thus figured, then can be done by any other Tubes of very many times more that length: The success hereof will ('tis thought) shortly appear.
This was communicated by the Ingenious Mr.John Evelyn, to whom it was sent fromParisis a Letter, as followeth.
Here is in our Neighbourhood aFrench-man, who makes more lively Counterfeits of Nature inWax, then ever I yet saw inPainting, haveing an extraordinary address in modelling the Figures, and mixing the Colours and Shadows; making the Eyes so lively, that they kill all things of this Art I ever beheld; He pretends to make a visit intoEnglandwith some of his Peices.
I have also seen a new kind ofMapsin lowRelievo, or Sculpture; For example the Isle ofAntibe, upon a square of about eight Foot, made of Boards, with a Frame like a Picture: There is represented the Sea, with Ships and other Vessels Artificially made, with theirCanonsand Tackle of Wood fixed upon the surface, after a new and most admirable manner. The Rocks about the Island exactly form'd,as they are upon the Natural Place; and the Island it self, with all its Inequalities, and Hills and Dales; the Town, the Forts, the little Houses, Platform, and Canons mounted; and even the Gardens and Platforms of Trees, with their green leaves standing upright, at if they were growing in their Natural Colours: infine, Men, Beasts, and whatever you may imagine to have any protuberancy above the level of the Sea. This new, delightful, and most instructive form ofMap, orWooden Country, you are to look upon eitherHorizontally, orside-long, and it affords equally a very pleasant object.
A curious Person wrote not long since fromParis, that there they had, in the house of a Physitian, newly open'd a Mans Vein, wherein they foundMilk, instead ofBlood. This being imparted to Mr.BoyleatOxford, his Answer was, That the like Observation aboutWhite Blood, had been made by a Learned Physitian of his acquaintance, and the thing being by him look'd upon as remarkable, he was desirous to have it very circumstantially from the said Physitian himself, before he would say more of it. The next Moneth may bring us in this Account.
The other Particular, mention'd in the Title of this Head, came in a Letter sent also by Mr.Boyle, in these words:
I shall acquaint you, That Two very Ingenious Men, Dr.Clark, and Dr.Lower, were pleased to give me an account of a pretty odd kind of Observation: One of them assuring me, That he had several times, in theLungsofSheep, found considerable quantity of Grass in the very Branches of theAspera Arteria: And the other relating to me, That a few Weeks since, he, and a couple ofPhysitians, were invited to look upon an Ox, that had for two or three daies almost continually held his Neck streight up, and was dead of a Disease, the owner could not conjecture at; whereupon the parts belonging to the Neck and Throat, being open'd, they found, to their wounder, theAspera Arteriain its very Trunk all stuff'd with Grass as if it had been thrust there by main force: which gives us a just cause of marvelling and inquiring, both how such a quantity of Grass should get in there; and how, being there, such an Animal could live with it so long.
The same Searcher of Nature, that was alledged in the immediately precedent Observations, did impart also the following, in another Letter fromOxford, where he saith,
I was a while since visited by a Gentleman, who tells me, That he met with a place in these parts ofEngland, where, though there be no petrifying Spring (for that I particularly asked) Wood is turned into Stone in theSandy Earthit self, after a better manner then by any Water I have yet seen: For I had the Curiosity to go to look upon peices of Wood, he brought thence, and hope for the opportunity of making some tryals to examine the matter a little further, then I have yet been able to do.Thus far that Letter.
Since which time, He was pleased to give this further Information of the same matter, with aMantissaof some other Particulars, belonging to this Subject, in these Words.
I was lately making some Tryals with the Petrifyed Wood I told you off, which I find to be a very odde substance, wonderfully hard and fixed. If I had opportunity to Re-print theHistory of FluidityandFirmness, I could add divers things aboutStones, that perhaps would not be disliked; and I hope, if God vouchsafe me a little leisure,to insert several of them in fit places of thatHistory, against the next Edition. Here is a certain Stone, that is thought to be Petrifyed Bone, being in shap'd like a Bone, with the Marrow taken out; but with a fitMenstruum, I found that I could easily dissolve it, like other soft Stones: and possibly it may prove as fit asOsteocolla, for the same Medicinal uses.
There was, some while ago, sent by SirPhiliberto Vernatti, fromJava major, where he resides, to SirRobert Moray, for the Repository of theRoyal Society, a certain Stone, affirmed by the presenter to be found in the Head of aSnake, which laid upon any Wound, made by any venomous Creature, is said to stick to it, and to draw away all Poyson: and then, being put in Milk, to void its Poyson therein, and to make the Milk turn blew; in which manner it must be used, till the Wound be cleansed.
The like Relations having been made, by several others, of such a Stone, and some also in this City affirming, to have made the Experiment with success, it was thought worth while, to inquire further into the truth of this Matter: since which time, nothing hath been met with but an Information, delivered by that IngeniousParisian, MonsieurThevenot, in his secondTome, of theRelations of divers considerable Voyages, whereof he lately presented some Exemplars to his Friends inEngland. The Book being in French, and not common, 'tis conceived it will not be amiss to insert here the said Information, which is to this effect:
In theEast Indiesand in the Kingdom ofQuamsyinChina, there is found a Stone in the Head of a certainSerpent(which they call by a name signifyingHairy Serpents) which heals the bitings of the same Serpent, that else would kill in 24 hours. This Stone is round, white in the middle and about theedges blew or greenish. Being applyed to the Wound, it adheres to it of it self, and falls not off, but after it hath sucked the Poyson, then they wash it in Milk, wherein 'tis left awhile, till it return to its natural condition. It is a rare Stone, for if it be put the second time upon the Wound, and stick to it, 'tis a sign it had not suck'd all the Venome during its first application, but if it stick not, 'tis a mark that all the Poyson was drawn out at first. So far ourFrenchAuthor: wherein appears no considerable difference from the written Relation before mentioned.
This is delivered in the same Book of MonsieurThevenot, and the manner of it having been inquired after, by several curious Persons, to compare it with that which is used inEurope, 'tis presum'd, they will not be displeased to find it inserted here inEnglish, which is as followeth:
Saltpetreis found in many places of theEast-Indies, but cheifly aboutAgra, and in the Villages, that heretofore have been numerously inhabited, but are now deserted. They draw it out of three sorts of Earth, black, yellow, and white: the best is that which is drawn out of the black, for it is free fromcommonSalt. They work it in this manner: They make two Pits, flat at the bottom, like those wherein common Salt is made; one of them having much more compass than the other, they fillthatwith Earth, upon which they let run Water, and by the feet of People theytreadit, and reduce it to the consistency of a Pap, and so they let it stand for two daies, that the Water may extract all the Salt that is in the Earth: Then they pass this Water into another Pit, in which it christallizes intoSaltpetre, They let it boil once or twice in a Caldron, according as they will have it whiter and purer. Whilest it is over the Fire, they scum it continually, and fill it out into great Earthen Pots, whichhold each 25 or 30 pounds, and these they expose to clear Nights; and if there be any impurity remaining, it will fall to the bottom: Afterwards they break the Pots, and dry the Salt in the Sun. One might make vast quantities of Saltpetre in these parts; but the Country people feeling thatWebuy of it, and that theEnglishbegin to do the same, they now sell us aMaonof 6 pounds for twoRupiasand a half, which we had formerly for half that price.
This excellentDantiscanAstronomer,Hevelius, in hisProdromus(by him so call'd, because it is as a Harbinger to hisCometography, which hath already so far passed the Press, that of twelve Books there are but three remaining to be Printed) gives an account of the Observations he hath made of theFirstof the two late Comets; reserving those he hath made of thesecond, for that great Treatise, where he also intends to deliver the Matter of thisfirstmore particularly, and more fully than he hath done here.
In this Account he represents the Rise, Place, Course, Swiftness, Faces and Train of this Comet, interweaving his Conceptions both about the Region of Comets in general (whether in theAir, or theÆther?) and the Causes of their Generation: In the search of which latter, he intimates to have received much assistance from hisTelescope.
He observes this Comet not beforeDecemb.4/14, (though he conceives it might have been seen sinceNovemb.23st. n.) & he saw it no longer thenFeb.3/13: though several others have seen it both sooner, and later: and though himself continued to look out for it tillMarch7.st. n.but fruitlesly, whereof he thinks the reason to have been its too great distance and tenuity.
He finds, its apparent Motion was not made in aJustgreat Circle, but deviated considerably from it; and conceives, that every Comet falls to this deviation, when this apparent Motion grows slow, and the Star becomes Stationary (which, as he saith, it doth in respect of theEcliptick, not its ownOrbite,) Here he observes, That fromDecemb.8/18, toDecem.30.Jan.9. its course was almost a great Circle: but thatthenit began to deflect from that Circle towards theNorth; so that afterwards, with a very notable and conspicuous Curvity, it directed its course towardsPrimam Arietis: Of which deflection, he ventures to assign the cause from the Cometical Matter, the various position and the distance of the Comet from the Earth and the Sun, the annual Motion of the Earth, and the impressed Motion, and the inclination of thediscusof the Cometical Body.
He is pretty positive, that without theannual Motionof theEarth, no rational Account can be given of any Comet, but that all is involved with perplexities, and deform'd by absurdities.
He inquires, since all Comets have the peculiarIngeniteMotion, what kind of Line it is, they describe by that Motion of their own? whether circular, or streight, or curve, or partly streight and partly curve? And if curve, whether regular or irregular? if regular, whether Elliptick, or Parabolar, or Hyperbolical? He answers, That this Motion isConical; and judgeth, that by theConickpath all thePhænomenaof Comets can, without any inconveniency, be ready solved; even of that, which (by History) in fifty daies, passed through more then the 12 Signs in theZodiack: And of that, which in two daies ran through eight Signs: and of another, which in 48 daies posted through all the Signs,contra seriem. Which how it can be explicated upon the supposition of the Earths standing still, and upon the denying of the annual Motion thereof, he understands not at all.
He refers to hisCometographythese Disquisitions: whether all Comets (in their innate Motion) move equalspacesin equalTimes? which is the swiftest, and which the slowest Motion they are capable of? what the cause of this acceleration and retardation of their true Motion?
He puts it out of doubt, that they are in theSkyit self, producing reasons for it that are very considerable, and alledging amongst others, That theParallaxesdoe clearly evince it, which he finds far less in Comets, then in theMoon, yea then sometimes in theSunit self. Where he also represents, That he hath deduced theHorizontal Parallaxof this very Comet from one onely Observation, madeFeb.4.st. n.by which he found, That then it was distant from the Earth 5000 Semidiameters of the same, or 4300000Germanmiles. From this distance from the earth, he deduces, That on that Day when it was so remote from the Earth, its trueDiameterwas 2560Germanmiles, which is three times bigger then the Diameter of the Earth, and almost six times bigger then that of the Moon, whose Diameter, according to hisTheory, is 442Germanmiles.
He finds theMatterof Comets to be in theÆtherit self, making theÆtherand theAirto differ only in purity, and esteeming, That thePlanetsdo emit their Exhalations, and have theirAtmosphereslike unto our Earth. Where he affirms, That the Sun alone may cast out so much Matter at any time in one year, as that thence shall be produced not one or two Comets, equallizing the Moon in Diamiter, but very many; which if so, what contribution may not be expected from the other Planets?
Of this Cometical Matter, he thinks, That first it is by little and little gathered together, then coagulated and condensed, and thereby reduced to a less Diameter; but then, after a while it resolves again, and grows dilute and pale, and at last is dissipated. And accordingly he affirms, That he hath observed the Head of this Comet at first more confused, thin and pale, afterwards clearer and clearer.
He conceives, That all Comets do respect theSunas theirKingandCentre, asPlanetsdo, making them a kind ofSpurious Planets, that emulate thetrueones in their Motion almost in all things.
TheTrain, he makes nothing else but the Beams of the Sun, falling on the head of the Comet, and passing through the same, refracted and reflected. And amongst hisObservationsandSchemesof this Comet, there occurs one, wherein the Tail iscurve, so seen by himDecemb.11/21. He assigns the causes why the Trains do so much vary, and shews also, on what depends their length.
Whether thesameComet returns again, as the Spots in the Sun? and, whether in the time of greatConjunctionsthey are more easily generated? and whether they can be certainly foretold? with several other Inquiries, he refers for to hisgreat Book.
As toPrognostications, he somewhat complains, That men do more inquire what Cometssignifie, then what theyare, or how they are generated and moved; professing himself to be of the mind of those that would have Comets ratheradmiredthenfeared; there appearing indeed no cogent reason, why the Author of Nature may not intend them rather as Monitors of hisGloryandGreatness, then of hisAngerorDispleasure; especially seeing that some very diligent Men (among whom isGemma Frisius) take notice of as great a number ofgoodasbadEvents, consequent to Comets.Senecaalso relating, That that Comet which appeared in his time, was so happy, that it didCometis detrahere infamiam, it cleared the credit of Comets, and made People have good thoughts of them.
Having given some Account of what may be look'd for in thisProdromus, it follows, That some also should be rendred of theAnimadversionsmention'd to have been made upon the same. This was done by thatParisianPhilosopher MonsieurAuzout, in a Letter of his to his Country-man MonsieurPetit; in which he strongly conceives, That thisProdromuscontains some mistakes, of which he chiefly singles out one, as most considerable, inHevelius's Observation ofFeb.8/18, and declares thereupon, That he, and several very intilligent Astronomers ofFranceandItalyconcurring with him therein, (whereas M.Heveliusto him seems to stand single, as to this particular) found by their Observations, That this Comet could not, on that day ofFebruary, be there where M.Heveliusplaceth it,viz.InPrima Arietis; unless it be said, That it visited that Star ofArieson the 18, and returned thence the 19th, into its ordinary course; in which, according to his, and his several Correspondents Observations the Comet onFeb.17. was distant from thatfirst StarofAriesat least 1 degree and 17 minutes; and onFebruary19. (he having missed, as well as his other Friends, the Observation onFebr.18) was advanced in its way 12 or 13 minutes, but yet distant from the said Starsome minutesabove awhole degree, and consequently far from having then passed it. After which time M.Auzoutaffirms to have seen it as well as several others, for many daies, and that untilMarch7/17, observing, That aboutFeb.26. or 27, when the Comet was nearest to the often-mentionedfirstofAries, it approached not nearer thereunto, then the distance of 50. minutes.
This important Difference between two very Learned, and very deserving Persons, being come to the knowledge of some of the ablestPhilosophers&AstronomersofEngland, hath been by them thought worthy their Examination: and they being at this very present employed in the discussion thereof, by comparing what hath been done and published by the Dissenters, and by confronting with them their own Domestick Observations, are very likely to discern where the mistake lies; and having discern'd it, will certainly be found hightly impartial and ingenuous in giving their sense of the same.
This long expectedSubterraneous World, is now come to light, dedicated (at least theExemplar, that hath been perused by thePublisherof thesePapers, who hears, That otherCopiesbear Dedication to otherGreat Princes) both to the present Pope, as being esteemed by the author to have a part of hisApostolical Kingdomthere; and to theRoman Emperornow Regent, who indeed in his Kingdom ofHungary, and in several Provinces ofGermany, hath very many and very considerable things, worthy to be observed, underGround.
To give the Curious a taste of theContentsof thisVolume, and thereby to excite them to a farther search into the recesses of Nature, for the composure of a goodNatural History; they may first take notice, That the Author, having given an account in thePreface, what encouragement he received, for writing this Book, from the opportunity of Travelling with theCardinalofHassiaintoSicily(in which Voyage, he saith, He met with, as it were, anEpitomeof what may be observable in the Subterraneous parts of the Earth; and in particular, with an Earth-quake of 14 daies duration, very instructive to him concerning several great Secrets of Nature:) having I say, thus Prefaced, he divided his Work into 12Books, wherein he affirms not only to have explicated the Divine Structure of the under-ground World, and the wondrous distribution of the Work-houses of Nature, and her Majesty and Riches therein; but also to have opened the Causes of her Effects and Productions; whence, by the Marriage of Nature and Art, a happy Issue may follow for the use and benefit of Humane Life.
In theFirstBook, he considers the nature of the Centre of the Earth, where he delivers severalParadoxestouching the same, and Discourses of the Motion of heavy Bodies, of Pendulems, of Projectils.
In thesecondhe treats of the Fabrick of theTerrestrial Globe, of the Influences it receives from the Cœlestial Bodies, especially theSunandMoon, of both whichLuminarieshe gives aScheme; of the proportion of the Earth to the Sun and Moon; of the external conformation of the Earth, its Mountains, and their concatenations, decrease and increase, together with the strange transformation thereof. Further, of the Waters encompassing the Earth, and their various Communications by hidden Passages; as also the heighth of Mountains, and of the depth of Seas; the dimension of theSicilian Straights; the Magnetical Constitution of the Earth, its HeterogeneousNature, Interior Frame, Laboratories, Caves, Channels,&c.
In thethird: Of the Nature of the Ocean, and the diversity of its Motions; of its general Motion from theEasttoWest, Currents; Reciprocations, Gulfs, Whirle-pools, Saltness,&c.
In thefourth: Of the Nature of the SubterraneousFire, its necessity, diffusiveness, food, prodigious Effects through ignivomous Mountains; as also of the Nature ofAir, andWinds, their power and variety; of the general Wind, how and whence generated; of Periodical and Anniversary Winds, and their Causes; as also of the production of Artificial Winds, for refreshment and other advantages. To which he subjoyns a Discourse, tending to prove, That all Meteors owe their Nativity to the Fiers of the Subterraneous World.
In thefifth: Of the Original of Springs, Rivers, Lakes; various differences and qualities of Waters, and the marks where they are to be met with under Ground; of WatersMedical, hot Baths, and their Differences, Causes, Virtues; together with the Wonderful Qualities and Proprieties of some Springs, as to their Colour, Taste, Smell, Weight, Salubrity, Flux and reflux, Petrifying power,&c.
In thesixth: Of theEarthit self, and the great variety contained in the Womb thereof; of the manifoldProductionsmade therein, by the virtue of Salt and its Auxiliaries, the differences whereof are largly discoursed of, together with the way of extracting the same. In particular ofSaltpetre, its Generation, Nature, Virtues; of the way of makingGunpowder, and the various uses thereof, as also the Nature, Qualities, Preparation, Medicinal and other uses ofAlumeandVitriol.
In theSeventh: Of someFossils, as Sand, Gravel, Earths, and their various Differences, Qualities, uses Economical, Chymical, Medical: together with the strange varieties & changes happening in the Earth, and their causes; as also the requisits toAgriculture.
In theeight: First, ofStones, their Origine, Concretion, difference of Colours; and in particular, ofGemsand their variety, causes of generation, transparency in some and colours in others; as also of their various Figures and Pictures by Nature framed both in common and precious Stones, with their Causes. Secondly, of theTransformationof Juices, Salts, Plants, yea of Beasts and Men turn'd into Stone: together with the generation of Bony Substances under ground, by many esteemed to be the Bones ofGyants; and ofHornySubstances, taken forUnicornshorns: as also ofFossile woodandCoals, Thirdly, ofBituminous Flowers, lapis Asbestos, Amber, and itsElectricalvirtue; together with the way how Insects, little Fishes, andPlantsare Intombed therein. Fourthly; of SubterraneousAnimals, Moles, Mice, Birds, Dragons; where is also treated, of those Animals that are found in the midst of Stones.
In theninth; First, of Poysons, their primeval Origine from Minerals, and their accidental Generation in Vegetable and Animal Bodies, together with their differences; where 'tis discoursed, not only how Poysons may be bred in Men, but also, how the Poyfons of some Animals do infect and kill Men; and, where the Venom of Vipers lodges, and how madDogsandTarantula'sso communicate their Poyson, as that it exserts not its noxiousness, till after sometime: Where also occasion is taken to discourse on the Original of Diseases, and cure of Poysonous ones. Secondly, of the wonderful Nature ofSulphur, Antimony, Quick-silver, their origine and qualities; together with the productions ofCoralsandPearls.
In thetenth: First ofMetallurgy, and the way how that unctuous Body, out of which mettals are produced, is elaborated by Nature, and what therein areSulphur, Salt, andMercury; besides, what it is that renders Mettals fluid in the Fire, but not Stones and Vegetables,&c.Secondly, of the Requisits to a perfect knowledge of theMetallick Art, and of the Qualities of theMine-master; then of the Diseases of Mine-men, and their Cure, and the waies of purging the Mines of the Airs malignity; as also ofMetallognomy, or the signs of latent Mettals, and by what Art they may be discovered. Thirdly, several Accounts sent to the Author, upon his Inquiries by the Mine-masters themselves, or other cheif Over-seers of the Mine-works, touching the variety, nature and properties of Minerals, and the many Accidents happening in Mines, particularly theHungarianones atSchemnitz, and those ofTyrol. Fourthly, of several bothHydraulickandWind-Engines, to free the Mines from Water and noxious damps. Fiftly, Of the way of working Mettals, Gold, Silver, Copper, Iron, and particularly of the method used atPotosiinPeru, of extracting the Silver out of the Mineral: to which is added, a Discourse ofSalt-pits, and the way of making Salt.
In theeleventh, First, ofAlchimy, its Original and Antiquity, the Vessels and Instruments belonging thereunto. Secondly, of thePhilosophers Stone, what is meant by it, and whether by means thereof true Gold can be produced? And in general, whether there be any such thing, as a true and real Transmutation of one Mettal into another? Where are delivered the several Processes of the reputedAdepti, Raymund Lulle, Azoth, Arnold de Villanova, Paracelsus, Sendivogius, &c.but all exploded as fals and deceitful. Thirdly,of the decisions in Law concerning Chimical Gold, true or fals. Fourthly, what the celebratedPhilosophers Stonewas among the Ancients, and what they understood by the same?
In thetwelfth: First, Of theSeminal Principleof all things, its origine, nature and property; of the way how Nature proceeds in the Generation ofMinerals, Vegetables, Animals; of Spontaneous Generation; ofZeophyts, Insectsof all sorts, and particularly of the Worms bred in Men; together with the causes why Nature would produce such swarms of infinite sorts of Insects. Secondly, of the variety and differences ofVegetables; of the requisits to know thevirtuesofPlants, and of the several waies ofEngrafting. Thirdly, of theArt of Distilling, whereby Nature is imitated, as doing all her under-ground works, in the Opinion of this Author, byDistillation. Fourthly, of theLaboratories of various Arts, in which, according to Natures pattern, used in her Subterraneous Operations, strange things may be performed: where treating ofChymical Secrets, the truth of the Preparation ofAurum potabileis discussed, and theMagisteriesof Gold, Silver, Iron, Tin, Copper and Lead, examined: to which is subjoyned anAppendix, furnishing such Rules, whereby Students inChymistrymay be directed in their work, and true Operations distinguished from fals ones. Fiftly, OfMetallostaticks, where by the mixture of Mettals and Minerals may be certainly known; together with a way of weighing the Proportions ofmoistanddry, existent in every Compound, as well Vegetable and Animal, as Mineral. Sixthly, ofGlass-making, where is treated of the Nature ofGlass; of the Artificial Production of all sorts of Precious Stones, partly from the Authors own Experiments, partly from the Communication of his Friends, and the Collection of the best Writers upon that subject. Seventhly, ofFire-works, where the Invention and Preparation of Gunpowder is largely discoursed of, and the waies of makingSquibs, Fires burning in Water,and many others, used in Publick Festivities, are described. Eighthly, of someMechanical Arts, as that ofGold-smiths, Black smiths, Copper smiths, Wyre-drawers, in the last whereof he resolves thisProblem; a certain weight of Mettal, and the bigness of the hole, through which the Wyre is to be drawn, being given, to find into what length so much Mettal can be spun out.
Thus you have a view of this wholeVolume; to which it may perhaps not be amiss to adde, for a Conclusion, some of those Particulars which are esteemed by the Authour to out-shine the rest, and are here and there inter-woven as such. For example, in theFirst Part.
The use ofPindules, for knowing by their means thestateof onesHealth, from the different beatings of thePulse,p.51.
TheChainofMountains, so drawn over the Earth, that they make, as it were, anAxis, passing fromPoletoPole; and several transverseductus, so cutting thatAxis, as to make, in a manner, anEquatorandTropicksof Mountains: by which concatenation he imagines, That the several parts of the Earth are bound together for more firmness,p.69.
A Relation of a strangeDiver, by his continual converse in Water, so degenerated from himself, That he was grown more like anAmphibium, than a man, who, by the command of aSicilianKing, went down to the bottom ofCharibdis, and brought a remarkable account of the condition of that place,p.98.
A Description of the Origine of theNile, as this Author found it in a certainMS.of one of his ownSociety, calledPeter Pais, whom he affirms to have been an Eye-witness, and to have visited the Head of theEmperor of ÆthiopiahimselfAnno1618. whichManuscript, he saith, was brought toRome, out ofAfrica, by theirProcuratorofIndiaandÆthiopia, p.72.
TheCommunicationof theSeaswith one another by Subterraneous Passages,viz.of theCaspian, with thePont Euxinand thePersian Gulf; of theMare Mortuum, with theMare Rubrum, and of this latter with theMediterranean; as also ofScyllawithCharybdis,p.85. 101.
The SubterraneousStore-houses(in all the four parts of the Earth) ofWater, andFire, andAir; together with their important Uses,p.111.
An account of the state of the Earth about thePoles, how the Waters are continually swallowed up by theNorthern, and running along through the Bowels of the Earth, do regurgitate at theSouthern Pole,p.159.
A description of MountVesuviusandÆtna, both visited by the Author himself,Anno1638. their Dimensions, Communication, Incendiums, Paths of Fiery Torrents cast out by them,&c.as also of theVulcansinIcelandandGroenland, and their Correspondence and Effects.p.180.
An Account of that famous and strangeWhirl-poolupon the Coasts ofNorway: commonly call'dThe Maelstrom; which the Author fancies to have Communication, by a Subterraneous Channel, with another suchWhirl-poolin theBodnick Bay; by which commerce, according to him, the Waters, when, upon their accumulation and crowding together in one of these places, they are swallowed up by the Gulf there, carrying along with them whatsoever is in the way and lodging it in a certain receptacle at the bottom thereof, are conveyed through the same under-ground Channel to the other Gulf; where again, upon the like flux and retumescence of Waters, they are absorbed, and through the same Channel do reciprocally run to the former Gulf, and meeting in their impetuous Passage with the things formerly sunk down into the Repository, carry them aloft, with themselves; and cast them up again on the Coast ofNorway,p.146.
A Relation of strangeEarth-quakes,p.220
An Enumeration of all the celebratedMedical Water, and hot Baths, in all parts of the world,p.236.et seq.
In theSecondPart, some of his special Observations, are, HowStonesarecolouredandfiguredunder ground,p.13. 24, 25.
Natures skill inPaintingofStones,p.22.
A whole NaturalAlphabetrepresented uponStones, and all sorts ofGeometricalFigures, naturally Imprinted upon them,p.23.
The cause of the variety of Colours inPrismes, and the Authors severe Judgment concerning those, that hold them to be meerlyPhantastical,pag.15, 16, 17. Where he also delivers an Experiment, by him counted wonderful, exhibiting all sorts of Colours by the means ofMercury, coagulated by the vapour of Lead, and put in a Brass spoon upon burning Coals.
The cause of the curious Colours inBirds,p.17.
The way of Nature in the Generation ofDiamonds,p.21.
A way of preparing such a Liquor, that shall sink into, & colour the whole Body of Marble, so that a Picture made on the surface thereof, shall, the stone being cut through, appear also in the inmost part of the same,p.43.
A Story of a whole Village inAfricaturned into Stone, with all the people thereof,p.50.
An Experiment, representing the Generation of theStonein theBladder,p.52.
AnAsbestinPaper, that shall last perpetually,p.74.
Several Relations of numerous Societies of People living under ground, and theirOeconomy; whereof a strange one is alledged to have been found inEngland, attested by anEnglishAuthor,p.97, 98, 99.
A Relation of a Man that bred a Serpent in his Stomach, which came from him of the length of one Foot and a half, affirmed by the Author to have been seen by himself,p.126.
Of whole Forrests of Coral at the bottom of theRed Sea,p.159.
The vanity ofVirga Divinatoria,p.181.
A peculiar way of washing out very smallDust-gold,p.198.
Of some extraordinary big pieces of perfectNaturalGold and Silver,p.203.
Of a very rare Mineral, sent to the Author out of theHungarianMines, which had pure Silver branching out into Filaments, and some splendid yellow parts, which was pure Gold, and some dark parts, which was Silver mixed with Gold, 189.
SalttheBasisof all Natural Productions, and the admirable variety of Salts,p.299.
Strange Figures ofPlants,p.348.
The way of producingPlants;p.414.
In how much time a Swallow can fly about the World,p.411,&c.
This may suffice, to give occasion to the Searchers of Nature, to examine this Book, and the Observations and Experiments contained therein, together with the Ratiocinations raised thereupon, and to make severer and more minute Inquiries and Discussions of all.
Since the Printing of the former Sheet, there is this farther account from the same hand.
Mr.Boyle,
I have at length, according to your desire, received from the Ingenious Dr.Lower, an account in writing of the Observation aboutChylefound in the Blood; which though you may think strange, agrees well with some Experiments of his and mine, not now to be mentioned. The Relation, though short, comprizing the main Particulats of what he had more fully told me in Discourse, I shall give it you with little or no variation from his own words.
A Maid, after eating a good Break-fast, about seven in the Morning, was let Blood about eleven the same day in her Foot; the first Blood was receiv'd in a Porringer, and within a little while it turn'd very white; the last Blood was received in a Sawcer, which turn'd white immediately, like the white of a Custard. Within five or six hours after, he (the Physitian) chanced to see both, and that in the Porringer was half Blood and half Chyle, swimming upon it like a Serum as white as Milk, and that in the Sawcer all Chyle without the least appearance of a drop of Blood; and when he heated them distinctly over a gentle fire, they both harden'd: As the white of an Egge when 'tis heated, or just as theSerumof Blood doth with heating, but far more white. This Maid was then in good health, and only let Blood because she never had her Courses, yet of a very florid clear Complexion.
TheReaderof these Papers is desired, that in those ofNumb. 4. pag.60. lin. 10. he would be pleased to readeight, instead ofhundred: this latter word having been put in by a great over-sight, and without this Correction, injuring that Author, whose Considerations are there related. This Advertisement should have been given inNumber 5. but was omitted for haste.
ImprimaturRob. Say, Vice-Cancel.Oxon.
Oxford, Printed byLeonard Lichfield: forRichard Davis. 1665.
Num.7.