PHILOSOPHICALTRANSACTIONS.

Monday,Decemb.4. 1665.

Monsieur deSonsprogress in workingParabolarGlasses. Some speculations of MonsieurAuzoutconcerning the changes, likely to be discovered in the Moon. The instance of the same Person to Mr.Hook, for communicating his Contrivance of making with Glasses of a few feet Diameter,Telescopesdrawing several hundred feet; together with his Offer of recompensing that secret with another, which teaches, How to measure with aTelescopetheDistances of Objectsupon theEarth. The Experiment ofKircher, of preparing a Liquor, that shall sink into, and colour the whole Body of Marble, delivered at length. An Intimation of a Way found inEurope, to make goodChina-Dishes. An Account of an odd Spring inWestphalia, together with an Information touchingSalt-Springs; and a way of strainingSalt-water. Of the Rise and Attempts of a way to conveigh Liquors immediately into the Mass of Blood.

Since what was mentioned in the immediately precedentTract, touching Monsieurde Son'snoble attempt of grinding Glasses of aParabolicalFigure, thePublisherof thesePapershath himself seen twoEye-glassesof that shape, about one inch & a half deep, and one inch and a quarter broad, wrought by this EminentArtistwith a rare Steel-instrument of his own contrivance and workmanship, and by himself also polished to admiration. And certainly it will be wondred at by those,who shall see these Glasses, how they could be truly wrought to such a Figure, with such a Cavity; & yet more, when they shall hear the Author undertake to excavate other suchEye-Glassesto above two inches, andObject-glassesof five inchesDiameter. He hath likewise already begun hisObject-glassesfor the mentioned twoOcularones, of the same Figure of about two inchesDiameter, which are to be left all open, yet without causing any colours. Of all which 'tis hoped, that shortly a fuller and more particular accompt will be given.

This InquisitivePhilosopherin a letter of his, lately written to his correspondent inLondon, takes occasion to discourse of his considerations concerning those Changes, mentioned in theTitle, as followes;

I have (saith he) sometimes thought upon theChanges, which 'tis likely, the supposed Inhabitants of theMoonmight discover in ourEarth, to see, whither reciprocally I could observe any such in theMoon. For example, methinks, that theEarthwould to the people of theMoonappear to have a different face in the several seasons of the year; and to have another appearance inWinter, when there is almost nothing green in a very great part of theEarth; when there are Countries all covered with snow, others, all covered with water, others, all obscured with Clouds, and that for many weeks together:AnotherinSpring, when the Forrests and Fields are green.AnotherinSummer, when whole Fields are yellow &c. Me thinks, I say, thatthesechanges are considerable enough in the force of the reflexions of Light to be observed, since we see so many differences of Lights in theMoon. We haveRiversconsiderable enough to be seen, and they enter far enoughinto the Land, and have a bredth capable to be observed. There areFluxesin certain places, that reach into large Countries, enough to make there some apparent change; & in some of our Seas there float sometimes such bulky masses of Ice, that are far greater, than the Objects, which we are assured, we can see in theMoon. Again, we cut down whole Forrests, and drain Marishes, of an extent large enough to cause a notable alteration: And men have made such works, as have produced Changes great enough to be perceived. In many places also areVulcans, that seem big enough to be distinguish't, especially in the shadow: And when Fire lights upon Forrests of great extent, or upon Towns, it can hardly be doubted, but these Luminous Objects would appear either in an Ecclipse of the Earth, or when such parts of the Earth are not illuminated by the Sun. But yet, I know no man, who hath observed such things in theMoon; and one may be rationally assured that noVulcansare there,orthat none of them burn at this time. This it is (so he goes on) which all Curious men, that have goodTelescopes, ought well to attend; and I doubt not; but, if we had a very particularMapof theMoon, as I had designed to make one with aTopography, as it were, of all the considerable places therein, that We or our Posterity would find some changes in Her. And if theMappsof theMoonofHevelius,Divini, andRiccioliare exact, I can say, that I have seen there some places considerable enough, wheretheyputparts that are clear, whereasIthere seedark ones. 'Tis true that if there beSeasin theMoon, it can hardly fall out otherwise, than it doth upon ourEarth, whereAlluvium'sare made in some places, and the Sea gains upon the Land in others.I say, if those Spots we see in theMoon, are Seas, as most believe them to be; whereas I have many reasons, that make me doubt, whether they be so; of which I shall speak elsewhere. And I have sometimes thought, whether it might not be, that all the Seas of theMoon, if there must be Seas, were on the side of the otherHemisphere, and that for this cause it might be that theMoonturns not upon itsAxis, as ourEarth,wherein the Lands and Seas are, as it were, ballanced: That thence also may proceed the non-appearance of any Clouds raised there, or of any Vapors considerable enough to be seen, as there are raised upon this Earth; and that this absence of Vapors is perhaps the cause, that noCrepuscleis there, as it seems there is none, my selfe at least not having hitherto been able to discerne any mark thereof: For, me thinks, it is not to be doubted, but that the reputed Citizens of theMoonmight see ourCrepuscle, since we see, that the same is without comparison stronger, than theLightafforded us by theMoon, even when she isfull; for, a little after Sun-set, when we receive no more than thefirstLight of theSun, the sky is far clearer, than it is in the fairest night of thefull Moon. Mean while, since we see inthe Moon, when she is increasing or decreasing, the Light she receives from the Earth, we cannot doubt, but that the People of theMoonshould likewise see in theEarththat Light, wherewith theMoonilluminates it, with perhaps the difference, there is betwixt their bigness. Much rather therefore should they see the Light of theCrepuscle, being, as we have said, incomparably greater. In the mean time we see not any faint Light beyond theSectionof the Light, which is every where almost equaly strong, and we there distinguish nothing at all, not so much that cleerest part, which is calledAristarchus, orPorphyrites, as I have often tryed; although one may there see the Light, which theEarthsends thither, which is sometimes so strong, that in theMoon'sdecrease I have oftendistinctlyseenallthe parts of theMoon, that werenot enlightnedby theSun, together with the difference of the clear parts, and the Spots, so far as to be able to discern them all. TheShaddowsalso of all theCavitiesof theMoonseem to be stronger, than they would be, if there were aSecondLight. For, although a far off, the shaddows of our Bodies, environed with Light, seem to Us almost dark; yet they doe not so appear so much, as the Shaddows of theMoondoe; and those that are upon theEdgeof theSection,should not appear in the like manner. But, I will determine nothing of any of these things. When I shall hereafter have made more frequent Observations of the Moon with mygreat Telescopes, in convenient time, I shall then perhaps learn more of it, than I know at present, at least it will excite theCuriousto endeavor to make the like Observations; and it may be, others, that I have not thought of.

InNumb.4. Of thesePapers, pag.67. Mr.Hookhad intimated, that he would shortly discover a way of his, with aPlane-convexGlasse of a Sphære of 20. or 40. feetDiameter, withoutVeines, and truly wrought of thatFigure, to make aTelescope, that with a singleEye-glassshould draw 300, 400, yea 1000 feet,withoutat allaltering the Convexity: MonsieurAuzoutreturns this consideration, and offer upon it, which follows:

To perform (saith he) with alesser Object-glassthe effect of agreat Telescope, we must find out a way to make such anObject-glassto receive as many Rayes as one will, without their being sensibly distant from one another; to the end, that by applying to it astronger Eye-glass, there may be still Beams enough to see the Object, and to obliterate the small specks and imperfections of theEye-glass. And if Mr.Hookhath this Invention, I esteem it one of the greatest, that can be found in the matter ofTelescopes. If he please to impart it to us, we shall be obliged to him; andI wish, I had a secret inOpticksto encourage him to that communication. If I did believe, that this would be esteemed one, To measure with agreat Telescopethedistance of Objectsupon theEarth; which I have found long since, and proposed to some by way of Paradox;Locorum distantias ex unica statione, absque ullo Instrumento Mathematico, metiri; I doe here promise to discover it to him, with the necessary Tables, as soon as He shall have imparted his to me; which I will use, as he shall order me. For, although thePractisedoe not altogether answer theTheoryof my Invention, because that the length of theTelescopesadmits of some Latitude; yet one comes near enough, and perhaps as Just, as by most of the wayes, ordinarily used with Instruments. That, which I am proposing, I doubt not but M.Hookwill soon understand, and see the determination of all Cases possible. I shall only say, that if we look upon the soleTheory, we make use of an ordinaryTelescope, whereof theEye-glassis to beConvexe: for, by putting the Glasses at a little greater distance, than they are, proportionably to the distance for which it is to serve, and by adding to it anew Eye-glass, the Object will be seen distinct, though obscure; and if theEye-glassbeConvexe, the Object will appear erect. They may be done two manner of ways; either by leaving theTelescopein its ordinary situation, theObject-glassbefore theEye-glass; or by inverting it, and puttingthisbeforethat. But if any will make use of twoObject-glasses, whereof theFocus'sare known, the distance of them will be known. If it be supposed, that theFocusof thefirstbe B. andthatof thesecondC, and the distance given, B + 2D, and that DminusC, beequalto F; for, this distance will beequalto B + C + F - rF² - C². And if you have theFocusof thefirst Object-glass, equal to B, the distance, where you will put thesecondGlass equal to B + C + D, thefocusof the 2d Glasse will be found equal toCD/C+D. And if you will that the Object shall be magnified as much with these two Glasses, as it would be with a single one, whereof theFocusshould be of the distance given, having theFocusof theObject-glassgiven equal to B, and the distance to B + D; the distance between the first and the second Glass will be equal to2B² + 2BD/2B + D, whence subducting B (theFocusof theObject-glassgiven) there remainsBD/2B + D; and if this sum be supposed equal to C, we shall easily know, by the preceding Rule, theFocusof thesecondGlass.

So far M.Auzout, who, I trust, will receive due satisfaction to his desire, as soon as the happy end of the present Contagion shall give a beginning and life again to the Studies and Actions of our retiredPhilosophers.

I shall onely here adde, That the Secret he mentions [Of measuring the distance of Places by a Telescope (fitted for that purpose) and from one Station] is a thing already known (if I am not mis-informed) to some Members of our Society; who have been a good while since considering of it, and have contrived ways for the doing of it: Whether the same with those of Mr.Auzout, I know not. Nor have I (at the distance that I am now from them) opportunity of particular Information.

ThisExperiment, having been hinted at in the next foregoingPapers, out of theMundus SubterraneusofAthanasius Kircher, and several Curious Persons, who either have not the leisure to read Voluminous Authors, or are not readily skilled in that Learned Tongue wherein the said Book is written, being very desirous to have it transferred hither, it was thought fit to comply with their desire herein.

The Author therefore of theMundus, &c, having seensome stones reputed to benaturalthat had most lively Pictures, not only upon them, but passingthorowtheir whole substance, and thereupon finding anArtist; skilful to perform such rare workmanship, did not only pronounce such stones to beartificial, but when thatArtistwas unwilling to communicate unto him his Secret, did joyn his study and endeavors with those of oneAlbertus GunteraSaxon, to find it out themselves: wherein having succeeded, it seems, they made the Experiments which this Industrious and communicativeJesuitdelivers in this manner:

The Colours, saith he, are thus prepared; I take ofAqua fortisandAqua Regis, two ouncesana; ofSal Armoniackone ounce; of the bestSpirit of Wine, two drachms; as muchGoldas can be had for nineJulio's (aJuliobeing about six pence English) of pureSilver, two drachmes. These things being provided, let the Silver, when calcined, be put into a Vial; and having powred upon it the two drachmes ofAqua fortis, let it evaporate, and you shall have a Water yielding first ablewColour, and afterwards ablack. Likewise put the Gold, when calcin'd, into a Vial, and having powred theAqua Regisupon it, set it by to evaporate: then put theSpirit of Wineupon theSal Armoniack, leaving it also till it be evaporated; and you will have a Golden coloured Water, which will afford you divers Colours. And, after this manner, you may extract manyTincturesof Colours out of other Mettals. This done, you may, by the means of these two Waters, paint what Picture you please upon white Marble, of thesofterkind, renewing the Figure every day for several days with some fresh superadded Liquor, and you shall find in time, that the Picture hath penetrated thewholesolidity of the Stone, so that cutting it into as many parts as you will, it will always represent unto you the same Figure on both sides.

So far he, which how far it answers expectation, is referred to the Tryal of Ingenious Artists. In the mean time there are not wanting Experienced Men that scruple the Effect, butyet are far from pronouncing any thing positively against it, so that they doe not discourage any that have conveniencies, from trying.

But whether the way there mentioned will succeed, or not, according to expectation: Sure it is that a Stone-cutter inOxford, Mr.Bird, hath many years since found out a way of doing the same thing, in effect, that is here mentioned; and hath practised it for many years. That is, he is able so to apply a colour to the outside of polished Marble, as that it shall sink a considerable depth into the body of the stone; and there represent like figures or images as those are on the outside; (deeper or shallower according as he continues the application, a longer, or lesser while.) Of which kind there be divers pieces to be seen inOxford,London, and elsewhere. And some of them being shewed to his Majesty, soon after his happy restauration, they were broken in his presence, and found to answer expectation. And others may be dayly seen, by any who is curious, or desirous to see it.

Notice was lately given by an inquisitiveParisianto a friend of his inLondon, that by an Acquaintance he had been informed, that SignorSeptalio, a Canon inMillan, had the Secret of making as goodPorcelaneas is made inChinait self, and transparent; adding that he had seen him make some.

This as it deserves, so it will be further inquired after, if God permit.

An observing Gentleman did lately write out ofGermany, that inWestphaliain the Diocess ofPaderborn, is a Spring, which looses it self twice in 24 houres; coming always, after 6 houres, back again with a great noise, and so forcibly, asto drive 3 Mills not far from its source. The Inhabitants call it theBolderborn, as if you should say, theBoysterous Spring.

The same Person, having mentioned the manySalt-SpringsinGermany, as those atLunenburg, atHallinSaxony, atSaltzwedelinBrandenburger Mark, inTyrol, &c. observes, that no Salt-water, which contains any Metal with it, can well be sodden to Salt in a Vessel of the same Metal, which it self contains, exceptVitriolin Copper Vessels.

He adds, that, to separate Salt from Salt-water, without Fire, if you take a Vessel of Wax, hollow within, and every where tight; and plunge it into the Sea, or into other Salt-water, there will be made such a separation, that the vessel shall be full of sweet water, the Salt staying behind: but, though this water have no saltish taste, yet,he saith, there will be found a Salt in the Essay, which is the Spirit of Salt, subtile enough with the water to penetrate the Wax.

Whereas there have lately appeared in publick someBooks, printed beyond the Seas, treating of the Way ofInjecting liquors into Veines; in which Books theOriginalof theInventionseems to be adscribed to others, besides him, to whom it really belongs; It will surely not be thought amiss, if something be said, whereby the trueInventor'sright may beyond exception be asserted & preserved; To which end, there will need no more, than barely to represent theTimewhen, and thePlacewhere, & among whom it was first started and put to tryal. To joyn all these circumstances together, 'Tis notorious, that at least six years since (a good while before it was heard off, that any one did pretend to have so much as thought of it) the Learned and Ingenious Dr.Christopher Wrendid propose in theUniversityofOxford(where he now is the Worthy Savilian Professor ofAstronomy, and where very many Curious Persons are ready toattest this relation) to that Noble Benefactor to Experimental Philosophy, Mr.Robert Boyle, Dr.Wilkins, and other deserving Persons, That he thought, he could easily contrive a Way to conveigh any liquid thing immediately into the Mass of Blood;videl: By making Ligatures on the Veines, and then opening them on the side of the Ligature towards the Heart, and by putting into them slender Syringes or Quills, fastened to Bladders (in the manner of Clyster-pipes) containing the matter to be injected; performing that Operation upon pretty big and lean doggs, that the Vessels might be large enough and easily accessible.

This Proposition being made, M.Boylesoon gave order for anApparatus, to put it to Experiment; wherein at several times, upon several Doggs,Opium& the Infusion ofCrocus Metallorumwere injected into that part of the hind-legs of those Animals, whence the larger Vessels, that carry the Blood, are most easy to be taken hold of: whereof the success was, that theOpium, being soon circulated into the Brain, did within a short time stupify, though not kill the Dog; but a large Dose of theCrocus Metallorum, made another Dog vomit up Life and all: All which is more amply and circumstantially delivered by Mr.Boylein his Excellent Book of theUsefulness of Experimental Philosophy, Part 2. Essay 2. pag. 53. 54. 55. Where 'tis also mention'd, that the fame of this Invention and of the succeeding Tryals being spread, and particularly coming to the knowledge of a foreignAmbassadour, that was Curious, and then resided inLondon, it was by him tryed with someCrocus Metallorum, upon a Malefactor, that was an inferiour Servant of his; with this success, that the Fellow, as soon as ever the Injection began to be made, did, either really or craftily, fall into a swoon; whereby, being unwilling to prosecute so hazardous an Experiment, they desisted, without seeing any other effect of it, save that it was told the Ambassadour, that it wrought once downwards with him: Since which time, it hath been frequently practised both inOxford&London; as well before theRoyal Society, as elsewhere. And particularly that LearnedPhysitian, Dr.Timothy Clerk, hath made it part of his business, to pursue those Experiments with much industry, great accurateness, and considerable observations thereon; which above two years since, were by him produced and read before theRoyal Society, who thereupon desired him, as one of their Members, to compleat, what he had proposed to himself upon that subject, and then to publish the same: the Effect whereof 'tis hoped, will now shortly appear, and not prove unwelcome to the Curious.

Some whereof, though they may conceive, that liquors thus injected into Veines without preparation and digestion, will make odde, commotions in the Blood, disturb Nature, and cause strange Symptoms in the Body, yet they have other thoughts on Liquors, that are prepared of such things, as have passed the Digestion of the Stomach; for example, of Spirit of Urine, of Harts-horne, of Blood &c. And they hope likewise, that besides theMedicalUses, that may be made of thisInvention, it may also serve forAnatomicalpurposes, by filling, after this way, the vessels of an Animal as full, as they can hold, and by exceedingly distending them, discoverNewVessels, &c: But not now to enlarge upon the Uses, the Reader may securely take this Narrative, as the naked real Matter of Fact, whereby 'tis as clear, as Noon day (both from the Time, and irrefragable Testimony of very many considerable Persons in that University, who can jointly attest it; as well as from that particular unquestionable one of Mr.Boyleand his worthy Company, who were the first Eye-witnesses of the Tryals made,) that toOxford, and in it, to Dr.Christopher Wren, this Invention is due; and consequently, that all others, who discourse or write of it, doe either derive it from Him, or are fallen upon the same Devise several years after Him.

Published with License.

Oxford, Printed byA: & L: Lichfield, forRic: Davis. 1665.

Num.8.

Munday,Januar.8. 1665/6.

An Account of the Tryals, made inItalyofCampani'snew Optick Glasses. A further relation of the Whale-fishing about theBermudas, and upon the Coast ofNew England, andNew Netherland. Of a remarkable Spring ofPaderborninGermany. Of some other uncommon Springs atBaseland inAlsatia. Of the richest Salt-springs inGermany. Some Observations of Strange Swarms ofInsects, and the mischiefs done by them: as also of the Brooding of Snakes and Vipers. Observations of odd Constitutions of humane Bodies. Of a way, used inItaly, of preserving Ice and Snow byChaffe. Directions for Sea-men bound for far Voyages, drawn up by MasterRook, lateGeometryProfessour ofGresham Colledge. Some Observations ofJupiter; Eclipsed by one of hisSatellites: and of his Conversion about hisAxis. Of some Philosophical and Curious Books, that are shortly to come abroad.

An InquisitiveParisianwrites to his Correspondent inLondon, as follows;

We received lately news fromRome, from a very Curious Person of our acquaintance, importing, thatCampanihath had the advantage ofDivini. The Great Duke ofToskany, and PrinceLeopold, his Brother, upon Tryal, made of both their Glasses, have found those ofCampaniexcel the other, and with them they have been able, easily to distinguish peopleat 4 Leagues distance: Of which I intend you more particulars hereafter.

Among them are expected theLengthof theseTelescopes, and the Largeness of theApertureof theirObject-glasses. In the mean time, theParabolical-glasses, formerly mentioned to be in hand here atLondon, are finishing with all possible care and industry.

The same Person, that communicated the particulars about the new Whale-fishing near theBermudas, mentioned in the first of theseTracts, gives this further Information; That there have been since taken by order of theBermudasCompany, sixteen of those Whales, the Oyle whereof, to the quantity of 50 or 60 Tuns arrived inIrelandatLimrick, some few months agoe.

He adds, that about two years since, there stranded upon the Coast ofNew-Englanda dead Whale, of that sort, which they callTrumpo, having Teeth resembling those of a Mill, and its mouth at a good distance from, and under the Nose or Trunk, and several boxes or partitions in the Nose, like those of the Tailes in Lobsters; and that that being open'd there run out of it a thin oily substance, which would candy in time; after which, the remainder, being a thick fatty substance, was taken out of the same part, with a scoope. And this substance he affirmed to be theSperma Ceti; adding further, that theBlubber, as they call it, it self, of the same sort of Whales, when stewed, yields on the top a creamy substance, which taken off, and thrown upon whitewine,lets fall a dirty heterogeneous sediment, but what remains aloft, affords aSperma-Ceti-like matter.

He concluded his relation with observing, that these whales were to be met with, between the Coast ofNew-England, andNew-Netherland, where they might be caught eight or nine months in the year, whereas those about theBermudasare to be found there only in the Months ofFebruary,MarchandApril.

Concerning the death of the Whale, which hath been related to have stranded uponNew-England, it is not very improbable, but, (that Fish having also more than one Enemy, whereof a small Fish called theThresheris one, who, by Mr.Terry'sRelation in hisEast-IndianVoyage, with his nimbleness vexes him as much, as a Bee does a great Beast on the land; and a certain horny Fish another, who runs its horn into the Whal's belly) it may have been kill'd by the latter of these two; which kind of Fish is known, sometimes to run its horn into Ships (perhaps taking them for Whales) and there snapping it asunder; as hapned not long since to an English Vessel in theWest-IndianSeas; the broken piece of that Horn being by the Master of that ship presented to the King, and now kept in His Majesties Repository: the like whereof befel aFrenchVessel, sailing towards theEast-Indies, according to the Relation, made by MonsieurThevenotin his secondTomeofCurious Voyages.

An inquiring Gentleman of those parts writes to his Friend inLondon, as follows;

In this Diocess ofPaderborn, about 2 leagues from that Town, is a treble Spring call'dMetborn, which has three streams, two wherof are not above one foot and a half distant from one another, and yet of so differing qualities, that whereas one of them is limpid, blewish, lukewarm, bubling, and holding Sal-armoniack, Ochra, Iron, Vitriol,Allum, Sulphur, Niter, Orpiment, used against Epilepsie, bad Spleens, and the Wormes; the other is Ice-cold, turbid and whitish, much stronger in tast, and heavier than the former, holding much Orpiment, Salt, Iron, Niter, and some Sal-Armoniack, Allum and Vitriol; Of this all Birds, observed to drink of it, doe dye; which I have also privately experimented by taking some of it home, and giving it to Hens, after I had given them Oates, Barly and Bread-crums; For, soon after they had drunk of it, they became giddy, reeled, and tumbled upon their backs, with convulsion-fitts, and so dyed with a great extention of their leggs. Giving them common-salt immediatly after they had drunk; they dyed not so soon; giving them vineger, they dyed not at all, but seven or eight days after were troubled with thePipp. Those that dyed, being open'd, their Lungs were found quite shrivelled together. Yet some men, that are troubled with Worms, taking a litle quantity of it, and diluting it in common water, have been observed by this means to kill the Worms in their bellies, so that a great number of worms come from them; whereupon though they are sick, yet they dye not. As to the third stream, that lyes lower than the other two, about 20 paces distant from them, it is of a greenish colour, very clear, and of a sowre sweet tast, pleasing enough. It hath about a middle weight between the other two; whence wee guess, that it is mixed of them both, meeting there together: to confirm which, we have mixed equal quantities, of those two, with an addition of a litle common well-water, and have found that they, being stirred together and permitted to setle, made just a water of the same colour and tast of this third stream.

A Curious Person writes from those Places in manner following;

AtBaselthe Spring, running in theGerbergasse(orTanners-street) from St.Leonard'sHill, is of a Blewish colour, and somewhat troubled, holding Copper, Bitumen, and Antimony, about 3 parts of the first, one of the second, and two of the last, as has been examined by skilful Persons. Our Tanners do water their Skins in it; and being a well-tasted and wholesome Water, it is both much drunk, and used to Bath in. It mingles with another Spring water, call'd theBirsick, and with it, between theSalt-towerand theRhine-gateruns into theRhine.

In the same Town (which abounds with Spring-waters) there are two, among the rest, calledBandulph's-well, andBrun Zum Brunnen, that are more observable then the other; the former of them having aCamphoryand drying Quality, and used against Hydropical Distempers; the latter containing some Sulphur, Saltpeter and Gold, and being an excellent Water to drink, much used in the principal Tavern of the City, where the chief of the Town do resort, and near which it runs.

InAlsatiain the Valley, calledLeberthal, nearGeesbach(an ancient Mine-work) there runs out of aCaverna foul, fattish, oily Liquor, which, though the Country-men of that place employ to the vile use of greasing their Wheels, instead of ordinary Wheel-grease; yet doth it afford an excellent Balsom, by taking a quantity of it, and putting it in an Earthen Pot well luted, that no steam may exhale; and then with a gentle Fire at first, but a stronger afterwards, boyling it for three hours together; in which space it will boyl in a fourth part, and an Earthen Matter, like Pitch, will settle it self at the bottom: but on the top thereof, when cold, there will swim a fatty Substance, like Lyne-Oyl, limped and somewhat yellowish, which is to be decanted from the thick Sediment, and then gently distilled in an Alembick inArena, by which means, there will come over two differing Liquors, one Phlegmatick, the other Oily,which latter swimming on the Phlegm, is to be severed from it. The Phlegm is used as an excellent Resister and Curer of all the Putrefactions of the Lungs and Liver, and it heals all foul Wounds and Ulcers. The Oily part, being diluted with double its quantity of distilled Vineger, and brought three times over the Helm, yields a rare Balsom, against all inward and outward Corruptions, stinking Ulcers, hereditary Scurfs and Scabs: 'Tis also much used against Apoplexies, Palsies, Consumptions, Giddinesses, and Head-aches. Inwardly they take it with Succory-water against all corruptions of the Lungs. It is a kind ofPetroleum, and contains no other Mineral Juice, but that ofSulphur, which seems to be thus distilled byNatureunder ground; the distillation of an Oyl out ofSulphurby Art, being not so easie to perform.

An Account having been desired of those two chiefSalt-SpringsinGermany, atHallandLunenburg, it was lately transmitted thus:

TheSalt-SpringsatHallinSaxonyare four, calledGutiaar, theDutch-Spring, theMettritz, and theHackel-dorn; whereof the three first hold near the same proportion of Salt; the last hold less, but yields the purest Salt. The three first hold about seven parts of Salt, three of Marcasit, and fourteen of water: They are, besides their Oeconomical use, employed Medicinally to Bath in, and to draw a Spirit out of it, exhibited with good success against Venom, and the putrefaction of the Lungs, Liver, Reins, and the Spleen.

TheSalt WateratLunenburgh, being more greenish then white, and not very transparent, is about the same nature and hold with that ofHall. It hath a mixture of Lead with it, whence also it will not be sod in Leaden Pans, and if it held no Lead at all, it would not be so good, that Metal being judged topurifiethe Water: whence also the Salt ofLunenburgis preferred before all others, that are made of Salt Springs.

A great Observer, who hath lived long inNew England, did upon occasion, relate to a Friend of his inLondon, where he lately was, That some few Years since there was such a swarm of a certain sort of Insects in thatEnglishColony, that for the space of of 200 Miles they poyson'd and destroyed all the Trees of that Country; there being found innumerable little holes in the ground, out of which those Insects broke forth in the form ofMaggots, which turned intoFlyesthat had a kind of taile or sting, which they struck into the Tree, and thereby envenomed and killed it.

The like Plague is said to happen frequently in the Country of theCosacksorUkrani, where in dry Summers they are infested with such swarms ofLocusts, driven thither by anEast, orSouth-EastWind, that they darken the Air in the fairest weather, and devour all the Corn of that Country; laying their Eggs inAutumn, and then dying; but the Eggs, of which every one layeth two or three hundred, hatching the next Spring, produce again such a number of Locusts, that then they do far more mischief than afore, unless Rains do fall, which kill both Eggs and the Insects themselves, or unless a strongNorthorNorth-WestWind arise, which drives them into theEuxinSea: The Hogs of that Country loving these Eggs, devour also great quantities of them, and thereby help to purge the Land of them; which is often so molested by this Vermine, that they enter into their Houses and Beds, fall upon their Tables and into their Meat, insomuch that they can hardly eat without taking down some of them; in the Night when they repose themselves upon the ground, they cover it three, or four Inches thick, and if a Wheel passover them, they emit a stench hardly to be endured: All which, and much more may be fully seen in theFrenchDescription of the Countries ofPoland, made byMonsieur de Beauplan, and byMonsieur Thevenot, in his Relation of theCosacks, contained in the First part of hisCurious Voyages.

Several have taken notice, that there is a difference between the brooding of Snakes and Vipers, those laying their Eggs in Dung-hills, by whose warmth they are hatched; but these (Vipers) brooding their Eggs within their Bellies, and bringing forth live Vipers. To which may be added, That some affirm to have seen Snakes lye upon their Eggs, as Hens sit upon theirs.

A very curious Person, studying Physick atLeyden, to whom had been imparted those Relations about a Milky Substance in Veins, heretofore alledged inNumb.6. returns, by way of gratitude, the following Observations.

There was (saith he) not many Years since, in this Country a Student, who being much addicted to the study ofAstronomy, and spending very many Nights in Star-gazing, had, by the Nocturnal wet and cold temper of the Air, in such a manner obstructed the pores of his skin, that little or nothing exhaled from his Body; which appeared hence, because that the shirt, he had worn five or six weeks, was then as white as if he had worn it but one day. In the mean while he gathered a subcutaneous Water, of which yet he was afterwards well cured.

We have also (saith the same) seen here a young Maid, of about thirteen Years of age, which from the time that she was but six Years old, and began to be about her Mother inthe Kitchin, would, as often as she was bid to bring her Salt, or could else come at it, fill her Pockets therewith, and eat it, as other children doe Sugar: whence she was so dried up, and grown so stiff, that she could not stirre her limbs, and was thereby starved to death.

That Learned and Observing DoctorJohn Beal, upon the perusal of the forementionedNumb.6. was pleased to communicate this Note:

To your Observation, of Milk in Veines, I can add aPhænomenonof some resemblance to it, which I received above 20 years agoe fromThomas Day, an Apothecary inCambridg;vid.That himself let a man bloud in the arme, by order of DoctorEade, a Physitian there. The mans bloud was white as Milk, as it run out of his arme, it had a little dilute redness, but immediately, as it fell into the Vessel, it was presently white; and it continued like drops of Milk on the pavement, where ever it fell. The conjecture which the said Physitian had of the cause of this appearance, was, that the Patient had much fed on Fish; affirming withall, that he had soon been a Leper, if not prevented by Physick.

The Ingenious Mr.William Balldid communicate the relation hereof, as he had received it from his Brother, now residing atLivorne, as follows;

The Snow, or Ice-houses are here commonly built on the side of a steep hill, being only a deep hole in the ground, by which meanes, they easily make a passage out from the bottom of it, to carry away all the water, which, if it should remain stagnating therein, would melt the Ice and Snow: but they thatch it with straw, in the shape of a Saucepan-cover, that the rain may not come at it. The sides (supposing it dry) they line not with any thing, as is done in St.Jeames's Park, by reason of the moistness of the ground. This Pit they fillfull of Snow or Ice (taking care that the Ice be made of the purest water, because they put it into their wine) over-spreading first the bottom very well withChaffe; by which I mean not any part of the straw, but what remains upon the winnowing of the Corn; and I think, they here use Barley-chaffe. This done, they further, as they put in the Ice, or the Snow, (which latter they ram down,) line it thick by the sides with such Chaffe, and afterwards cover it well with the same; and in half a years lying so, 'tis found not to want above an eight part of what it weighed, when first put in. When ever they take it out into the Aire, they wrap it in this Chaffe, and it keeps to admiration. The use of it inEnglandwould not be so much for cooling of drinks, as 'tis here generally used; but for cooling of fruits, sweetmeats &c.So far this Author.

The other usual way both inItalyand other Countries, to conserve Snow and Ice withStraworReed, is set down so punctually by Mr.Boylein hisExperimental History of Cold, pag. 408. 409. that nothing is to be added. It seemsPlinycould not pass by theseConservatories, and the cooling of drinks with Ice, without passing this severe, though elegant and witty, Animadversion upon them:Hi Nives, illi glaciem potant, pœnásque montium in voluptatem gulæ vertunt: Servatur algor æstibus, excogitatúrque ut alienis mensibus nix algeat, lib. 19. cap. 4. But theEpigrammatistsports with it thus;

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