he expands himself CHAP. IV. Laudanum Helmontii Junioris Communicated in the Philosophical Transactions of October 1674. Preparations of Laudanum TAKE of Opium four ounces of the Juice of Quinces four pound cut the Opium small and digest it in the Juice of Quinces ten days or more then filtre it and having infused in it of Cinnamon Nutmegs and Cloves each one ounce let them infuse six days and then having let it just boil a little filtre it and evaporate the moisture till the Mass is of what consistence you desire and incorporate with it two or three ounces of Saffron well powdered and make it up into a Mass The Dose of this Laudanum if kept liquid is from five to ten drops or less and of the Pills a less quantity is required CHAP. V. Observations of an Earth-Quake made at Oxford and communcated in the Transactions of April 2. 1666. Observations of au Earth-Quake RIding betwixt Oxford and a Lodging in the Country which was four Miles off the first two Miles it was colder than at other times all that Winter but before I got home the Wind turned and Rain began to fall And in an hour after I perceived a trembling in the House where I was and soon after there happened a brisk Storm At Brill a place higher than where I was the Earth-Quake was more sensible the Stones in the floor of a Gentleman's House being perceived to move This Hill abounds with several kinds of Mineral substances and I am told that from that place the Earth-Quake extended it self several Miles CHAP. VI. Passages relating to the Art of Medicine Passages relating to the Art of Medicines THO' the following passages may be of small use to the Ingenious and Experienced Masters yet since they may be fervicable to younger Physicians I shall for their Information impart them EXPERIMENT I. A tall well set Gentleman about twenty four years old having by a fall broke his Skull in several places which were several times Trepaned and large Chasms made in it by the taking away of several pieces in about three days time he was seized with a Palsey on one side so violently as to be deprived of motion and almost of sense except that in his Leg he had some short remissions And this Palsie continued about twenty four weeks about which time his head being further laid open they found a Splinter of a bone much like the scale of a Fish which stuck so fast and close to the Dura Mater that an effusion of Blood accompanyed the taking of it away but that being stopped in about three days time his Palsie began to leave him and he is now very strong and healthy tho' the Callus which supplies the place of his Skull be very large From whence it appears what great effects may spring from a very slight cause But besides the aforementioned Observations it was further to be taken notice of that the Parts whilst the Palsie continued were not only deprived of sense and motion but were very much extenuated by a continued Atrophy which loss of substance they acquired again upon a Cessation of the Paralytick affection And it was further to be observed that all the difference betwixt those and other Parts was that they were more subject to be cold To which we may add that tho' he was frequently let blood he continued to have a good stomach nor did the affection of the Brain cause the least Vomiting or Convulsions EXPERIMENT II. To shew the great and terrible effects of sudden Passions of the mind I shall relate the following History viz. That a Woman having taken a Boy to a River side with her which she loved very well the Boy accidentally falling into the Water unseen by her when she missed him she was taken with a dead Palsie which could not be removed EXPERIMENT III. But to shew what contrary effects violent Passions of the mind may have I shall add that a Gentleman who was in his youth taken with so violent a Sciatica that he could not go but was carried to Church and look't upon as Incurable yet once when he was in the Church news being brought that the enemy was entred into the Town which was a Frontier Garrison and designed to Massacre all in the Church they all fled and left him behind them who being as much afraid of himself as the rest got off his seat and walk'd along like other Men and this I received from the Person affected forty years after the said fright who in all that time suffered not the least relapse of the Distemper It might be of no small advantage to Physick would Philosophers amongst those Experiments which they lay down as relating to what they write purposely about communicate those which they think of use to Physicians though they should be less pertinent to the Subject under Consideration for which reason I shall for the future communicate such desiring this short Advertisement may be my Apology A desined Chymical Medicine EXPERIMENT IV. Though Vomitive Medicines are not a little dangerous yet since in several Diseases they are altogether requisite I shall here lay down a Preparation which is as effectual and yet safer than any other Liquor and much to be preferred before an Infusion of Crocus Metallorum The Preparation is this Distill two parts of Antimony and three of Spirit of Wine in a Glass-Receiver 'till the distill'd Menstruum is succeeded with red Flores and filtrating the Liquor through Cap-Paper lay it up for use close stoped It may be given from four to eight or ten Drops in a spoonful or two of Wine Black-Cherry Water or Spring-Water drinking some of the same Liquor after it to wash it down it works very soon and evacuates plentifully and effectually without danger It hath had not only very good success in Surfeits and several other Cases but cured a Person of an intermitting Feaver which put on various Types and continued to afflict the Patient three Years notwithstanding great quantities of the Jesuit's Powder had been frequently given But here it is requisite to add this short Advertisement viz. That the Powder if kept long being apt to precipitate it must either be made use of whilst the Liquor is fresh or the Bottle must be shaked well when it is used A designed Chymical Medicine Considering the great esteem and value of Mineral Waters I contrived a way to imitate them by making use of Ingredients very harmless in themselves and likely to make no less innocent a Composition The Tryal was this Having digested in a Bolt-head two days one part of Filings of Iron with ten of distill'd Vinegar and then increased the Heat 'till the transparent Liquor appear'd to be of an Orange Colour we poured part of it off lest the Menstruum being too much impregnated the Metal should be precipitated This Orange-Colour Tincture being kept for use we dropped four Drops into eight Ounces and a half of common Water which made an
Relation I shall add That I have often observ'd a Dulness and Clearness to succeed each other in a Diamond which I now have set in a Ring with the Former which Changes could be attributed to no Manifest Cause And I have observ'd no less suprizing a Change in the several Degrees of Electricity which could not be effected by any Cause that I could think of And I have been inform'd by one who had a certain Hungarian Diamond that it would acquire a much greater Degree of Sprightness by lying some time in Water From all which it appears That Considerable Changes may be effected in Diamonds by Agents which to Sense Operate very gently And if Diamonds are generated in the Earth as I have observ'd other Stones to be it is reasonable to think that the Hardness of their Substance proceeds from the Closeness of their Parts depending on the Intestin Motion of their Insensible Corpuscles by which they are brought to convene closer than ordinary And this I am rather Inclin'd to believe because I have been told by an Eminent Jeweller That the Diamonds of late Years are much more soft than those he formerly us'd to deal in And the truth of this is further confirm'd by what Egrezes a Frenchman writes of Diamonds P. M. 17 18. brought from the Mine call'd Gazerpoli the Sense of the Words is this They are very clear and of a good Water but they cannot be ground by Mutual Attrition except with Stones of the same Mine for if one should employ for that purpose the Stones of another Mine those of Gazerpoli would be broken in pieces They do also easily break upon the Wheel and those that are not vers'd in the Knowledge of Stones may be easily deceiv'd in them And the same Author speaking of another sort of Diamonds says That they sweat a sort of Unctuous Substance which being wip'd off as often renew it's Appearance And to these I shall add an Account of a Ruby which is one of the hardest Diamonds one of which a Lady nearly related to me wore upon her Finger which would often change it's Lustre the Cause of which could not be assign'd tho' these kind of Phaenomena seem to be the Effects of some Internal Motion in their Parts the Parts of Diamonds being capable of having their Parts put into Motion without much difficulty But tho' it be hence Evident That there is such an Intestin Motion of the Parts of Diamonds yet it may be thought strange to find the like in so firm and compact a Body as Glass But that the Parts of Glass are not always at Rest I am induc'd to believe by the following Observations First That several Plates of Venice-Glass have crack'd and broke in pieces when no external Agent could have any Sensible Operation on them which I conceive to proceed from a Redundancy of Saline Parts which striving to fly away break the Glass by their violent Motion which Conjecture I am confirm'd in since it is commonly observ'd The Parts of Glass in Motion That there is a Saline Substance adhering to the Surface of these Glasses in Cold Moist Weather And I have observ'd in a Glass into which too much Salt was put to make it Diaphanous several Cracks and Flaws which it got in the Cold Weather So that it rather appears to be a white than a Glass-Cup at a Distance And I as well as those that deal much amongst Glasses have observ'd several to fly in pieces when there was no outward Agent to be the Cause of such an Effect and I am inform'd by an Ingenious Man who is Master of a Glass-House That near a Third Part of a parcel of Glasses flew in pieces of their own accord after they had been kept for about five Years pack'd up To which I might add several other Instances to prove and illustrate the Doctrin above-deliver'd For these Phaenomena may be and are very Naturally accounted for by the Corpuscular Philosophy for supposing the Particles of Glass to be in a continual Elastick Endeavour to expand themselves and fly away and that several of those Particles are got together it is no wonder that they break and dis-joint those Parts of the United Glass which are least able to resist and keep them from Expansion And to Countenance this Explanation I shall add That several Alkalizate or other small Parts of Matter being inclos'd in the Body of a Glass it is always apter to break especially at that place from whence several Cracks spread themselves as from a Centre But whether the Elasticity of these Parts be promoted by any Subtile Bodies which penetrate the Glass I shall not now stay to examine but shall rather proceed to acquaint You That in a considerable Space of Time the Texture of Glass may be so alter'd as to be more unapt to give a free Passage to Aether it self or any other Subtle Body which could penetrate it before and consequently those Bodies Endeavouring to make their way tho' oppos'd by it's Texture cause a Proportionable Crack or Dissolution of the Substance of the Glass Observations concerning the Intestine Motion of the Parts of Glass And to what we have deliver'd concerning Glass these Observations are not altogether disagreeable viz. First That it is a Substance which by being rubb'd easily becomes Electrical which is an Argument that the Parts of it may without any great difficulty be put into Motion Secondly The Parts of Glass may fly asunder if the Neighbouring Parts be put into Motions disagreeable to each other which is evident if a hot Glass be immediately put into cold Water for the Motion of it's Corpuscles being externally checked those which within remain in a violent Agitation cause a sudden Disruption To which may be added That tho' one would think the Particles of Glass were so fix'd as to become unfit to alter their Figure and Shape yet their Parts continuing in some Degree of Agitation they may by invisible and insensible Agents be so work'd upon as to be forc'd to alter their Shape and Size In confirmation of which it may be observ'd That White and pure Transparent Glass will in a little time become very unfit to be put again into the Moulds they were first cast in But tho' I have mention'd both these Methods by which the Cracking of Glasses may be accounted for to shew that which soever of them we allow they will be Proof of an Intestine Motion in the Parts of Glass yet I will neither examine or determine which of them is rather to be rely'd on but shall only observe That the Motion of their Parts must needs be very slow since it is so long before it shews its Effects And now to conclude tho' from what hath been deliver'd it may be expected that I should draw Consequences to determine whether there be absolute Rest in Bodies or no I shall omit that and only intimate That it is not absurd to doubt nor improbable to
But for as much as from our Hypothesis it appears that the Original Cause of the Plague is not always so abstruse but sometimes begun as well as propagated by those noxious Effluvia without the Concurrence of any other Cause it may be requisite to take Notice that in China and those Countries where the Plague is unknown we may presume such noxious Steams are not emitted for tho' Sulphur is usually found in many Countries where Metalline Veins are frequent yet I never heard that in those Mines an Ounce of Native Sulphur was ever found Besides tho' there may be Minerals in a Country which may emit noxious Vapours yet the Mines from whence they come may by so deep in the Earth that they may not be able to infect the Atmosphere powerfully enough to cause a Pestilence tho' promoted in making their Way by some violent Earth-quake when upon a fall of some weighty Mass of Earth in Subterraneal Caverns a trembling Motion is communicatted to the Earth about it and propagated more or less proportionable to the first Cause for which Reasons noxious Effluvia being sometimes emitted which could not otherwise make their own way probably the Plague happens in Africa once in 30 or 100 Years periodically And a French Historian takes notice of a Disease in France not much unlike the Colick which for a long time return'd every 10th Year And Platerus Lib. 2. P. M. 303. Relates that the Plague at Brasil successively return'd every 10 Years for 70 Years together But further tho' in the East-Indies such Vapours should arise which would of themselves be pernicious yet others may rise which tho' noxious likewise may by combining with them form a Third Substance innocent enough So Corrosive Sublimate when combined with Crude Mercury becomes so useful and innocent a Medicine as Mercurius Dulcis Besides what hath been said another Reason why some Countries are free from the Plague may be some peculiar disposition in the Air to resist the Effects of noxious Exhalations as when the River Nile Increases and Over-flows the Plague in Aegypt ceases And the Soil in some Countries is of such a Temper as to impregnate the Air so that it suffers not poysonous Creatures to live in it A Second Reason why I think the Plague is propagated by Subterraneal Effluvia is because it happens sometimes when no Distemper is perceivable in the Air which seems able to produce such an Effect yet when the Aspects of the Stars have been threatning enough and the Air very intemperate no Plague hath followed as when Fernelius Writ his Observations De abditis rerum Causis Lib. 2. Chap. 13. It was immoderately hot but very Healthful and the same further tells us that the Plague hath sometimes began in Winter and gone off in Summer And Johannes Morellus that a Temperate and Healthful Spring which succeeded a Winter in which the North-wind Reign'd brought in the Plague tho' at the same time the North-wind continued serene and clear And the Constitution of the Air before the Plague in 1665 was not much unlike it Whence it is evident that the Plague depends not on manifest Qualities of the Air but is rather caused by Subterraneal Effluvia which float in it and which are drawn in by Respiration and that Poisonous Exhalations have rose from the Earth and infected the Air with a Pestilential Disposition Monsieur de Meszeray in the Life of Philip de Valoris and Diemerbroeck de Peste Lib. 1. Chap. 8. testifie And tho' there is a manifest difference in Pestilential Distempers in several Countries and at different times yet it is easily accounted for by our Hypothesis since the Minerals from whence those Vapours rise may be varied by new Combinations and the Influence of Subterraneal Fires and Menstruums as well as in the open Air by which they may be enabled to produce Symptoms more violent than in ordinary Distempers so that Hippocrates might well acknowledge in Distempers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 something above the ordinary Course of Nature The ill Effects of Mineral firmer As for the Natures of those Exhalations tho' they are hard to be known yet by the Effects and Symptoms of some Plagues and of Yellow Red and White Orpiment we may suspect them to flow from that Mineral Substance but tho' I believe some Plagues may arise from such Causes yet since the Earth abounds with several Minerals which we are not acquainted with we cannot deny but by the combinations of such there may result Substances which yeild Effluviums hurtful enough to human Bodies so by adding Common Salt to Orpiment they prepare White Arsnick which by the Mixture of Salt of it self innocent becomes more pernicious causing violent Symptoms which I have taken off by Oil of Sweet Almonds and something made of Limons And Sandarach as well as Native Arsnick seem to be little else than Red and White Orpiment the Effects of which are taken Notice of by Sennertus M. P. E. vid. Page 66. on a Painter whose Face was swell'd together with Fainting Fits upon opening a Box where Orpiment had been kept some time And White Arsnick hath had very fatal Effects when externally worn in Amulets sometimes causing burning Fevers Anxieties about the Heart inflammations exulcerations of the Breasts Black Pustles as if made with a Caustick weakness and Fainting and sometimes sudden Death which Symptoms have been cured by the same Antidotes that the Plague is And that Subterraneal Mineral Effluvia are able to effect very strange things appears from what Kircherus observes Scil. That in the Kingdom of Naples 1660 there were several Stains observ'd on Linnen Clothes much resembling Crosses that poysonous Matter which was the Cause of them being spread along the Threds which cross'd one another at right Angles These Stains would wash out with Soap and Water but their duration was very unequal some of them contrinuing ten and others fifteen days Antidotes against the ill Effects of the Plague And tho' it be impossible to discover the Natures of all noxious Effluvia yet undoubtedly a great many may and Antidotes thought on to destroy their ill Effects In the great Plague of London when upon a subsidence of the Pestilential Humors the Patients usually dyed the following Plaster apply'd to the Tumors of several prevented them from falling and either burst or made them fit to open and so saved the Lives of many Emplastrum attractivum Pestilentiale nostrum ℞ Gum. sagapen Ammon Galban an ℥ iij. Terebinth Lact. Cerae Virginis an ℥ iiijss Magnet Arsenicalis subt pulv ℥ ij Rad. Aron pulv ℥ j Gummi depurentur cum Acet Scyllit ad consistentiam Emplastri coquantur postea ponderentur deinde cum rebus aliis F. Empl. S. A. Hoc Emplastro Carbunculus obducatur quod paucis horis Venenum extrahit Praeparatio Magnet Arsenicalis anteà dicti ℞ Arsen Chrystallin Sulphuris Vitri Antimonii Crudi an Haec tria in mortario ferreo pulverisentur In Vase
Parts yet when it ceases to be water'd with a continual supply of Sap the Sap is only dispers'd in the Air or intercepted and spent in some other Part of the Tree From whence it appears that nothing at all perishes but only the Manner of Union and the Particular Modification of those Parts of Matter cease so that those solid Parts are no longer fitly adapted to be nourish'd by those Fluids Which Instance may serve to illustrate our Doctrin tho' there be considerable Difference betwixt the things compar'd inasmuch as a Plant hath not always that Aptitude to be again actuated as the Mill hath But there are some Instances which may render the Difference less considerable if we consider that the Rose of Jericho which tho' for several Years gather'd and wither'd is so far refresh'd by Water as to seem but lately gather'd And I have observ'd that tho' a Plant of Aloes had several Years hung near the Ceiling of my Chamber yet it was by the use of a convenient Liquor so far renew'd as to perform several things which are usually the Effects of Life and Growth And the like is confirm'd by what may be experimented in Wasps which tho' drown'd in Water will yet recover Life by the Heat of the Sun The Qualities of a Body whose Specifick Form is destroy'd depend not on the United Action of the whole Ingredients But to wave needless Illustrations I shall proceed to observe That tho' a Body hath laid down its Specifick Form yet the Qualities remaining are not always the Result of the united Subordinate Forms but depend sometimes on the determinate Forms of Particular Parts of that Body tho' the Union be such as to preserve the Structure as to Sense unalter'd as appears when an Extract is drawn out of Rhubarb or the Juice of Oak-Bark is extracted by Water the Remaining Substances tho' as to outward appearance the same New Qualities may be added upon a Dissolution of a Speficick Form retain not their Specifick Virtues Besides upon the Abolition of Specifick Forms several new Qualities may be added to a Body which it had not before by the Influence of external Agents As when Musk results from the Action of some External Body upon Flesh For not only the Seminal Rudiments latent in Bodies that have undergone a Change exert themselves but several outward Agents to which those Bodies are expos'd do by agitating and altering the Textures of that Matter promote such a Favourble concourse of Circumstances that Noble and very Exquisite Forms may result from their Union and Contexture As a Lime-Stone being Physically chang'd by the Influence of Congruous Particles when expos'd to the Air will yield Salt-Petre genuine and inflammable And I have often observ'd an Efflorescence upon certain Marcasites agreeable in both Colour and Taste as well as other Operations with Vitriol which could be nothing but the Effect of outward Agents changing the Texture of those Parts which lay open to the Air for some time The Modidifications of a Body may be twofold first in respect of ths Specifick Form secondly in respect of its own Parts But to wave there things I shall illustrate a little further what I just before hinted concerning a twofold Modification of Matter viz. the Relation it hath to a Specifick Form and that which is the meer Result of Texture amongst its own Parts what I shall offer is That some things are attributed to the Soul or Specifick Form which may be effected by the meer Subordinate Association of Parts promoted by a mutual Concourse of Natural Agents as the Excrements may be voided when a Man 's dead or Fruit may be ripen'd after it is gather'd without the assistance of the Expulsive Faculty of the Soul in the former or the Perfective in the latter Agreeable to this the Inquisitive Oviedo relates a Story to the Emperor Charles the Fifth of a Fruit in the West-Indies call'd Anana's which are gather'd as soon as One is ripe the rest being kept in Chambers to acquire Maturity afterwards And the Learned Josephus Acosta relates the following Account of the Fruit of a Plane-Tree to the same viz. That they usually gather it when green which being laid up in a Vessel mix'd with a certain Herb gradually ripens But the Diligent Piso tells a Story more to our Purpose of those Brasilian Plants call'd Pacoeira and Bananiera for concerning the Fruit he says Continentur plerumque in Vno Ramo quatuordecem aut sedecem numero ut it a una Planta proferat septuaginta aut octuaginta qui subinde Virides avulsi nunc in Aedibus nunc in Navibus suspenduntur donec justam maturitatem flavedinem consequantur And he also says of the Boughs when lop'd off Ramus autem ille fructibus onustus interea dum illi maturescunt augetur floresque semper protrudit ex corpore illo foliâ—ceo c. And it is not less remarkable that Onions and such like Fruit as well as Potatoes will shoot of their own accord tho' suspended in the Air. But not here to take Notice how far these things may result from the Exertion of Latent and Seminal Principles I shall rather observe That several things usually ascrib'd to the Soul may result even from the Texture of the Body concurring with external Causes as the Hair or Nails will grow considerably for a long time after the Body is dead * A Cessation of Vital Functions upon Death no Arguments of the Soul's Superintendency whilst living And tho' by the Espousers of Sennertus his Opinion the Cessation of the Vital and Animal Functions upon Death are look'd upon as strong Arguments That the Soul is the Agent which effects whatever is acted in the Body yet I conceive it depends on somethings very precarious since notwithstanding what is manifest to us the Cessation of those Faculties may depend on the internal Organization which may in some measure be destroy'd Since the Body consists of Parts not only solid but soft as the Brain and also liquid as the Humours a right and convenient Coaptation of which is required to preserve Life considerable Changes in the Humours being enough to obstruct Circulation on which Life so much depends Thus in Palsies tho' there be no visible Change yet by an Indisposition either in the Humours or Vessels the Parts become void of Sense as well as Motion And even Sleep it self so alters the Disposition of our Bodies that Odours and Sounds are not perceiv'd by a sleeping Man tho' nothing externally obstructs the Operation of the Soul which lodges in the Body and what considerable Alterations in the Humours may be effected without our Perception may be urg'd from the Effects which Thunder hath upon Wine in turning it into a Vinegar sower and uninflamable The former Doctrin of Subordinate Forms apply'd to Inanimate Bodies But to render what I have said of Subordinate Forms more intelligible I shall lay it down in certain Propositions
fill'd so full as not to admit of any Air betwixt the Finger and the Mercury Thirdly before the Tube is quite fill'd it will be requisite to invert the Tube that the Air included in it may by ascending to the Top and upon a Re-inversion back again gather all those little Bubbles of Air which are dispers'd through the Mercury as it passes from one end of the Cylinder to another and to drain the Mercury more exactly you may by applying a hot Iron cause those less Bubbles which are not excluded by the former Method to break forth which will be promoted by shaking the Vessel upon every Drop of Mercury put into the Pipe By which Method having in a great Measure clear'd the Tube of Air I have in one that was pretty short rais'd the Mercury to no less than 30 Digits and an eighth EXPERIEMINT XVIII The Variation of the Rise of the Mercury in the Glass-Cylinder and the Reason of it consider'd HAving fill'd a Tube about 3 foot long with Mercury and plac'd it in a wooden Frame in the Window I observ'd the Mercury was sensibly depress'd in hot Weather by the Expansion of the Air which swam about it and rais'd again in Cold the Altitude very often varying without any manifest Cause So that in five Weeks time it had ascended and descended about two Inches the utmost descent below the Altitude of it's first Suspension being 9 16 of an Inch and it 's utmost Descent being 7 16 and it is not improbable but that the Variation of the Altitude of the Mercury would have been more considerable had the Experiment been try'd in a longer Tube and in the open Air. And here it may be seasonable to take notice that could there be any sensible Variation observ'd in the Altitude of the Mereury upon the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea it would be of no small Moment in determining whether the Pressure made upon the Air by the Moon were any ways concern'd in causing the Ebbing and Flowing of it and such like Phaenomena But to return to what we observ'd further Having taken the Cylindrical Tube out of the wooden Frame on a snowy day we observ'd that the Mercury was rais'd Twenty nine Digits and three Quarters above the Basis which it lean'd on If it should be ask'd from whence these Variations in the Altitude of the Mercury proceeded I shall offer the following Considerations The Reasons why Mercury is not always equally suspended First That the Air above the Mercury being very weak and not able to make any strong Resistance to the Rising Mercury it may be esteem'd a Cause why it rises no higher because the Asmosphere is able to sustain no more of it forasmuch as the Mercury and the Atmosphere are ballanc'd in an Aequilibrium for the Resistance which the Air above the Mercury can make is so small that it would rise but very little higher were there none at all in the Top of the Tube Secondly We may consider that the External Air is subject to many more Alterations and Changes than the Internal contain'd in the Top of the Tube the latter being subject to be wrought on only by Heat and Cold But the former is subject to many and considerable Alterations besides those observable in this Experiment the Effect of its fainter Changes being evident by their Effects on bruis'd and feeble Bodies And that there are considerable Changes in the Air Considerable Changes in the Qualities of the Air. is further evident from what Kircherus during his Stay in Malta observes concerning Mount Aetna which he could see from that place on some days tho' on others which seem'd clear the Air was so condensed that he could not discern it and thet the like Changes of the Air have sensibly alter'd the Prospects of several Places is too commonly known to need further Instances And we our selves have often taken Notice of plentiful Steams and Exhalations in the Air by the use of Telescopes which could not otherwise be taken notice of which after a Showr of Rain would presently disappear And that such Steams do rise from the Earth hath been observ'd by Miners who are often too sensible of Damps which except timely prevented make the Air so thick and muddy as to put out their very Candles And that the Thickness of the Air may contribute to the raising of the Mercury in the Pipe appears from what hath been before observ'd in the Torrecellian Experiment And since the External Air is liable to be alter'd so many ways by the Mixture of insensible Corpuscles of Matter its Rarity and Density are sufficient to account for the several Variations in the Height of the suspended Mercury since accordingly as the Air is Rarifi'd its Pressure in Bodying up the Mercury must accordingly be varied EXPERIMENT XIX The subsiding of a small Cylinder of Water TO try whether a Cylinder of Water would subside in our Receiver as the Cylinder of Mercury did we fill'd a Cylinder of four foot long with it which being inverted and the lower end placed in a Glass Vessel we let it down in the Receiver and closed it up which being done and the Pump set on work we found that it did not in the least subside till such a Quantity of Air was exhausted as to leave the included Air so much weaken'd in its Spring as to be work'd upon and over-power'd by the weight of the Water and then upon every Suction it sensibly subsided tho' not so much as the Quicksilver for whereas the Quicksilver subsided till it fell within an Inch of the Basis the expanded Air remaining in the Receiver was able to bear up the Water a Foot high But the Experiment being try'd in a small Receiver the Quantity of Air included in that coming nearer to an Aequilibrium with the Cylinder of Water it sensibly subsided upon the first Exsuction and much lower upon the second and sometimes not much less than two foot and the Water in this as well as the former upon a reingress of Air rose to the Top of the Cylinder but with more Speed than the former EXPERIMENT XX. Conceening the Elater of Water TO evince that Water hath besides a notable one a languid Elater we fill'd a Glass Bubble with a long Neck term'd by the Chymists a Phylosophical Egg about a Span above the Bubble with Water where fixing a piece of Paper we conveigh'd it into the Receiver and found that after part of the Air was pump'd out the Water sensibly rose upon every Exsuction the breadth of a Barly-Corn and upon the ingress of the Air presently subsided to its former place Another Instance of the Air 's Expansion I obtain'd by filling a round Pewter Vessel with Water at a small Hole which being stop'd with Soder and the Vessel bruis'd in several places to compress the Water the Vessel being perforated with a Needle it spun out with Force enough to raise it a considerable height
Pillars to which the Feather is fastened being joyn'd to the upper Basis of the Bellows with Cement we fix'd a Weight to the Lower Basis and convey'd it into the Receiver See Fig. the Eighth where we observ'd upon the exhausting of the Receiver that the Air in the Bellows rais'd up the upper Basis together with it's Weight and the Air rising out at the Vent manifestly mov'd the Feather But when the Receiver was quite exhausted and the Weight upon the Upper Basis depress'd it violently we could not perceive that the Feather was in the least mov'd and the like was observ'd upon repeating the Experiment EXPERIMENT XXXVI The great and seeming Spontaneous Ascent of Water in a Pipe filled with a Compact Body whose Particles are thought incapable of imbibing it WE took a slender Pipe and having ty'd a Linen-cloth to the Iower Orifice we fill'd it with Minium and immerging it in Water in a Wide-mouth'd Glass about an Inch the Water ascended about 30 Inches and the Experiment being again repeated in another it rose 40 Inches In which kind of Experiments the following Particulars were to be observ'd First That other Powders being made use of instead of this the Experiment did not succeed so well nor was the Success much better when we made use of Ink instead of Water Secondly Our Experiment succeeded the better the finer and closer the Minium was But if the Pipe be too small the Event will not always be successful Thirdly We observ'd That the Water ascends not to it 's utmost under 30 Hours and sometimes longer Fourthly From hence it appears That the Water in our Tube rose without any swelling of the sides of the Tube which some Learn'd Men ascribe the Cause of Water's Rising in Filtres to Fifthly From hence it may be urg'd as probable That the Sap in Trees may rise after the like manner being promoted by Heat and a due Texture of Parts EXPERIMENT XXXVII Of the seeming spontaneous Ascent of Salts along the sides of Glasses with a Conjecture at the Cause of it I Have several times observ'd that the watery Part of a Solution of Sea-Salt or Vitriol being evaporated the coagulated Salts would creep up the sides of wide-mouth'd Glasses in which the Solution was contain'd and not only so but if the Experiment were longer continu'd they would rise over the sides of the Glass and cover the external Superficies with a Crust of Salt As for the Cause of so strange a Phaenomenon tho' I will not be positive in it yet it may not improbably depend on the like Cause as the Ascent of Water in the Tube mention'd in the foregoing Experiment For we may observe that the Edges of Water are not only above the Superficies of the rest of the Water but Sea-Salt as well as several others chrystallize at the Top of the Liquor they swim in and near the sides of the Glass their Coagulation being promoted by the Coldness of it which Salts when once the sides of the Glass is beset with them the Water may rise to the Top for the same Reason that it does in the slender Pipe before mention'd and Salts carri'd up to the Top of those and coagulating there still lay a further Bottom for their Ascent and so successively till they rise to the Top of the Viol And that there are Passages betwixt these saline Parts for the Water to ascend through appears since they may be broke off in Flakes separate from each other And if it should be thought that the Water in such an Ascent would dissolve the Salt it may be answer'd that the Water being so much impregnated with Salt already can imbibe no more and consequently for that Reason when it runs down the outsides of the Vessels coagulates by the way being too thick and full of Salts to continue long fluid EXPERIMENT XXXVIII An Attempt to measure the Gravity of Cylinders of the Atmosphere so that it may be known and express'd by common Weights The Weight of a Pillar of Air of a determinate size BEING desirous to know what was the Weight of an Atmospherical Cylinder of Air of a determinate Diameter I caus'd a Pipe to be made of Brass whose Diameter was an Inch and it's Length three one End of which being clos'd up with a Plate of Brass I counterpois'd it in a nice pair of Scales and found that it was able to contain about 137 Drachms 45 Grains of Mercury which being multiply'd by Tens a Cylinder of Mercury of 30 Inches and consequently an Atmospherical Cylinder able to counterpoise it must amount to 12 Ounces and about 6 Drachms And by weighing Water in this Tube before the Mercury was put into it the Water weighing 10 Drachms 15 Grains the Proportion of Water to Mercury seem'd as 13 18 41 to 1. But in estimating the Weight of a Cylindrical Pillar of Air it may be here requisite to advertise that I made use of a Brass Cylinder because the Cavities of a Glass Tube are unfit for such an Experiment since it is a hard thing to know whether the Bore of such Tubes be equal throughout their Diameter The Weight of a Cylinder of Mercury being thus found it will not be very difficult to know the Weight of a Cylinder of a different Diameter by the Assistance of the Doctrin of Proportions and the 14th Proposition of the 12th Book of Euclids Elements For since according to that Cylinders of equal Bases are to one another as to their Heights and since by the second Proposition of the same Element such Circles as the Bases of Cylinders are to one another as the Squares of their Diameters and since Mercurial Cylinders will bear the same Proportion in Weights as they do in Bulk The Rule will be That as the Square of the Diameter of the Standard Cylinder is to the Square of the Diameter of the Cylinder propos'd so will the Bulk of the former be to that of the latter and the Weight of that to the Weight of this so that the Square of one Inch being 1 and the Square of 2 being four the Weight of the latter will be four times the Weight of the former EXPERIMENT XXXIX The Attractive Virtue of a Load-Stone in the Exhausted Receiver TO try how far the Account given of the Attraction of a Load-Stone depended on what some Modern Philosophers teach viz. That the Effluvia of a Load-Stone pressing away the Air betwixt the Body attracted that Air helps the Attraction by pressing against the opsite side of the Stone We plac'd a vigorous Load-Stone in our Receiver having adapted a Cap of Steel to it to the lower side of which a Scale with 6 Ounces of Troy Weight was fix'd which being all the Load-Stone besides the Steel and the Scale was able to keep up all which being suspended at a Button which was on purpose on the inside of the Cover of the Receiver we observ'd that tho' the Receiver was exhausted as much again as
Cavity of the Cylinder seemed to be filled with Fumes so that the Candle whose Flame was visible though it appeared to be encompassed with a kind of Halo whose Colour was between Blew and Green and after a few Exsuctions would be of a Reddish or Orange Colour very vivid Which Meteor I supposed to arise from some Particles of the Turpentine which extricating themselves upon the Application of a hot Iron to the Cement caused an Explosion in the Receiver when the Parts of the Air were put in Motion and disposed to Expansion and the variety of Colours I conceive to proceed from the various Positions of those Particles of Matter which fill up the Receiver and variously reflect the Rays of Light To confirm which Opinion I observed several Steams to rise up from the Cement upon turning of the Stop-cock and if we continued to exhaust the Receiver it would become clearer and clearer and the Colours more dilute till the Cement was enabled to emit more Steams by re-applying a hot Iron to it And as for the Reason why these Steams do not so plentifully rise when the Receiver is evacuated it appears to be because the Particles of the Turpentine are less agitated as the Heat declines and further because they want Air to support them To confirm what I have intimated as the Causes of the aforementioned Phaenomena I conveyed some of the Cement Melted in a Crucible into a Receiver and observed that upon opening of the Stop-cock to let out the Air the Steams would for some time plentifully fly about but after a little time would subside again But in the aforementioned Phaenomena the several Colours seemed to depend on the different Degrees of Heat which the Cement acquired as also on the different Size and Figure of the Receiver as also on the Nature of the Cement and the Quantity of Air which was left unpumped out EXPERIMENT VIII About the slacking of Quick-lime in the Exhausted Receiver HAving conveyed an Evaporating Glass with a sufficient Quantity of Water in it into the Receiver when the Air was drawn out we let down a piece of unslacked Lime into it by the Assistance of the Turning-Key and observ'd that in about ¼ part of an Hour the Lime began to slack violently and at each Exsuction afforded very large Bubbles which continued as long as we plyed the Pump so that in a little time the whole inside of the Receiver was cover'd over with Lime Water a great part of the Mixture boiling over into the Capacity of the Receiver in which Experiment the Outside of the Vessel was considerably hot and the Mixture continued its Heat near ¼ part of an Hour after the Receiver was removed The Lime made use of in this Experiment was very strong EXPERIMENT IX An attempt to measure the force of the Spring of included Air and examine a Conjecture about the difference of it's strength in unequally broad-mouthed Glasses TO measure the force of the Air 's Expansion we fixed a Syringe in a Frame that it might be kept firm and erect which being done we provided a Leaden Hoop which was suspended at the Top of the Sucker and hung so far below the Bottom of the Syringe that it might have Space enough to rise in upon the Expansion of the Air in the Cavity of the Syringe when the Receiver should be exhausted the Weight in the mean time being prevented from compressing the Air beyond it's natural State by a String the one end of which was tyed to the Top of the Sucker and the other to the Turning Key which being done and the Pump set on Work we found that the Expanding Air was able to raise about 7 or 8 pound Weight and had the Rammer had a free Passage it probably would have raised a much greater Weight but the Experiment was less satisfactory in determining the force of the Air 's Expansion in elevating a determinate Weight because the Air made it's way too easily betwixt the convex Superficies of the Sucker and the concave Surface of the Cylinder Therefore to be more exact I caused two Cylinders to be made different both in Length and Breadth the Diameter of the one being an Inch and of the other two Inches In the former I put a Lamb's Bladder which contained a sufficient Quantity of Air and having ordered the Receiver to be exhausted I found that a Cylinder of Air of an Inch Diameter was able to raise a Weight of 10 Pound Averdupoiz Weights but tho' the Bladder for a long time kept the Air from flying away yet when it was loaded with the utmost Weight it was able to bear some Air getting out of the Bladder rendred our Tryal less satisfactory Wherefore we made use of a Cylinder 4 Inches Deep and two in Diameter which having a broad Basis to stand upon we put a Lamb's Bladder into it well blown and tyed See Plate 2. Fig. the 2 and 4. and putting a Wooden Plug upon that we loaded the Plugs with Weights amounting to 35 Pound the uppermost of which was fastned to the Turning-Key to prevent it from falling and then the Plug being marked at the brim of the Cylinder we set the Pump on Work and observed that the Expansive force of the Air in the Bladder was so great that it lifted up the Plug considerably yet when the Air was again let into the Receiver the Plug was so far depressed that the Mark was below the Edges of the Receiver yet the Air being again a second time exhausted the Bladder raised the Plug so high that ⅜ parts of the whole Plug was lifted up above the Edges of the Cylinder And by repeating the Tryal we found that the Air in the Bladder when the Receiver was exhausted was able to bear up 7 pound Weight more by which Weight the Mark upon the Plug was not depressed below the top of the Cylinder But in trying these Experiments the following Particulars are to be Noted 1. That the Plug must be so adapted to the Cylinder as to move up and down easily also it must be of a convenient length not exceeding an Inch and a half and it will be likewise requisite that the Plug should have a strong Ledge upon the upper part of the Cylindrical Surface that it may rest upon the Edges of the Cylinder and sustain the Weights laid upon it more firmly 2. When the Bladder was put into the hollow Cylinder we took care to adapt it by easie and frequent Compressions to the Cavity it was placed in making a Mark in the inside of the Cylinder where the Air in it's Natural State was Compressed to that we might learn what Weight the Expansion of the Air was able to sustain above that Mark for the Air being preternaturally compressed upon the Account of that accidental pressure may be able to raise a greater Weight than Air uncompressed so that the Weight it raises above that Mark is alone to be taken for what Air
to be slighted or suddenly laid aside since several Accidents may intervene in the Air on which those may depend As we know tho' Tides generally Ebb and Flow so as to answer the Theory given of them yet by fierce Winds and great Land-Floods the regular Course of them hath often been alter'd CHAP. XVIII A new Experiment and other Instances of the Efficacy of the Air 's Moisture The Efficacy of the Air 's Moisture THAT the Moisture of the Air hath had considerable Effects on Subjects far less tender and curiously contriv'd than Men's Bodies will appear from what follows and that the Moisture of the Air hath a considerable Influence and usually a bad one may well be argu'd from the Effects we have taken notice of on several Parts of Animals and that the Skins of Animals are sufficiently prepar'd to receive such Effluviums appears from what I have before observ'd viz. That Sheep's Leather being made use of for a Hygroscope plentifully imbib'd the Moisture of the Air and even Bladders which by Nature are made impervious to Urine are so dispos'd to imbibe the Moisture of the Air that the membranous Part put into a Pair of Scales and counterpois'd makes a good Hygroscope and not only these but Lute-strings which are made of the twisted Guts of Animals and even Bones the most solid Parts of Human Bodies will so far imbibe the Moisture of the Air as to swell considerably Nor are Animal Bodies alone capable of having their Pores penetrated by the Moisture of the Air but it insinuates it self into inanimate Bodies and swells the solid Parts of Wood and even Polish'd Marbles are observ'd to be so plentifully stock'd with moist Vapours as evidently to sweat nay even the Air it self is not without Vapours and moist Parts dispers'd through it in the Heat of Summer which will appear from the following Experiment Having fill'd a Bottle with Water and four Ounces of Sal Armon we counterpois'd it in a Pair of Scales and in an Hours time so many moist Particles in the Air were condens'd by this frigorifick Mixture that they first appear'd in the form of a Dew on the outside of the Glass and then ran down the sides of the Vessel till that Scale preponderated and weigh'd a Drachm more than the other But to proceed to Instances which shew the Force and Efficacy of moist Vapours when they penetrate solid Bodies It is no weak Argument of their Efficacy that we observe that by the powerful Insinuation of Moisture the Strings of Musical Instruments are swollen and broken nor is it in considerable that Doors and Door-Cases are so swollen in Rainy Weather as to open and shut with a great deal of uneasiness Marchasites burst by the Air 's Moisture Besides which Instances I have observ'd a Piece of Wood to encrease considerably in it's Weight in rainy Weather And I am told it is usual for musical Instruments to grow out of Tune not only the Wooden but the Metalline Pipes of Organs being apt to swell in wet Weather And not only by the help of Rain but the Moisture of the Air Marchasites have been swollen and burst asunder which I am apter to believe because I have observ'd Vitriolate Efflorescences upon the Surfaces of shining Marchasites caus'd by the Action of external Moisture on them and the Moisture of the Air hath so powerfully penetrated some Marchasitical Substances that they have burst asunder whereupon it appear'd that a greater Quantity of Vitriol was generated within their Substances than without To conclude what I have to say on this Subject I shall add the following Experiment to assist a Virtuoso to make an Estimate in known Measures of the mechanical Force of the Aerial Moisture I caus'd a Rope about 22 Yards long to be fasten'd at a convenient Height to an immoveable Body and then having fix'd a Pully to another stable Body about 18 Yards distant from the former the Rope lying upon the Pully was betwixt both almost in an horizontal Posture but to that End of the Rope which hung down from the Pully towards the Ground was fix'd a Weight of 50 Pound and to the upper Part of that an Index which being plac'd horizontally pointed to a Board which was divided into Inches and parts of Inches that we might discover the better the Ascent and Descent of it upon changes of Weather When the Weight had stretch'd the Rope as much as it could I observ'd that in one rainy Night the Weight was rais'd five Inches but the next Day proving a dry Day it was depress'd lower than before But a heavier Weight being made use of instead of the former June 4th in an hour and quarter the hundred Weight was rais'd ¼ of an Inch. The Sky being cloudy but without Rain June 6th In the Night which was cloudy it was rais'd about 3 Inches and an hour after that Observation was made it rose half an Inch more From whence it appears that the Force of the Air 's Moisture is considerable since the Rope that by it's Assistance rais'd the Weight was but about the third Part of an Inch Diameter being 3 10 and 4 decimal Parts of 1 10. CHAP XIX Of some unheeded Causes of the Insalubrity and Salubrity of the Air c. The Insalubrity and salubrity of the Air depends on subterraneal Vapours AMongst the several Causes on which the Salubrity and Insalubrity of the Air depend subterraneal Effluvia are in Effect most considerable which differ not only according to their respective Natures but according to Place and Time according to Place as they ascend from the superficial or deeper Parts of the Terraqueous Globe according to Time such as ascend daily and may be term'd ordinary Emissions or only at distant times the latter of which may be term'd periodical and sometimes fortuitous or irregular But notwithstanding the Vapours which rise from the Earth may be distinguish'd by these Distinctions yet since Nature offers her Phaenomena not so distinct but confusedly and together I shall sometimes consider the Terraqueous Steams in the more general Notion with reference to each of the Members of this Distinction But that I may deliver what I have to say more distinctly I shall lay it down in the following Propositions Proceed under the following Propositions having first observ'd that the Insalubrity of Marish and the Salubrity of Sandy Grounds may depend on some Effluvia which act not meerly or principally as they are Moist or Dry. PROPOSITION I. THE first Proposition is Prop. 1. That it seems probable that in divers places the Salubrity or Insalubrity of the Air considered in general may be in good part due to subterraneal Expirations especially to those I call'd ordinary Emissions Which may contribute to the preserving of Health either by promoting Respiration or by correcting noxious Particles in the Air and checking morbifick Ferments And indeed if we consider what a great variety of Bodies besides
after it was sufficiently impregnated with the Vitriol remaining in the Calx was filtred and gently abstracted and yeilded several Grains of a Salt of Vitriol not much different from that which had been calcined Another Portion of Water was left in the Air six Weeks upon the calcined Vitriol in a wide mouth'd Glass and then being abstracted as the former it yeilded a Salt much like Salt-Petre and different from the former And Colcothar which had lain several Months in the Air free from Rain being turn'd into a Lixivium yeilded a Salt much whiter than Vitriol and of a different Figure From whence it appears that the Air hath considerable Force in varying Salts obtainable from calcin'd Vitriol EXPERIMENT II. DUlcifi'd Colcothar of Venereal Vitriol being expos'd to the Air in January and February increas'd in Weight 4 ¼ Grains EXPERIMENT III. THE 12th of March Eight Ounces of Outlandish Vitriol calcin'd to a Redness being put into a broad and flat Metalline Vessel and into another Vessel smaller than the other we put 2 Ounces of Colcothar so that the Superficies of the latter was larger in respect of it's Quantity than the Superficies of the other June 25. We weigh'd these Powders and found that the 8 Ounces had gain'd a Drachm and 16 Grains and the 2 Ounces had gain'd as much within a Grain Then the Powders being put into the same Vessels August the 4th the smaller Quantity weigh'd 26 Grains more than it did in June Whence it appears that different Circumstances cause notable Disparities in the Increase of Weight EXPERIMENT IV. TWO Ounces of small Lumps of Marchasites which were partly shining and partly darkish and seem'd well dispos'd to yeild Vitriol were kept in a pure Air and gain'd 12 Grains in Weight in seven Weeks EXPERIMENT V. SPIRIT of Salt being put upon Filings of Copper and kept in a moderate Heat when it had acquir'd a thick and muddy Colour we decanted it into a clean Glass with a wide Mouth and left it a competent time expos'd to the Air till it had acquir'd a fair Green yet nothing was precipitated to the Bottom to make it clear EXPERIMENT VI. I Once Observ'd that the Fumes of a sharp Liquor acted more powerfully on a certain Metal held in the Air than the Menstruum from whence those Fumes rose would do it self And it is observ'd in some Mines in Hungary that the Fumes render those Ladders soonest unserviceable which were nearest the Top of the Grove where there is a more free access of Air. EXPERIMENT VII A Soft Chymical Substance which would smoak in the open Air being conveigh'd into our Pneumatick Engin in a Viol when the Air was exhausted ceased to smoak and by continuing there some time would not smoak again when it was re-expos'd to the Air till the fresh Air had blown upon it some time This Preparation being kept in the Vessel it was prepar'd in six Weeks would cease to smoak when the Vessel was but cover'd with a piece of Paper and another remarkable thing was that when it was contain'd some time in a Receiver close Luted it would soon so glut the Air with it's Steams as not to be able to smoak longer CHAP. XXII Of the Celestial and Aerial Magnets IT would be of great Use in discovering the Nature of the Air and it's Correspondency with Subterraneal and Celestial Regions could we Of Celestial Magnets ctc. by Experiment make any progress in preparing such artificial Magnets as would imbibe the Exotick Parts of the Air. Nor will it be lost Labour to expose several Mineral and other Substances to the Air and to enquire what it is that gives them the additional Weight they receive by it and with what Qualities that Substance is endew'd for if such Experiments could be try'd with good Magnets at several times and in several places we might by them learn what Effluviums the Air then and in those places abounded with nor might it be of small Importance in discovering a correspondency betwixt the Terrestrial and some Etherial Globes of the World Amongst other things which make me hope that Equiries of this Nature may not be altogether unsuccessful I shall only intimate that Notable Operation the Air hath upon Vitriol diversified by circumstances after Fire could work no further on it For Zwelser speaking of a Chymical Preparation of Vitrol Viz. Colcothar says that the Salt it yeilds when long kept is imbibed into it from the Air. For says he when it hath been exposed to the Air Sal praebet quandoque candidum quandoque purpureum aspectu pulcherrimum quod aliquando in Copia acquisivi penes me asservo quandoque etiam Nitrosum And an ingenious Person told me that he likewise had obtained several sorts of Salts from Colcothar and at the last when it had been kept a long time a pretty quantity of true running Mercury Besides what hath been already said concerning Colcothar I shall propose two or three Inquiries to any Virtuoso that would assist in these Tryals And first it will be convenient to note the Nature of the Soil the Temperature of the Air the Month of the Year the Winds the weight of the Atmosphere and if any the Spots of the Sun the Moon 's Age and her place in the Zodiack as well as the principal Aspects of the Stars and Planets since we cannot deny tho' not positively assert that these Bodies are concern'd in the production of those Salts which Colcothar yields This nevertheless we know that tho' those Bodies which move about us should have no considerable effect on what is done in our Atmosphere yet it at different times and Places abounds with various subterraneal Steams and several Phaenomena appear in it which are irregular and tho' some are regular enough yet are they as to their Causes unknown as those Thermae Piperinae in Germany which begin and cease to flow at certain times And Johannes de Laet tells us that in the Mexican Province Xilolepec there is a Fountain which successively flows and ceases to flow for four Years together and in the time of it's flowing it 's observ'd that it flows much more plentifully in dry than Rainy Weather Secondly I would recommend the following Observations viz. What kind of Vitriol the Colcothar is made of Martial Hungarian or Roman Vitriol what degree of Calcination is made use of and how far the Calcin'd Matter is freed from it's Salt by Water For I have observ'd a Saltless Colcother expos'd to the Air several Months without the least increase of Weight which probably might depend on some Peculiarity of the Air where the Experiment was try'd since in other Places the success hath been the contrary But Thirdly Besides several sorts of Vitriols it may not be amiss to try these Experiments with several Preparations of them for I once made a Solution of Copper with Sublimate and Spirit of Salt which expos'd to the Air was green tho' before it was not of that
observ'd it sensibly colder when he was about a Yard below the Fast as Miners call that solid Earth which they distinguish from that looser Earth that lies above it in which Plants and Trees spread their Roots they seldom reaching to or penetrating into the Fast tho' sometimes it lies near enough the External Surface of the Earth An Exact Relation of the Pico Teneriff A relation of Mount Teneriff The Gentlemen who gave the following Account set out from Oratava a Town situated on the North side two Miles from the Sea and in 8 hours got to the Top of the first Mountains to wards the Pico de Terana from whence the Company proceeded over sandy and lofty Mountains which were not cover'd with Pine Trees as the first 8 hours Passage was This Way continu'd till they came to the Foot of the Pico where they found very large Stones which seem'd to have fallen from some superior Part. Thoughts concerning the cause of it's stupendous Bulk It is thought by Dr. Pugh that the whole Soil in that Island being sulphureous did take fire and most of it Blew up at the same time in which general Conflagration he supposes those many Mountains of calcin'd Stones which lie up and down the Island but especially the South-West Parts of it were cast up and the greatest Quantity of Sulphur lying about the Center of the Island rais'd the Pico to that Height which it now remains at On the South-West side these calcin'd Rocks lie one upon another from the Top of the Pico to the Sea shore but very few on the North so that he supposes the Vulcano chiefly discharg'd it self that way several of these calcin'd Rocks resemble Iron Ore some Silver and others Copper especially in the South-West Parts call'd the Azuleios there are vast Quantities of a blewish Earth intermix'd with blew Stones which are cover'd with a yellow Rust like that of Vitriol or Copper and he was told that a Bell-Founder of Oratava got pure Gold out of two Horse Loads of Earth and he was further told by another that a Lump of Earth brought from the Top of the Mountain yielded a good Quantity of Silver About this Mountain are likewise observ'd several Vitriolate as well as Nitrous and Martial Springs To confirm this Notion of the Reason of what he observ'd he alledges that the very Tracts of the Torrents of Sulphur which ran down from the Mountain are yet visible which did so much Damage to the Ground it flow'd upon that nothing but Fern is able to grow upon it But what seems further to confirm his Account is The Instance of the Palm Island 15 Leagues from Teneriff where upon the firing of a Vulcano the Earth shook terribly and the Torrents of flaming Sulphur made as loud a Noise as Thunder and the Light of it made the Rooms as light all Night for six Weeks as if Candles had been in them and the Sand was carry'd about in the Wind like Clouds But to proceed What was further observ'd by Mr. Clappham and others who purposely ascended this Mountain As soon as they were got a Mile in their Ascent upon the Pico some of them grew faint and sick several that ascended were taken with Fluxes and Vomitings and were Aguish their Horses and even their Wine as well as themselves being extreamly cold When they had ascended a Mile further they came to the black Rocks from whence they travell'd over a white Sand so hot that it burnt the Skin of a Dog's Feet who went up with Dr. Pugh When they came to the Top there were sulphureous Steams copiously ascending and continually which were so hot that they made their Faces sore and at a little distance appear'd like Smoak There was little Alteration in the Wind till we came to the Top where it was very impetuous The strong Waters there had lost their Force but the Wine seem'd rather more Spirituous An account of the Pico Upon the Top is a Pit call'd Caldera of a Conical Figure which is about 80 Yards deep and a Musquet-shot over It is cover'd over with loose Stones Sulphur and Sand which being stirr'd very offensive Vapours are rais'd it is dangerous to go further than 4 or 5 Yards into it because their Feet are apt to slip from under them In the Bottom is a sort of clearer Sulphur which looks like Salt upon the Stones From hence they could see the Grand Canaries Palma and Gomera and Hiero 20 Leagues distant When the Sun rose the Shadow of the Mountain cover'd all betwixt it and the Horizon so that the Top of it cast it's shade into the Clouds but when the Sun rose higher so many Clouds were rais'd that we could see nothing but the Emergent Tops of some Mountains which to those that are below sometimes seem to be wrapt about the Pico and upon North-West Winds foretel a Storm From the Tops of most of those Mountains very exuberant Springs issue out in great Spouts At the Foot of the Sugar-Loaf is a Cave about 10 Yards deep and 15 broad having a Hole at the Top 8 Yards over opposite to which in the Bottom is a round Pit of Water 6 Fathom deep whose Brink is about a Yard below the Surface of a Bed of Ice which encircles it the Orifice of which is as broad as the Overture above so that those that descend into it are let down by a Rope and swing to and fro that they may light upon the Snow The Water seems to be only melted Ice From the Top of this Cave Ice-icles hang very plentifully The Perpendicular Height of the Pico is accounted two Miles and a half Trees and Plants c. In all the Passage nothing but Pines grew and amongst the white Sand a bushy Broom and where in their Ascent they lay all Night a sort of Cardon whose Stems are Eight Foot high the Trunk about half a Foot Thick every Stem growing in four Squares and rising from the Ground like Tuffs of Rushes on the Edges of these grow several red Berries which by squeezing yield a poysonous Milk which fetches the Hair off where it lights on the Skin of any Beast so that I suppose it to be a kind of Euphorbium In this Island there likewise grows a Shrub call'd Legnon-vell which is carry'd to England as a Sweet-Wood There are growing in this Island also Apricocks Peaches which bear twice a Year very fruitful Pear-Trees Almonds of a tender Shell Palms Plantanes Oranges Limons and especially Pregnadas call'd so because each of them carries a small one in it's Belly Besides these they have Sugar-Canes Cotton and Coloquintida Carnations and Roses that blow at Christmass Sampier covers the Rocks and Clover the Ground and another Grass grows near the Sea which is of a broader Leaf and so luscious that it will kill a Horse tho' no other Cattle 8 Ears of Wheat have been found to spring from one Root and a Bushel to yield 130.
or Rarefaction of Air increases not the positive Levity of Air we suspended a Bladder half full of Air with a Counterpoise at a ballance in our Receiver and tho' when the Air was exhausted the Bladder was sufficiently distended yet it seemed to retain the same weight whether dilated or contracted CHAP. III. New Experiments concerning an effect of the varying weight of the Atmosphere upon some Bodies in the Water Communicated in the Transactions of Feb. 24.1672 3. Of the Effects of the differing weight of the Atmosphere on Bodies under Water COnsidering that the Pores of most Liquors are plentifully stocked with Aery Particles and that upon that account the Atmosphere may according to its several degrees of weight have considerable Effects on them I caused three small Glass-Bubbles with slender Stems to be blown which were so equally poised in Water by their weight that a little thing would make them emerge or sink And I observ'd that these being put into Water contained in a wide-mouth'd Glass sometimes they would emerge and sometimes subside and sometimes emerge again as the Atmosphere varyed in weight or degrees of Heat and Cold. And it was easie to observe that when the Heat of the Air raised one of these Bubbles the heat of the Sun-Beams would so rarisie the Water included in them as to cause some of it to get out upon which the Bubbles emerged but when those Beams were intercepted the Water being condensed and getting into the Bubble again it would subside But when their subsiding depended on the weight of the Atmosphere if the Mercury in the Baroscope stood high the Heat of the Sun would not raise the Bubbles N. B. 1. That the Bubbles not being all equally poised sometimes one and sometimes two would rise as the Air was heavier or lighter and consequently capable of affecting the lightest only or all 2. The Success did not always answer for when the subsiding depended on some occult cause they would continue there as if some airy Parts had insinuated themselves into the Water 3. The fittest time for these Experiments and in which they best succeed is in the Spring the Air being more subject to vary in its Weight as well as other things CHAP. IV. New Experiments about the differing Pressure of heavy Solids and Fluids Of the different Pressure of Solids and Fluids ONE great reason why some Learned Men believe that the Air hath no such a considerable Pressure on subjacent Bodies as we teach is because they think it would be too heavy for Animal Bodies to live or move under it but since we have positive proof of it we may as well doubt whether the Load-stone be endewed with an attracting and other Virtues because we cannot understand how they are perform'd Besides Men being born under such a Pressure their Bodies seem not only accustom'd to it but proportionably strong But could we suppose a Man born somewhere without the incumbent weight of an Atmosphere doubtless such Bodies would not be so able as ours to resist its Pressure But it is urged by some that were there such a Pressure of the Atmosphere it would cause Pain but to this it may likewise be answered that our Bodies being from the Birth accustomed to it we only feel Pain upon some new unaccustomed and additional Pressure so when we are accustomed to wear heavy Cloaths we are not sensible of their weight nor are we sensible of the Heat of the Blood in our Heart because it 's habitual to those Parts whereas if our finger be put into the Heart of a newly dissected Animal we shall find it sensibly hot But further from what I have elsewhere laid down it appears that a Cubick Inch of Air will be able to resist the weight of the whole incumbent Atmosphere and that a little quantity of Air resists a further compression as well as a greater and I have likewise shewn that the Pores of the Parts of Animals whether fluid or consistent are plentifully stocked with numerous Aerial Bubbles which cause those Bodies to swell or expand in our exhausted Receiver And as for those membranous and fibrous Parts which are not altogether so porous they are of so strong and firm a Texture as to resist external Pressure upon that account Besides there is a great deal of difference betwixt the partial Pressure of a solid Body and the Pressure of an Ambient Fluid which presses uniformly and is resisted either by the solidity of the Parts or the Spring of those Airy Particles contained within their Pores And that the uniformness of the Pressure makes it less sensible is evident since it hath been observed that tho' the Atmosphere is so much lighter upon the tops of some high Mountains as not to elevate Mercury so high in a Baroscope by three Inches as at the bottom yet those that have been upon those Mountains tell us that they perceived no considerable difference in the Pressure of the Atmosphere above and below nor are Miners sensible of any great weight upon them tho' in deep Mines in Mountainous Countrys nor are Divers sensible of any Pressure when under Water but that Air weighs in Air and that Water weighs in Water I have elsewhere made it evident yet I don't think that a Diver is violently depressed by the weight of the incumbent Water since from what we have elsewhere delivered it appears that if a Man's Body were of an equal specifick Gravity with the Water the subjacent Water would sustain him but his Body being heavier than an equal bulk of Water the Surplusage of weight depresses it for which Reason in some Sea-Water which is near of the same specifick Gravity with their Bodies Divers find it very difficult to dive However it is not a little strange that at so great a depth as one hundred fathom Divers should not perceive a sensible Pressure especially upon their Thorax and Abdomen But I am apt to believe that the inadvertency of some of them rather than any thing else makes them not take notice of it or else the haste which they rise and sink in since I have been told by some that they have perceived a manifest Pressure when they sunk leisurely And I was likewise told by another that when he descended a great depth under Water the Blood was squeezed out of his Nose and Eyes and another who dived in a Leathern-case told me that it was so much pressed against his Thorax and Belly that he was forced suddenly to come up again But since these Relations are not altogether to be relied on I shall endeavour to give a Reason why the Pressure is no more sensible which I take to be the strong Texture of a Human Body and the uniformity of the Pressure As to the first to what I have said of the Resistance made by our Bodies to external Pressure I shall only add that a Bladder being tyed upon the end of a Cylinder about an Inch in Diameter
mention'd viz. Eggs suspended under Water it appears That Cold acts on every side the Shells being wholly incrustated with Ice To put an end to this Title I shall in order to facilitate some Experiments hereafter to be made advertise That whereas in common Experiments Water naturally beginning to freeze at the top and that Ice confining the subjacent Water so that when froze it hath not room to expand I say whereas in such cases the Glasses are subject to break to prevent such ill Consequences I lay the frigorifick Mixture first about the bottom of the Glasses by which means the Water beginning to freeze at the bottom the Water is raised up above it and as the Salt and Ice is raised higher about the Glass so the Ice gradually rises without danger of breaking the Bottles To this Advertisement I shall add That tho' I only at the first lay the mixture about the bottom of the Glass yet to keep the Water above cool I usually put Ice it self or Snow either of which will succeed in these Experiments above that Mixture TITLE VI. Experiments and Observations concerning the preservation and destruction of Eggs Apples and other Bodies by Cold. Of the Preservation of Bodies by Cold. IT is a common Tradition That if Eggs or Apples be thawed near the Fire it spoils them but if they be immersed in cold Water they thaw slowly without dammage To try the truth of this Tradition I made the following Experiments An Egg which weighed 12 drachms and a grain being wrapt in a wax'd Paper to defend it from the thawing Snow was froze in a mixture of Snow and Salt and then wanting 4 grains of its former weight it was put into a Basin of Water It acquir'd such a Crust of Ice about it as increased the weight to 15 drachms and 9 grains and the Ice being taken off and the Egg dryed it weighed 12 drachms and 12 grains being broke we found it almost thawed When froze it swam in the Water but when thawed it sunk We took two Eggs well froze and placing them both at an equal distance from the Fire the one was put into Water and the other laid on a Table When that in the Water was crusted over with Ice we took it out and breaking it found that the Yolk and some part of the White were thawed but the other Egg being cut asunder the White was wholly frozen and the Yolk hard as if it had been over-boyl'd There likewise appear'd in it certain concentrical Circles of different Colours and a very white Speck in the middle of it The same Experiment being tryed a second time we were confirmed in our Perswasion That frozen Eggs will thaw sooner in cold Water than in the open Air. An Egg being suspended in Water was cover'd with a Crust of Ice equally thick on all sides Frozen Pippins being put into a Basin of Water were covered over with a Crust of Ice of a considerable thickness where it was observable 1. That that Part of the Pippin which was immersed was covered with a much thicker Crust than that which was above it 2. The extant Part seem'd harder than the immersed 3. Those in the Water were thawed but one that lay out of it was much harder and more froze 4. Neither the frozen Eggs or Apples condensed and froze the Air tho' they incrustated the Water Eggs being froze in Snow and Salt till they crack'd we put one into Milk two into a Glass of Beer and two more into a large Glass of Sack but produced no Ice Eggs being put into Vinegar produced no Ice but the Vinegar corroded the Egg-shells A Cheese immersed in Water in a cold Country was crusted over with Ice but lumps of Iron pieces of Glass and Stones being kept longer in Snow and Salt than was sufficient to freeze Eggs produced no Ice in Water Water being poured into a Bottle which stood on the North-East side of our Elaborotory Part of it was presently turned into Ice Ice and Juice of Pippins shaken together in a Vial produced a great deal of Dew and so did Ice beaten into a Liquor with the White of an Egg. Pippins were much better when thaw'd in cold Water than hastily It hath been observed in the cold Northern Climates That when they have come out of extreme Cold too hastily to the Fire it hath raised Blisters wherefore it is a custom amongst the more careful sort to wash their Hands or other frozen Parts in cold Water or Snow before they approach the Fire I am told by one That Cheeses being froze in Muscovy those thaw'd in Water were crusted over with Ice but were much better than others thaw'd in a Stove And Guilielmus Fabritius Hildanus Cap. 10. de Gangraena sphacelo gives an Account of a Man who was successfully thaw'd and crusted over with Ice as our Apples and Eggs were Tho' a moderate degree of Cold preserves Bodies from putrifaction yet Glaciation leaves them more subject to it upon a thaw tho' whilst they are in that state they putrifie not To prove that the highest degree of Cold under Glaciation hinders Bodies from Corruption I shall alledge the following Instances Bartholinus de usu nivis says p. 80. Regii Mutinenses nivem hoc fine arcte compactam servant in Cellis Nivariis in quibus fervente aestate vidi carnes mactatorum Animalium a Putredine diu se conservasse And Capt. James in his Journal p. 74. hath these words By the ninth of May we were come to and got up our five Barrels of Beef and Pork and had four Buts of Beer and one of Cider It had lain under Water all the Winter yet we could not perceive that it was any thing the worse P. 79. he farther says That a Cable having lain under Ice all Winter was not in June found a jot the worse And from Simlerus his Account of the Alps it appears That entire Bodies may be preserved by Snow without Glaciation Refert says Bartholinus speaking of him p. 79. de figurativis in Rhetis apud Rinwaldios nivium è monte ruentium moles Sylvam proceras Abietes dejecisse accidisse etiam Helvetio Milite per Alpes iter faciente ut 60 homines plures eadem Nivis conglobatione opprimerentur Hoc igitur Nivium tumulo sepulti ad Tempus aestatis delitescunt quo soluto nonnihil Nive deciduâ Corpora Mortua inviolata patent si ab amicis vel transeuntibus quaerantur Vidimus ipsi triste hoc Spectaculum c. To prove that inanimate Bodies whilst froze are not subject to Putrifaction I shall bring several Instances Nor indeed is it much wonder since whether Glaciation proceeds from intruding Swarms of frigorifick Atoms wedged in betwixt the Parts of a Body or whether we suppose it to arise from an avolition of those restless Particles which before kept the Body fluid or soft we must suppose an unusual rest and consequently the concomitant cause of Corruption
to be wanting But to proceed to Instances I am told That on the Coast of Sweeden and Denmark the Cold will preserve Bodies a long time from putrifaction And Bartholinus relates a Story of several dead Bodies p. 83. de usu Nivis which being kill'd in a Battel in the Winter were froze in several Postures and continued so without being corrupted as long as the Winter lasted To which I shall add that Capt. James tells us p. 76. of a Man whom they found froze in the Ice six Weeks after he had been committed to Sea and all the alteration the Frost had wrought on his Body was that his Flesh would move up and down upon his Bones like a Glove upon a Man's Hand And Bartholinus de usu Nivis Cap. 12. further tells us That 't is observed in Greenland that the Frost preserves Bodies from Putrifaction 30 Years But tho' freezing preserves Bodies from Putrifaction for the time yet when they thaw they presently discover that the Textures of them were impaired and vitiated all that while by the action of the Cold for having froze an Ox-Eye I observ'd that the Chrystalline humour which was so transparent before being froze lost its diaphaneity and became white And it hath been observed by others That tho' Cheeses which were thaw'd in Water were better than those that were otherwise freed from the Ice yet they were all in some measure impaired by the Frost To these Instances I shall add that Purchas Lib. 3. Cap. 5. Sect. 2 p. 493. tells us That in Nova Zembla their strong Beer being froze was wholly vitiated and without strength or taste And Capt. James tells us That strong Alicant Wine by being froze had lost much of its Spirits And it hath been observed in the Northern Country less cold than Muscovy That Beef having been froze was almost insipid and yielded Broth little better than Water Besides which Instances I am inform'd That Bodies much harder than any yet mention'd may be work'd upon by Cold not to mention that it is observ'd That Bones and even Steel it self are much more subject to break in frosty Weather than at other times And it is to our present Purpose further observable That Capt. James relates that in Charlton-Island the Wood must be thaw'd before the Carpenters are able to work it And I am further inform'd That the Timber of the Houses in Moscow will not only crack in frosty Weather but 't is observ'd That Brick-Houses in the West-Indies decay much sooner than here in England And it hath been further observed That Marbles themselves have not only flown in pieces in frosty Weather but that Brass-Instruments and even Iron-Hoops have been crack'd by extreme Cold as Olaus Wormius and the Dutch-men in their Voyage to Nova Zembla witness But I am apt to believe that the breaking of the Iron-Hoops rather depended on the operation of the Cold on the Liquor contain'd in those Barrels than immediately on the Iron-Bars themselves and that they were broke by the expansion of that Liquor An Appendix to the VI. Title In confirmation of what hath been deliver'd before the Russian Emperor's Physitian told me That if those that have their Noses or Cheeks froze don't rub them with Snow before they go into the Stoves they sometimes drop off and he likewise told me That moderately weak Wine by being froze would lose both its colour and taste He further told me That Bodies there will keep all the frosty Weather uncorrupt and that Venison and Beef and other Flesh will be preserved a long time by Frost but if it is not thawed leasurely before it comes to be roasted it will be much impaired And I am told That a young Man having been froze all over was recovered by being first rubb'd with Snow before any other means was used Particulars referrable to the VI Title Fishes taken from under the Ice in Lakes and Ponds which were frozen over and packed up would be preserv'd a Month without being salted or dryed and it was observ'd That when they were taken out of the Water in the cold Air they would be froze immediately It was likewise observ'd by the same Person who told me these things That tho' Flesh-meat froze was better when thaw'd leasurely in cold Water than hastily by the Fire yet it acquir'd not a Crust of Ice about it In Lapland when any Part is froze they toast Cheese made of Deer's Milk and anoint the affected Part with the Cows-body I had some Cheshire-Cheeses froze my self one of which being thrown into Water gather'd a Crust of Ice about it There are white Bears in Green-Land which have so excellent a scent that when the Carcass of a Whale was left at some distance from the shore they would raise themselves on their Legs and with their two Paws would fan themselves with the Air and snuff it in at their Snouts and then throwing themselves into the Sea would Swim towards the dead Carcasses the fat of some of them would yield a Hogshead of Oyl In Moscow a Hogshead of Malaga-Sack being froze a Spirituous Liquor distill'd out of it stronger than the Sack it self but the Liquor left behind it was a strengthless Phlegm A Barrel of Beer being froze on the Coast of Green-Land the Spirituous Part was contain'd in the middle The Spanish and French Wines that are brought to Moscow betwixt Russia and Poland are sometimes so frozen by the time they come there that they are forced to break the Casks and to transport it in Jars from one place to another and when they have a mind to thaw it they put it into another Hogshead and that being placed in a hole made in Ice or Snow it thaws leasurely there without being so much impaired as if thawed in a Stove or by the Fire TITLE VII Experiments concerning the Expansion of Water and Aqueous Liquors by freezing Of the Expansion of Water and other freezing Liquors THO' it hath been generally allowed that Water and other Liquors are condensed by Cold yet from what I shall offer it will appear That Ice is not Water condensed but Rarified For I have not only observ'd That Water exposed to be froze in a Bolt-head would if the frigorifick Mixture inclin'd it to begin to freeze at the Bottom first be expanded so as to rise considerably higher in the Stem but when that Ice was thawed again will subside And to this I shall add That having included Water in a Cylinder both ends of which were stopped up with Wax the Cylinder being hung up in the Air and the Water froze it was so far expanded That it forced the Wax out of each end of the Pipe and form'd a Rod of Ice much longer than the Cylinder from whence it appears That the breaking of Bottles by Cold rather depends on the Expansion of the Included Liquor than that the weight of the Air caused that Effect as some Moderns teach or that the Internal Liquor being