to reckon them amongst Mineral Bodies As for Nitre by mixing of four Liquors together and then setting them to shoot I have obtained Crystals of true and perfect Salt which have had much of a nitrous tast and would be melted with a gentle heat as Nitre is and even as easily as Butter it self I mean not by the addition of any sort of Liquor or any other body to dissolve it but only by the fire And as for a Sea-Salt that I might Imitate Nature for the making hereof I consider'd That the Salt so called was nothing else but Animal and Vegetable Salt freed from its true Spirit and Sulphur and some Saline particles specifically Animal or Vegetable together with them For both Animal and Vegetable bodies being continually carried by all Rivers into the Sea and many likewise by Shipwrack and divers other ways immersed therein they are at last corrupted that is their Compounding parts are opened and resolved Yet the Resolution being in the Water is not made precipitately as it is in the Air but by degrees and very gently Whence the Sulphurious and other more Volatile parts in their avolation make not so much hast as to carry the more fixed Saline parts along with them but leaveth them behind in the Water which imbibeth them as their proper Menstruum And the Imitation of Nature herein may be performed thus Put as much of a Lixivial Salt as you please into a wide mouth'd bottle and with fair Water make a strong Solution of it so as some part thereof may remain unresolved at the bottom of the bottle Let the bottle stand thus for the space of about half or three quarters of a year all the time unstopped In which time many of the Sulphurious and other more Volatile parts gradually flying away the top of the unresolved Salt will be incrustate or as it were frosted over with many small and hard Concretions which for their nature are become a true Sea-Salt Whereof there is a double proof First In that most of the said Concretions are of a Cubical or very like Figure Especially on their upper parts because having a fixed body for their basis their under parts therefore contiguous thereto are less regular Whereas the parts of Salt in the Sea being environed on all sides with a fluid their Figure is therefore on all sides regular Secondly In that a strong Acid Spirit or Oyl being powred upon a full body'd Solution hereof yet it maketh herewith no Ebullition which is also the property of Sea-Salt And thus much for the more general Imitation of Bodies Instance III. FROM the aforesaid Premisses and by the aforesaid Means there is no doubt to be made but that also the other sensible Qualities of Bodies may be Imitated as their Odours and Tasts And that not only the general ones as Fragrant or Astringent but also those which are specifical and proper to such a species of Bodies Thus for example by mixing several Bodies together in a due proportion I have Imitated the Smells of divers Vegetables as of Tansy of Lignum Rhodium and others And I conclude it feasable To Imitate the Tast or Smell of Musk or Ambergreece or any other body in the world Instance IV. HENCE also we may be Taught How to Imitate the Faculties as well as other Qualities of Bodies The reason is because even these have no dependance upon any substantial Form as in the first Part of my last Book of the Anatomy of Vegetables I think I have in a few lines clearly made out but are the meer result of Mixture effected by the same Causes whether in Nature or Art as also in the premisses of this Discourse hath been shew'd Instance V. FROM whence again it is likewise a Key to Discover the Nature of Bodies For how far soever we can attain to Mingle or to Make them we may also know what they are For Bodies are mingleable either of themselves or by some third As to those which mingle of themselves we may certainly conclude That there is a congruity betwixt them in some respect or other So upon various tryals I find that Essential Oyls do more easily imbibe an Acid then an Alkaly Whence it is evident That there is some congruity and similitude betwixt Essential Oyls and an Acid which there is not betwixt the said Oyls and an Alkaly As to those that mingle only by some third we may also certainly conclude That though the two extreams are unlike yet that they have both of them a similitude to or congruity with that third by which they are united Moreover We may make a Judgment from the Manner or Degree of Mixture Thus the Acid Spirit of Nitre as is said will coagulate Oyl-Olive and render it consistent Whence it might be thought That any other strong Acid will do the like and that therefore there is no great difference in the Nature of the said Acid Liquors But the contrary hereunto is proved by Experiment For having digested the same Oyl in the same manner and for a much longer time with strong Oyl of Sulphur although it thence acquired some change of Colour yet not any Consistence Again Because the said Spirit of Nitre coagulates Oyl-Olive it might be expected it should have the same effect upon Oyl of Anise-seeds or at least that if other Acids will coagulate Oyl of Anise-seeds that this should do it best But Experiment proveth the contrary For of all I have tryed Oyl of Vitriol is the only Acid that doth it instantaneously Oyl of Sulphur if very strong will do it but not so soon nor so much Aqua fortis and Spirit of Salt for the present do not at all touch it And Spirit of Nitre it self will not coagulate it under eight or ten hours at least Instance VI. LASTLY and consequently It is a Key To Discover the Medicinal Vse and Operation of Bodies Thus for example by the Imitation of Rosins and Resinous Gums we certainly know what all of them are and when and wherefore to be used For what are Mastick Frankincense Olibanum Benzoin and other like Rosins or Resinous Gums for their principal and predominant parts that is qua Rosins but Bodies resulting from Natural in like manner as I have shewed they may be made to result from Artificial Mixture That is to say the Oleous and Acid parts of Vegetables being both affused and mingled together per minima in some one Vessel of a Plant they thus incorporate into one consistent and friable body which we call Rosin Now from hence it is that the said Rosins and Resinous Gums as also Amber and Sulphur for the same reasons are of so great and effectual Vse against most thin and salt Rheums sc. as they are Acido-oleous Bodies For by their Acid parts which in all these Bodies are exceeding copious they mortifie and refract those salt ones which feed the Rheum And by their oleous parts the same salt ones are also Imbibed Whence they are all in some degree incorporated together that is the Rheum is thickned which is the desired effect Whereas on the contrary if the Cough proceed not from a thin and especially a salt Rheum but from a Viscous Flegm the use of many other Bodies which are also more oleous and abound not so much with an Acid as these do especially some of them is more proper such as these in this case proving sometimes not only ineffectual but prejudicial Since the very Cause of the said Viscousness of Phlegm is chiefly some great Acidity in the Blood or in some other part as may be proved by divers arguments Many more Instances might be hereunto subjoyned and may hereafter be offered to the acceptance of such who are inquisitive into matters of this Nature If I shall not herein anticipate or reiterate the Thoughts and Observations of those two accurate and Learned Persons Dr. Willis and Dr. Walter Needham as to what the one hath already published and both have put us in expectation of But the Instances already given are sufficient to evidence what I have said And I hope this present Discourse to prove in some measure thus much That Experiment and the Common Notions of Sense are prolifick and that nothing is barren but phancy and imagination FINIS * First Book of the Anatomy of Plants
difficulty and expence CHAP. III. I Now proceed to the several Parts of Animals as Hairs Hoofs Horns Shells and shelly Insects Bones Flesh and the several Viscera Silk Blood Eggs Musk Castor Gall Vrine Dungs Salts and Stones And first of all the Hair of a mans head with Oyl of Vitriol maketh no Bullition at all Nor yet with spirit of Nitre So that although it contains a good deal of volatile Salt yet it seemeth either not to be alkalizate or else is centred in so great a quantity of Oyl that the acid menstruum cannot reach it Hares Furr with spiriâ— of Nitre maketh although a short yet very plain Bullition and huff Hence the Hair anâ— therefore the Blood oâ— some Animals is fuller oâ— Salt at least of an alkalizate Salt than that oâ— some others And perhapâ— the Hair of some men aâ— of Blacks may be so fulâ— of Salt as to make a Bullition like Hares Furr The shavings of Naiâ—â— stir not at all either witâ— Oyl of Vitriol or spirit oâ— Nitre only with the latter they turn yellow Elks Claws with spirit of Nitre make a small and slow Bullition Horses Hoof with Oyl of Vitriol stirs not of many hours But with spirit of Nitre allowing it some time makes a very plain Bullition and huffs up very high Cows Horn neither with Oyl of Vitriol nor with spirit of Nitre maketh any Bullition only turneth to a yellow colour Rams Horn stirs noâ— with Oyl of Vitriol buâ— with spirit of Nitre makeâ— a small and slow Bullitioâ— Harts-Horn makes â— considerable Bullition aâ—â— huff even with Oyl of Vitriol which the rest of thâ— Bodies above-said will nâ—â— do But with spirit of Nitre it makes yet a greater From the foregoing Experiments and almost all that follow what waâ— formerly asserted of the Salts of Vegetables and Minerals is here also evident concerning that of Animals scil That it is not made but only separated by the fire It likewise hence appears That the proportion of Salt in the fore-mentioned parts is very different and that therefore some of them are never and none of them but with good discretion to be substituted one for another in Medicine As also that there is a different proportion of Salt in the several Animals themselves to whicâ— the said Parts belong Next for shells as thosâ— of Lobsters Eggs Snailâ— and Oysters all whicâ— make an Effervescence both with Oyl of Vitriol and spirit of Nitre Buâ— with spirit of Nitre thâ— greatest Lobster-shells make a considerable Bullition and huff but no noise nor steams Egg-shells make a Bullition and huff with some noise but no steams Snail-shells make an Effervescence with noise and steams Oyster-shells make one with the greatest noise and thickest steams Hence we may judge in what case to administer one more appositely than another As also in what proportion according to their different strength Some may be better for Children as being milder Or for a Body whose very sharp Blood or other Humors are very easily kindled into Ferments Or else may be safest to avoid a sudden precipitation of the Humors or for some other cause Oyster-shells and the rest above-said make a quicker Effervescence not only with spirit of Nitre but even with spirit of Salt thaâ— they do with Oyl of Sulphur or Oyl of Vitriol So that these Bodies as well as Metals have their proper Menstruums whereby they are best dissolved Egg-shells calcined make with Oyl of Sulphur or Oyl of Vitriol or spirit of Nitre a greater Effervescence than when uncalcined As also with steams which uncalcined they produce not The like is seen in calcined Oyster-shells The longer the Calcination is continued the quicker and stronger will be the Effervescence This I tryed at several terms from a quarter of an hour to five hours So that after so long a Calcination they make an Effervescence almost instantaneous The reason hereof is Because the Sulphur being for the greatest part driven away by the fire the remaining Salt lies now more open and naked to the attaque of the Menstruum so soon as ever they are mixed together From hence it is plain That Egg-shells and the others above-said being burnt are far stronger Medicines than when unburnt It is hereby likewise evident That a great portion of their Salt is not a volatile but a fixed Alkaly To these may be subjoyned all kinds of shelly Insects I will instance in three or four And first Bees with Oyl of Vitriol stir not in the least With spirit of Nitre they make an exceeding small Bullition without any elevation Cochinele makes some Bullition with Oyl of Vitriol but very small for the bubbles are not to be seen without a Glass But with spirit of Nitre the Bullition is more visible and joyned with some elevation Cantharides make no visible Bullition with Oyl of Vitriol But with spirit of Nitre they do and huff up rather more than Cochinele Yet is this done very slowly and comparatively with many other bodies is not much Hence it is not the quantity but the quality of their volatile Salt which makes them so strong an Epispastick For most of those bodies above and hereafter named make a greater Bullition and yet are neither Caustick nor Epispastick in the least It is hence also evident as hath been before suggested That there are divers kinds of volatile Salts eminently different some being highly alkalizate others very little and some scarce any thing so such as those of Scurvygrass Anemone Crowfoot and many the like Plants to whose Salts this of Cantharides seemeth to be very near of kin Millepedes make a Bullition and huff much greater and quicker than any of the Insects above-named and that both with spirit of Nitre and Oyl of Virtriol it self Yet is this Insect of a very temperate nature Whereby is further demonstrated That the being simply alkalizate is not enough to make a body to be Caustick Again although Millepedes make a Bullition greater than any of the Insects above-named yet is it much less than that of Oyster Snail or even Egg-shells and of divers other bodies above and hereafter mentioned Hence being given to the same intent as any of those bodies it is the mildest and gentlest in its operation of them all Millepedes likewise calcined make a stronger Effervescence than when uncalcined as do Oyster-shells c. So that it appears That all Testaceous Salts are at least in part fixed Salts I next proceed to Bones And first Whale-bone maketh no Bullition at all with any acid A Cartilage with spirit of Nitre makes some very small bubbles not to be seen without a Glass The Bone in the Throat of a Carp makes a little and slow Bullition with spirit of Nitre The Spina of a Fish that which I used was of a Cod-fish maketh a Bullition one degree higher All sorts of Teeth as of Dogs Boars the Sea-Horse Elephant make the like As also the Bone of an Oxes heart So that all these are very
gentle in their operation and fit for Children Sheeps and Calves Bones both of them make a Bullition yet a little higher especially with spirit of Nitre Cocks Bones somewhat higher than the former Cranium humanum a little higher than all the rest Bones likewise being calcined make a Bullition with Acids And so doth also calcined Harts-horn But in neither of them is the Bullition advanced by Calcination any thing comparable to what it is in shells Whence it appears That the Salt of Horns and Bones is much more volatile than that of Shells Next for Flesh and the several Viscera And first dryed and powdered Mutton with Oyl of Vitriol stirs not at all But with spirit of Nitre makes a small Bullition and huff Sheeps Heart doth the like somewhat more apparently Vipers flesh produceth a froth but huffs not Powdered Earth-worms make a great froth and huff a little Powdered Tripe makes only a little Bullition Lamb-stones do the like Kidney Spleen and Liver with some elevation Lungs with bubbles very large because extraordinary slowly Dryed Brain makes also a little and slow Bullition Hence there is a greater proportion of Sulphur or Oyl and less of an Alkaly in all these parts than there is in Bones Shells and divers other parts hereafter mentioned And in some of them as in the Brain that Salt which there is may rather be lodged in some sanguineous parts mixed with them than in their own proper substance I proceed to instance in all sorts of Animal Contents And first raw Silk with spirit of Nitre makes a very small Bullition but the elevation is considerable The grumous part of the Blood dryed with Oyl of Vitriol stirs but little But with spirit of Nitre it huffs up considerably Serum of Blood dryed with the same spirit makes a plain elevation with a little Bullition Herewith may be reckoned the White of an Egg which is nothing but a pure Crystalline Serum separated from the common stock This being dryed with spirit of Nitre huffs up rather more than even the grumous part of the Blood the bubbles are much larger break oftner and the elevation sooner made Whence it seemeth that there is a greater quantity of a volatile Alkaly in proportion to the Sulphur requisite to the Generation than to the Nutrition of an Animal The Yolk of an Egg is scarce moved with spirit of Nitre producing only a very few Bubbles The Salt being either little alkalizate or else immersed in so great a quantity of Oyl that the Menstruum cannot reach it For the same reason Sperma Ceti stirs not with any Acid. Neither doth Civet Russian Castor with Oyl of Vitriol stirs not But with spirit of Nitre makes a considerable huff and froth Yet it requires time Wherefore it seemeth That Castor by virtue of its alkalizate Sulphur becomes so good a Corrector of the acido-alkalizate Sulphur of Opium so I take leave to call it having some reasons to believe it such Musk with Oyl of Vitriol stirs not But with spirit of Nitre it makes a considerable and quick Bullition with large bubbles which often break and rise again Whence there is a very eminent difference betwixt Musk and Civet Hence also Musk is Cordial not only from its Sulphur but its Alkaly by both directly opposite to preternatural Acidities Dryed Gall with spirit of Nitre for some time is still but at length it makes a considerable Bullition and froth The reason why it is so long before it begins is because the Salt as was observed of some other Parts is locked up in so great a quantity of Oyl The abundance whereof is manifest not only from Destillation but also from hence In that the dryed Powder in lying by incorporateth all together into one body as Mirrh and some other softer and oily Gums are used to do Extract of Vrine with spirit of Nitre makes a Bullition with some Effervescence which continues for a considerable time and at last it huffs up with great bubbles The Bullition begins presently the Salt being copious and the Oyl but little The same Extract of Vrine makes a considerable bullition and froth not only with spirit of Nitre but even with Oyl of Vitriol Hence the Salt of Vrine is more alkalizate than that in most of the afore-said Contents From this and some of the following Experiments it also appears That the Salt which concurs to the generation or constitution of Gravel or of a Stone in the Kidneys or Bladder is of a very different nature from the Salt of Vrine Next for Dungs And first dryed Goats-dung makes with spirit of Nitre a small bullition but no elevation That of Mice the like And that of Cows So that of all I have tryed these three stir the least Goose-dung with spirit of Nitre makes a very small bullition and some elevation But it requires time Oyl of Vitriol stirs it not Album Graecum with spirit of Nitre besides innumerable small bubbles rises up with some great ones exactly resembling the huffing up of Yest or Barm Also with Oyl of Vitriol it maketh some little froth but slowly So that it should seem that the Bones are a little opened by some acid Menstruum in the Dogs stomach as the body of Steel is in its preparation with Sulphur whereby it becomes a good mild Topick in Quinzies Hens dung with spirit of Nitre makes a very great bullition and huff greater and quicker than any of the rest above-named But of all I have tryed Pigeons dung with the same Spirit maketh the greatest and the quickest Effervescence and huff and that not without steams Yet neither the same Dung nor that of Hens is moved in the least with Oyl of Vitriol The cause of so great an Effervescence in these more than in the rest is that white part which is here mixed in a great quantity with the Dung Which white part descendeth not from the Stomach but is an Excrement separated from the Blood as are Gall and the Succus Pancreaticus by a peculiar Organ which evacuates it into the Intestinum rectum whence together with the Stercus it is excluded Hence it is evident That in the said white part of Hen's and especially Pigeons dung is contained a great quantity of a volatile Alkaly I proceed to Salts And first Salt of Blood and Vrine both make a more durable Effervescence with Acids than doth Salt of Wormwood or Salt of Fern. Hence the former are more alkalizate than the latter Again though divers other Animal Salts will not stir with Spirit of Salt or with Oyl of Sulphur or Vitriol yet the Salt of Blood will make an Effervescence with all kinds of Acids Whence it is further argued to be highly alkalizate and very proper for the correction of all sorts of preternatural Acids in the body There is little doubt but that Spirit of Harts-horn will do the like The Tartar or Gravel which precipitates out of Vrine with Oyl of Vitriol makes no bullition in the
be yet it needeth not to be for they are also many and compoundable infinite ways as hath been shewed So that we have no need to perplex our selves with any of those difficulties that arise from the Doctrine of the Alteration of Elements The ground of which conceit is that of there being but four Elements and that all the Elements must needs be in every Body And so men being puzled how from thence to make out the infinite variety of Bodies they feigned them to be alterable and alter'd upon every perfect Mixture Not considering that if their four Elements be alterable as few as they are no fewer then three of them may be spared for one Element if alterable may be made any 2. Hence secondly may be solved that great Dispute Whether such as we call Lixivial Salts are made by the fire For first No Principle is made by the fire all Principles being unalterable and therefore unmakeable Secondly We must therefore distinguish betwixt the Principle and the Modification of a Principle or its various Mixture with other Principles whence it may receive a various denomination Wherefore a Lixivial Salt qua Lixivial is certainly made by the fire But quatenus Salt it is not that Principle being extractable out of most Bodies and by divers other ways then by the fire For whether you Calcine a body or Ferment it after the manner shew'd by the diligent and curious Improver of Chymical Knowledg Dr. Daniel Coxe or else putrifie it under ground or drown it in the Sea it still yieldeth some kind of Salt All which Salts are made not by making the Saline Principle but only by its being variously Mixed upon those various ways of the Solution of Bodies with other Principles from which its various Mixture it receives the various Denominations of Marine Nitrous Volatile or Lixivial 3. Hence thirdly the most perfect Mixture of Bodies can go no higher then Contact For all Principles are unalterable and all Matter is impenetrable as hath been said In the most visible and laxe Mixture there is Contact and in the most subtile and perfect as in Generation it self there is nothing more 4. Hence fourthly we easily understand how divers of the same Principles belonging both to Vegetables and many other Bodies are also actually existent in the Body of Man Because even in Generation or Transmutation the Principles which are translated from one body to another as from a Vegetable to an Animal are not in the least alter'd in themselves but only their Mixture that is their Conjugation Proportion and Location is varied 5. Hence also the difference of Mixture arising from the difference of Contact is intelligible sc. as to those three degrees Congregation Vnion and Concentration Congregation and Inconsistent Mixture is when the several Atomes touch but in a Point or smaller part In which manner I have divers arguments inducing me to believe the Atomes of all Fluid Bodies qua Fluid do touch and in no other Vnion is when they touch in a Plain As in the Crystals and Shootings of all Salts and other like Bodies For if we pursue their divided and subdivided parts with our eye as far as we can they still terminate on every side in Plains Wherefore 't is intelligible That their very Atomes do also terminate and therefore touch in Plain Concentration is when two or more Atomes touch by Reception and Intrusion of one into another which is the closest and firmest Mixture of all as in any fixed unodorable or untastable body the Atomes of such bodies being not able to make any Smell or Tast unless they were first dissolved that is to say unpin'd one from another 6. Hence sixthly we understand how in some cases there seemeth to be a Penetration of Bodies and in what sense it may be admitted viz. if we will mean no more by Penetration but Intrusion For the Intrusion of one Atome into the Concave or hole of another is a kind of Penetration whereby they take up less room in the mixed Body then they would do by any other way of Contact As a naked knife and its sheath take up almost double room to what they do when the knife is sheathed Whence we may assign the reason Why many Liquors being mixed take up less room or space then they did apart as they very Ingenious M. Hook maketh it to appear by Experiment that they do I say the plain reason hereof or at least one reason is the Intrusion of many of their Atomes one into another Which yet is not a Penetration of Bodies strictly so called 7. If all that Nature maketh be but Mixture and all this Mixture be but Contact 't is then evident That Natural and Artificial Mixture are the same And all those seeming subtilties whereby Philosophers have gone about to distinguish them have been but so many Scar-crows to affright Men from the Imitation of Nature 8. Lastly Hence it follows That Art it self may go far in doing what Nature doth And who can say how far For we have nothing to Make but only to Mix those Materials which are already made to our hands Even Nature her self as hath been said Maketh nothing new but only Mixeth all things So far therefore as we can govern Mixture we may do what Nature doth Which that we may still the better understand let us before and in the next place see the Causes of Mixture For since Natural and Artificial Mixture are the same the immediate Causes of both are and must be the same SECT IV. NOW all the Causes of Mixture we can conceive of must I think be reduced to these six in general viz Congruity Weight Compression Solution Digestion and Agitation 1. Congruity or aptitude and respondence betwixt the Sizes and Figures of parts to be mixed whereby bodies may be truly called the Instrumental Causes of their own Mixture As when a plain answers to a plain a square to a square a convex to a concave or a less to a greater or an equal c. according to which Respondencies in the parts of Bodies they are more or less easily mingleable 2. Weight by means whereof all Fluid Bodies upon supposition of the Congruity of their parts must unavoidably mingle 3. Compression which either by the Air or any other body added to Weight must in some degree further Mixture Because that Weight it self is but Pression For further proof of all the said Causes I made this Experiment Let Oyl of Anise-seeds and Oyl of Vitriol be put apart into the Receiver of an Air-Pump And having exhausted it of the Air let the two said Oyls be then affused one upon the other Whereupon First It is visible that they here mix and coagulate together that is their parts are wedged and intruded one into another without the usual compression of the Air for that is exhausted and therefore only by the Congruity of their receiving and intruding parts and by their Weight by which alone they are so compressed