Forms for besides the aforementioned Instances I have observed that that bony Substánce so much esteemed by Physitians which is usually taken out of the Deer's Heart and is of a hard Consistence hath appear'd in one of those Creatures which I purposely look'd into to be soft and flexible like Cartilages And indeed Solidity seems so much to depend upon Texture that it may justly be doubted whether the most solid Bodies have not before their Concretion been in Fluid Forms since amongst other Rarities I have seen in the midst of Stones the exact Figures of Fishes with their Scales and Finns c. And I have known not only Wood but several other Substances as Lead-oar Minera Antimonii Marchasites c. found in the midst of stony Concretions which are strong Arguments that those Stones have been before their Indurations in the Forms of Fluids and from hence we may have ground to Question the Opinions of some who think that Stones and such like or more solid Concretions have been existent in the same Forms since the Creation since we may with probability enough presume that these Concretes are the Results of Matter newly modified and united after a different Manner from what they were before otherwise it would be impossible that such things should be lodged in such hard Concretes And these Considerations and Observations may farther confirm what we have elsewhere noted concerning the growth and increase of Minerals But the most eminent Instances to shew how much the Fluidity and Firmness of Bodies A very remarkable Instance to shew how much Fluidity c. depends on Texture is owing to the Texture and various Coalitions of their Parts are in those Waters which when permitted to rest instead of Fluidity acquire a stony hardness And it hath been observed in some hollow Caves that by the Coagulation of a certain Humor which issued out of the top of it several Concretes have been formed like Icicles of which I have some by me now gathered by a very ingenious Person which are of a perfect stony hardness being 8 or 10 Inches in Length and of a proportionable Thickness and I have also now by me certain stony Concretes sent me from a famous petrifying Cave in France And if we will give Credit to Aventinus as well as some other Authors he hath recorded in his History that several Men and Women were at once Petrify'd by a Terrene Spirit and changed into Statues that Petrifying exhalation operating much after the same Manner and altering the Texture of their Bodies as when by Incubation and the subtile Insinuations of calorifick Atoms the Parts of an Egg are so newly modifyed and disposed as to put on the Form of a Chick And it is Testified by Pamphilio Pixcentino of a Woman in Venice who upon eating of an Apple was turned into a very hard Stone after she had been hideously tortured for about 24 hours Mixture sufficient to produce Petrifaction which History together with Observations of my own which I shall add will be a good Argument to prove that even Mixture is sufficient to petrify some Bodies the Observation is in the following Experiment viz. If two Ounces of Quick-silver be mixed with two Ounces and a half of Verdigreese together with about an Ounce of common Salt and put into a Frying Pan when that Mixture hath been Boiled for a considerable time with an equal Quantity of Vinegar and Water gradually infus'd as it wasts by Effluviums the Mixture washed and cleansed from its Salts will afford an Amalgama not unlike Quick-silver which if Dexterously prepared may be cast into Moulds and formed into imbost Images and it is in this Amalgama very remarkable that tho' at the first it is so soft as in a great Measure to emulate a Fluid Body yet when for some hours exposed to the Air it becomes hard and as Brittle as Steel where the Induration seems to result from the Coalitions of the mixed Ingredients and their new Texture rather than from any innate Principle The Particles of the Fluid Mercury being so intangled and interwoven one with another as to lose their former Fluidity and to convene so closely as to unite into a Solid Body And that the Induration depends on a Mutual Combination of the Saline Ingredients with the Mercury is beyond doubt since not only a true and perfect Copper may be obtained from the Amalgama but when it hath been for some time exposed to the Air the Surface will be covered over with the Saline Parts of the Verdigreese which have freed themselves from their more intimate commixture with the metalline Particles of the condensed Quick-Silver But lest it should be Questioned whether the Particles of Salt can have any sensible Operation when mixed with a Body so firm as condens'd Quick-Silver I shall add that in Bodies much more firm it hath been observ'd viz. in those Stones from which Vitriol is got for it is remarkable in them that when they have been for some time exposed to the open Air the internal Agitation of the Saline Parts is so violent that several of them will not only swell but even burst asunder And I remember that having preserâ—'d a Mineral much of the same Nature with these Stones in my Chamber the Superficies was cover'd with a Powder both in Colour and Taste resembling Vitriol And that the Motion of the Parts of this Amalgama whilst it was Fluid which they might be put into by the external force of the Fire might contribute to their Concretion we have sufficient Reasons to believe from what is related and observ'd by experienc'd Masons viz. That the best Morter will not acquire it 's utmost compactness under 25 or 30 Years and that after a long time it becomes so hard as to be more unapt to break than the Stones it Cements But lastly that the Condensation of the Parts of the Quicksilver depends on the Mixture of the Ingredients and the Texture thence resulting is evident since the Proportion of the Ingredients being vary'd the Condensation of the Mercury was neither so speedy nor so firm And that it may appear That Nature and Art sometimes take Measures not unlike in the Hardning of Bodies I shall add a Passage from a Jesuit nam'd Pierre Belleprat who relates it as an Observation in the American Continent where he was sent to preach to the Indians A Strange Sort of Earth The Relation is That near the Mouth of the River there is to be found a Green sort of Clay which being soft and capable of being put into any Form whilst under Water grows so hard when expos'd to the Air as not to be much softer than Diamonds and this he says the Natives usually make Hatchets of which they cut their Wood in pieces with But A Concrete resulting from a Mixture of Spirit of Wine and a Solution of Coral To conclude this Discourse I shall add an Experiment which will be a farther Confirmation That
in both successively And the Salt it self being cast into Water scarce made it sensibly colder nor did the Glass wherein this Salt was kept disclose any remarkable degree of Coldness And even the frigorifick Mixture it self when the Ebullition was over appear'd not colder than common Water in a Night's time so that the Coldness depended purely upon the Texture of the fermenting Liquor And to this I shall add that tho' I made use of a Spirit that was drawn off at the same time with this Salt and which in the Judgment of my senses appeared to be of the same kind yet instead of a cold Ebullition it produced a Luke-warm Heat And to these I shall further subjoyn that tho' the Liquor above mention'd would produce a cold Ferment with the dry Salt yet with the Spirit it grew warm tho' some of the same frigorifick Spirit kept warm by the fire till the Liquor in the Weather-Glass rose yet upon the injecting of some of the dry'd Salt it would be manifestly depressed Nay tho the Spirit and Salt were both warm yet upon their Mixture they would produce a manifest Coldness And to this Experiment I shall add that Salt of Tartar mix'd with Spirit of Vinegar produced upon their Ebullition a degree of Coldness greater than that of Water and when a Weather-Glass was removed out of Water into it an hour after the ferment the Spirit was depressed about half an Inch tho' Salt of Pot-ashes mix'd with Spirit of Vinegar produced Heat as appeared by the same Weather-Glass successively immersed in either CHAP. XII Of the Mechanical Origin or Production of Heat Of the mechanical Production of Heat HEAT being a quality whose nature seems to consist in a mechanical Motion of the Parts of the Body said to be hot it may be requisite to note that the three following Conditions are necessary in modifying that Motion First That the Motion be more rapid than in Bodies barely fluid so Water becomes hot by an increase of the motion of its Parts which argue their vehement motion by dissolving Butter and rising in the form of Vapours Which effects are more conspicuous as the degree of Motion is greater or less Another Instance to shew that the Parts of hot Water are in a more violent agitation than those of cold is in Water cast upon a hot Iron for they presently acquire such an additional Motion from that hot Body that it hisses and boils yielding Steams copiously But a stronger instance of the vehement Agitation of the parts of hot Bodies is in actual Flame since they move so impetuously as to dissolve and shatter whatever lies in their way A second Condition requisite to render a Body hot is that the motion of its Parts be variously determined which variety of Determination is apparent in Fire which produces the same effects on the same Bodies whatsoever is their Scituation in respect of that Fire so a red Coal melts Wax whether held above below or on one side of it and that a variously determin'd Motion is requisite appears if we observe that the rapid motion of Water in a River which is only one way contributes not to the increase of its heat A third requisite is that the Parts in such a Motion should be very minute so as to be insensible since it is manifest that tho' Sand be put into a violent motion it acquires not a heat by it This account of heat being considered it will appear that a Body may become hot as many ways as it is capable of having its parts put into such a Motion To illustrate which Observation I shall subjoin some instances of the Production of Heat several ways as first by an effusion of Oyl of Vitriol upon Salt of Tartar Aq. fortis upon Silver But to pass over these common Instances I shall proceed to some not so frequently known having first taken notice of the Heat which succeeds an effusion of cold Water upon Quick-lime which Phaenomenon tho' it be commonly held to be an effect of an Antiperistasis upon the enclosure of the Lime in cold Water yet that the effect is produced by another cause appears since the like succeeds if hot Water be made use of instead of Cold and further because tho' Oyl of Turpentine be poured on it cold no such Effect follows EXPERIMENT I. Tho' Helmont ascribes the Incalescence of Quick-lime upon an Affusion of Water to a conflict of an Alkalizate and an acid Salt set at liberty by being dissolv'd in the Water yet since no such acid appears to be latent in Quick-lime the account is unsatisfactory For I might as well suppose an Acid latent in other Alkalies in as much as Salt of Tartar mixed with Water either in the Palm of ones Hand or in a Vial affords a sensible Heat EXPERIMENT II III IV. Others think that the cause of the Heat of Quick-lime proceeds from some fiery Empyrumatical Atoms lodged in the substance of the Stone when calcin'd and set at liberty in the form of Effluvia but this Hypothesis is not without some difficulties since no such Heat succeeds an affusion of Water upon Minium or Crocus Martis per se tho' their increase of weight argues that they are stuffed with fiery and metalline Particles To which I shall add that I knew two Liquors which being several times separated and reconjoined without addition did at each Congress acquire a sensible heat so Salt of Tartar several times freed from Water The effects of a mixture of Salt of Tartar and Water will produce Heat when mixed again with that Water which shews that the violence of the Fire is not requisite to impress upon all calcin'd Bodies that will heat with Water what passes for an Empyreum And this Phaenomenon I am apt to believe proceeds from a disposition of the Texture of the Salt being stocked with store of igneous Parts which upon an ingress of Water pressed into the Pores of the Body by the weight of the Atmosphere are apt to break the Texture of that Body and to put them in motion so as to produce a sensible Heat And that the Ferment depends upon the peculiar Texture of the Salt I am perswaded and a constipation of the Pores of it since Sal-Armon dissolv'd in Water and boiled to a dry Salt was not so much impregnated with fiery Parts as to cause a Heat upon its mixture with Water again but a considerable degree of Cold and tho' one would expect a greater cognation betwixt the Particles of fire adhering to Quick-lime and Spirit of Wine wholly inflammable yet the latter poured upon the former did not produce any sensible incalescence or dissolution of it and when this Spirit was soak'd into it I poured Water upon it without perceiving the least Heat or the Lime broken till within a few hours after so that the Spirit being sucked into the most capacious Pores of the Lime and associating with the Water rendred it more unfit to
more clearly understand how a Superadded Form modifies the Actions of a Body we need but reflect on the Parts of a Watch from whence the Forma Totius proceeds where we may see how the Spring by being bent acquires a Tendency to expand and how the Wheels moderate that Expansion From whence we may gather how the Parts of a Body which united make the Forma Totius concur in superadding several New Qualities to the whole So a piece of Lead is Vitrify'd by the Action of the Fire by which Action the Parts which before were pliable become brittle and being otherwise rang'd as to Situation give way to the Rays of Light and becomes Transparent And Salt-Petre by the Addition of Coal and Sulphur instead of burning by degrees and leaving an Alkalizate Salt behind it flashes all away at once Compound may act by Virtue of one single Ingredient VII Besides the Actions of a Body which are specifick in respect of the whole it may have several Operations depending on the separate and particular Properties of an Ingredient This may appear from what hath been deliver'd above But to make it more clear I shall again intimate what hath been before deliver'd viz. That the Parts of a Watch retain several of their Pristine Qualities when put together as they did before To which another Instance might be added from what is elsewhere said of Gun-powder To which it may be added That several Ingredients in Physical Compositions retain their own Qualities tho' the Composition hath in General a Particular Effect upon the account of its Mixture As for Instance Ambergreece retains its Smell as well as Aloes its Taste when made up into Pills with other Ingregredients and Opium likewise its Soporifick Qualities tho' mix'd with so great a number of Ingredients as those of Venice-Treacle Another Example we have in the Precipitate of Gold and Mercury by Heat which tho' it hath a red Colour different from both the Ingredients yet the Mercury retains its Salivating Faculty The most noted often esteem'd the Specifick Form VIII That is often call'd the Specifick Form in several Natural Bodies which is not the Presiding but only the most Eminent To prove this we are to consider what hath been already observ'd As First That the Signification of the Word Form is made use of Arbitrarily and without sufficient Distinction Secondly That Forms are only Respective and the Result of a Determinate Coexistence of the Parts of Matter Thirdly That they are attributed to Bodies upon the account of some particular Qualities as Unctuousness in Oyls c. or some particular Use Pourthly Agreeably to these a Body must be endued wich several of those Qualities upon the Account of which Bodies are referr'd to different Classes As in Vitrum Antimonii in which besides those Qualities by which it is referr'd to Glass it hath a Vomitive and Purgative Faculty by which it is brought into another Class in Physick Fifthly It is not requisite that these Forms should depend on one another since neither the Vomitive nor Purgative Faculty depend on the Form of Glass they both being inherent in the Calx before it was Vitrify'd and would be preserv'd tho' the Glass without an Addition of other Matter should be turn'd into a Regulus Sixthly To these Observations we may add That the Qualities of Bodies are said to be less or more Noble in respect of their different Uses As in Glass of Antimony tho' the Glass may be taken for the Noblest Form by an Artist yet it s other Antimonial Qualities are more Eminent amongst Chymists and Physicians Seventhly From these Considerations we may gather that the most Predominant Form is not always that which denominates the Form of a Body but sometimes that which is most Eminent that is most regarded Some are rather Concurrent Forms than Subordinate IX The Forms just now mention'd are rather to be esteem'd Concurrent than Subordinate And indeed where the Denominating or most regarded Form may be so vary'd they rather seem Concurrent than Subordinate in respect of the Body whose Attributes they are So that the Subjection of some sort of Forms seems very difficult to be explain'd And indeed we are so apt to mistake Names for Things since by only denominating some Bodies which have Particular Operations we are apt to attribute what is the sole Effect of Modification to that Metaphysical Conception which we have of an Aery Form rather than to the Body consider'd as a Physical Agent endued with a Mechanical and Adventitious Texture And it is so far from Appearing that there is any thing of Supereminency or Dominion of one Form in all the Operations of a Compound Body that in some Simple Bodies the Specifick Form is not in the least concern'd in the Effects of them as Water will scald by Virtue of its Adventitious Heat which is contrary to those Qualities attributed to its Form as such And so Springiness may be added to or taken away from Silver without altering the Specifick Form of the Metal nor does the Form of a File consider'd as Metal affect what is attributed to it upon the Account of those Asperities Nor is the more than usual Hardness the Product of the Substantial Form but an acquir'd Temper given it by the Smith It would be an easy Matter to add several other Instances But to conclude Tho' the uncertain Signification of Terms hath made the Foregoing Discourse the more Difficult and Dark yet I hope it may serve to detect some receiv'd Errors and promote a truer Theory concerning these Matters CHAP. V. Experiments and Thoughts about the Production and Reproduction of Forms Bodies distinguish'd into Spaecies how IT was not without Grounds that I intimated in the preceding Chapter about Qualities that Bodies are in a great measure distinguished into several Species by a sort of Tacit Agreement there being as yet no Diagnosticks sufficient to distinguish the several Species of things but they are rather taken for distinct Species by being known by such Names than any true Characteristicks As for instance some well skill'd in the Writings of Aristotle hold that Water and Ice are not esteemed distinct Kinds of Bodies they both having the same Nature yet Galen not without Reason favours the contrary Opinion since they differ both in respect of Fluidity and Firmness as well as Transparency Besides Ice and Salt beaten together will freeze other Liquors whereas Water and Salt will not where there seems to be difference enough to denominate them Two distinct Species of Bodies as well as that Must Vinegar Wine Spirit of Wine or Tartar should be esteemed so or that a Chick should be thought different from the Egg which was hatched Yet some Aristotelians have been very doubtful whether the Natures of them be different or not as also whether Clouds Hail Rain or Snow differ in Specie from Water tho' the Writers concerning Meteors usâ—â—â—ly treat of them as different And if so
small Fragments of solid Harts-horn into it we found that they were gradually soften'd the Particles of the Liquor insinuating themselves into the Pores of the consistent Body and rendring it in a few days time of the Consistence of a Mucilage We mix'd likewise Spirit of Vinegar with Salt of Tartar An insipid Water drawn from Sp. of Vinegar Salt of Tartar till the Ebullition wholly ceas'd and by Distillation obtain'd an insipid Water from the Mixture and so successively pour'd fresh Spirit of Vinegar upon the Mixture and again extracted the insipid Water repeating reiterated Affusions and Distillations till the fix'd Salt was sufficiently impregnated with the Acid Parts of the Vinegar and then we obtain'd a Mixture tho' made up of pure and elementary Salts which so far emulated a fluid Body as to depose its saline Form when influenc'd by a very moderate Heat Camphire dissolv'd in Oyl of Vitriol c. Again we mix'd some Pieces of Camphire with Oyl of Vitriol by which they were presently dissolv'd into an Oyl and when violently agitated together readily mix'd with the Oyl of Vitriol and seem'd to constitute a uniform Liquor for several Hours yet by an Addition of four times as much fair Water the Camphire presently assum'd its own Form again and swam upon the Top of the Liquor where it is to be noted That the saline Parts of the Oyl of Vitriol render the Camphire Fluid instead of making it more Solid and on the contrary that Fluid is turned into a Consistent Body again by a Body so much void of Saltness as Water And that a Body may acquire those other Qualities viz. Hardness and Brittleness without an Addition of Saline Parts is evident from the different Tempers that may be given to a Piece of Steel for if it be immerged in Water red hot it acquires a Brittleness and Hardness which it hath not if leisurely cooled in the Air yet if it be again heated till it turns to a deep Blue it acquires a comparative softness and aptness to bend And that an Alteration in Texture is enough to render a Body more or less Solid is evident in Snow for its Parts being compressed more closely together it is abler to resist the Impressions of other Bodies and yet when further by thawing it it's Parts are brought closer together it hath a greater degree of Solidity and Firmness when Froze again the Texture being much more close and compact than that of the Snow But by some it is taught that Induration depends on a certain inward Principle A Plastick power inherent in Bedies or a Plastick Power called by some a Form and by others a Petrifying Spirit lodged in a Liquid Vehicle And indeed since I have observed that some Stones dug out of the Earth are endewed with such curious and exquisite Figures as if they had been the product of Art I cannot but acknowledge a Plastick Power which the wise Creator of Things hath implanted in certain Particles of Matter which produce both the determinate Figure as well as consistnce of those Bodies Plastick Power what But we disagree with the generality of those Philosophers as to the Manner in which this internal Principle produces its Effects and since the Manner of it by them is not intelligibly explained it will be necessary to Consider how many ways Nature takes to render Bodies Solid by which we shall be better Qualify'd to Judge of the Manner which those Particles operate by in which the Plastick Power is said to lodge But to proceed For as much as Hardness is the highest degree of Firmness we shall endeavour to make it appear that an Alteration of Texture concurring with other dispositions of the component Parts of a Body is enough to render it hard without the Addition of an adventitious Salt The Tradition is common amongst those that search into the Secrets of Nature that Coral tho' a hard Substance with us is a soft Body whilst remaining under Water according to that of Ovid Sic Cor allum quo primum contigit Auras Tempore durescit mollis fuit herba sub Vndis Ovid. Metamorph. Lib. 15. And tho' Beguinus Tyrocyn Chym. lib. 2 Cap. 10. hath urged very strong Arguments against this Tradition yet that it hath sometimes been found true appears from what Gassendus lib. 4 An. Dom. 1624. relates of an Ingenious Gentleman who Fished for Coral near Toulon viz. The Plants which were pluck'd up and drawn out were neither red nor handsome till their Bark was pulled off in some Parts they were soft and would give way to the Hand as towards the Tops which being broken and squezed they sent forth Milk like that of Figs. To which may be added the Testimony of the Jesuit Fournier Hydrograph lib. 4. Cap. 27. And I am informed by one that Practises Physick in the East-Indies that he gather'd white Coral divers times on the Sands of the Island Mehila not far from that of Madagascar which is usually as soft as an Onion and is observed to decay if it is not gathered at a certain Season of the Year Agreeable to which Piso lib. 4. Cap. 68. making mention of several stony Trees on the Brasilian Coast says E fundo erutae mox durissimae si insolentur in Littore siccae niveique coloris fiunt which may be favoured by the following Relation of Scaliger's Ex bovillis Oppidanus adjutus Medicamentis eminxit vitrum sane ex illa Nobili Paxagorae pituita dum mingeretur albuminis Mollitie emissum vitri duritie ac splendore Senatoris filius ejecit puttis modo multis maximos Qui aeris Contactu postea in Gypseam tum speciem tum firmitatem concrevere hic quoque nunc recte valet And I have been informed by a Merchant and likewise a Chymist of Dantzick that several Lumps of Amber have been taken up soft upon their Coast which presently grew hard in the Air which I the rather believ'd because I have several times observed both Spiders Flys and Straws enclosed in Amber Observations of Indurated Bodies And here we may take Notice that tho' it from hence appears that some Bodies which are soft under Water become hard when exposed to the Air yet it is a Matter of difficulty to determine how much the Infiuence of the Air contributes to the hardning of them For Gassendus in Vita Piereskii lib. 1. says he hath observed in the lesser Streams of the River Rhosne where he usually washed himself several Lumps of hard Substances upon the same Place where he was wont to find the ground smooth and soft and that some time after the same hard Substances remaining in the Water as well as some which he carried home with him were turned into perfect Pebbles from which relations and also what we have before observed concerning the Powder of Alablaster it appears how much the Mechanical Textures of Bodies together with other Mechanical Qualities contribute to their various
by a Solution of Sugar in Water Pag. 126. by a Solution of Salt of Tartar Pag. 127. by Lead raised in the Form of Vapours Pag. 128. by droping Oyl of Turpentine upon Spirit of Wine Pag. 139. by opening the Body of Copper with Sal Armoniack and applying it to a Candle Pag. 141. Liquids why sometimes unapt to mix with each other Ibid. A Diaphanous and Opacous Body afforded by a Liquid Pag. 143. The Superficies of Liquors in Vacuo Boyliano Pag. 148. A Liquor may become consistent by the mixture of a Powder Pag. 179. The Effects of a Load-stone upon Filings of Iron Pag. 293. M. Matter defin'd Pag. 2. Motion a Catholick Agent Ibid. Guided by God in the Creation Ibid. Mechanical Affections their result Pag. 7. Mixture and Texture how different Pag. 22. The Effects of Motion various Pag. 23. Modification twofold Pag. 44 45. In what Respects Pag. 47 48. Medicines Chymical laid aside too rashly Pag. 113 114. The Effects of languid and unheeded Motion from Pag. 210 to 238. Motion may be propagated through different Me diums Pag. 223. An Observation concerning Manna Pag. 253. Concerning a Match burning in the Receiver Pag. 325. Why Mercury is not always suspended at the same Height Pag. 334. Marbles disjoyn'd in the exhausted Receiver Pag. 446. Mountains their Height Pag. 468. N. Nature may not be always exact in her Laws Pag. 255. Natural and Preter-natural States of Bodies not rightly stated Pag. 302. The natural Sate of the Air a forc'd State Pag. 304. O. Odours no inherent Quality Pag. 9. Odours what Ibid. Observations about Lignum Vitae Pag. 103. Observations made in Quarries Pag. 104. P. Primary Affections of Matter Pag. 3. Putrefaction what Pag. 16. Corpuscularian Principles very firtile Pag. 21 22. Minuteness of Pores no Arguments of their Non-existence Pag. 125. A Plastick Power inherent in Bodies Pag. 189. Plastick Power what Pag. 190. Petrification how effected Pag. 194 195. Q. Qualities no distinct Entities Pag. 3. Qualities the Result of Modification Pag. 5. Proved Pag. 6. Qualities act how Pag. 11. Complexion of Qualities no real Qualities Pag. 17. Whether Qualities depend on substantial Forms Pag. 18. Qualities of a Compound different from the Ingredients Pag. 19. Some Qualities the Result of mixture Ibid. Qualities how alter'd Pag. 20 182. Different Qualities in Homogeneous Bodies Pag. 26. Exhibited by Venice Turpentine Pag. 27. By putrifi'd Vrine Pag. 27. New Qualities added upon a Dissolution of the Specifick Form Pag. 46. Qualities the Result of Motion c. Pag. 73 74 76 77. Various Qualities produc'd by a Change of Texture in Camphire Pag. 78 79 80. In Copper and Silver Pag. 81 82 83 84 85. In preparing of Luna Cornea Pag. 86 87. In preparing of a Peculiar Salt Pag. 88. By digesting Spirit of Nitre with Sea-Salt Pag. 89 90. By distilling Oyl of Vitriol with Nitre Pag. 91 92. By digesting Spirit of Wine and Oyl of Vitriol together Pag. 102 103. By a Redintegration of Salt Petre Pag. 108 109. R. Redintegrations of Bodies consider'd Pag. 69. Of Amber Pag. 70. Of Roch Allom Ibid. Of Vitriol Pag. 71 72. Of Antimony and Oyl of Vitriol Ibid. Of Salt Petre Pag. 105 106 107. The Signification of the Word Rest limited Pag. 198. Of Respiration Pag. 382. The Aristotelian Rarefaction examined Pag. 404. Rarefaction explained Pag. 416. According to the Doctrin of the Plenists Pag. 417. The Rota Aristotelica explain'd Pag. 419 420. S. Sounds no Inherent Qualities Pag. 9. Sounds what Ibid. Species of Bodies how distinguish'd Pag. 57 58. Salts their Figures how accounted for Pag. 62. Salts obtain'd from an Alkaly Pag. 63. From Oyl of Vitriol and a Solution of Sea-Salt Ibid. From a mixture of Spirit of Wine and Nitre Ib. From a Solution of Copper Pag. 64. From Gold Pag. 65. Venetian Borax Ibid. Spirit of Vrine and Nitre Pag. 66. Soot and Sal Armoniack Ibid. Spirit of Nitre and Pot-Ashes Pag. 68. Salt Petre obtain'd from Pot-Ashes Pag. 107. Aqua Fortis and Salt of Tartar Ibid. Solidity refin'd Pag. 158. What is requisite to Solidity or Firmness Pag. 158 159 160 161 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 176 177 178 179 181 184 185 186 187. A Solid turn'd Fluid Pag. 180. Motion in the Parts of Solids Pag. 200 201. Cosmical Suspitions from Pag. 249 to 256. The Temper of Submarine Regions Pag. 266. Of the uppermost Ibid. Of the lower Pag. 267 268. The Bottom of the Sea unequal Pag. 279. Vndisturb'd in Storms Pag. 271. Almost stagnates Ibid. The Proportion of Salt in the Sea to the Water Pag. 275 282 283 284. Springs in the Bottom of the Sea Ibid. The Reason of the Saltness of the Sea Pag. 278 279. It s Bitterness whence Pag. 280. Concerning the Propagation of Sounds Pag. 353. A Spring bent in the exhausted Receiver Pag. 458. To what Height Water will be rais'd by Suction Pag. 452 454 456. T. Transmutation of Metals not impossible Pag. 94 95. The Texture of their Liquids contributes to their Mixture Pag. 175. The Texture of Bodies enables them to work on each other Pag. 247. Trees under Water Pag. 273. V. Union the Cause of the Effects of Compounds Pag. 44 51. Vitriol Natural and Artificial agree in Qualities Pag. 60 61. Vitriol turn'd into Allom Pag. 68. Vortices beyond the Concave Surface of the Firmament Pag. 256. Of a Vacuum Pag. 331 362 440. Vapours and Fumes why they ascend Pag. 356. W. Water acquires new Qualities by an Alteration of its Form Pag. 76. Water Convertible into Earth Pag. 98 99. How it becomes Solid Powder Pag. 99. An insipid Water drawn from Spirit of Vinegar and Salt of Tartar Pag. 188. Water its Gravitation Pag. 270. Agitation requisite to keep Water from stinking Pag. 281. Memoirs for the Natural History of Mineral Waters Pag. 286. The different Weight of Mineral Waters Pag. 291. Observations requisite in trying them Pag. 295. Whether they have Arsnick in them Pag. 296. What Proportion of Salt they afford Pag. 299. Of the Elater of Water Pag. 337. It depends on the Elater of the Air contain'd in the Pores of it Pag. 339. Water hot its spontaneous Ebullition Pag. 391. The END ADVERTISEMENT THis Volume containing an Epitomy of several of the Author's Works I think it necessary to advertise that to avoid a Repetition of all the Titles prefix'd to the Tracts Printed severally I have digested each of those Books into such a Method as they would have been probably Printed in had they been all writ by our Author at one time each Book being contain'd in Chapters the Titles of which will acquaint the Reader what Tracts they belong to And that the Reader may be more clearly satisfi'd I intend at the End of the next Volume to add such a Table of the Author's Works as shall readily direct what Chapters each Book is abridg'd in by referring to them IMPRIMATUR Liber Cui Titulus THE WORKS Of the HONOURABLE ROBERT BOYLE Esq EPITOMIZED By RICHARD
Liquor out and rais'd the Mercury 100 Inches the Receiver being open'd whilst the Air got out the Peach turn'd as soft as a Pultis the Taste of it was pleasant The other Receiver was unalter'd Another Peach was shut up with an Infusion of Raisins of the Sun Sept. 26. The Mercury was 30 Digits higher than usual Sept. 27. It was 72. Sept. 28. It was 90. Liquor got out Sept. 30. It was at a stand the Liquor was all gone Octob. 1. The Receiver was open'd and the Peach tho' soft tasted pleasant Octob. 3. The Receiver in which the Apples were contain'd being open all things were much fermented the Juice of the Apples having got out the Peach tho' soft tasted pleasant Fruit cannot long be preserv'd in the Pulp of Apples they yield so much Air. EXPERIMENT IV. Sept. 23. 78. Pears with the Pulp of Apples PEACHES and crude Grapes being included in one Receiver with the Pulp of Apples and in another with unripe Grapes bruis'd Octob. 1. That which contain'd the Apples was unalter'd But the other had lost it's wind one of the Peaches had lost it's Firmness both of them retain'd a grateful Taste Feb. 5. 79. That which contain'd the Apples seem'd unalter'd the Pulp and Peaches tasted grateful but a little too pungent when the Receiver was open'd there happen'd a very great Ebullition EXPERIMENT V. Sept. 25. 78. Pears with the Pulp of Apples TWO Butter Pears were shut up in a Receiver with Pulp of Apples Sept. 26. The height of the Mercury was unalter'd Octob. 5 It was 16 Octob. 6 It was 16 †Octob. 12 It was 16 †Octob. 29. It subsided Octob. 26. The Receiver was crackt One of the Pears began to rot the rest as well as the Apples tasted well EXPERIMENT VI. Octob. 1. 78. PEACHES being included with Pulp of Apples in one Receiver and unripe Grapes bruis'd in another Octob. 5. Wine got out The Mercury was 64. Digits high Octob. 6. Wine ran out It was 70 Inches high Oct. 8. All the Wine ran out It was 86 high Oct. 12. 86. Oct. 18. 86. The other Receiver which contain'd Pulp of Apples for those five Days had lost some Juice Decemb. 4 The Receiver which contain'd the Apples being open'd several Bubbles broke out with a considerable Noise The Peach was soft and pungent Jun. 28. 79. The Mercury in the other Receiver stay'd at the same height The Peaches emitted several Bubbles being wrinkled and a little alter'd in Colour their Taste was very pungent and a little acid EXPERIMENT VII Octob. 4. 78. Peaches with Wine and Beer PEACHES being shut in one Receiver with Wine In another with Beer hopp'd and in another with Beer without Hops Octob. 5. The Mercury in the last was 15 Digits high In the second 10. In the first 9. Octob. 6. In the last 25 Inches In the second 15. In the first 20. Octob. 8. In the last 35. Second 15. First 20. Octob. 12. In the last 63. Second 15. First 28. Oct. 15. In the last 81. Second 15. First 30. Oct. 16. No Alteration at all 18. It descended a little in all 22. The Ascent in the Wine answer'd the Degrees of Heat and Cold. Octob. 24. In the last it was 96 Digits high Second 15. First 30. Oct. 30. In the last 115. Second 29. First 30. Nov. 3. In the last 117. Second 20 First 30. Oct. 6. In the last 120. Second 31. First 31. Oct. 11. In the last 105. Second 31. First 28. Cold Weather Nov. 16. The Peach which was lowest in the middle Receiver rose up to the Top the others remain'd at the Bottom Nov. 25. In the last 140. The second 47. First 32. Nov. 28. In the last 96. Second 36. First 28. very cold Weather Decemb. 13. In the last 96. Second 47. First 33. In the first the Peach was firm and well colour'd it had borrow'd a Taste from the Wine which might be made grateful with Sugar The Wine was very palatable Decemb. 30. In the last 96 Digits Second 47. The Peaches in the last when it was open'd rose up to the Top and bubbled The Taste which they had got from the Sugar was made pleasant with it Hence it appears that fermented Liquors may preserve Fruit. EXPERIMENT VIII Sept. 5. 78. ONE Peach whole and another cut was included with old Wine in a Receiver Nov. 20. Some of the Wine ran out Nov. 30. A third part was lost Decemb. 8. The Wine was almost lost but what remain'd was pleasant the Peaches were much fermented and a grateful Taste This compar'd with the first Receiver in former Exp. shews that Wine hinders Fermentation if in a sufficient Quantity but here the Peaches took up too much Room EXPERIMENT IX Octob. 11. 78. A Whole Peach and another cut was included in hopp'd and fermented Beer Octob. 12 It was 3 Octob. 15 It was 15 Octob. 16 It was 15 Octob. 18 It was 12 very cold Octob. 20 It was 12 Octob. 22 It was 12 x Warmer Nov. 2 It was 20 Nov. 3 It was Lower cold Nov. 6 It was 28 hotter Nov. 8 It was 33 Nov. 11 It was 40 Nov. 12 It was 40 Beer got out Nov. 16 It was 46 Nov. 19 It was 43 Beer lost Nov. 20 Beer lost Nov. 23 It was almost all lost The Receiver being open'd the Peaches were soft yet of a grateful Taste This Exper. compar'd with the second Receiver Exp. VII shew that Beer in a sufficient Quantity hinders the Generation of Air and Fermentation of Peaches but here the Peaches took up too much Room EXPERIMENT X. Octob. 19. 78. RAW Beef being shut up with stale Beer Beef with stale Beer compress'd till the Mercury rose 60 Digits above it's usual height In another it was shut up with Beer uncompress'd And in a third the Receiver was fill'd with common Air. Octob. 20. In the first it sunk 40 Digits In the second a little In the third it ascended a little Octob. 26. In the first it ascended and descended irregularly It ascended slowly in the second In the third it was at a stand Oct. 27. A Piece left in the Air began to smell ill In the second and third the Mercury ascended In the first it descended Nov. 3. In the second it was 20 in the third 10 Digits high Nov. 5. The two first did not stink but the Flesh had got a Taste from it and being boil'd in it was tender That included with common Air stunk But the same piece of Beef being shut up again with Air. Nov. 6. Mercury was rais'd 3 Digits Nov. 11. 8. Nov. 25. 20 Digits The Flesh stunk Hence it appears that Beer may preserve Beef when compress'd for some time EXPERIMENT XI Nov. 12. BEEF was shut up with Water Beef with Water and Salt and a fortieth Part of Salt in one Receiver In another with Salt Water compress'd till the Mercury was rais'd 15 Digits above it's usual height In a third Flesh and Air
being boyl'd to a clearness and set in a wide-mouth'd Cristal Glass in a small time puts on the colour of a German Amethist and in three hours time a lovely Green XVI Having gathered by filtration the Precipitate of Sublimate dissolved in water and when it was dry poured Spirit of Salt upon it in a glass Vessel the precipitate at the first will become white and when the ebullition which succeeds the mixture is ended it becomes a transparent Liquor XVII Having dropt Spirit of Salt upon a fourth part of Calcined Copper we found that the mixture produced a Tincture of a muddy Red and a white Powder which being acted on by the fire exhibited several colours XVIII The Solution of Copper just now mention'd being put into a Cylindrical Vial and 2 or 3 Spoonfuls of highly rectify'd Spirit of Wine poured upon it by shaking the mixture we obtained a Liquor of a green Colour like that of Emeralds XIX A few drops of Spirit of Wine being dropt upon a Taffety Ribband chang'd its Green into a Blew Colour and being dropt on a black Ribband alter'd that and made it put on that which is call'd a Fading Leaf XX. If Spirit of Salt be dropt upon Purple Paper it presently turns it Red. XXI Powder of Antimony being boyl'd to a Dissolution in Spirit of Salt in a glass Vessel lost its blackness and the Solution being dropt into Water it in a little time subsided in the Form of a white Precipitate These Experiments being laid down it may be necessary for us to observe how unexpected the Result of most Mixtures are which may be an Argument against the too frequent use of Compound Prescriptions since it often not only is uncertain how those Ingredients may destroy the Vertues of each other but somtimes whether they will duly mix according to Physitians expectation CHAP. IV. An Experimental History of COLOURS begun Containing Part the First THO there are some especially Chymists who think that a considerable Diversity of Colours Diversity of Colour not always an Argument of a variety in Qualities must always imploy a Diversity of Nature yet we see that Taffaties are endued with changable Colours as well as the Feathers of several Birds which have as great an Affinity in Nature as in Place and not only several Feathers vary in Colour from one another but sometimes several parts of the same Feather And there is no less variety of Colour in several Leaves of Flowers tho no difference can be discovered in their Properties A considerable Instance in which we have in Marvail of Peru which tho it produces several Scores of Flowers in its Season yet I have scarce found two coloured alike Yet changes of Colour oft signify Alteration in the Properties of Bodies But tho I believe that a variety of Colours does not always imply a Diversity of Properties yet I question not but that an alteration in point of Colour signifies a Variation in the Disposition of Parts of Bodies which is evident in the Extraction of Tinctures and several other Chymical Operations wherein the Change of Colours is the only Observation by which the Artist regulates his Process So we see that several Degrees of Maturation produces various Colours in Fruit and Steel if it be heated glowing hot in the fire and held over a Basion of Water till it changes its white to a red Colour so far as is then quench'd will be hard'ned and when polish'd at the end will look whitish but if the end of the Steel be held in a Candle so that the polish'd part may not be sully'd that which is almost contiguous to the Candle would change from a bright Yellow to a deep one or a sanguine Blew and from that to a fainter and then to a deeper Blew and in each of these diffetent Appearances its Texture is so much different that if whilst it is yellow it be cooled it is fit for Gravers Drills but when blew it is softer and fit for Springs of Watches and if it be kept long in the flame after this blew appears it will be too soft for Drills till hardned again And it is not a little pleasant to see how these Colours will succeed one another and run along the Steel very fast But because the flame of a Candle usually sullies the Steel we generally make use of a red-hot Iron to heat it with But not to prosecute these Experiments out of their due Place before I descend more Particularly to present you with my Considerations concerning Colours What is meant by Colour I think it requisite to premise That Colour being a Word of a twofold Signification in the following Discourse I shall sometimes use it to signifie only the Sensation of those reflected and modified Rays of Light which cause that Effect on the Sensory and generally in the vulgar Acceptation intimating by it the Disposition in the Object which causes the Rays of Light to be reflected so as to produce on the Sensory this or that Colour What the Perception of Colours depends upon And perhaps it may not be inconvenient to add that it is the Opinion of several Modern Atomists that the Sensation of Colours depends not so much on the inherent Qualities of the Object in the Sense but that such a Motion is given to the Spirits in the Retina that that communicated to the Brain and causing a Local Motion in some part of it we always think we see such a colour when the slender strings of the Retina are put into a like Motion whether the Light concurs to the Production of that Motion or not whence dreaming Men often think they see several things in their sleep and distracted Persons fancy they see several things before them which depends only upon an Internal Local Motion of their Spirits And so upon a violent blow upon the Eye we sometimes fancy we see Lightning and flashes of Fire and even upon a blow on the Head or when internal Humours cause such a Concussion in the extremities of the Optick Nerves as is wont to produce a Sensation of Light And I remember that having my self a violent Cough I fancy'd I saw flashes of Light which presently disappear'd again and a very discreet Lady observ'd that the day before she was seiz'd with some violent Hysterick and Hypochondriacal Fits which for the time gave her a bastard Palsey every thing before her seem'd to be dyed with bright and vivid but unusual colours And I am told by an ingenious Gentleman that several that were seiz'd with the Plague sometime before fancy'd every thing coloured over very beautifully and this Symptom was successfully remov'd as well as the other Symptoms of that Distemper by a Vomit The Vomit which was successfully given in this was made of about 8 or 10 Drachms of Crocus Metallorum and half a Drachm of white Vitriol But further as the Apparition of a Colour may be caus'd by the Motion of the Humors
sublimate made with common sublimate and Sal-Armoniack nay and with both loaf and Kitchin-Sugar as likewise a strong solution of Pot-ashes mixed with Snow did freeze tho' very faintly And both a Solution of Salt of Tartar and Pot-ashes Agitated with Snow in a small Vial produced Filmes of Ice on the outside the Glass tho' very thin ones 9. A sweet Solution of Minium in Spirit of Vinegar mixed with Snow excited the frigorifick Quality of it yet some of that Solution being enclosed in Snow and Salt would not be froze by them Snow shut up alone thawed much more slowly than that which was mixed with Salts or Spirits No Salts will promote the frigorifick Quality of Snow so far as to enable it to freeze which quicken not it's Dissolution Neither Chrystals of Tartar nor Borax both beaten to powder nor Sublimate would enable Snow to freeze as well as the Powder of each lying undissolved in it 10. Water of Quick-lime being twice tryed would not freeze but only gather a dew on the outside yet the Liquor being kept up 12 Months the Spirits with which those Waters abound flew away 11. Oyl of Turpentine in which Ice dissolves slower than in several other Liquors enables not Snow to freeze Tho' Spirit of Wine shut up with Snow in a Bottle enabled it to freeze powerfully and to Chrystalize even Urine it self which might be taken off in Scales 12. Spirit of Nitre and Snow being mixed together in a just Proportion froze very powerfully and speedily not only Water but Spirit of Vinegar and weak Spirit of Salt the first of which retained it's taste when froze and the latter shot into Chrystals which lay across each other A Solution of Sal-Armoniack partly evaporated would shoot into Chrystals like combs and feathers and Sal-Armoniack distill'd from Quick-lime would shoot into Branches almost like those so nimbly that one's Eye might discern them to spread and increase The like Experiments being tryed with Wine and strong Ale succeeded but very faintly 13. Since Bodies generally help Snow to freeze which hasten it's dissolution we threw into a Vial which contained Snow heated Sand which enabled it to cause a Dew but not to freeze And warm Water poured into another when it had been shaken produced a considerable degree of Cold and gathered Dew but froze it not 14. Tho' it is generally believed That the Hoar-froast on Glass-windows is only exsudations through the Pores of the Glass and froze by the External Cold yet it will easily appear That it is rather on the inside the Glass the Steams which rove up and down the Room being condensed by the External Cold and froze 15. To shew That the Ice which appears on the outside of the Vial in the fore-going Experiments proceeds not from any subtil Parts of the Mixture penetrating the Pores of the Glass and settling on the outside we found that four Ounces and ¼ of the Mixture of Ice and Salt being shut up in a Vial by the access of Dew on the outside the weight of it was increased 12 Grains Another Vial which contained two Ounces six Drams and a half increased in weight 4 Grains the Vial being unsealed under Water it sucked in a good quantity of it Six ounces Snow and Salt being sealed up in a Glass the Hoar-Frost was wiped off but returned again and the Vial being counterpoised in a pair of Scales the Vapours condensed by the coldness of it in the time that the Snow was melting weighed 10 Grains A like quantity of Snow and Spirit of Wine being shut up in a single Vial the outside was presently cover'd with Ice and in all it became 7 Grains heavier than before Another time a mixture of Snow and Salt which weighed 3 ¾ ounces afforded 18 grains of condensed Vapours And a mixture of Snow and Sal-Gem which counterpoised 3 ounces and 70 grains upon an additional weight of condensed Vapours weighed 20 grains more than before TITLE II. Experiments and Observations concerning Bodies disposed to be Frozen Of Bodies disposed to be frozen WIthout any more than barely intimating that there are several Bodies disposed to be froze by one degree of Cold that are not with another I shall observe 1. That in very cold snowy Weather Water Urine Beer Ale Milk Vinegar French and Rhenish Wine were either totally or partly turned into Ice But besides these more obvious Instances we froze a Solution of Sugar and another of Gum Arabick in Water a Solution of Allum Nitre and Vinegar froze without affording any considerable Phaenomena A Solution of Vitriol was in part froze and in part unfroze that which was froze being not much different in colour from Water but the unfroze part was of a very high Vitriol-colour 2. Spirit of Urine and Spirit of Vinegar exposed to an intense Fire both of them froze 3. A drachm of Salt of Pot-ashes being dissolv'd in two ounces of Water presently froze in an intense Cold and Oyl of Tartar per deliquium or at least a Solution of the fixed Salt of Tartar was congeal'd in a mixture of Snow and Salt Appendix to the II. Title Oyl becomes much more hard in Muscovy than here in England in the most excessive Cold but will in neither be turn'd into perfect Ice And Captain James speaking of an Island where he and his Men were forced to Winter Pag. 58 says All our Sack Vinegar Oyl and every Thing else that was liquid was now frozen as hard as a piece of Wood and we must cut it with a Hatchet And Olaus Magnus Gent. Sept. Hist l. 11. c. 24 says speaking of the Fights wont to be made on the Ice in the Northern Regions Glacialis congressus fit in Laneis calcibus non pellibus aut coriis unctis Vis enim frigoris quodcunque fit unctuosum convertit in Lubricitatem glacialem There being a great similitude betwixt Spirit of Wine and Oyl in respect of their inflammability and being dispos'd to mix with oily Bodies and as great an aptitude in the Spirit of Wine to mix with other Liquors I enquir'd of the Russian Emperor's Physician what alterations he had observ'd to be produc'd by Cold in Muscovy To which he answer'd That Aniseed and other weak Spirits would be turned into an imperfect kind of Ice and that strong ones would turn Ice into a kind of Substance like Oyl Particulars referrable to the II. Title 1 In a very hard Frost in December a Solution of Minium near the Fire seem'd to be froze tho' it was made with Spirit of Vinegar and so strong that part of it was shot into Saccharum Saturni Some at the top which was yellow did not freeze tho' poured out 2. A Solution of Gold made with Salts was likewise froze As also a Pint-vial full of the Tincture of Lignum Nephriticum which being froze the Ice had no such colour as the Tincture 3. It is reported That in Russia Brandy will freeze but the Ice of it is
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
hath upon occult Qualities as well as manifest ones and likewise upon Fermentation since it is observ'd to retardate the working of Ale extremely and it is observed That Must may be preserved sweet a long time in a deep Well or if let down into the Bottom of a River and will when taken up be less apt to ferment than other parcels of Must kept in the warmer Air. It hath been observed in the Northern Countrys That the most Spirituous Parts of Liquors have been separated and Collected together by a Congelation of the Phlegm wherefore to try what Cold would Effect in our Climates I hung out a Bottle of Beer in a sharp Night and found That most Part of it being froze the Liquor which was not froze was very strong and Spirituous the frozen Part being Spiritless But Rectifyed Spirit of Wine tinged with Cochineel being mixed with Water Congelation separated not their Parts nor did it separate the red and the Watery Parts of Claret I made several Tryals upon Milk and Blood as also on Vinegar in which my Attempts proved insatisfactory But a Solution of Salt being made in 24 Parts of Water so that it was as strong as the Sea-Water about us I caused it to be exposed to freeze in a flat Vessel which was the larger That the Superficies of the Water might be considerable and when it was covered with a Cake of Ice that being taken off it acquired another which when dissolved yielded Water not near so Salt as that which remained unfroze and being Hydrostatically weigâ—ed was considerably lighter Having exposed several Vegetable and Animal Substances to be froze I found That by that means I could discover their succulent juices and squeez them out in the form of Ice which being done by cutting them transversely and length ways I could discover also the Figure and Size of the Pores in which those Juices lodged Amongst the Animal substances exposed to freeze were the Eyes and the Brains of Animals which by being froze would be fitter to be dissected the latter when cut in two seeming like an Apple froze the Ventricles and iâ—… whole substance being filled with Icy Particles Nâ—ither an Eye nor a Liver lean flesh or fish nor a living Frog would be crusted over with Ice as Eggs and Apples are when put into Water after they had been froze As for the Reason why flesh is usually much impaired by being froze I suppose it to proceed hence viz. That the Alimental Juice being expended by freezing hath not it's own texture altered only but even the solid Vessels which contain it are thereby bruised and crushed for from several Experiments it is evident That Eggs will be burst by the freezing of the Alimental Juice and that the Textures of Stones and Vegetables will be destroyed by the Powerful Congelation of their respective Juices which will be less wondered at if we consider that Aqueous Parts by their Expansion were able to burst the Barrel of a Gun Had I had leasure and conveniency I would have tryed what Effects Cold hath upon Animals froze to Death but having exposed a Rabbet to the Cold all Night I found that only one Leg was swelled and a little stiff But a strangled Rabbet being exposed to be froze Ice was produced in several Parts It is affirmed by several Modern Writers That if Water be impregnated with the Salts of Vegetables upon Congelation they will represent the shape of the Plant they belong to But notwithstanding I have several times tryed the Experiment I found it either false or very contingent since it did not once answer Expectation But having exposed a Lixivium of Pot-ashes to freeze I found That the Chrystals upon the Surface of the Water were Prismatical and that under those lay a great many thin Parallel Plates of Ice but not ranged in such an order as to represent the shape of Trees And tho' Bartholinus tells us That if a Decoction of Cabbage be froze it will represent a Cabbage yet I could never find That the Experiment succeded except that once there appeared the faint resemblance of a single Leaf But I have found That fair Water froze would represent the shapes of Vegetables oftner than their Decoctions And tho' Berigardus also affirms the same yet I suspect That he only wirt without trying the Experiments himself And yet I deny not but that prepossessed Spectators may fancy they see such things when they do not for tho' Sea-Salt and Allum consist of Parts of determinate Figures yet when dissolved in Water they exhibit Figures too various and extravagant not to be referred to Chance And on this occasion to what hath been said I shall add That by Distilling and rectifying Oyl of Turpentine from Sea-Salt in a Glass-head as the degrees of Heat were varyed so would the Figures of Trees be represented different on the inside the Glass And I have several times produced the shapes of Trees from Bodies belonging to the Animal Kingdom And I have found That tho' Figures curious enough would be represented by Spirits Solutions Decoctions Vinegar Milk and even common Water yet it was in vain to hope for the same success and that the like Figures should always be afforded by the same Liquor since very small Circumstances would vary them considerably And in trying of such Experiments as these it may not be amiss to advertise That it will be convenient that the Liquor should be as shallow as it possibly may That it may be more speedily froze A frozen Egg being Put into Oyl of Turpentine instead of common Water it gathered not about it any crusty Film It is observed by Mr. Wood That tho' New-England be 10 or 11 degrees remoter from the Pole yet the Winters are much more piercing and Cold than ours And to what hath been delivered in the XVIII Title of the infrigidating Power of Wind I shall add That sometimes it hath been so much more Cold than at others That being blown through the frigorifick Mixture it would cause not only the Spirit of Wine to subside but being blown upon the Ball of another Weather-Glass not only the Liquor but even Mercury it self would be forced to ascend tho' the Vicinity of the frigorifick Mixture could not cause that Effect And I have often tryed That when the Temperature of the Air was such that tho' when first blown upon the Ball of a nice Thermoscope it would not cause the Liquor to ascend yet at another season the Tinged Liquor ascended as if the Air by being more than ordinarily compressed in the Room had some sensible Effect in compressing and contracting the Air included in the Thermoscope To try whether Liquors by losing their fluidity and becoming consistent would acquire a greater degree of Coldness I caused the Ball of a Weather-Glass to be immersed in Sallet-Oyl and a Solution of Minium in Vinegar or of Quick-lime in Water either of which will coagulate the Oyl but I did not find That
Water severed from it by Ice nine or ten Foot thick Besides I think it altogether inconceivable how Wind by taking upon the outside of a Glass should cause the Water within to freeze since the freezing of Water is an action much different from the putting of the Glass into a trembling motion besides we see that Water will not be froze by the blowing of a strong Wind against the outside of a Glass tho' it will when enclosed in Liquors where no Wind can come at it and those two which are not subject to freeze themselves And whereas Mr. Hobbes gives it as a Reason why some Wells freeze not because the Wind hath not liberty to blow strong enough upon the Water I shall add that those Wells that are subject to be froze when Northerly or Easterly Winds blow will freeze tho' covered over and sufficiently guarded from the Winds and in Cold Winters whether the Wind blows or not And Whereas Mr. Hobbes tells us that the lightness of Ice above Water proceeds from the bubbles received into it whilst it is freezing the Contrary is evident since Water froze in a seal'd Glass will be plentifully stocked with bubbles as well as that which is frozen in the free Air. Postscript To conclude this History of Cold I shall instead of some other Experiments designed for this Treatise subjoyn an Experiment elsewhere mention'd in the History of whiteness and blackness viz. Take a piece of Cork and having burnt it till it be reduced to a black Coal and then having slacked it in fair Water it will by being mixed with gum-Gum-water form a black Ink which you may write what you please with which writing if it be interlined with a colourless Solution of Minium in Spirit of Vinegar upon wetting the Paper with a spunge dipped in a fluid Liquor prepared by mixing three Parts of Quick-lime and one of yellow orpiment and digesting them two or three hours in sixteen Parts of Water the invisible Solution of Minium will exhibit black Letters and the other black ones will disappear but whilst this fetid Liquor is preparing it must be well shaken several times that the Quick-lime and the powdered orpiment may the better impregnate it and then the decanted and filtred Liquor must be kept for use But besides this there are several other ways of making Ink which I could be glad to learn And I my self have tryed that Words might be writ with a Solution of Minium which I could render legible by the help of the fire CHAP. VIII An account of Freezing made in December and January 1662. By Dr. Merret Several Experiments about freezing THE following Experiments were made in Weather which was very frosty continuing six weeks yet not without some alternate Relaxations in Stone-Windows exposed to the North and North-East-Winds The Vessels in which they were tryed were Glass-Canes of several Bores Earthen and Pewter Vessels c. Cold Water exposed to the Air in open Pans was froze in an hour boiling Water in two boiling and Cold Water mix'd in ½ the Cold Water beginning to freeze at the top and and sides but the other at the bottom and when the Water was Cold at the top The same succeeded with Water thrown upon a Table the Cold Water being first froze A four ounce Vial with a Stem a Foot long and half filled being exhausted of Air in Vacuo Boyliano was almost froze as soon as Water exposed in an open Pan and appear'd white seeming to consist purely of bubbles Water in which Arsnick was eight Months infused congealed into a white Ice sooner than Water and so did Solutions of all sorts of Vitriols and sooner than Solutions of other Salts except Allum which froze into an Ice whiter than Milk and stuck so fast to the Pan that I could scarce separate it Sandever presently freezeth but Eris sooner and Kelp in less time than that all of them forming white lumps of Ice Sal-Armoniack frequently froze before the rest of them but once after them Two drams of common Salt dissolved in four ounces of Water was in hard frost congealed into a white Ice in about thirty hours Stinking Sea-Water full of Salt being exposed in a Beer-Glass was covered with a film of Ice as thick as ½ a Crown in twenty six hours when froze it tasted Salt and smelled stinking but when thawed it had lost the fetor In four days more the whole was froze but that in the bottom tasted sharper than the rest The same Water in broad Pans was quite froze through in thirty six hours and sooner in a Mixture of Snow and Salt neither a strong Solution of Salt-Petre no◠Bay-Salt nor Sal-Armoniack were froze in six days But a Solution of Salt of Tartar froze in a little more time than Water and being exposed in a Tube it began to freeze at the bottom top and sides all once whereas other Liquors freeze uniformly either at the top or bottom first Salt-Petre in a Cold season was in twenty eight hours froze into a white Ice which was mistaken for Sal-Prunel and sparkled in the fire as that Salt usually does A lixivium of it made with Copperas or Allum singly or mixed set in Snow and Salt or Snow alone was frozen in one Night Sal-Gem tho' Snow and Salt were mixed with it and tho' it were set in Snow and Salt would not be brought to freeze But Phlegm of Vitriol froze sooner than the Solutions before mention'd Oyl of Vitriol is coagulated sooner than any of the afore mention'd Liquors except Water a large Tube being filled ¼ with it and being froze tasted of a strong Vitriolate taste the coagulated Part was of a paler colour than the other and both being poured together in a Bottle it became too hot to hold in one's hands this coagulated Part remain'd unthaw'd a week after the rest of the Liquors and another Tube of the same Oyl being wholly froze it subsided ½ an Inch below its station to which it rose again upon a thaw but the other Liquors rose upon congelation A flask of small Beer froze in thirty eight hours but three Parts of Ale continued unfroze after six days hard Frost but at four a Clock in the morning the unfroze Liquor tasted much stronger and brisker than before it was froze the Ice was less firm and fuller of bubbles than common Ice and being thawed was very pale and of a quick Aleish taste A Beer-Glass of Hull-Ale being exposed to the Cold in a Glass in twenty four hours was crusted over with Ice as thick as half a Crown and that being taken off it yielded another and so successively till the whole was froze these Laminae were all of the same colour and taste but the lowest was the most tender This Ale would not freeze so soon as that which I exposed before Hull-Ale hath a brackish taste Claret exposed in a spoon in thirty five hours was turned into a soft Ice which had the Genuine
colour and taste of Wine In thirty eight hours Canary exposed in a spoon was covered with a thin film which grew no thicker in four days But neither Claret or Canary would freeze in Tubes or Bottles Two ounces of Spirit of Wine exposed in a spoon all evaporated in twelve hours but the same quantity of Brandy left about a spoonful of Ice void both of taste and it 's Inflammable Quality but being held betwixt my Eye and a candle it discover'd several bubbles An Ox and a Sheep's Eye were both frozen through in one Night the three Humours being Opacous hard and inseparable The Chrystalline humour was white like Whitings boil'd the waterish and glassy humour seemed to be made of flakes of Ice Sheeps Blood exposed to freeze the Serum was turned to Ice which being separated from the Blood and thawed at the fire congealed a second time into a Membranous substance but the Blood was not in the least froze The Heart and Blood in the Vena Cava of a Dog and Cat exposed dead to the Air were both froze Milk froze into white flakes being soft and with few bubbles in it and retaining the proper taste of Milk The yolks and Whites of Eggs were froze in one Night they thaw best by lying on New-Castle Coals or in a deep Cellar I am told that Eggs tho' they have been froze will produce Chickens-Eggs held near the Surface of the Water when froze will acquire a crust of Ice on the outside the inward Parts of it still remaining froze and if those Eggs whilst froze be poched they will be very tough An Egg and an Apple being suspended two Foot deep in a Cistern and taken up after twenty four hours tho' both of them were full of Ice within yet neither of them had contracted Ice on the outside Horse-Radishes and Onions froze yet Beer in which Horse-Radish and Scurvey-Grass are infused will not freeze so soon as strong Beer without them Oranges and Limons froze have a hard and tough rind and lose their genuine taste and when thawed they soon become rotten Apples Cut in the middle will have a thin Ice on both plains which may be discerned by a knife or the touch The skins of these Apples soon turn brown and they begin to corrupt there Oyl exposed look'd like Butter melted and coagulated again but in Caves and Cellars it would never appear more than Candied White Wine-Vinegar froze in a Tube without apparent bubbles Whatever hath a watry humour in it will coagulate But what will not the next Paragraph contains Spirit of Wine Aq. Mariae Coelestis c and Canary in large Vessels Soap-Boilers Lees Spirit of Salt Vitriol Salt-Petre Aqua fortis Spirit of Sulphur and Spirit of Soot will not freeze but the two last afford a Precipitate the first of the colour and taste of Brimstone but not inflammable the latter a yellowish powder more bitter than the Spirit and inflammable But tho' these Spirits would not freeze yet being mixed with twelve Parts of Water all of them froze except Spirit of Salt Nitre and Aqua fortis I am told that one having dissolv'd Ice in the North Seas found it Salt As for the figures of Liquors froze Allum appear'd in lumps Salt-Petre Tartar Milk Ale Wine and Sal-Armoniack in plates And other Liquors which composed a soft Ice seened to be composed of Globuli adhering to each others Water Kelp and Frits resembled the fibres of an Oaken leaf the interstices being filled up with smoother Ice and the middle Fibres as in Plants appeared larger than the others and made acute Angles at the lesser end of the leaf But as for the figures of frozen Urine those having been accurately describ'd by the curious Mr. Hook I shall pass that part of my task by I took the Salts of Rosemary Rue Scurvey-Grass Mint and Plantan and putting ½ or ¾ of an ounce of each into ½ of a pint of their distilled Waters the Rue and Plantan being sealed up none of them froze resembled the Plants they belong'd to but the Aromatick Waters were much enriched in their scents especially the Rosemary Kelp froze represents the leaves of Alga Marina A Recipient full of Water being froze and the top of the Ice broke there appeared a Cavity within which was thick set with Plates of Ice from which Stiriae appeared on each side like the Teeth of Combs some of which stood at such a distance that I could put my finger betwixt them A flask full of Water being froze it appear'd full of bubbles like tailed hail-shot the sharp points of all of them pointing upwards They had Cavities which would admit a Pin into them and might be discerned in the Ice appearing like black spots And in the middle of the Ice was contained a Cavity filled with Water in which were several of these bubbles imperfectly formed All the Liquors I made Experiments with did sensibly rise above the mark before they froze and more after congelation Vinegar and Urine rose ½ an Inch and Lees made of Salts of Rosemary Kelp and Frits about ½ of an Inch. Solutions of Allum and Copperas less and Saline Liquors in general less than Water which rose a full Inch and small Beer in a narrow Tube four Inches Oyl of Vitriol alone subsides below the mark hot Water subsides till it is cool and then rises again Water being froze in Beer-Glasses rises up and forms solid Triangles but the rising of it is more visible in narrow Glasses Ice in a flask rose four Inches above the Water-mark and hung two Inches out of it but in a Bolt-head it rose five Inches above the Water-mark If Glasses be filled about ⅔ full they seldom break Round Spherical Glasses usually break uniformly A Bolt-head being filled up to the neck with Water the top which was twelve Inches above it was sealed up upon which the Water being froze was raised three Inches into the neck and the Glass breaking in the thinnest Part from that point several Lines ran as from a Pole to the Meridian but none of them went round the Glass nor were they all of the same length In a flask cracked in many places the cracks were irregular Glass Bottles and stone-Jugs kept little order in breaking and Metals none at all but Woods cleave with the Grain Two oval Boxes one of Box and another of Maple containing each two ounces were fill'd full and by the Frost in one Night were cracked from the bottom to the top A Pepper-Box of Latin had its neck broke off and the joints at the bottom loosned Lead-Pipes above ground were broke in many places and some that lay a foot under ground Brass-Locks and Barrels of Pumps usually break with the Frost A Copper-Box of the shape of a Pear was cracked the fourth time it was froze The Cylinder of a silver Ink-horn bore the Frost but a silverball was considerably extended by the Frost Tobacco-Pipes and Earthen Ware were burst with the
penetrate the minuter Pores and to dissolve the Lime EXPERIMENT V. Quick-lime being immersed in Spirit of Wine in a Retort and the Spirit and Phlegm drawn off the remaining Quick-lime instead of being slacked was a more fiery substance than before for if a piece of it was thrown into Water it would hiss like a Coal and heat the Liquor which property it retained several weeks being kept close from the Air. Whence it appears how much the Texture of Quick-lime and the association of the Spirit of Wine improving that Texture contribute to the Phaenomena offorded by Quick-lime and that the Spirit of Wine was associated with the Quick-lime is probable since Part of it became a Spiritless Phlegm and I have observ'd Quick-lime and Spirit of Wine sometimes to come over in white fumes To which I shall add that in such distillations the Odour of the Spirit hath not only been changed but its taste rendered more fiery and brisk But the success is not always the same being diversified according to difference of the Quick-lime which may be more or less calcined or the stone may be of a different nature it self EXPERIMENT VI. But to proceed to other Experiments which shew that Heat may be produced mechanically A nail hastily hammered grows hot the Parts of the metal being by that force vehemently and variously determined tho' the hammer and Anvil be not warm so that hence it appears that it is not requisite a calorifick Body should be hot it self the Hammer being able tho' cold to warm the Iron it beats upon and so the head of a nail grows hot when it can pierce no deeper into wood the force of the beating Hammer being not spent in depressing the nail but putting the resisting Parts into agitation EXPERIMENT VII And once I caused a piece of Iron to be beaten by three Smiths till it grew so hot as to kindle Sulphur upon it EXPERIMENT VIII And that Heat may be produced by percussion and attrition appears further since Iron grows hot by being boiled a knife by whetting a Brass nail by being rubbed and flints by being struck together EXPERIMENT IX To shew that Heat may be produced without the attrition of contiguous Air I placed pitch under Water and by the Sun-beams cast into a Focus by a burning Glass upon it it was not only melted but seemed to boil and smoak EXPERIMENT X. The Powder of slacked Quick-lime washed from its Salts being mixed with Sal-Armoniack and melted together the cold mass being put into a Glass upon an affusion of Water grew too hot to be touched with ones hand tho' the Sal-Armoniack it self in Water produces Cold. EXPERIMENT XI Sal-Armoniack and filings of Steel being sublimed together the Caput Mortuum in which the greatest Part of the Salt remained instead of increasing the coldness of Water being poured upon it several Months after the Caput Mortuum was first laid up gave the Water a notable degree of Heat EXPERIMENT XII Equal Parts of Antimony and Sal-Armoniack being sublimed with several degrees of Heat in a Glass-Vessel we obtained three several substances which being severally powdered the Caput Mortuum which was like Antimony being put into Water in which a Thermoscope was immersed scarce raised the Liquor sensibly But the yellow sublimate which consisted of the Sulphureous flowers of Antimony and the more Volatil Salts of the Sal-Armoniack caused the Weather-Glass in another parcel of Water to descend a quarter of an Inch and the lower sublimate which was black being put into a third parcel of Water the Liquor in the Weather-Glass subsided near three Inches But the like Experiments being tryed with the Caput Mortuum of Minium and Sal-Armoniack it neither caused the Liquor in the Weather-Glass to rise or fall but the sublimate raised from these ingredients caused the Liquor to subside a little EXPERIMENT XIII Whether Solvents dissolve Minerals and cause that Heat observable in their Action by any Antipathy betwixt the Mineral and the Menstruum or whether it did not rather proceed from the violent agitation of the parts of the Metal either dissolv'd by the insinuation of its parts into the Pores of the Metal or by obstructing the passage of some aethereal Matter through those Pores which wanting its usual course dissolves the Metal by forcing a new way I shall not undertake to determine but having agitated Oyl of Vitriol with four times its weight of Water thereby it obtained a sensible Heat from which Experiment it appears that the Heat produc'd by Minerals depends not on a conflict of Acid and Alkalies since Water is void of either of those chymical qualities EXPERIMENT XIV If a piece of wet Ice be thrown into a Viol which before contained Oyl of Vitriol the Oyl mixing with the Water dissolves the Ice and causes a strong Fermentation and a violent Heat EXPERIMENT XV. Half an ounce of Spirit of Wine being mixed with an ounce of Oyl of Vitriol acquired a considerable degree of Heat presently and almost most filled the Bottle with Fumes and the Bottle grew so hot at the last that I could not hold it in my Hand The like Succeeded only in a more remiss Degree with common Brandy and also with Aqua Vitae EXPERIMENT XVI Tho' the Chymists teach that the Incalescence of Bodies depends on an Antipathy of the mixed Bodies yet I found an intense Heat ensue the Mixture of Parts of the same Bodies viz. Calcin'd Colcothar and Oyl of Vitriol EXPERIMENT XVII Oyl of Vitriol and Oyl of Turpentine mixed together produce a considerable degree of Heat EXPERIMENT XVIII An ounce of rectify'd Petroleum being mixed with an equal weight of Oyl of Vitriol the former Liquor seemed to work upon the surface of this like a Menstruum upon Metal the Fumes of the Oyl of Vitriol rising into the Ol. Petrae and the mutual re-action of both the Liquors caused a moderate Warmness And we had almost the like success with Petroleum and Spirit of Nitre But in these last mention'd Tryals Spirit of Salt made use of instead of Oyl of Vitriol had no such considerable Effects EXPERIMENT XIX Oyl of Vitriol caused a considerable Effervescence upon Filings of Steel especially if they be soaked in Water And it will grow sensibly hot with Lime Oyster-shells Chalk Lapis Calaminaris c. EXPERIMENT XX. Oyl of Vitriol grows hot with Cherries and likewise with Raisins of the Sun beat in a Mortar as well as with several other Vegetable Substances and very considerably with Crumbs of white Bread EXPERIMENT XXI Oyl of Vitriol causes a considerable Heat if mixed with minced Flesh EXPERIMENT XXII Tho' Sea-Salt imparts a Coldness to Water yet with Oyl of Vitriol it causes Heat yet with Sal Armon part of which consists of common Salt it produces a Coldness EXPERIMENT XXIII Common Sulphur acquir'd a Heat by attritition and emitted sulphureous Steams copiously so that Sulphur it self as well as other Bodies ows its Heat to local Motion EXPERIMENT XXIV Equal parts
Country near Armsterdam a sort of Mercury in the custody of a Farmer which was of a Golden colour throughout and would if put upon the fire in a proper Vessel precipitate in the form of a red Powder And I am likewise told by a Judicious Physician that he saw in the possession of a Stranger a sort of Mercury whose small Globules were of a green colour CHAP. X. Various Observations about Diamonds Observations about Diamonds DIamonds being not only the most Noble but Valuable amongst Gems it may be worth our while to consider them a little and to relate what Observations I have been able to make about them And I. It is observed that Diamonds are so much harder than other Bodies that they require a greater force to cut and polish them than other Gems II. It is observed by one who hath long dealt in Diamonds that those which are now brought over are much softer than those of the old Rock III. The Tradition is false that Diamonds cannot be cut without being softened in Goats Blood the contrary being found by Diamond cutters and an Experienced Diamond-cutter hath informed me that he uses to polish Diamonds with the dust which he obtains by pounding of boared Diamonds in an Iron Mortar IV. Tho' it be a general received Opinion that Diamonds have a weight proportionable to their Solidity yet I find amongst my Experiments that a Diamond being weighed Hydrostatically in Wattr was to its proportion of that Liquor as 2 22 23 to 1 so that it did not equal its treeble proportion of Water in weight V. I am informed that if Diamonds be Cloudy sometimes one as big again as a Pea will be at least four grains heavier than another of an equal size VI. The natural shape of Diamonds is uncertain since most of them which we see are only broken pieces whose figures are very irregular yet I have seen some which seemed to consist of Triangles terminating in solid Angles and I am told by one who cuts a great number that those which are of a regular Figure are usually four corner'd VII It is observed that in Diamonds there is a regular tendency of Fibers or thin Plates which lye parallel to each other which may be called the grain of them which way they may easily be divided tho' not against that grain without difficulty VIII As to the colour of Diamonds tho' it generally be so well known as not to need to be described yet in the East-Indies some have been observed to be of a pale blue colour And Monsieur Tavernier says he hath seen one of a very red colour and a Relation of mine wore a Diamond in a Ring which was of a Golden yellow besides which varieties of colours I have observ'd one amongst a great many in the East-India House whose colour was green IX And I have seen a Diamond brought from the East-Indies which had six Triangular sides and a Cavity in one of them in which Diamond the Fibers might easily be discerned And the Merchant to which this belonged told me he had seen one brought from Borneo which before it was Polished was black tho' after it appeared to be a clear Stone X. To conclude this Chapter I shall add the following Relation which will contenance what I have elsewhere related viz. That the Virtue of Gems may probably arise from Metalline Tinctures incorporated with the matter of them whilst it was soft and fluid the Observation is that having applyed a Load-stone to a small Diamond which was pretty dull it would not only be taken up by it but would at a considerable distance leap up to it To these Observations I shall only add that there are several other Observations which are scattered up and down my Writings which I shall not repeat here they properly enough belonging to those writings THE WORKS Of the HONOURABLE ROBERT BOYLE Esq EPITOMIZED BOOK V. PART III. CHAP. I. Of the Original and Virtue of Gems Of the Original of Gems THO' I am far from believing that Gems are endowed with so many Medicinal Virtues as are usually ascribed to them yet I believe they may have considerable Effects on Humane Bodies which Virtues they may receive from the Intermixture of Mineral and Metalline Parts whilst they were in a fluid form And that precious Stones have once been in a fluid form may be argued hence viz. First from their Diaphaneity fluid Bodies being more apt to have their Parts ranged in an order requisite to transparency than solid Bodies as Silver dissolved in Aqua Fortis and Lead in Spirit of Vinegar not only become transparent but may form Diaphanous Crystals Secondly from their External figure it being usual for Bodies to form more regularly and curiously shaped Crystals when in a fluid than a solid Ambient substance for which Reason if a Glass-Bottle be filled with a Solution of Nitre and the Water hath been pretty well consumed by boiling the Salt will shoot into a Mass whose side next the Glass answers the form of it but that next the Water will be set with Prismatical Crystals of a Nitrous figure And I have seen Indian Granates taken out of a lump of Heterogeneous matter some of whose Surfaces were Triangles others Paralellograms c. according the figures of the Cells they were contained in And I have seen not only Bristol Stones but Cornish Diamonds curiously shaped like Crystals of salt Petre And I have likewise seen Rubies very Geometrically shaped and amongst other Rarities a Diamond whose Surface consisted of several Triangular Planes which contained several lesser within them which for the most part met at a Point and formed an obtuse solid Angle And I have observed that most Diamonds have angular and determinate shapes And in favour of the Hypothesis already laid down I shall add that precious Stones being dissolved in a Particular Menstruum they shoot into Crystals like those of Nitre but insipid And I have observed that tho' Bristol Stones have on the upper part six smooth sides which were so cut as to represent six smooth Triangles which terminate like those of a Pyramid in a Virtex yet the lower Part which was next the matter it adhered to made it appear less transparent and conformable in figure to the Cavity of its womb this is more remarkably evident when clusters of these Crystals grow out of one Mineral lump And to this I shall further add that I have seen a Mass which consisted of two flat Parallel Cakes which seemed to be composed of a dirty kind of Crystalline substance and out of each Cake there grew towards the other a great number of Stones which having a little space about them were regularly shaped and of the colour of a German Amethyst And I have a Stone which consists of four Parts the lowest being like a flake of coarse Stone only adorned here and there with very minute glittering Particles as if of a Metalline Nature over this is spread
wear them tho' by a Sick Man the latter is more to be priz'd Fifthly But tho' it be so difficult to distinguish Valuable Forms from those of less Esteem yet there may be allow'd some Distinction amongst Subordinate Forms in as much as some belong to Similar and others to Organical Parts Sixthly amongst the Parts of Plants or Animals there may be some Parts so modify'd as to put on the Form of Seminal Principles which upon the Dissolution of that Body may act as such in actuating and guiding some Parts of Matter so as to convene into Insects c. Seventhly Upon the Dissolution of the Specifick Form of a Body the Body is to be consider'd as beset with other Substances which may act upon it as the Sun Air or some other Agent by means of which the Seminal Principles may be put into Action or new Forms may result from new Contextures of that Matter Sennertus his Opinion agreeable to the Corpuscular Philosophy These Observations being premis'd I shall endeavour to shew That what the Learned Sennertus delivers is agreeable to the Corpuscularian Philosophy I agree then with the Learned Sennertus That the Faculties of Plants and Animals depend not on the Materia Prima and Vegetative or Sensitive Soul nor on the Form of Mix'd Bodies consider'd barely as such but that there is something else requisite to produce that Variety of Effects observable in Specifick Medicines But tho' I allow these things yet I disallow their Way of Explaining them as well as a great deal more which they assert as That Subordinate Forms act under the Superintendency of Specifick Forms Subordinate Forms act not under the Superintendency of the Specifick Forms forasmuch as we may as easily attribute the Effects of a Compound Body to the mix'd Action of the Compounded Ingredients as to the Subservient Actions of Subordinate Forms which united will have an Action in common and proper to their Complex Modification it being different from what each of those Ingredients would produce separately As in a Ballance the Scale which by its Specifick Gravity ought to tend downwards is rais'd upwards by the Addition of a Weight in the other Scale So an Arrow by the Spring of a Bow is forc'd to flie in a Line different from what its Specifick Gravity would incline it to and with greater Violence And as a Clock whose Parts concur to the forming of an Engine proper to produce such Effects as usually are produc'd in that Machine does not act by Virtue of a Superintendent Specifick Form but the Parts are set on Motion and move Mechanically by the help of Weights so several Subordinate Ingredients may have a Joynt Effect each of those Bodies cooperating and modifying each other's Actions Likewise Gun-powder acts not by Virtue of a Specifick Form superintending Subordinate ones but Mechanically by Virtue of the Joynt Effects of its Ingredients which is evident since the Effects of the Composition are so different from what the separate Ingredients would produce and as from hence it appears that the Efficacy of it depends on its Mechanick Texture so to make it appear that the Ingredients were but slightly mix'd I boyl'd the Powder of it in Water and evaporating the filtred Liquor obtain'd Cristals of Salt-Petre the black stuff remaining in the Filtre being insipid and inflamable like Sulphur And this black Matter being boyl'd in a strong Lixivium so as to dissolve the Sulphur the Sulphureous Liquor will run through a Filtre leaving the Charcoal behind into which Liquour if an Acid Spirit be dropp'd the Sulphur precipitates in the Form of a white Powder But to illustrate our Doctrin of Forms and Qualities a little further I shall add That a blue and yellow Powder being mix'd in a just Proportion produc'd a green Colour which did not happen because those two Ingredients were subservient to a Predominant Form but because they both being joyn'd made a Compound Impression upon the Eye And likewise in making Sublimate or Vitriol all that is requisite to enable them to produce Effects proper to such Bodies is that the Parts should be in a proper manner contex'd and modify'd together and then they are not only capable of performing what is usually ascrib'd to them upon the Account of their more specifick properties but some which are not different as Vomiting and Purging c. from those Effects which are said to be produc'd upon Vegetables upon the account of a Superintendent Form So that tho' the Operations of Compounded Substances depend on the United Texture of Subordinate Forms Neither are the Actions of Compounds wholly to be attributed to their Union yet as I have before taken Notice the Actions of those Bodies are not wholly to be attributed to their Union since upon the Dissolution of that Contexture each Body hath its determinate Form and Virtue as when the Ingredients of Gun-powder are again separate or as when a Rose loses its Specifick Form by being taken from the Tree But To conclude this Discourse we shall again take Notice of what we have before hinted at in the beginning viz. The unfixt use of the Word Form and that a Body is said to be of this or that Form upon the Account of a very few Qualities If then the Form be nothing but a Congeries of Accidents it may by proper Agents lose that Form the Subordinate ones still remaining undissolv'd The Modifications of Bodies twofold till a more powerful Agent destroys them too so that a Body may have a twofold Modificatiod As for Instance The Spring of a Watch may by being put into the Fire lose that Elastick Virtue yet nevertheless the Substance is Iron and retains Qualities proper to such a Substance Again another Instance we have in a Rose which when it hath lost its Faculty of receiving a Nutritious Sap from the Tree yet it retains other Qualities which depend on the Texture and Modification of its solid Parts the former being only Qualities in respect of the Specifick Form but the latter the Result of its Contexture To illustrate this Notion a little further I shall make use of the following Comparison viz. That as a Mill which is an Organical Machine performs what belongs to it as such as long as it is supply'd with Water so a Plant is enabl'd to effect several things whilst actuated by a Vital Spirit And further as a Mill upon the Consumption or Congelation of that Water still retains the same Parts it had before so do the Parts of a Plant tho' the Soul ceases its communicative Virtue And to continue the Parallel further as the Constituent Parts of a Mill are not destroy'd tho' the Faculty of Operating as such be lost so neither is the Water but only by reason of Congelation or Evaporating in the Form of Exhalations ceases to coexist in a Form fit to turn the Mill So tho' a Plant or Flower be lopt off and retains the same Texture of its solid
equal weight of Oyl of Turpentine and Oyl of Vitriol And that it might more evidently appear that the Mixture of these two Fluids depends on the peculiar Texture of each I committed the Mixture to Distillation and obtain'd a gross Substance which seem'd to be that which united the other Liquors For as soon as this was drawn off the Liquors presently succeeded but separate one from another being not to beunited again by a Violent Agitation but so as to separate again and swim one upon another To this may be added the Liquor which we have mention'd in another place obtain'd by Distillation from Benzoin One Part of it always continuing in the Form of an Oyl and the other according to the Difference of the Weather either shooting into clear Crystals or preserving it's Fluid and Oyly Form To which may be subjoyn'd what we have formely taken Notice of concerning Salt-Petre which tho' when mix'd with Water it becomes Fluid yet upon an Evaporation of some Part of that it presently shoots in Solid Chrystals From whence it not only appears what a gentle Agitation of Parts is sufficient to keep a Body Fluid but from hence we may observe That sometimes Solid Bodies result from a Mixture of Liquids So Oyl of Vitriol distill'd with Quick-silver leaves a white Calx behind it and if we consider how Mercurius Dulcis is prepar'd we shall find that that Solid Substance consists for the most part of Quicksilver the Salts united with it being scarce one Part of three of the Composition And tho' Fluidity be opposite to Solidity yet may it conduce to the Production of a Solid Body since those Particles which lie in the Form of a Powder and are not in a capacity to unite may by swimming in a Fluid have the Opportunity of frequent Occursions so that their Motion bringing them often together they may in time be dispos'd to unite into one Body which is evident in Powder of Alablaster which if when it hath been boyl'd for a considerable time it be well burnt and reduc'd to the Consistence of a thin Pap with clear Water will become firm and admit of as well as retain any Form impress'd upon it by the Internal Surface of whatever Mould it is cast in Where that the Parts of the Alablaster are put into Motion and variously agitated in the Water is evident from that sensible Heat which for some time succeeds the Affusion of Water and this hath been sufficiently experienc'd by filling a Glass full of this Mixture which some time after it was stopp'd broke the Viol and harden'd into a Substance correspondent in shape to the Cavity of it several Spoons-full of this Liquor it was moisten'd with being squeez'd out at a Crack which was made by the Swelling of the Powder and this Substance acquires such a Degree of Firmness as to endure several strokes with a strong piece of Iron without breaking But there are several other Substances which may acquire a greater degree of Solidity than the Powder of Alablaster burnt for the Learned Hydrographer Furnier Hydrograph lib. 2. cap. 6. relates a Story of a sort of Sand in the Kingdom of Naples near Cuma and Puteoli two parts of which mix'd with a third of Quick-lime becomes a hard Substance like Flint when it hath lain or some time in the Water To which Relation he subjoyns That the Lime-ashes of a certain Marble near Tournay in Holland being cast into Water upon a heap of Stones petrifies to that degree as to change into a Substance as hard as Marble But to return to what we have digress'd from That the Variously determin'd Motions of the Parts of Matter contributes to their Union and Coalitions into Solid Substances appears from those Curious Salts which Spontaneously shoot and Crystallize in the Bottom of Spirit of Harts-Horn when it hath been expos'd to the Air for several Months For those Particles by frequent Occursions are by degrees so dispos'd to unite that at the length those Parts which are most apt to cohere meeting together they form exquisitely figur'd Crystals which adhere to the sides of the Vessel And it is not less Remarkable That tho' a Tincture of Amber drawn with pure Spirit of Wine for some Years continu'd Fluid yet at the last some of its Parts were so combin'd as to form little Parcels of Amber almost Spherical in Shape which adhered partly to the Sides and partly to the Bottom of the Vessel Solidity may proceed from the Interposition of the Minute Parts of another Body But there are yet other ways by which Bodies may become Compact and Solid as first by the Insinuation of Small Particles of Matter into their Pores and Recesses which may produce their Effects various ways First by driving out those Particles which being dispos'd to Motion hinder'd the Cohesion of the Fluid Parts Secondly by obstructing the Motion of the Fluid Parts And Thirdly by altering the Constituent Parts of the Fluid so as to render them unapt for Motion and inclinable to a mutual cohesion So the Particles which constitute Rennet by Uniting with some Parts of the Milk they are mix'd with link them together and cause them to unite into a Coagulum and that the Parts of the Rennet cause them to coagulate and that they unite those Viscid Parts and link them together is plain since it is a usual Complaint that the Cheese made where Rennet is us'd tastes very strong of it And that the Coagulating Virtue depends on the Saline Parts of the Rennet appears since other Acid. Liquors have the like Effect in Coagulating Milk as Juice of Limmons c. as also a very small Quantity of Oyl of Vitriol artificially mix'd with it To which I shall add That some Years past I prepar'd a certain Salt endew'd with Qualities not unlike those ascrib'd to Glauber's Sal Mirabilis which would not only like other Salts when dissolv'd in Water upon Evaporation shoot into Crystals it self but also would coagulate and Crystallize a treble Quantity of Water with them which would so far put on the Nature of a Salt as to become brittle and to be reducible to Powder A Liquor turn'd into a Consistent Body by the Addition of a Powder And it may not be fruitless here to subjoyn That tho' the Particles of Oyl of Vitriol be in so violent an Agitation as to acquire a Sensible Heat upon their Mixture with some Bodies yet I so alter'd the Texture of that Liquor as by a Mixture of a certain whitish Powder of my own Preparation to render it a Consistent Body In which Experiment it was observable That several Days after the Oyl was coagulated the Powder remain'd undissolv'd in the Bottom of the Viol so that the Coagulation seem'd to be effected by some subtile Effluvia insinuating themselves into the Pores of the Liquor To this Experiment I shall subjoyn another in which the same Effect was produc'd by leaving Oyl of Vitriol upon Crystals
Fluidity and Firmness depend on Texture and the Motion or Rest of the Insensible Parts of Matter The Experiment is That having made a Solution of Coral in Vinegar so strong that part of it fell to the Bottom I pour'd Dephlegm'd Spirit of Wine upon the Clear Decantated Liquor so gently that it might swim upon it for some time where it was suprizing that upon a violent Agitation the two Liquors being mix'd together united into a Concrete so firm as not to afford the least Drop of a Fluid Liquor yet by adding an equal quantity or thereabouts of Spirit of Nitre it would again lay down that Viscidity and become a Transparent Liquor And here it will not be amiss to specify That this Experiment is so difficult that it scarce succeeds without a great deal of Caution for First If the Tincture be not strong enough or the Spirit of Wine not rectify'd the Coagulation will be but partial and not so quick Secondly The Experiment hath succeeded in a Wide-mouth'd Glass where it had a free access of Air tho' it would not in one which was closer Thirdly Upon an Infusion of Spirit of Nitre the Mixture must be stirr'd with an Instrument made of Gold Wood or Glass lest the Menstruum corroding it should render the Experiment unsuccessful And Fourthly The quantity of each of these Ingredients is hard to be defin'd by Reason of the Difference in respect of the Strength of the Tincture and the Spirituousness of the Spirit but it is rather to be learnt by Varying the Proportions if the first Tryal does not succeed Having made this Progress in the History of Fluidity and Firmness It might be seasonable to pass on and consider those other Qualities relating to it as Hardness Brittleness Softness c. but remembring the Advice given by some of the Ancients Noscenda est Mensura sui I shall leave them for others who are better able and more at leisure being content that I have explain'd the two former Qualities more Intelligibly than some of the Peripateticks or Chymists having lay'd open a Way to accommodate Chymical Experiments to the Explanation of Fluidity and Firmness so as to deduce those Qualities from more Intelligible Principles viz. Size Shape and Motion CHAP. XIV An Essay of the Intestine Motions of the Particles of Quiescent Solids The Signification of the Word Rest limited THE Word REST is of so Ambiguous a Signification that before the Question Whether there be in Bodies any Absolute Rest can be answer'd it is requisite to consider That in the Common Acceptation it is us'd to denote such a Rest as is not perceivable to Sense but when taken in a more Strict and Philosophical Sense it usually signifies such an Absolute Rest as to intimate a total Negation of Motion In which latter Sense if it be taken I will not affirm That there is such a Rest even in the Parts of Solids since it is not improbable but that there is Motion tho' imperceivable by Sense even in the most Solid Bodies In favour of which Opinion were it necessary I should offer Arguments à priori deduc'd from the Doctrin of the Epicurean and Cartesian Principles For should we allow the World to arise from a Casual Concourse of Atoms and that there were actual Motion in all of them it would not be absurd to think That tho' in Forming Concretes they are usually wound one within another yet there is a continual Endeavour to Elasticity by which they continually strive to disentangle themselves and to fly away and consequently the Result of those Endeavours must be a Motion amongst those Atoms And on the other side should we with Cartesius allow a Continual Circulation of a Materia Subtilis through the Pores of Bodies we may imagine That the Insensible Atoms which constitute that Body will be shak'd and disturb'd by it tho' not so much as to be perceiv'd by Sense So in the Summer the Leaves are carry'd off the Trees with gentle Gales of Wind which are not perceiv'd by those that stand some Distance off But not to enlarge upon this Point it may appear from several of the Phaenomena mention'd above in the History of Fluidity that the Particles of Bodies may be in Motion tho' that Motion is not discern'd and Particularly that of Water where tho' its Parts be in a very Various Motion yet to Sense they seem to be as much at Rest as those which form the Glass in which the Water is contain'd And that there may be a like Motion in the Substance of Silver or Iron may be argu'd from what is evident to the Touch or by throwing Water upon them when hot it being peculiar Properties in them when hot to burn the Fingers and to set the Water a-boiling and the like Qualities tho' not so violent may be rais'd without the help of Fire by barely Hammering of Iron or Silver they not only by that means acquiring a Power to heat but likewise to raise Water into Vapours Argument to prove Motion in Solids But if to this it should be objected That tho' the Motion be indiscernible yet the Agent that gives it that Motion is not since we can discern how those Qualities are added to it and how the Alteration is wrought I answer That tho' a Vigorous Loadstone appears to be drawn along it's Axis and back again the Alteration is not visible in the Body of the Iron yet it certainly loses after it hath acquir'd those Noble Faculties viz. it 's Attracting and Directing Virtues properly belonging to Magnetical Bodies But that there may be in Metals a Motion tho' not discernible is further evident in a Bell which a long time after it has been struck with the Clapper continues to put the Air into an Undulating Motion and thereby to cause very odd Sounds which must be an Argument that the Partieles of that Bell are in a very nimble Agitation otherwise they could not communicate Motion to the Circumambient Air and thereby cause such a Noise in the Ear. But I must confess there are two Difficulties Objections answer'd which occur to what I have been offering As First That it is hard to imagin how the Internal Parts of such Solid Bodies should be work'd upon by Agents so weak as the Air and especially some parts of Matter more Minute which are dispers'd through it And Secondly It may be question'd how any Parts of Matter can be mov'd so slow if at all as to be so long in moving from the Internal Parts of a Needle to the Superficies as our Hypothesis requires But To the First I answer That those External Parts are not the sole Causes of these Motions but only assistant to the Principal which is evident from what hath lately been noted concerning the Connate Dispositions to Motion attributed to Matter according to the Epicurean and Cartesian Philosophy and by the Effects of a Loadstone upon the Needle we may be taught to guess what
black but also One saturated with Copper a Succedaneum to which may be made by adding to Sulphur as it melts over the Fire and equal Proportion of Salt of Tartar finely powder'd stirring them till they incorporate and become red Which Mixture being put into a Glass Retort with half it's weight of Sal-Armoniack dissolv'd in Water let it be distill'd in Sand shifting the Receivers as the Liquor drawn off is ting'd more or less so that the strongest may be preserv'd by it self And such Tryals as these will be of more use than those usually made with a bare Tincture of Galls since there are several Mineral Substances and other Bodies which Mineral Waters may be impregnated with which discover not themselves in an Infusion of Galls As Sulphur or Copper may be so lock'd up in these Waters as not to be perceiv'd till the Body of the Liquor is open'd by some proper Additament And even Arsenick it self may be so disguised as not to be perceiv'd when mix'd with the Waters yet if Spirit of Urine or Oyl of Tartar per Deliquium be dropp'd into a Solution of it it presently precipitates in the Form of a white Powder and so likewise if a Solution of Sublimate be added to it Whether Mineral Waters have Arsenick dissolved in them But to discover whether Mineral Waters be impregnated with Arsenick or not I put Dantzick or English Vitriol into a Solution of it either of which caus'd a dark precipitate gradually to subside 14. Whether Spirituous Acids volatile Alkalys or Lixivial Salts will precipitate such Waters 15. The Manner of Extracting Salts from such Waters and what Quantities may be extracted Guesses may be made concerning the Saltness of these Waters by trying whether they will Lather with Soap and if not what Quantity of Curdled Matter they will yield I have observ'd that even the lightest Waters will yield a small Quantity of common Salt 16. How to discover what Acidity is to be found without Evaporation Having taken a peculiar Method to try the Acidity of Mineral Waters by mixing them with an Infusion of Lignum Nephriticum in simple Water I found that tho' German Spaw yielded a small Quantity yet in that of Action there was none discernible 17. What may be observ'd by Distillation in Balnco 18. What and whether the same Quantity of Caput Mortuum be afforded by Evaporation and Distillation 19. Whether Mineral Waters will acquire the same Qualities and Texture by a Reunion of their Caput Mortuum when distill'd to such a Consistence in Glass-Vessels exactly luted which they had before 20. What Changes if any Mineral Waters undergo by being boil'd in Water in a Glass Hermetically seal'd From whence might be learn'd whether a Change of Qualities would succeed an Alteration of Texture without a manifest loss of Parts And whether an Agitation of Parts without the Influence of the Air would precipitate any thing or deprive it of it's Power to turn a Tincture of Galls Purple 21. How much the Mineral Waters exceed their Caput Mortuum in Proportien 22. What Parts are contain'd in the Caput Mortuum and whether dissoluble in Water 23. How much the Saline and Terrestrial Parts differ in Proportion 24. Whether in strong Fires the Salts be Volatile or Fix'd and to what Degree 25. Whether the Salts will Crystallize per se or with other Salts and what 's the Figure of the Genuine or Compounded Crystals 26. Whether Acid or Alkaline Qualities are most predominant The Acidity will either appear to the Taste or Smell or may be discover'd by turning Syrup of Violets red as also by making use of an Infusion of Lignum Nephriticum which upon a Mixture of Acids loses it's Blue Colour Their Acidity may likewise be discover'd by trying whether they will be precipitated by Alkalys or ferment with them And if Alkaly be predominant it on the contrary discovers it self by a Lixivial Taste and Smell and may be discover'd by turning Syrup of Violets Green or precipitating a Solution of Sublimate or Fermenting with Aqua fortis or lastly by increasing the Colour of a Tincture of Brasil or Log-wood in Common-water And tho' we have no such Springs here in England as afford Alkaline Salts yet without question in Egypt such may be found since their Latron or the Egyptian Nitre abounds with a Salt of an Alkaline Nature and I have obtain'd such an Alkaly from that Famous Water of Bourbon in France which would turn Syrup of Violets green and ferment with Volatile Acids If such Waters abound with Vitriol they 'll turn an Infusion of Galls black and Vomit those that drink them and if an Alkaly be added will yield a yellow Precipitate upon dropping of Spirit of Vrine or Salt of Tartar into them I have not found any of the Waters about London to be impregnated with Vitriol and I am told that in France the Mineral Waters are so far from being impregnated with Vitriol that there is a Vitriolate Spring in that Kingdom As for the Nature of the Salt which most Mineral Waters are impregnated with I think that it is not to be referr'd to any Glass but is either sui generis and a peculiar one or a Compound Salt made up of such as the Water is impregnated with in it's Passage through the Earth and that Purgative Salts may by a Change of Texture be made of Salts not at all Purgative I the rather believe because I have been told by an Ingenious Emperick That a Salt which I made of Salt of Tartar and Common Sulphur mix'd together had a gentle Purging Virtue 27. In what Menstruums the Caput Mortuum may be dissolv'd and in what it may not Whether Volatile or Fixt and what Qualities it hath in Respect of Colour or Smell What Proportion of Salt Mineral Waters afford It is to be admir'd what a great deal of Caput Mortuum some Mineral Waters yield in Comparison of others since those Waters which are purely Diuretick have very little if compared with the Caput Mortuum of Purging Waters For tho' a pound of Barnet Waters yielded a Drachm yet the same weight of Tunbridge afforded but a Grain And It is not a little strange that so small a Quantity of a Mineral should impregnate so much Water as I have by Tryal found a Grain of Iron Stone did enabling it to Tincture an Infusion of Galls deeper than Tunbridge or German Spaw Water would And I have try'd that half a Grain of Marchasite dissolv'd in Spirit of Nitre communicated a Tincture to 61440 Parts of Water tho' Part of that Marchasite was Sulphur and Part of it Caput Mortuum And here it may be seasonable to take notice That if so small a Portion of a Metalline Substance would when grosly dissolv'd impregnate so large a Quantity of Water how much more may it when rais'd in the Form of a Subtile Mineral Fume and as in such a Form it may impregnate a larger Quantity of Water so will it be
was only enclos'd Nov. 13. Mercury descended in all especially where the compress'd Water was Nov. 18. In that which contain'd compress'd Water it almost rose to it 's former height A piece of the same Beef expos'd to the Air began to smell ill Nov. 23. Air was generated in all The Mercury in the second was 20 Digits having descended 3. In the other two it was about 16. In the first the Flesh was not corrupted Nov. 30. The Flesh included with Salt did not stink but when boil'd was tender and pleasant Decemb. 6. The Mercury in that which contain'd the compress'd Air was 25 Digits The Flesh was strong scented but did not stink That included in Vacuo bubbled when the Receiver was open'd and in an hours time yielded Air enough to sustain 3 or 4 Digits of Mercury The Receiver which contain'd it being immers'd in hot Water the Liquor bubbled much tho' the Water it was immers'd in did not boil the Receiver was soon full of Air and then tho' it was immers'd in boiling Water the Liquor did not bubble The Flesh was pleasant and tender So that Water as well as Beer may help to preserve Flesh EXPERIMENT XII Nov. 29. 78. OYsters were shut in one Receiver without their Shells Oysters In another they were shut up in their Shells with common Air and in a Third with Salt-water These three being closed up with Screws 3 Oysters in their Shells and 8 taken out were shut up in Vacuo where it was observable that when the Air was exhausted those which were without their Shells emitted large Bubbles one of the others opened the Shell Nov. 30. The Mercury in Vacuo ascended a little but in those 3 which were stopped with Screws it descended rather Decemb. 4. The Weather growing warmer the Mercury in the first Receiver was 7 Digits In the Second 0. In the Third 3. In the Fourth 3. Dec. 5. In the First 20. In the Second 1. In the Third 3. In the Fourth 5. Dec. 7. In the First the Height of the Mercury was 30. In the Second 1 Digit In the Third 3. In the Fourth 8. Other Oysters left in the open Air began to Smell ill Dec. 9. In the First it was 30 In the Fourth 11. In the Rest no Change Dec. 13. In the Fourth it was 14 Inches High Dec. 20. In the First it was 46. In the Fourth 24. No alteration in the others Dec. 21. In the 1 st 52. In the 4 th 25. No alteration in the others Dec. 22. In the 1 st 60. In 4 th 27. No alteration in the Rest Dec. 27. In the 4 th 29. No alteration in the Rest Jan. 7. 79. The Oysters in the Third Receiver had Coloured the Water black Jan. 25. Some Bubbles were formed in the Turpentine about the Commissure of the Receiver and Cover of that which was exhausted the Height of the Mercury was not altered but the Oysters being taken out Stunk Those in the other Receivers Stunk and were turned to a viscous Gelly From this Experiment it seems to follow that Fishes yeild not so much Air as Flesh yet they will Corrupt tho' not affected by the outward Air. EXPERIMENT XIII Nov. 29. 78. A Vessel of fresh Butter A Glass Vessel filled with fresh Butter being conveyed into a Receiver with a Mercurial Gage Nov. 30. The Butter being in the Night condens'd by Cold the Mercury sunk a little Decemb. 2. The Cold encreasing the Mercury sunk sensibly Decemb. 5. The Cold growing more remiss the Mercury ascended almost to its former Height some of the same Butter having been all the time exposed to the Air smelled ill Decemb. 7. The Cold coming on again the Mercury returned to the Top of the Gage The Butter in the open Air smelled worse Decemb. 24. The Butter had yeilded no Air but was all of a gratefull Taste except the Superficies of it which was contiguous to the Leather So That Butter may be Preserved a long time if Preserved from the Contact of Air. EXPERIMENT XIV Nov. 30. 78. Whitings and Oysters ONE Receiver was filled with Whitings and Wine another with Whitings and Oysters When the Screws were Set the Mercury in the Gage was compressed but in 3 hours returned to it's former Mark Decemb. 2. The Cold increasing the Mercury Sunk in both Decemb. 4. The Cold ceased and the Mercury ascended in that Receiver which contained the Oysters Decemb. 5. In that which held the Oysters the Mercury was Raised 20 Digits Decemb. 7. It rose to 40 Digits Dec. 9. No alteration in either that in which the Wine was contained remaining still below it's first Height Decemb. 20. The Contents of both stunk But what was remarkable in this Experiment was that there was Corruption without a Generation of Air in that Receiver which contained the Wine EXPEREMENT XV. Decemb. 3.78 Raw Beef with Pepper and Cloves RAw Beef with Pepper and Cloves being put into two Large Receivers and as much Beer added as filled the Remaining space in a little time after the Pressure of the Air growing more Remiss the Mercury came almost to the open ends of the Gage Decemb. 8. The Mercury ascended not The Beef being taken out of one to be Boil'd had acquired a sweet smell from the Cloves and the Liquor smelt like Hippocras Jan. 2. 79. The other Receiver was opened no Air being produc'd The Flesh was uncorrupted and being Boil'd in Vacuo with an intense Fire I observ'd Air or Spirits broke out at the Stop-cock fastned to the Top of the Receiver When the Receiver was Cool the next day it was almost void of Air The Flesh was Tender and well Tasted only it was Boil'd a Little too much having been on the Fire Six Hours Hence it appears that Beer impregnated with Aromaticks will preserve Flesh EXPEREMENT XVI Decemb. 4.78 Larks with Beef TWo Larks with some Beef being shut up in a Receiver with as much Ale as filled up the Space not possessed by them Another was filled with Beef alone and a Mixture of Beer and Ale Decemb. 9. Some Pieces of the Larks which were exposed to the Air began to smell ill but those in the Receiver had not yeilded Air enough to sustain 5 Digits of Mercury In the other Receiver no Air was Generated Decemb. 19. The Cover of the Receiver which held the Larks being broke Liquor ran out The Beef and Larks were uncorrupt and being Boil'd Tasted gratefully the Taste of the Beef being made pleasant by the Mixture of the Larks and Beer Decemb. 23. The other Receiver being opened the Boil'd Flesh seem'd pleasant Hence it appears that Birds may be preserved long in Beer and Ale EXPEREMENT XVII Decemb. 14. ONe Receiver was filled with a whole Apple Apples and Sugar c. and a sufficient quantity of Powdered Sugar A Second was filled with an Apple cut in Pieces and Sugar A Third was filled with an Apple cut in Pieces and Water with a 1 10
Experiments may be for to help Mariners to transport fresh Meat and Fruits the Reader may judge ARTICLE XVIII Experiments concerning Elixation and Distillation in Vacuo EXPERIMENT I. Dec. 12. 78. Beef boil'd in Vacuo A Reciver large enough to contain 22 Ounces of Water having 2 Ounces and 6 Drachms of Beef in it was immers'd 3 hours in boiling Water and then lest to cool all Night I found by the help of our Pneumatick Engin that the Air form'd in the Receiver was not able to hold up 3 Digits of Mercury So that by deducting from the Calculation one may learn that Flesh whilst boiling cannot generate a sufficient Quantity of Air to cause an entire pressure in a Receiver large enough to hold a double Weight of Water That is a Pound of Flesh shut up in a Receiver capable of containing 2 Ounces of Water will not yield Air enough to sever the Receiver from the Cover without the help of heat EXPERIMENT II. Dec. 23. THree Ounces of Beef being shut up in a Receiver large enough to contain 32 Ounces of Water when it had boil'd long separated the Receiver from the Cover so that Vapours got out The Receiver being close again it was a good while before the Cover and it were sever'd a second time If the Fire be strong enough sweet Exhalations continually make their way out Dec. 24. The Receiver being cool was almost wholly evacuated by the Pneumatick Engin So that it appears that the Receiver and it's Cover are not separated by Air which is able to continue in that Form but by violent exhalations which when resisted fall back and condense in the Receiver so that if the Fire be not too violent the Avolition of those Steams may easily be prevented EXPERIMENT III. Jan. 21. 79. Paste without Leaven in Vacuo PAste without Leaven being shut up in Vacuo and in another Receiver with Common Air And both of these shut up with a Screw in Balneo Mariae I left them there 3 hours and then after they had been expos'd to a moderate Fire I caus'd them to be open'd The Paste in Vacuo was reddish on it's Superficies the other was not boil'd enough therefore both were shut up in B. M. all Night Jan. 22. The Paste being taken out was sufficiently boil'd but had no Crust That in Vacuo was full of Cavities and insipid the other was well Tasted and of a Close Body Both Receivers were void of Air. EXPERIMENT IV. Feb. 3. 79. When Leaven'd Paste had fill'd a Receiver full of Air it was remov'd into another upon which it stunk yet when it was in a hot Balneo M. 3 hours Bread was made of it full of holes but without a Crust Feb. 5. The same Experiment being repeated without removing the Paste from one Receiver to another and exposing it to the Air the Bread made of it was much lighter than the Former EXPERIMENT V. Feb. 12. Rosemary and Water distill'd in Vacuo ROsemary and Water being shut up in the Instrument contriv'd to distil in Vacuo that being plac'd in Balneo Mariae it yielded a Water which had a sweet Smell as also some Drops of essential Oyl well scented and clear from any Empyreuma But the Stop-cock being open'd to let in Air the Noise which the Air rushing in caus'd was soon over so that I judge the Rosemary had afforded a good deal of Air. Feb. 13. The same Rosemary being again expos'd to a more violent Fire it only yielded a Water less odoriferous than the former EXPERIMENT VI. Feb. 10. 79. Flesh boil'd in Vacuo A Pound of Flesh was boil'd in Vacuo with 4 pound of Water and in 3 hours the Mercury in a Gage which was contain'd in the upper Part of it was not rais'd above 3 Inches It Tasted ill as also the Liquor which was made of the condens'd Vapours it was not boil'd enough Feb. 11. The same Experiment was repeated the Flesh being first sprinkled with Pepper and Cloves the Mercury ascended 6 Inches in the same time that before it was rais'd 3 It Tasted well and the Liquor form'd of the Vapors Tasted strong of Pepper These Vessels seem proper to distil Bodies that are very thin and Volatile in ARTICLE XIX Concerning Elixation in Vessels stopp'd with Screws by whose help Harts-horn and the Bones of Fishes and four-footed Creatures may be soften'd EXPERIMENT I. Jan. 29. Beef boil'd in B. M. BEef boil'd in Balneo Mariae eight or nine hours in a Vessel stopp'd with a Screw had a very unpleasant Taste After I boil'd Beef season'd with Pepper and Cloves 3 hours and it Tasted very pleasant Beef that was not so Season'd being boil'd 3 hours Tasted well So that I conjectur'd that the first Flesh was spoil'd with over-boiling when the Flesh was not season'd Vapours gather'd in the Top of the Vessel and condens'd Tasted unpleasant EXPERIMENT II. Jan. 29. APples boil'd 2 hours were soft and well Tasted but some Pieces impregnated with the condens'd Vapours which were of an ungrateful Smell had acquired a less acceptable Taste EXPERIMENT III. Feb. 4. Season Flesh inclos'd in a Receiver FLesh closely compress'd and season'd with Pepper and Cloves being shut up in a Receiver stopp'd with a Screw that was kept hot in Balneo an hour in which time the Flesh was alittle over boil'd when the Balneum was open'd all the Water broke out Feb. 5. Some Part of the Water was inclos'd in a Receiver shut up with a Screw March 12. The Flesh was very good Elixation by how much the more perfect contributes the more to the hindrance of Fermentation See Art XVIII Exp. XII XX. EXPERIMENT IV. Feb. 10. Cow-heel boil'd in Vacuo A Cow-heel being boil'd four hours over a moderate Fire was so soft that the Bones might be eat like Cheese Feb. 12. A Cow-heel being boil'd 12 hours Tasted Empyreumatical and the Juice would not Coagulate So that hard Bones and Tendons in Balneo Mariae may become good Nourishment EXPERIMENT V. Feb. 10. A Fish boil'd in B. M. 2 hours Tasted well and the Bones were very soft The Juice harden'd presently into a Gelly of a firm Consistence This is a good way to boil Fish that are full of Bones EXPERIMENT VI. Feb. 5. Hearts-horn boil'd in Vacuo HArts-horn boil'd 4 hours was very soft like Cheese and the Juice presently harden'd into a Gelly Feb. 17. The Experiment being repeated the Harts-horn was Boil'd 6 hours and grew very soft The Juice getting out of it harden'd into a Gelly and stuck to the outside of it These Experiments may be of great Use to Mariners since by them they may learn how to boil their Meat with out consuming fresh Water which may be kept for other more cogent Occasions CHAP. IV. New Experiments about the Preservation of Bodies in Vacuo Boyliano EXPERIMENT I. Several Substances included in Vacuo A Piece of roasted Rabbet was preserv'd in Vacuo above
first on the statical Baroscope one might foretel whether in the Mercurial Baroscope the Water were higher or lower but of all the Seasons we made our Observations in the most frequent Changes were in the Spring This statical Baroscope having exactly answer'd upon frequent Observations I shall add the following Notes concerning the Instrument And first as to the Grounds on which I proceeded in making this Baroscope 1. That the Glass Bubble and it's Glass Counterpoise are not of the same Bulk the Bubble being a hundred times bigger than the Counterpoise 2. If Bodies of equal Weight and unequal Bulks be weigh'd in another Medium the Aequilibrium will be lost for if the new Medium be heavier the Body whose Dimensions were larger will be lighter than before and Vice versâ and the Disparity of Weight in the new Medium will be greater as the Inequality of Bulk betwixt the two Bodies varies 3. These two things being laid together I consider'd that it would be the same thing in reference to the Effects what Medium these Bodies were weigh'd in provided the difference were considerable and consequently since the Baroscope made it evident that the Weight of the Air vary'd the Bubble and it's Counterpoise would be differently affected upon those Variations and would accordingly preponderate the Bubble being subject to preponderate when the Air was lighter and Vice versâ Secondly The Bubble was about the size of a large Orange and weig'd 1 Drachm and 10 Grains Thirdly If I had had any Opportunities I would have try'd whether the Aequilibrium of these two Bodies would have been alter'd by the Driness or Moisture of the Air. Fourthly When I could not get one Bubble large enough I have made use of two less which tho' they are not altogether so convenient yet if the Scales be strong enough to bear the Weight they will answer the Design of the Experiment This Instrument may be improv'd by several Accomodations As First To the Ansa of the Ballance an Arch of a Circle may be fitted which being divided into 15 or 20 Degrees will readily tell the Quantity of the Angle and how much the Position of the Cock declines from a Perpendicular Secondly A Counterpoise of Gold may be made use of Thirdly The Ballance being made of Copper or Brass will in time vary less in it's Exactness than if it be made of Steel which is more subject to rust Fourthly The Bubble and it's Counterpoise may be suspended at the Beam by which means it will be less burthen'd with Weight Fifthly The whole Instrument will be more free from Dust and irregular Agitations if placed in a Frame like a Square Lanthorn with Glass Windows and a Hole at the Top to give an Intercourse betwixt External and Internal Air. Sixthly This Instrument having a light Wheel and an Index fitted to it such as Dr. Wren us'd to open Weather-Glasses with and the Ingenious Mr. Hook apply'd to Baroscopes will discover more minute Variations Seventhly The Beam may be improv'd by being made longer and it's Ballance may be more exquisite than those I generally employ'd Thus tho' this statical Baroscope be inferior to the Mercurial one in some Respects yet in others it is more convenient For First It demonstrates to Autopsie that the Ascent and Descent of the Mercury depends on the varying Weight of the Atmosphere since here it cannot be pretended that the Changes depend on a Fuga Vacui Secondly It shews that the Air hath Weight and much more than some Learned Men would allow since in so small a Quantity of it we see considerable Variations Thirdly It is more easily provided and more conveniently removed Fourthly We are more easily satisfied of the Goodness of them Fifthly The Absolute or Respective Weight of the Air may more easily be discover'd if when the Weight and Dimensions of the Bubble is Hydrostatically discover'd upon every Alteration of the Mercury's Height in the mercurial Baroscope the statical Baroscope's Aequilibrium be restored by the Addition of Weights that Weight in the statical Baroscope answering the Variations in the Ascent or Descent of the Mercury in the other Sixthly By this Instrument we may compare the mercurial Baroscopes of several Places and be able to make some Estimate of the Gravities of the Air therein for if in one place the Bubble weighs a Drachm when the Mercury is 29 ½ Inches high and that when the Mercury is risen an 8th it is requisite to add the sixteenth Part of a Grain to preserve the Aequilibrium When I come to another Place and find the same Proportions answer I may conclude that there is no sensible Difference in the Weight of the Atmosphere in those Places but if an additional Weight be requir'd to preserve the Aequilibrium then the Air is so much heavier than when the Mercury stood at 92 ½ Inches But in making these Observations we must take notice whether the Places in which they are made are equally distant from the Center of the Earth for if one be a Valley and the other a Hill there will happen a difference upon that Account There is yet another use which may be made of this statical Baroscope which is to discover the Weight of the Atmosphere at the Top and Bottoms of high Mountains but whether that may contribute to the discovering the Height of Mountains or not I shall leave to be consider'd with more leisure CHAP. X. A Discovery of the Admirable Rarefaction of the Air even without Heat FROM what hath been deliver'd amongst our new Physico-Mechanical Experiments it appears that long since I could by the help of my Engin rarifie the Air to 152 times it 's usual Dimensions and the Virtuosi of the Florentine Academy tell us that they would rarifie it without the help of my Engin to 173 times it 's former Dimensions Yet for further Satisfaction I made the following Tryals EXPERIMENT I. Air expanded to above 8000 times it 's natural Dimensions HAving fill'd a round Glass Egg of clear Metal and furnish'd with a Pipe some Inches long with Water this together with a Viol in which Water was likewise contain'd was conveigh'd into a Receiver and when the Air was exhausted we observ'd that Bubbles were afforded plentifully in both so that the Water seem'd to boil and that in the Stem of the Glass Egg ran over This being done and the Water in both freed from Air we took them out and filling up the Stem of the Glass Egg with Water out of the Bottle we inverted it into more of the same so that the Glass Egg and Stem was wholly full except that a Bubble of Air was contain'd in the Top of the Egg whose Dimensions were a Tenth and less than two Centesms of an Inch. Then the Glasses being placed in the Receiver we set the Engin on Work and observ'd that the Bubble gradually expanded till it fill'd up the whole Capacity of the Egg except the Stem and lest the Water
was open'd the external Air rush'd in with a considerable Noise whence it was evident that all the Air the Limon had yielded in that time was not sufficient to fill the Cavity of the Receiver Neither the Limon nor the Juice were mouldy or ill tasted so that it made me think that Mouldiness cannot be well produc'd without a Concurrence of the Air. The Liquor was acid but clear and without Faeces being of a Colour betwixt brown and red It turned Syrup of Violets into a Purple Colour and corroded Fragments of red Coral in the Cold. It hath been observ'd that Lozenges which a Scholar frequently carry'd in his Pockets were dissolv'd when he came near the Line but recover'd their old Consistence when much past it TITLE XXIII Of the Operation of the Air on consistent mineral Substances The Effects of the Air on mineral Substances IN drawing Copper out of deep Mines in Sweedland I am inform'd they use Ropes made of Leather Links of Iron being subject to break with the Coldness of the Air and the Weight of the Ore It hath been observ'd that Glasses kept half a Year tho' well neal'd have broke in pieces and froze of themselves the Cracks partly depending on some Particles of Salt which had not undergone a sufficient Comminution I am told there is a House in Suffolk near the Sea in which tho' it is but 8 Years old the Iron Bars are swell'd and so rotten that they 'll crimble away The Winds which blew upon those Windows in which they were being Southward and I am likewise told that Iron Bars drench'd in Sea Water and after expos'd to the Air were so far impair'd that when hammer'd great Flakes would fly off them Purbeck and Blechington-stone will moulder away in the Air But those dug up at Painswick near Gloucester will by being expos'd to the Air change their Primary Softness for a Crust-hard and Glassy Marble which penetrates but a little way into it's Substance but is generated sooner the oftner it is wash'd TITLE XXIV Of the Air in reference to Fire and Flame CAndles which burn in Grooves furnish'd with Air Shafts will sometimes continue burning 8 Fathom deep or more When they come into close Ground tho' Candles will burn for a while yet when the Dust rises they go out Experiments touching the Relation betwixt Flame and Air. THE burning of Candles c. under a Glass Bell as also Spirit of Wine Matches Touch-Wood Sponck c. The keeping of Animals under a Glass Bell whilst the Flame is burning The burning of Bodies to Ashes in sealed Glasses as also in exactly clos'd Receivers Cotton burnt in a seal'd Glass The burning of a Mixture of Flames under Water in an E. R. as also of a saline Substance and likewise of Salt Petre. A Pistol not firing in an E. R. An Experiment of burning Gunpowder The burning of Spirit of Wine and Oyl of Turpentine in Glass Vessels with slender Necks TITLE XXV Of the Air in reference to Fermentation Of the Air in reference to Fermentation RAisins being enclos'd in an exhausted Bolt-head half full of Water and set on a digestive Furnace presently began to ferment and swimming upon the Liquor afforded Bubbles which were gradually fewer and at last a Sediment appeard in the Bottom The Top of the Bottle being accidentally broke the External Air rush'd in with some Noise and the Surface of the Liquor was cover'd with Froth like Bottle Drink and I thought I perceiv'd a visible Fume come out of the Glass which had a Languid Smell The Liquor had a high Tincture of the Raisins and was of a better Consistence than that of Water TITLE XXVI Of the Air as the Receptacle of Odours TITLE XXVII Of the Operation of the Air on the Odours of Animal Substances Of the Effects of Air on Odours SOur Grapes having lain 3 Years in Vacuo were not mouldy but the Surface of the uppermost was discolour'd with a Tartarous Efflorescence The Grains had a musty Smell but the Liquor tasted Acid and would corrode Coral in the Cold. The Gage scarce discover'd any Air produc'd In Madrid I am told tho' they throw their Excrements into the Streets in the Night yet the stink is not very much the next Day nor will dead Animals stink long there TITLE XXVIII Of the Operation of the Air on the Odours of vegetable Substances LArge Pieces of Oranges having been three Years included in Vacuo their Rinds were on their Surface almost black they yielded very little Liquor being neither mouldy nor putrid TITLE XXIX Of the Operations of Air on the Odours of Mineral Substances TITLE XXX Of the Operation of Air on the Tastes of Animal Substances MR. Nickson told me that Meat might be preserv'd in frosty Weather all Winter without Salt but if drest when froze would not relish well TITLE XXXI Of the Operation of Air on the Tastes of Vegetable Substances TITLE XXXII Of the Operation of the Air on the Tastes of Mineral Substances TITLE XXXIII Of the Operation of the Air on the Colours of Animal Substances Of the Effects of Air on Colours THE Air influences Colours so much on black Taffety that in Brasil after it hath been worn a few days it becomes of an Ironish Colour but if it be kept from the Air the Colour fades not In a Particular Region in Brazil 50 Leagues beyond Parigna White People turn Tawny but a little beyond that they recover their Colour again Upon Charlton Island there is a sort of Birds call'd Partridges which are white in the Winter and gray in the Summer TITLE XXXIV Of the Operation of the Air on the Colours of Vegetable Substances I Am told that most Trees in Jamaica acquire a Greenness when newly cut down on that Part which is most expos'd to the Air and that Lignum Vitae when green is as soft as Oak Several Trees which are soft when cut down afterwards grow hard especially the Cabbage-Tree which presently hardens and the Pith rotting out it serves for a Pipe about 100 Foot long which will not corrupt under Ground but grows as hard as Iron The Juice of Aloes Plants which in the Island of St. Jago was clammy bitter and of a dark Colour under the Line lost it's Bitterness and acquir'd a green Colour Stains are most easily got out of Linnen at those times of the Year when the Fruit with which they were stain'd flourish TITLE XXXV Of the Operation of the Air on Mineral Substances ONE Part of Lapis Calaminaris being mix'd with four of Salt-Petre was kept some hours in a vehement Heat in a Crucible by which means the Matter being alkaliz'd Water was pour'd upon it which made a muddy red Tincture which being set in a Wide-mouth'd Glass in a Window it became green and more diaphanous than before but in a few Days it became a transparent Liquor a Powder subsiding which was red like Brick-dust Spirit of Vinegar receiv'd no Tincture
Spirit of Wine and when they are well mix'd and grown cold again if they be distill'd over together they yield an acid corrosive Spirit of a vinous Taste and a pleasing Smell EXPERIMENT XII To imitate by Art and sometimes even in Minerals the peculiar Tastes of natural Bodies and even Vegetables natural Tastes Artificially imitated WHatever is the Plastick Agent in the formation of Bodies of each distinct Species to shew that the Nature of them depends on Mechanical Principles I endeavour'd to imitate natural Tastes Artificially Endeavouring to alter the Taste Smell c. of Oyl of Vitriol and Spirit of Nitre I obtained a Liquor which tho' at the first pleasant would at a certain point of time taste like Garlick And it hath been observ'd that Mustard-Seed put into Cyder to give it a brisk Taste made it stink like Garlick And Semen Dauci fermented with Beer or Ale made it relish of Limon-Pills If Gold be dissolv'd in a Mixture of Aqua Fortis and Spirit of Salt and the Experiment be made hastily one may obtain a Solution or a Salt of an Austere Taste like Slows And the like Taste I have observ'd in Gold volatilized or dissolv'd without any Tincture at all The last Instance I shall make use of is this Take a Ê’j of Orris Root sliced and infuse it in a Pint of Canary or Malaga Sack till it hath given it the desir'd Taste and Smell and then keep it in a cool place The same Method being taken with Claret-Wine and Cochinele the Tincture was taken for good Rasberry-Wine some of which retain'd it's Taste 2 or 3 Years A short Excursion about some Changes of Tastes made by Maturation Tastes produc'd by Maturation THAT several Fruits after they are gather'd acquire a greater degree of Maturity after they are separated from having any communion with the Soul of the Tree is beyond doubt since it is not only observ'd in England that Apples and Medlars become Mellow after they are gather'd but the Fruit call'd Bananas in the East-Indies are gather'd green and hung up to acquire a greater degree of Maturity and to ripen by degrees and thereby undergo a Change both in Colour and Taste and this I am told hath been often found true in America And that the Texture and Consistence of Fruits may be much alter'd and vary'd by the Influence of outward Agents mechanically working upon them is evident in Cherries which undergo a sensible Alteration by a small Bruise by which the Parts are forc'd to work one upon another and another Instance we have in Wardens set to roast in the Ashes And I have seen a sort of Pears betwixt France and Savoy which being stew'd a while in a moderate Heat would be reduc'd to a juicy Substance of a lovely red Colour and very sweet and luscious to the Taste And some Pears by a moderate Compressure will lose their hardness and acquire a yielding Contexture and a pleasant Taste But not only vegetable but more stubborn Salts may be alter'd by an intestin Motion of their own Parts when dissolv'd in Water so as to become of a peculiar and a pleasant Taste And how in Vegetables by an intestin Commotion of the saporifick Parts a new Taste may be produced is evident in Juice of Grapes which from a sweet and spiritless Liquor becomes a spirituous Wine and after that a sharp Vinegar without any Addition CHAP. II. Experiments and Observations concerning the Mechanical Production of Odours TO shew that not only Tastes but likewise Odours may be Mechanically produc'd I shall lay down the following Experiments EXPERIMENT I. With two Bodies neither of them odorous to produce immediately a strong Vrinous Smell A Smell produc'd from inodorous Bodies THis will succeed if good Quick-lime and Sal Armoniack be ground together EXPERIMENT II. By the bare Addition of common Water to produce immediately a very strong Smell in a Body that had no such before A Smell renu'd by an inodorous Body IF a good Quantity of Camphire be dissolv'd in Oyl of Vitriol the Gum will lose it's Scent but by an Infusion of cold Water the Camphire will emerge and smell strong as before EXPERIMENT III. Of producing some Odours each of them quite different from that of any of the Ingredients Odours produc'd different from those of the Ingredients TWO parts of Oyl of Turpentine being gradually mix'd with one of Oyl of Vitriol the clear Liquor which they afforded by Distillation in a sand Furnace smelt very strong of Sulphur and not of Turpentine What remain'd behind in the Retort being forc'd for the most part over in the form partly of an Oyl and partly of a Butter they smelt like distill'd Oyl of Bees-Wax EXPERIMENT IV. Of the Production of some Odours by local Motion I Know several Bodies inodorous which being considerably hot emit not odorous Effluvia yet being put into a peculiar kind of Agitation emit a strong Smell And some Woods yield a powerful Scent whilst in a Turner's Leath which before were not odoriferous as Lignum Vitae and Beech-Wood the latter yielding a fragrant Smell much like Roses EXPERIMENT V. By mixing a good Proportion of a very strong scented Body with an inodorous one to deprive it speedily of all it's umell IF Aqua Fortis not too much dephlegmed be pour'd upon Salt of Tartar till they cease to ferment this Liquor evaporated will yield Crystals like Salt Petre but if distill'd or burnt they yield very offensive Fumes EXPERIMENT VI. By putting a very strong stinking Body to another of a Smell not sweet to produce a Mixture of a pleasant and strongly Aromatick Odours THis Phaenomenon is afforded by the Liquor prepar'd in the XI Experiment of the preceding Chapter EXPERIMENT VII By digesting two Bodies neither of them well scented to produce Bodies of a very subtle and strong fragrant Odour SOme Ounces of Vitriol digested with ssj of Spanish Wine afforded this Phaenomenon EXPERIMENT VIII By the bare Addition of a Body almost inodorous and not well scented to give a pleasant and aromatick Smell to Spirit of Wine EQual parts of Oil of Dantzick Vitriol and Inflammable Spirit of Wine being digested together about a Month and then being distill'd yielded a very fragrant Spirit which was sometimes so subtle that tho' distill'd with a gentle Heat in a tall Glass it would sill the Elaboratory with Fumes whence we may learn how much a Mineral Sulphur may be enobled with a vegetable Sulphur and how much new Coalitions and Contextures may alter the Odours of Bodies EXPERIMENT IX To make the foremention'd fragrant Body without Addition of fire degenerate into the rank Smell of Garliek A fragrant Body turn'd into one of a Garlick Smell THE Odiferous Liquor mentioin'd in the preceding Experiment being kept in a Bottle close stopp'd in a little time acquir'd a Garlick Smell And the like Smell I have perceiv'd in an Oyl distill'd from vegetable and mineral Subtances Salt
but in themselves as a Red Purplish or Blackish as the Quantity of it varies yet it is us'd to free Glass from that blewish green Colour that it is subject to and this may serve to confirm what we deliver'd in the XLIV Experiment viz. that as the Parts of a Pigment are more closely or set at distance the Colour will vary And here it may not be altogether fruitless to advertise that it may be a good way of trying Ores and what Metal they most abound with to try what Colour they give Glass when mix'd in a due proportion and kept in Fusion in an equal Degree of Heat and length of time But to proceed to other Instances agreeable to those we have laid down yellow Orpiment and Sea-salt Sublim'd together constitute white Arsnick and tho' Orpiment is the greater Part of the Composition yet Arsenick gives Copper a white Colour within and without In counterfeiting Factitious Gems by Vitrification it is observ'd That calcin'd Lead Colliquated with white Sand or Crystal powder'd by successive Ignitions and extinctions yields a Decoction of the Colour of a German Amethist And I have observ'd in calcin'd Lead it self something like the Colour of such an Amethist And with Glass of Lead overpower'd with other Pigments you may emulate the Greenness of Emeralds tho' in several Cases the Colour of the Lead may vitiate that of the Pigment and these Colours so much depend upon Texture that before the aforemention'd Mixture acquir'd an Amethistine Colour it passed through several intermediate Colours and the Colours of such Substances may be so much vary'd by degrees of Fire that I have had a Mass of the size of a small Nut of four distinct Colours ANNOTATIONS BUt besides the aformention'd Ways by which Metals may acquire adventitious Colours there are yet two unmention'd For I am told that it is impossible to strike that Colour term'd a Bow-dye without the Materials be boyl'd in Vessels either made of or lin'd with a Particular Metal The other way of dying Bodies is with the Solution of Metals in their proper Menstruums so Gold dissolv'd in Aqua Regis will dye the Nails and Skin and Hafts of Knives made of Ivory not with a Golden Colour but a Purple scarce ever to be wash'd out And I have already told you that a Solution of Silver will dye the Nails Black So Brine colours Beef Green or Red and a certain proportion of Salt-Petre and common Salt Colours Neats Tongues Red and such Flesh as would be otherwise White And to these I shall add that a Solution of Sulphur of Vitriol or common Sulphur will Colour Silver with a golden or reddish Colour for which Reason the Bath Water causes that Effect And the Juice of Alcanna which is Green dyes the Skin and Nails of a lasting Red. EXPERIMENT XLIX BOyl a sufficient Quantity of powder'd Turmerick with Water adding to every pound of Water two Spoonsful of a filtred Solution of Pot-ashes in a clean glaz'd Vessel till by immersing a Piece of Paper you find the Turmerick to have given it's Tincture then drop into the filter'd Tincture a Solution of Roach Allom the ting'd Parts being curdl'd will swim up and down in Flakes and the Liquor will pass through a Filtre clear leaving the Yellow Parts behind it which may be dulcifi'd by an Affusion of Water but this vegetable Lake may be seperated from the decanted Liquor without filtration by pouring on a sufficient Quantity of Water for then it will either swim on the Top or subside to the Bottom and may be made fit for use by being dulcifi'd with fresh Water after it hath been gather'd by Filtration and then it must be dry'd upon a Cloth under which Bricks Chalk or Paper is plac'd to imbibe the Moisture ANNOTATIONS THo' it be generally believ'd that this Magistracy of Vegetables is only made up of the colour'd Parts of the Plants yet to favour the contrary I shall represent that Allom contains a stony Matter as well as an Acid Spirit and tho' Workmen in the making of it use a Sea Weed call'd Kelp and Urine yet natural Allom hath been found in England a Solution of which by an Affusion of Lixivium of Pot-ashes would depose a white Curd which being filtred would leave behind it a metalline stony Calx very White little Bits of which being plac'd upon a live Coal would neither melt nor fly away nor would they wash away in hot Water so that they were unlikely to be seperated from the Vegetable Lake by Ablutions And to this I shall add that from the filtred Liquor I have obtain'd saline Parts which would Flame at a Candle and fly away with some Noise and I have obtain'd such a Substance from Allom by precipitating it with urinous Salts and even Urine it self so that sometimes we may think that we obtain a Precipitate from a Liquor when it is in a great measure yielded by the Solution of Allom made use of to precipitate it The abovemention'd way of making Lakes being try'd with Madder it yielded a Red one and with Rue it afforded one of the same Colour with the Leaves But since the Colour is extracted from the Vegetable by the addition of a Lixivium it is a Question whether the Lake will always be of the Colour of the Herb since Lixiviate Salts may not only extract but alter the Tinctures of Vegetables And tho' Acids sometimes do yet we have found by experience that they will not always restore Colours destroy'd by Alkalies since Syrup of Violets turn'd Green by an Alkaly will not be restor'd to a Blew by an Acid but is chang'd to a Red. And I have found that when the Colour of the Lake was not alter'd by the Alkaly it would be much fainter than the Vegetable it was drawn from But to conclude this Experiment I shall add that Allom is not only of use in such like Experiments as these but also in the Dyers Trade EXPERIMENT L. HAving a Mind not only to change the Colour of one Body into another but also to obtain two Substances of distinct Colours from one Body in order to it I consider'd that since Spirit of Vinegar wholly loses it's Acidity by working upon Minium the Solution would alter the Juices of Plants as Oyl of Tartar usually does and acordingly I found that it turn'd an Infusion of red Rose Leaves Green And further considering that Oyl of Vitriol will precipitate Solutions of Minerals especially in Spirit of Vinegar and that the Calcesare usually fair and White Considering these things I dropp'd a Solution of Minium into an Infusion of Roses by which it was turn'd Green but dropping on that Oyl of Vitriol it would precipitate the Lead in the form of a white Powder and leave in the Liquor a clear and high Tincture of Roses which appear'd when the Experiment was try'd in a Glass shap'd like an inverted Cone And this Experiment likewise succeeded when Spirit of Salt was made use
the Influence of Subterraneal fires for which Reason deep Cellars are generally warmest And it hath been observ'd That the deepest Mines in Hungary are always the hottest and tho' the upper Region in some measure seems Cold yet that may easily be caused by the Predisposition of our Sensories when out of the warm Air we find it comparatively Colder in the top of the Groove and in our ascent Colder in respect of those Regions which are nearer the Influence of Subterraneal fires And that the lower Regions are hotter than the uppermost is not only evident from what hath been elsewhere delivered but from what Arch-Bishop Vpsal hath observ'd in the deep Mountains in Poland from whence they dig Rock-Salt And tho' the Heat of Springs in the Winter may be alledged by some as a cause of Antiperistasis yet it is easily otherwise explain'd since the Subterraneal Effluvia of the Earth as well as the Comparative Coldness of the Air is sufficient to solve that Phaenomenon And that the Antiperistasis is not so powerful in the Winter as to have any effect on the Subterraneal Parts is evident since Capt. James tells us That he had a Well which remain'd unfroze all Winter so that by breaking the Ice on the top they could get fresh Water And it is attested by a Latin Author That in or near the Island Hueena wherein the famous Tycho built his Vrani-Burgum there is one Spring which is not froze in Winter and Olaus Magnus tells us That near Nidrosia one of the chief Cities of Norway there is a Lake that in that Northern Region never freezes And Josephus informs us of a hot Spring in Peru from whence the Waters issue out boiling hot yet a Spring which is just by it is Cold as Ice so that the Nature of the Soil through which Bodies flow may have a considerable stroak in altering the Temper of the Water And to favour what I have said of the Reason why Springs steam in the Summer I shall add That it is observ'd that our Breath as well as the steams of Issues are visible in the Winter tho' not discernable in the Summer and the very steams of a labouring Man have been froze on the outside of his wastcoat whilst he was working And it 's commonly observ'd That the steams of a River are very apparent in the Evenings tho' not discernable at Mid-day in Summer And that the Earth is not only heated by those Subterraneal steams but that those Meteors which we frequently see proceed from Subterraneal Effluvia will be rendred probable by observing That Miners usually foretel Storms and alterations in the Air by the damps which rise in their Mines And in Cornwall it is observ'd by the Fisher-men that those Sulphureous Exhalations which appear like fire up and down generally precede considerable Storms And the like hath been observ'd on the Coast of Ireland when a black Cloud like a Barrel rising out of the Water a violent Storm presently succeeded And an Anonymous Writer tells us That in Comitatus Zotiensis in Hungary a Clift of Ground emits such steams that Birds and Cats or Dogs being held over it are killed by the steams of it And the same Author tells us That near the City Buda there are such hot Springs that the River Danubius is not able to keep them cool and he tells us likewise that in the River Istroganum they may discover hot Springs by removing the sand with their feet And I am inform'd by credible witnesses That in the North of England there is a ditch which emits steams which are inflamable and probably there may be other places which emit such kind of Effluvia and afford matter for fiery Meteors and Winds And we are told That not only in Muscovy a Tract of Water a Mile long continued unfroze when the rest was and emitted hot steams But Olaus Magnus tells us of a Lake Veter which thaws with a considerable noise That as well as the River Peking near China which thaws in one Day beginning at the bottom and so thaws upwards and in these thaws it is observ'd That they are foretold by a great boiling of the Water first under the Ice And that such Effluvia being detained from flying away and kept up in the Earth may contribute to the Heating of Cellars appears further since in Muscow when a Cellar hath been long kept shut when first the door is opened the steams will affect the Men so Powerfully as almost to suffocate them So that from hence it appears That the Retention of hot Effluvia depend on a Constipation of the Pores of the Earth and not on the Disposition of hot Vapors to fly away from their contrary since we see that they have no such Disposition the Vapors of a Well rather dispersing themselves in the Air than flying away from it But to disprove the Doctrine of Antiperistasis further I shall add That a rod of Iron which had a piece of Iron fixed to one end of it having that end made red hot and quenched in Cold Water the Heat did not recede into the other end to avoid the Coldness of the Water But a more convincing Experiment is That a Weather-Glass being suspended in a wide-mouth'd Glass in Water when that Glass was placed in hot Water the Coldness of that in the wide-mouth'd Glass was so far from being drove upon the Weather-Glass that the Spirit of Wine did not in the least subside but when the Heat of the External Water was diffused through the other it manifestly rose And this Experiment being try'd with warm Water in the wide-mouth'd Glass and Cold Water about that the Heat was not more intense about the Weather-Glass but when the Cold had diffused it self through the warm Water the Spirit of Wine subsided Postscript Tho' from what hath been said it appears That the Doctrine of Antiperistasis is not without Reason exploded yet I shall suspend my Judgment whether Cellars are warmer in the Winter than the Summer or not since the learned Jesuite Zucchius tells us That having suspended a Weather-Glass 3 years in a Cellar the Water would rise in the Winter and descend in the Summer And another tells us That he knew a Well Colder in Summer than Winter yet I am far from believing this Observation universal since what hath been said evinces the contrary for tho' the superficial Parts of the Earth are subject to vary in their Temperature as the Weather influences them yet Subterraneal Cavities than are very deep are neither hotter or colder in the Winter or Summer and tho' Zucchius hath undertaken to measure it by the assistance of Weather-Glasses yet since ordinary Weather-Glasses are subject to be influenced by the Gravity of the Air as well as the Heat and Cold of it and since some places are fuller of Subterraneal Vapors than others and consequently the sudden ascent of Exhalations may presently increase the weight of it I think the following Experiment made by the
Mace as with Oyl of Cinamon yet upon further Tryals I found that it succeeded And to what hath been deliver'd on this Subject I shall further add when the Noctiluca was wholly consum'd to a Caput Mortuum that as soon as it was turned with the other side upwards it would immediately take Fire a-fresh THE WORKS Of the HONOURABLE ROBERT BOYLE Esq EPITOMIZED BOOK V. PART I. CHAP. I. New Experiments of the Positive or Relative Levity of Bodies under Water Arguments against the Positive Levity of emerging Bodies WHEN any Body that is lighter in Specie than Water is immersed in it and upon the removal of that force which depressed it it rises again it is usually attributed to the Positive Levity of that Body but since the instance of Wood emerging is that which is usually offered as an Argument to it I shall answer That Wood being a Body full of Pores except some which will not swim in Water and upon that account specifically lighter than Water the Water by the Pressure of that which is incumbent getting betwixt the Superficies of the Vessel and the Body immersed causes it to rise the Water which succeeds it in its place making a more powerful Pressure against it than its Specifick Gravity enables it to resist And that Bodies Specifically lighter than Water will be thus buoyed up by it will appear from the Hydrostatical Paradoxes hereafter to be laid down And tho' it be usually urged that the Bodies imimmersed are too closely contiguous to the bottom of the Vessel for the Water to insinuate themselves betwixt yet from the following Experiment it will appear that were the contiguous Surfaces so close the positive Levity of the Wood would not be able to raise it for two black Marbles being so exactly polished as to be as contiguous as possibly they might we tyed a Bladder full of Air to the uppermost and then causing them both to be immersed in Water the positive Levity of the Bladder would not cause the Bladder to rise but as soon as by a servant the uppermost Marble was gradually slipped half off the Polished Surface of the lowest the Water which before was not able to insinuate it self betwixt the Surfaces of the contiguous Marbles and to separate them presently caused the Bladder to rise with a considerable swiftness and force above the Surface of the Water Which Event that it did not depend on Nature's abhorrency of a Vacuum is evident since that would have an equal force when the Polished Surfaces were wholly contiguous the Power of Nature's abhorrency of a Vacuum being held by its Assertors to be unlimited And that it was not the heaviness of the upper Marble nor want of lightness in the included appeared since when the Surfaces of the polished Marbles were not contiguous the Bladder was able to lift up a weight of six or seven pound besides the Marble And to shew that the Bladder might be raised by the Pressure of the Water according to the laws of Hydrostaticks usually buoying up Bodies Specifically lighter than it self having pressed out the greatest part of the Air contained in a Bladder I tyed a piece of Iron to it and immersed it in a wide-mouth'd Glass which was so deep that the Bladder was totally immersed and yet not far below the Surface of the Water and this being convey'd into our Pneumatick Engine when by exhausting the Air part of the Pressure was taken off the Air in the Bladder expanding it self and takeing up more Room in the Water and consequently becoming so much more Specifically lighter and the resistance of the Water which endeavours to buoy it up becoming respectively greater it was together with the suspended weight raised to the Surface of the Water and continued there till the outward Air was let in again and then the Air being contracted into its former dimensions it subsided again In which Experiment the positive Levity of the Air was not varyed but only its relative and respective weight in reference to its proportion of Water And that Rarefaction alters not the positive Levity of Bodies may appear from the following Experiment for having oyled a Bladder and when the Air was expressed tyed it to the neck of a Vial I found that in the exhausted Receiver tho' the Air in the Vial was so far expanded as to fill the whole capacity of the Bladder yet the Vial neither rose higher nor subsideded lower when the Air was drawn out or let in again CHAP. II. New Experiments about the Pressure of the Air 's Spring on Bodies under Water The Pressure of the Air 's Spring on Bodies under Water TO shew that the Spring and Weight of the Air hath manifest effects on Bodies separated from an immediate contact by the Interposition of Water I shall subjoyn the following Experiments EXPERIMENT II. We luted the neck of a Vial which was capable of containing above a point of Water upon that pipe which conveys Air out of the Receiver into the Pump which being done we whelmed over this Receiver our large one and having poured in a sufficient quantity of Water we closed it up with the Turn-key that no Air might get out that way and then the Air being exhausted out of the Vial if flew into a great many peices the sides of the Glass being not able to resist the Pressure of the Air that lay upon the Surface of the Water in the large Receiver EXPERIMENT II. The greatest part of the Air being squeezed out of a Bladder and the Bladder tyed to a weight which kept it something below the Surface of Water contained in a wide-mouth'd Glass this being convey'd into a Receiver the Air in the Bladder expanded as the Air on the Superficies of the Water was extracted EXPERIMENT III. A Brass Plug being fitted to a Cylinder which was closed with a Plate of the same Metal at one end we put a Bladder half blown into the Cylinder and placing the Plug upon it with a weight of a Conical figure upon that we poured so much Water into the Receiver in which it was placed as covered the top of the Conical weight but left the Ring which was fixed to the top of it and which was fastned to the Turn-key by the help of a string and things being thus ordered when the Air above the water was considerably exhausted the Spring of the Air in the Cylinder raised the Plugg and Weights a considerable height tho' the whole weight amounted to twenty eight pounds EXPERIMENT IV. A Glass Vial being closed with Cement and immersed in a deep Brass Cylinder of Water this was convey'd into our Receiver and when the Air which pressed upon the Water was drawn off the Vial in the bottom of the Water was violently shattered in pieces by the Spring of the included Air for want of a sufficient Pressure of the Air incumbent on the Water to resist the force of that Spring EXPERIMENT V. To shew that the Expansion
one So that these have a much less specifick Gravity than Fossil Stones A third use of this Hydrostatical way of weighing Bodies Use III may be to distinguish several Species of Bodies into subordinate Species as the Load-stones of several Countries are different in weight for I have observed Norwegian and the English Load-stones to be heavier in specie than those that came out of Italy in which the Island of Elba abounds with Mines whereof one intire Mass weighed a great many hundreds of Pounds Fourthly Use IV This method may enable us to distinguish counterfeit Stones from those that are real and good since when they are Hydrostatically weighed there will appear a manifest difference not only in adulterated Coral but Bezoar and other valuable Stones Fifthly Use V By this means we may be enabled to distinguish betwixt genuine Concretes used in Medicine and those that are not genuine as also whether precious Stones abound more or less with Metalline Ingredients But tho' sometimes Stones that are transparent may not be so plentifully impregnated with Medicinal and Mineral Effluvia yet considering the Activity and great subtlety of some Pigments the latter may be as powerful And that every sensible part of a Body may be impregnated by a small quantity of Pigment will appear from the following Experiment viz. If five grains of Zaphora be mixed with one ounce and half of Venice Glass finely powdered and kept in fusion in a furnace with a violent hot fire it will give the whole a fine blue colour and if the proportion of the Zaphora be as one to six the Glass will be too deeply tinged to make a handsome Gem. And to shew further that a small quantity of Metalline matter may be sufficient to impart a virtue to Glass and even Gems I shall add that eight grains of the powder of a German Granate being kept in fusion with an ounce of Crystalline Glass it gave it a Tincture like that which Steel gives to pure Glass From what hath been said it appears how the proportion of solid substances to Water may be Hydrostatically-distinguished but since there are other substances which cannot be so weighed being either subject to dissolve in Water or not fit to be suspended by a Hair by reason of their form being either powders or liquids to make an estimate of these I contrived the Bucket formerly mentioned and represented in Fig. 00 Plate the first which being suspended in Water and counterpoised we put a known weight of Quick-silver in it by which means comparing its weight in Water with its weight in Air and dividing the greater number by the difference of its weight in Air from what it was in Water and which was thirty four grains we found the Quotient to be fourteen and about 1 10 so that the Mercury made use of in this Tryal was as 14 11 100 to 1 but common Mercury which is sold in the Shops we have found to weigh not above thirteen and a half to one and indeed I have found a notable disparity in the weight of most common Mercuries especially those drawn from Gold for the Mercury being combined with that Metal becomes heavier than common Mercury By the same measure we may know the specifick Gravity of any Liquors which are heavier than Water and which are unapt to mix with it such as Oyl of Cinamon Cloves Guajacum c. And by the assistance of the same Bucket we may be able likewise to weigh Powders and estimate their goodness if we put a known weight of them in the Air into the Bucket and pour in gently as much Water as will fill up the Pores contained betwixt them and be sufficient to expel the Particles of Air contained betwixt the small Parts of it but in all these Tryals it will be requisite to suspend the Scales of the Gibbet delineated in the preceding Figure that the Scale may hang the steddier whilst the Body is a weighing But since there are several saline Bodies as Sublimate Mercurius dulcis Vitriol Rock-Allom c. which cannot be weighed in Water in such cases instead of Water we may substitute Oyl of Turpentine which tho' it be of a different specifick Gravity from Water yet by carefully weighing a parcel of any substance which is genuine in that Liquor it may serve for a Standard to estimate the goodness of other parcels of the same substance by and it will be no very difficult matter for one well skilled in numbers by comparing the specifick Gravity of Oyl of Turpentine and Water together to know what proportion the Body weighed in Oyl would bear to an equal bulk of common Water Another way which may be taken to estimate the specifick Gravities of Liquors is by making use of a Body that will subside in all Liquors but Quicksilver for thus by first weighing that Body in Air and then in several Liquors and having noted the difference betwixt the solid and each of the Liquors it is not difficult to find the specifick weight of each and the proportions betwixt them And since it is but one solid that is compared thus to the differing Liquors whatsoever their Number is it will not be difficult to compare the specifick Gravities of the Liquors betwixt themselves and to discover by the weight of the first that of any other which ever one pleases But in making choice of such a solid Body as may serve our present purpose care must be taken that it be such as will not be subject to be consumed by Effluvia or too large for a tender Ballance nor so big as to require too much Liquor to cover it and lastly it ought to be of such a Nature that it may not be liable to be corroded by sharp and corrosive Liquors or easily broke but such as may be easily obtained that what Experiments are tryed with it may easily be tryed by others and communicated to Posterity The Bodies made use of in trying these kind of Experiments and which came nearest what we thought requisite for such Tryals was when we examined common Water rain-Rain-Water Spirit of Wine Wine Brandy Vinegar and the Liquors drawn from it Cyder Beer Ale Urine Waters distilled from Vegetable and Animal substances Amber But to estimate the weight of heavier Liquors we employed a Glass-Bubble Hermetically sealed and filled with Mercury But this being both hard to be obtained and harder to be preserved I made use of the following Body in such Experiments as are to be recorded for Posterity viz. A Globe of Rock-Crystal which was suspended by a hair which passed through a small hole in it and which we employed to discover the difference of those Liquors which we could obtain greater quantities of but for others we employed an Hexagonal Prism with a kind of Pyramid at the end and this Body being of such a Figure we were able to employ it in small Cylinders in which a small quantity of Liquor would surround it and cover it
The weight of the Ball of Crystal we employed was to its bulk of Water as 2 57 100 to 1 and the weight of the Prism as 2 66 100 to 1. And this method of weighing Amber in different Liquors may not only acquaint us with their specifick Gravities but also from thence we may learn to know which are most Spirituous For tho' a piece of Amber weighed but 6 ¾ grains in Water yet in common red French Wine it weighed 8 ½ in Nants Brandy 17 ⅛ and in rectifyed Spirit of Wine 34 ⅛ This Hydrostatical method of estimating may likewise contribute to discover the strength of Acid Liquors those that are strongest causing the solid to weigh less as they are stronger the greater decrement of weight proceeding from the greater proportion it contains of Salts that are not Volatile It may likewise save the wasting of several Liquors as Spirit of Wine or Brandy in trying their goodness And further it may be imployed in estimating the intensive weight of Wine Beer Ale Mead Cyder c. and distinguish their goodness without consuming them But Amber will not be heavy enough to distinguish the strength of Oyl of Tartar per deliquium and such heavy Bodies since they are too heavy for it to subside in Besides the afore-mentioned there may be another use made of our Hydrostatical solid viz. To shew when Menstruums are of a convenient strength For that there is a peculiar degree of Spirituousness requisite in some Solvents is evident since if Aqua Fortis be too strong it will not be able to dissolve Silver no more than if it be too weak till it is diluted by an addition of Water and it is much more fit to dissolve filings of crude Lead when more dilute So rectifyed Spirit of Wine is not always the most proper Menstruum for gummy Bodies since it dissolves only the purest Resin and leaves the Mucilaginous Parts behind which may be as good in Medicine as the other and further we see that Gum Arabick and Tragacanth are not so easily dissolved in good Spirit of Wine as in weak Liquors and the like may be observed in dissolving Myrrh To what hath been said on this occasion there is one thing to be added that when this Expedient is made use of in Oyl of Vitriol or Tartar per deliquium it is necessary to put something into the Scale to compensate the lightness of the Horse-hairs since in such Experiments the specifick Gravity of the Liquors exceed the Gravity of the Hairs and consequently they will be apt to buoy up the Body immersed and misinform us in its true specifick weight To the afore-mentioned ways of Hydrostatically estimating Liquors we may add the following And first it may be done by filling a Vessel with a slender Stem successively with different Liquors and weighing them as also it may be done by a Brass Cylinder made heavier at one end than the other by which it may be made to float and to swim deeper or higher above the Water as the Liquor contained is heavier or another way is by fitting too Bubbles together with Cement by which their Stems being joined and the one caused to sink lowest by a Ballast of Mercury as the other is filled with a heavier or lighter Liquor it will manifestly preponderate Another way proposed by Mersennus is by weighing a Glass and a Stopple in Water and then filling the Bottle quite full and putting in the Stopple for the weight of the Glass and Stopple being deducted from the weight of the whole the remaining weight will be the weight of the Liquor proposed But instead of this we made use of a round Glass-Ball with a Glass Stopple which being first weighed in Air and Water and counterpoised there we were able to discover the weight of the Liquor contained and its proportion to the bulk of the Liquor it was weighed in and if the Bubble were too light to subside in some heavy Liquors we would bring it to a just weight by a Ballast of Mercury But since such Vessels as these are very hard to be got and some other inconveniencies attend it we think it less satisfactory than those other ways we made use of and proposed before A sixth Use that may be made of these Hydrostatical Tryals Use VI is in reference to several Medicinal Bodies for thus the Jucies of Plants may be weighed if when they are contained in our Hydrostatical Jar delineated in the Figure above they be hung at a nice Ballance in Oyl instead of Water since they are not subject to mix with it And by this means we may be satisfied whether Juices of Plants alter their specifick Gravity when kept a good while and after fermentation And by this method likewise we may be able to weigh Honey Vinegar Verjuce c. As also we may compare and weigh the Juices of Fruits of different kinds and the subordinate Species of each kind as also the several Juices in their several states of Crudity or Maturity But the use of this Hydrostatical Bucket being very tedious and difficult to those that are not very skilful in making Experiments the other will be more useful which are tryed with Amber But to what hath been already delivered on this subject I shall add that tho' in several Tryals made with precious substances a nice Ballance is requisite yet in most cases the difference betwixt Bodies is great enough to be discerned by a Ballance not altogether so nice for let the Ballance be never so nice there is difference in the Textures and Compositions of Bodies of the same Denomination for which as well as in defect of a nice Ballance allowances are easily made But perhaps it may be objected by some against the method I have been proposing that since I generally weigh most Bodies in Water it will be a hard matter to make them with any exactness since it hath been observed that most Waters themselves differ in specifick Gravity But to this I shall briefly answer that I have not perceived so considerable a difference as will frustrate these Experiments in which we require not a Mathematical but a Physical certainty CHAP. XII Hydrostatical Stereometry applyed to the Materia Medica IT being usual for Physicians in the descriptions of several Parts of the Materia Medica to signifie the size of Bodies by very indeterminate Terms I thought that they might be assisted by Hydrostaticks to give descriptions much more exact and satisfactory and for that end having made two hollow Brass Cubes whose Cavities being Cubical Inches contained 256 grains or a Cubical Inch of Water it being a Law in Hydrostaticks that whatever Body is weighed in Water it loses so much of its weight as an equal bulk of Water weighs I concluded it would thence follow that whatever solid was weighed in Water if in that fluid it lost 256 grains of its weight it might be said to be a Cubical Inch and as it lost more or
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
the Root are impelled into it and thence conveighed into the other Parts of the Tree being conveighed in the form of Sap which passing through new strainers receives alterations requisite to turn it into Wood Bark Leaves Fruit c. And in young thriving Animals it cannot be imagined how the nourishment should be conveighed to all the Parts without supposing them furnished with Pores for its reception and passage Another Argument of the Porosity of Animal Bodies may be brought from the plenty of Humours carried off by sweat and insensible Transpiration And by the help of good Microscopes we may discern Pores in the skins of Animals and especially in the inward sides of Gloves which are nothing but skins dressed and they are further evident since Quick-silver readily passes through the Pores of Sheeps skins and leaves the dross behind in the Leather and the like I have tryed with the skin of a Man's Arm tanned which Pores according to Steno and Malpighius are the Excretory Vessels of the Glandulae Miliares contained in the skin And that the skins and shells of Eggs are not void of Pores appears since the moisture contained is so far dissipated through them as to diminish their weight And Sanctorius in his Medicina Statica tells us that if the Meat and Drink taken one day amounts to eight Pound five Pound will be carried off by insensible Transpiration And he elsewhere says that in the space of twenty four hours â—n the Winter time a healthful Body may exhale fifty ounces or more a great part of which is carried off through the Pores of the Membranes of the Aspera Arteria And if ones finger in hot Weather be held to the Surface of any cold Body it will presently be sullyed over with the steams that issue out of the Pores of the skin And their Porosity is further confirmed by observing how soon those black and blue spots in the skin occasioned by bruises are removed for which use Helmont employs white Bryony root and I have seen a Poultess of chopped Hyssop and fresh Butter remove the Pain and black colour of a contusion in a little time And not only the Skins but the Membranes of Bodies are stocked with Pores since the Bladder of a dead Animal appears to be full of them for if Salt of Tartar be put into a Bladder and it be then immersed in Water enough of it will penetrate the Bladder to dissolve the Salt and render it Liquid and the like succeeded but much more slowly when the Experiment was tryed with Sugar and some say that Syrups made this way instead of using ordinary Water are much more preferable And as a further instance of the Porosity of the shells of Eggs I shall add that one having been immersed in very sharp Vinegar tho' the shell was part of it consumed yet being taken out and wiped it was considerably swelled and heavier than before the Menstruum being imbibed and insinuated into the Pores of it And I am not only told that the Chineses had a way of salting Eggs but I found by coating one over with Clay after it had lain some time in Brine the substance contained tasted evidently Salt And I know a Physician who was affected with a giddiness upon the use of Clysters of Sack and another told me that having applyed Tobacco to the sore Leg of one of his Patients it caused her Stomach to turn or actual Vomiting and another told me that he used to Vomit himself by applying Decoctions of Tobacco to his wrists or other extream Parts and it is a common custom to Purge Children by the Application of external things and it hath been observed that Bathing the sore Heads of Children with a Decoction of Tobacco hath caused a giddiness And a Virtuoso told me that having taken another by the Hand which was gently besmeared with Oyl it gave him three or four stools presently And to what hath been delivered of the Porosity of Membranes I shall add the aptness of Lute-strings to imbibe into their Pores moist Particles and also the Metastasis or Translations of Morbifick matter in diseased Bodies as the matter which causes a Feaver being discharged upon the Brain causes a Delirium and other Distempers as it is discharged upon the Pleura the Membranes of the Chest the Throat or Guts Another Argument of the Porousness of Animal Bodies may be drawn from their aptness to imbibe Effluvia from without as when Cantharides externally applyed affect the Bladder to which instance may be added the effects of Plasters and Oyntments and Pericarpia for I have often cured Agues with a Mixture of â—â—â—ians Hops and Bay-Salt and it is vulgarly known that Mercury externally used in Oyntments will salivate To which may be added the effects of Periapta and Appensa of Blood-stones in stopping of Hemorragies and of another kind of Stone made use of by the Indians in Obstructione Menstruum And I have found my self that the Moss of a dead Man's skull would stop an Hemorrhage as soon as warmed by the contiguous skin And Zwelfer tells us of one who preserved several from the Plague by using Helmonts Troches of Toads in Amulets and several of these Troches being put upon the Plague sores of the infected they were afterwards cured by the use of vulgar Remedies And to these I shall add that having drawn a Spirit from a Mixture of flowers of Brimstone powdered Sal-Armoniack and good Quick-lime in equal quantities by degrees of fire in a Retort till the sand be red hot if a piece of Copper be foulded up in Sheeps Leather and held over the Vial it is contained in the Metal will be tinged with the rising fumes without discolouring the Leather and the same will succeed only more slowly through a double fold of Leather And all the alteration the Leather received from these pervading fumes was that they gave it a sulphureous smell And this Experiment may favour the accounts we have of the Effects of Lightning which hath been observed to discolour the money in Men's Pockets without burning them and the same effect hath been taken notice of by some who have ascended a burning Mountain in America And it is observed that Lambs Leather hung up in the Air acquires a moisture which adds considerably to its weight And to these instances may be added the effects of Cantharides upon some that only carried them in their Pockets the Effluviums of them having caused them to piss Bloody Urine And as a further Confirmation of the Porousness of Bodies I shall subjoyn that the Permeating Liquor above mentioned had the like effect upon Copper through the tough skin of an Egg and likewise through a wet Sheeps Bladder and to confirm what I have said of the Porousness of Animal Bodies I shall add that a Gentleman who had a long time a Perforation in his Thorax and was wont to inject medicated Liquor often to cherish the Parts and likewise to wear a silken Bagg