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
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
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
more apt to fly away when expos'd to the Air. And that Vitriol may probably rise in the Form of a Vapour without losing it's Qualities is evident in Sublimate which consists of Mercury chang'd by an Addition of Salt and Vitriol for some Vitriolick Parts being carry'd up in the Preparation turn Opacous upon an Affusion of Spirit of Sulphur But further to make it evident that the Particles of Iron may be considerably expanded I dropp'd four Drops of a Vitriolick Liquor made use of in Copperas-works into twelve Ounces and a half of Water and found that it so much impregnated 1500 times it's Proportion of Common Waters as to make it strong enough to turn a Tincture of Galls Purple tho' by Evaporation we found that 3 Parts of 4 of that Liquor were Water 28. What Alterations the Earthy Parts of Mineral Waters undergo by Ignition and whether they may be Vitrify'd per se as also what Colours they impart to Venice Glass if mix'd with the Powder before Fluxion 29. Of what use they are in Baking Brewing Tanning or Dying of Colours c. 30. How many ways they may be made Artificially and with what Proportion of Ingredients CHAP. XI Titles for the Natural History of Mineral-Waters consider'd as a Medicine IT may be worth Observing in order to a more Compleat Natural History of Mineral-Waters what Constitutions they agree with and in what Distempers they are Proper or Dangerous What Sensible Operations they have and whether their Effects be alter'd by Drinking them Hot or Cold at the Well or at a Distance from it Whether Exercise or the Warmth of a Bed promotes their Operation Whether they have any Occult Qualities It may likewise be requisite to observe What good Effects may succeed a due Preparation of the Body that drinks them and what Advantage it may be to drop some Strengthening Stomachick into the First Dose What Quantity is enough for the First Dose and how it must be vary'd How long they may be Drunk and whether constantly or with Intervals whether Purging sometimes may contribute to their good Effects What Regimen in the Six Non-Naturals is to be observ'd whilst they are a-taking Which are the Signs that denote the kindly Operations of them or their future ill Effects What ill Accidents attend the taking of them and how they may be Remedy'd or Prevented Whether it be proper to Purge after the Taking of them What Effects they will have by Mixing other Liquors with them or by Boiling Meat in them Whether a Salt extracted will be of Equal Effect when Diluted in Fresh Water What External Effects they will have and of what use their Sediment is when Externally apply'd What Effects they will have on Dogs if injected into their Veins or if they be kept with such for constant Drink CHAP. XII Of the Natural and Preternatural States of Bodies especially the Air. IT is the General Consent of most Men that the Determinate States of Bodies are not only first fram'd by what they call Nature but that they are likewise preserv'd in those States by the Superintendency of that Power and that whenever they lose that State they are said to be put into a Preternatural One But if we consider that such Changes proceed from Natural Causes and that those New States depend on the like Catholick Agents The Common Distinction betwixt Natural and Preternatural States ill grounded and the Establish'd Laws of Nature it will appear That the Distinction Men usually make betwixt the Natural and Preternatural States of Bodies is but ill-grounded and that Preternatural is only a Relative Term intimating that that Body hath undergone a Change either by the Operation of some unheeded or more noted Agent For Matter being altogether void of Sense and Perception and not affecting one State more than another the Changes it undergoes depend on the Alteration of it's Textures and New Position of it's Parts alter'd afresh by that Agent which such a Body was last expos'd to As a piece of Wax is put into a New Form by the last Impression made by another Body upon it without affecting one Form more than another it self Ice a Natural State in some Places And that the States of some Bodies which are said to be Preternatural as truly depend on Natural Causes and the Establish'd Laws of Nature as others is evident in Ice and Water In which Bodies the Forms of each depend upon the Effects of External Agents for tho' in these Hotter Climates Water is Esteem'd a Natural and Ice a Preternatural State of that Substance yet I am inform'd that in Siberia a Province belonging to a Russian Emperour Water is froze most part of the Year and at a small Depth from the Surface of the Earth the Soil is froze throughout where Ice is look'd upon to be the Natural and the Alterations made by a Thaw and the Influence of the External Temperature of the Air and the Sun Beams are esteem'd Preternatural States of Bodies And further tho' Butter in our Clime be sold in a consistent Form and when it is melted is look'd upon to be in a Preternatural State yet I am inform'd that amongst the Europeans it is fluid and is sold by Measure and not by Weight as here in England And it is further observ'd That several Substances as Rosin of Jalap Gum Lacca and even Aloes it self are considerablely softened in their Consistence by the Temperature of the Air and the Force of External Heat whilst they pass under the Torrid Zone so that I am told that the former of the aforemention'd Drugs was melted into a sort of Balsam whilst it continued in Africa but when it was brought to Spain it put on a Consistent Form again And tho' Aloes was soft whilst carry'd through America and those hotter Climates yet when it approach'd our Climate it presently became hard But to bring further Instances concerning the Natural and Preternatural States of Bodies I shall observe That according the Receiv'd Notion of Natural and Preternatural States it is very difficult to determine the Natural State of the Air for not to insist on the different Temperature of the Air as to Heat and Cold in different Climes It may be demanded Since Heat and Cold rarifie and expand the Air what is to be esteem'd the Natural State of it in Reference to Rarity and Density And it is no less Questionable what Place is most fit to determine it's Natural State since the State of it is not only different in several Countries but in those Places at different Times And that the Changes as to the Density or Rarity of the Air are very frequent appears by the several Degrees of the Atmosphere's Gravity evident in the Torrecellian Experiments hereafter to be deliver'd A forced State the Natural State of the Air. But further Except the States of the Air be said to be Preternatural only in a Relative Sense with respect to the State it was in
bending P. in pressing up the Plug E. E. E. the Fingers might more vigorously draw up the Leaver L. T. T. A Rectangle of Iron compassing the Leaver L. L. and the Iron O. P. O. to keep it in such a Posture that the Plug may not fly out whilst the Air is compressed into the Globe A. A. I. I. An Elliptick Hole which is shut with a Valve that opens inward the Design of it is that what is amiss in the Globe may be seen and mended S. S. A Plate of Metal perforated with a Screw V. which sustains the Valve and keeps the Hole V. shut Q. A Hole for the Air which is to be pressed into the Globe to enter in at when the Sucker D. is pulled down to the lower End of the Tube C. C. The Method to press Air into this Globe is this I set my Foot upon the crooked End of the Sucker D. and then pulling up the Globe as soon as the Tube C. C. is full of Air I depress the Globe by which means the Air in the Tube is forced into it through the Valve F. and this Method being taken as long as the Air 's Spring would permit us to compress it any further the Air may be discharged if when the Plug D. is drawn out and a Bullet is put into the Tube instead of it the Plug E. E. E. be raised so that the End of the Iron Wire may open the Valve B. for the Air violently rushing out will drive the Bullet away with great Violence The Globe will be sooner filled with Air if half an Ounce of Water be put into the Tube C. C. before the Sucker D. for the Top of the Tube being filled with Water the Air will be forced clearly out of the Tube into the Globe And this Wind-Gun hath these Advantages above any other yet mentioned First that it is not so subject to be spoiled as those that have two Valves Secondly it is easily mended what is amiss being taken out at the Elliptick Hole Thirdly it is much more stanch the Crannies being stopped with Silver Soder which damages not the Leather on the Valve because it is put in after the Soder is cooled at the Elliptick Hole Fourthly several Bodies may be conveighed into it at the Elliptick Hole whereby we may be enabled to try several Experiments PLATE V. How Factitious Air may pass out of one Receiver into another A.A. A Metalline Plate perforated in the Middle B. B. To which a Stop-Cock is fixed the lower Orifice being made into a Male Screw D. C. Which is received by the Female Screw D. of the Copper Funnel D. C. See Fig. 2. E. E. A hollow Tube both of whose Ends are formed into a Female Screw to receive the Male Screw of the Stop-Cock B.B. See Fig. 1. F. F. The Receiver laid on the Plate A. A. and exactly fitted to it The Matter of which factitious Air is to be made is to be put into the Receiver F. F. and the Orifice of the Tunnel C. being placed on the Receiver and the Stop-Cock B. being open'd the Air is to be drawn out of the Receiver which being done the Stop-Cock is to be shut again and the Male Screw being taken out of the Female Screw in the Brass Tunnel the Receiver is to be immers'd in Water to keep External Air out As for the Degrees of Compression of the factitious Air they may be discover'd by the Mercurial Gage before mention'd To transmit this Air into another Receiver F. F. we make use of the small Tube E. E. Fig. the Second into each End of which the Stop-Cocks of two Receivers being screw'd and the Crannies stopp'd with Cement by turning the Stop-Cocks the Air may be let out of one into the other To discover the Rarefaction of the Air contain'd in which Receivers because they must be inverted we contriv'd the following Gage See Fig. 4. A. A. A Viol filled with Mercury up to the Superficies D. D. B. B. A Tube cemented in the Neck of it C. C. Another which passing through the Tube B. B. leaves room for a due intercourse betwixt the External and Internal Air the upper End of which must be seal'd and the other End open If this Gage be put into a Receiver when it is inverted both the Tubes will have the Air contain'd in them exhausted and will be ready to receive factitious Air as soon as the Stop-Cocks are turn'd to give an Intercourse betwixt them and then the Gage being inverted and the Mercury which lay below the Orifice of the Tube B. B. falling about the Pipe C. C. by rising up into it will shew the Degrees of the Compression of that factitious Air. PLATE VI. An Instrument by which Air may be filtrated through Water See Fig. 1. A. A. A Glass Receiver whose Orifice is adapted to the Plate B. B. which is perforated in the Middle by the Tubes C. C. D. D. which are cemented to it E. E. E. E. A Stop-Cock into which the lower Ends of the Tubes C. C. D. D. are inserted F. F. The Key of the Stop-Cock in which is made the Chink G. G. without any Perforation H. H. The Receiver to which the Stop-Cock is fix'd preventing an Ingress of outward Air and having a due Intercourse with the Pump I. I. L. L. A Glass Vessel M. The Stopple in the Top of the Receiver fasten'd with a Screw See Fig. 2. A Stop-Cock cut transverse so that the Insertions of the Tubes C. C. D. D. into the Stop-Cocks may be perceived The Use of this Instrument is as follows To try how much Air may acquire new Qualities in respect of a Body included with it we conveigh that Body into the Vessel and then pouring a sufficient Quantity of Water at the Orifice M. until the Receiver A. A. be half full and the Vessel L. L. swim up to the Top of it the Orifice M. is stopped up which being done and the Key so placed that the Tube C. C. may communicate with the Chink G. G. upon drawing down the Sucker the Air in the Receiver A. A. will pass through the Pipes C. C. and the Chink G. G. into the Receiver H. H. and from thence into the Pump Upon which the Chink in the Stop-Cock being turn'd so as to communicate with the Insertions of the Tube D. D. and then the Sucker being rais'd to the Top of the Cylinder the Air will be impell'd into the Tube D. D. and emerging through the Water will rise into the Top of the Receiver A. A. and by this Method we could strain it through Water as often as we had a mind to be inform'd what new Qualities it acquir'd in reference to the Bodies about it FIGVRE III. How the same Numerical Air may be sometimes condensed and sometimes rarified The Receiver A. A. being fix'd upon the Plate B. B. and the Stop-Cock C. C. being fix'd to the Perforation of the Plate B. B. The
high Octob. 16. 77. Three Ounces of bruised Grapes being included in an exhausted Receiver large enough to contain 30 Ounces of Water with half an Ounce of Spirit of Wine Octob. 17. The Mercury did not ascend much Octob. 18. It was not an Inch high Jan. 2. 18. The Receiver was quite full and some of the Liquor as it was poured out produced Bubbles in some Turpentine about the Orifice which broke outwardly Tho' Spirit of Wine promotes the Generation of Air in Vacuo yet in the open Air it hinders it See the II. VIII and XIV Exp. Art II. EXPERIMENT VII July 19. 78. MVST expressed From Must bruised Grapes were put into a Receiver when it was 10 Months old The 21. The Mercury was no higher 23. It was raised 3 Inches 24. Raised 5 Inches 25. In the Morning it was 104 in the Evening 137 and the Must made its way out 26. More Must got out The Air was further expanded but the Mercury was suspended at the same heighth 27. The Screw being left open half the Must got out From thence it appears that by keeping Grapes for some time their Fermentative Virtue becomes more powerful EXPERIMENT VIII Jan. 30. BOiled Apples being put into Receivers From boil'd Apples with and without Sugar they both presently filled them full of Air. Jan. 31. Raw Apples being shut up in Receivers in one of which was put a third part of Sugar and the other without Feb. 10. The former had yielded some Air. Feb. 14. The raw Apples and Sugar rais'd the Mercury 30 Inches Those which were boyled raised it two Inches In the other Receivers we had no Air generated Feb. 18. In the Receiver in which the raw Apples and Sugar were enclosed the Mercury was raised 56 Inches The Boiled Apples and Sugar raised it 3. The raw Apples had yielded little but in that which was almost full the Apples were very little Fermented but of a very pleasant Taste Feb. 21. The Cover was broke and the Apples and Sugar had lost some of their Juice but they were not Rotten March 1. In the great Receiver in which raw Apples were shut up the Mercury was rais'd 25 Inches In the little One not above 7. Where Boiled Apples and Sugar were contained it was raised 9 Inches March 8. In the large one it was 29. In the less 22 ½ That where the Boiled Apples were stayed at 9 Inches March 17. Some Juice got out of the large Receiver In the less the Mercury stood at 67 Inches and the boiled Apples and Sugar raised it 15 Inches From whence it appears that the Sugar and the largeness of the Receiver as well as the Crudity of the Fruit contributed to the Production of Air. ARTICLE II. Several ways to hinder the Production of Air. EXPERIMENT I. Decemb. 20. 78. DOugh made without Leaven From Dough. but with the same Meal with Bread-Corn being enclos'd in a Receiver where the Heat of a Fire kept it warmer than at Midsummer in 10 hours it yielded no Air So that if Dough be once too cold it hinders it's Fermentation for the future which I the rather believe because Dough being shut up in the Summer presently generated Air. EXPERIMENT II. May 23. THree Ounce of Dough Leaven'd being enclos'd in a Receiver large enough to hold 50 Ounces of Water I put Spirit of Wine to it May 24. The Mercury was Three Inches high May 26. The change was small May 27. None at all May 29. None at all June 2. It ascended a little June 14. Not at all Decemb. 14. Being taken out it smell'd subacid And being put into an Empty Receiver it swell'd so much as to take up twice as much space as before with a gentle Ebullition May 23. The same Quantity being of Dough shut up without Spirit of Wine May 24. The Mercury was 19 ½ Inches high May 26. It 's Heighth was 38. May 27. No alteration Decemb. 14. It continued at the same Heighth and the Dough smell'd subacid From whence it appears that Spirit of Wine prevented the Generation of it in the last Experiment EXPERIMENT III. August 29. PEars From Pears and a Mercurial Gage being clos'd up in a Receiver fill'd with Water such a Quantity of Air was pressed in as was able to raise the Mercury 26 Inches higher than it us'd to be In a little time they were all made like a Pultis for Consistence Aug. 30. In 24 hours the Mercury was depress'd an Inch and an half Aug. 31. It remain'd at the same Heighth Sept. 1. They began to yield Air the Mercury being rais'd to 27 Inches Sept. 2. In 24 hours it was rais'd 8 Inches higher Sept. 3. The Heighth of the Mercury was 17 Digits higher the heighth being 52 Inches Sept. 4. The Mercury was buoy'd up 7 Inches further rested at 59 Inches Sept. 5. The heighth of the Mercurial Tube was 64 Inches And a Pear broken in the Receiver was turned Black Sept. 6. It was rais'd 3 Digits and ¼ higher than what is usual Sept. 7. It was 3 Digits lower and rested again at 64 Inches Sept. 8. This day the Mercury subsided to 58 Inches Sept. 9. It was rais'd up 3 Digits higher again and was suspended at 67 Digits Sept. 10. In 24 hours it was rais'd 1 ½ higher being suspended at 69 Inches Sept. 11. It descended to 67 Digits again the Night being very cold Sept. 12. No Alteration happen'd at all Sept. 13. It subsided further to 64 Digits the Cold was sharper Sept. 14. It was 70 Digits high Sept. 16. It subsided to 69. Sept. 19. It stood at the same heighth Sept. 20. It was rais'd again to 71. Sept. 23. It subsided to 69. Octob. 1. It was buoy'd up again to 75 Digits Octob. 3. On the 2 there was no alteration To Day it stood at 70 the Weather being exceeding cold Octob. Yesterday the Mercury remain'd at the same heighth but this Day being Rainy it rose again to 75. Octob. 7. The Weather being the same the Mercury was at a stand Octob. 10. This Day it subsided to 69 Inches the Rainy Weather continuing Octob. 12. To Day it was Depress'd to 65 Inches Cold Weather coming on again Octob. 13. It was 64 Inches high Octob. 14 It was 69 Digits high Octob. 15 It was 74 Digits high Octob. 24 It was 68 Inches The Season being cold Nov. 2. It was 64. The Cold more violent Nov. 5. The Mercury was 80 ½ Inches high The Cold more moderate Nov. 2. It was 65 Inches high It was sharp frosty Weather Nov. 27. It was 68 Inches high A Thaw coming on Dec. 6. It was 61 Inches high The Weather being very Frosty From the former Experiment it appears that Fruits yield not Air plentifully when violently compress'd in the Air The Air afforded when they are compressed not being ⅛ of what they yield in the Empty Receiver But that the Cold might concur to hinder the Generation of Air will be evident from the following
Experiment EXPERIMENT IV. Feb. 22. 77. TEN Ounces of Paste being included in a Receiver which was large enough to hold 22 Ounces of Water From Paste I impress'd Air enough into it to sustain 73 Inches of Mercury above the length of a Cylinder which the Weight of the Atmosphere is able to bear up In two hours there was no sensible Alteration Feb. 23. In 18 hours the Mercury was rais'd 7 Inches And in 6 hours more it ascended 8 Inches higher being buoyed up to 83 Inches Feb. 24 It was 90 Inches high Feb. 25 It was 97 Inches high Feb. 26 It was 101 Inches high Feb. 27 It was 105 Inches high Feb. 28 It was 107 ½ Inches high March 1 It was 112 Inches high Water seemed to be expressed out of the Paste March 2 It was rais'd to 120 Inches March 3 It was rais'd to 121 Inches March 4 5 It remained at 121 Inches March 8. Upon a Thaw the Mercury ascended 4 Inches and rested at 125 Digits March 10. It rose 6 Digits higher being suspended at 131 Digits March 21. The Season being so long Cold no Air was generated except that in the three last Days the Mercury was rais'd 7 Inches and rested at 138 Digits April 4. One of the Iron Wires made use of to straiten the Receiver was broke and the sides of the Receiver started out of their Places 4 or 5 Foot From whence it appears that Cold and Compression hinder the Generation of Air. EXPERIMENT V. March 1. 77. TWO Raisins of the Sun being bruis'd were shut up in an exhausted Receiver with Six Ounces of Vinegar It afforded Bubbles plentifully March 2. It still yielded Bubbles but the Mercury was not rais'd half an Inch. March 25. The Vinegar seem'd to contain Bubbles but the Mercury was not rais'd an Inch. So that Vinegar hinders Fermentation and the Production of Air. EXPERIMENT VI. April 7. HAving put 10 Ounces of Paste into a Receiver able to contain 22 Ounces Paste included in a Receiver of Water as much Air was press'd in as sustain'd Mercury above its usual height 128 Inches In Six hours it was rais'd four Inches being sustain'd at 132 Digits April 8. In 16 hours it ascended 9 Inches higher but for nine hours after it rested at 141. April 9. Some Air broke out in the Morning the Mercury subsided to 130 Inches therefore thrusting in as much Air as rais'd it to 141 I clos'd it it up with a Screw Apr. 10 It was at 151 Digits Apr. 11 It was at 158 Digits Apr. 12 It was at 168 Digits Apr. 13 It was at 176 Digits April 14 It was at 183 Digits April 15 It was at 183 Digits April 16 It was at 187 Digits April 17 It was at 191 Digits April 27. Eight Days it's Station was unalter'd but the two last it was rais'd 7 Inches being rais'd to 198 Digits April 30. So much Air being let out that the Mercury was rais'd but 50 Inches above it's usual height to try whether the compress'd State of that Air hindred it from expanding the remaining Air being pinned up presently rais'd the Mercury sensibly and 3 hours after the Mercury was rais'd to 62 Digits from 50. In five hours space after rose 1 ½ May 1. In 15 hours it rais'd only an Inch. May 3. On the Second it was at a stand to Day it was rais'd 1 ½ May 4. The Mercury ascending no higher I let the Air go and the Screw being set again in five Minutes the Mercury was rais'd two Inches May 7. In 3 Days it was rais'd 2 Inches higher May 8. In the two last Days it was rais'd ½ an Inch. And the mass being shut up in Vacuo in 5 hours the Mercury was buoyed up an Inch. May 21. It had not been rais'd 3 Inches yet May 30. It rested at 4 Inches and ½ From whence it appears that all the Air that Paste will afford may be obtain'd from it tho' it be compress'd yet it is hindred in some Measure till that Pressure is taken off And from hence it appears that Air may be generated by repeated Turns and Reciprocations and that it is more slowly generated in compress'd than in free Air it usually yielding all that it will in two or three Days time EXPERIMENT VIII Artificial Air. July 30. 77. HAving included Plums and Apricocks cut asunder in a Receiver Plums and Apricocks I press'd so much Artificial Air of Cherries into them as rais'd 64 Digits of Mercury August 1. They yielded no Air but became Yellow as if too ripe August 3. The Mercury was rais'd a little higher and a whole Apricock appear'd full of Drops of Water August 7. The whole Apricock grew softer and the Mercurial Cylinder 59 Inches taller than it's usual Length August 8 It was 61 Digits high August 9 It was 65 Digits high August 10 It was 71 Digits high August 11 It was 74 Digits high April13 It was 78 Digits high April14 It was 80 Digits high April15 It was 80 Digits high April16 And till the 22 th it rested at the same height The 24th it was 77 Inches high On the 29th I open'd the Receiver and found that the Fruit was well Colour'd and smell'd Sub-acid the Flesh being Spongeous It emitted several Bubbles when first it was freed from the ambient Pressure Common Air. July 30. 77. The same Fruit being conveyed into a Receiver with Common Air some being cut and others whole July 31. The Mercury was rais'd 8 Inches high August 1. At six a Clock in the Evening the Mercury was rais'd 20 Inches August 3. The Fruit was much more firm than those Included with Artificial Air. The Mercury was rais'd to 35 Inches August 4. The Mercurial Cylinder was rais'd to 42 Inches August 6. The Apricock appear'd unalter'd The Mercury stood at 57 Inches Aug. 7 It was 81 Digits high Aug. 8 It was 95 Digits high Aug. 9 It was 113 Digits high Aug. 10 It was 124 Digits high The Apricock began to turn Yellow But did not in the least appear Moist Aug. 11 It was 131 Digits high Aug. 13 It was 157 Digits high Aug. 14 It was 163 Digits high Aug. 15 It was 171 Digits high Aug. 16 It was 171 Digits high Aug. 17 And for some time after it stood at the same height Aug. 27 It was 182 Inches high Aug. 29 The Receiver being open'd the Apricocks were more Acid and less grateful to the Taste than those in factitious Air The Pulp was well Colour'd but Spongy they yielded Bubbles as the others did From this Experiment we may be induced to think that the Artificial Air hindr'd the Apricock enclos'd with them from yielding Air yet it enriches their Colour and Firmness and is good to preserve their Taste EXPERIMENT VIII Grapes without Spirit of Wine AN Ounce and an half of unripe Grapes bruis'd being enclos'd in a Receiver capable of holding 10 Ounces of Water Oct. 11 The Ascent of the Mercury was small Oct. 12 The Ascent
of the Mercury was small Oct. 13 It was ½ an Inch. Oct. 17 It was 1 Inch. Oct. 18 It was 1 ½ Oct. 19 Near 4 Inches Oct. 20 The same but their surfaces seem'd mouldy Oct. 21 It was 4 ½ Oct. 22 The same the surface seem'd more mouldy Oct. 23 The same the surface seem'd more mouldy Oct. 24 The same the surface seem'd more mouldy Octob. 26 It was 5 ½ Inches high Octob. 27 It was 6 Inches high Octob. 28 It was 6 ½ Inches high No. 2 It was 7 ½ Inches high No. 6 It was 9 Inches high No. 8 It was 10 Inches high No. 9 It was 13 Inches high No. 12 It was 15 Inches high No. 14 It was 17 Inches high No. 18 It was 23 Inches high No. 21 It was 26 Inches high Dec. 8 It was 36 ½ Inches high Dec. 12 It was 39 Inches high Dec. 27 It was 39 Inches high Jan. 6 It was 36 Inches high The Air made it's way out Octob. 10. 677. Grapes with Spirit of Wine The Experiment being made with another Receiver into which was put 2 Drachms of Spirit of Wine along with the Grapes Oct. 11 The Mercury unalter'd Oct. 12 The Mercury unalter'd Oct. 13 The Mercury unalter'd Oct. 17 The Ascent was small Oct. 18 Not ¼ of an Inch. Oct. 19 It rose but little Jan. 6. The Grapes all this time afforded no Air So that Spirit of Wine hinder'd their Fermentation EXPERIMENT IX HAving conveigh'd a Peach into a small Receiver and so much Spirit of Wine as was just able to afford Vapours to rise about it March 28. 78. It had the same Colour but was the less Firm It had almost wholly contracted the Taste of the Spirit of Wine but yielded no Air. EXPERIMENT X. Air with Spirit of Wine I Conveigh'd 5 Peaches into a Receiver with as much Spirit of Wine as was sufficient to raise Vapours about them Octob. 18 The Mercury ascended not Octob. 20 It was 3 ½ Inches Octob. 21 It was 5 ½ Inches high Octob. 22 It was 7 ½ Inches high Octob. 23 It was 9 Inches high Octob. 26 It was 9 ½ Inches high Nov. 2 It was 12 Inches high Nov. 6 It was 14 Digits Nov. 12 It was 16 Digits Nov. 14 The same Nov. 16 The same Dec. 8 It was 18. Dec. 16 It was 19 ½ Dec. 27 It was 20 ½ Jan. 6 It was 23. March 8 It was 31 ½ Air without Spirit of Wine Octob. 17. Five Peaches being shut up in a Common Receiver without Spirit of Wine Octob. 18 it ascended not Octob. the 20th The Mercury was 5 Digits Octob. 21 It was 8 Octob. 22 It was 10 Octob. 23 It was 10 Octob. 26 It was 12 Nov. 2 It was 15 Nov. 6 It was 17 ½ Nov. 12 It was 20 Digits high Nov. 14 It was 20 Digits high Nov. 16 It was 21 Digits high Dec. 8 It was 26 Digits high Dec. 16 It was 26 ½ Digits high Dec. 27 It was 28 ½ Digits high Jan. 6. 78 It was 32 Inches high March 28 It was 33 ½ April 15. Liquor broke out and the Air after it From this Experiment it appears that the Vapours do not hinder Fermentation so much as Spirit of Wine it self EXPERIMENT XI Paste with Leaven HAving clos'd an Ounce and a half of Leaven'd Dough in a Receiver with so much Air as was able to bear up 23 Ounces ½ of Water April 28. The Mercury in the Gage was 2 ½ of an Inch high April 3. It was 3 ¼ of an Inch high May 4. The Mercury subsided and the Paste was Mouldy It was rais'd 2 ½ high May 6 It was 2 ¾ May 8 It was 3 May 10 It was 3 ½ May 14 It was 4 May 17 It was 4 ½ May 20 It was 5 May 24 It was 6 May 28 It was 8 June 2 It was 9 June 6 It was 10 June 41 It was 11 ½ July 5 It was 13 ½ July 19 It was 15 Paste without Leaven April 27. 78. An Ounce and a half of Paste without Leaven being contain'd in a Receiver large enough to hold 23 Ounces ½ of Water Without Leaven April 29. In the Afternoon it ascended ¼ of an Inch. April 30. There was no Alteration May 4. It ascended slowly and the Paste turn'd Mouldy May 6. It was about 4 Inches high May 8 It was 5 ½ May 10 It was 7 ½ May 14 It was 10 ½ May 17 It was 12 ½ May 20 It was 13 ½ May 24 It was 16 ½ May 28 It was 18 ½ June 2 It was 20 ½ June 6 It was 21 ½ June 14 It was 25 ½ From whence it appears that Leaven hinders Fermentation and the Production of Air. EXPERIMENT XII May 23. Paste with Spirit of Wine AN Ounce and a half of Paste on which Spirit of Wine was pour'd being shut up in a Receiver May 24th The Height of the Mercury was 1 Inch. May 26 It was near 2. May 27 It was near 2 ½ May 31 No Alteration June 1 It was 3 ½ Digits high June 6 It was 4 Digits high June 10 It was 4 ½ Digits high July 19 No Variation Decemb. 14. The Receiver being open'd the Paste smell'd subacid Paste without Spirit of Wine May 23. Without it An Ounce and a half of Paste being put into a Receiver large enough to contain 25 Ounces of Water without an Addition of Spirit of Wine May 24. The Mercury did not ascend May 26 It was 3 Digits high May 27 It was 4 ½ Digits high May 28 It was 5 ½ Digits high May 29 It was 7 Digits high May 31 It was 9 ½ Digits high June 2 It was 12 Digits high June 6 It was 17 Digits high June 10 It was 22 Digits high July 4 It was 30 Digits high July 19 It was about the height of 30 Digits The Air broke out Decemb. 14. The Mercury was rais'd 15 Digits again The Receiver being open'd the Paste was very acid From these Experiments it appears that Spirit of Wine prejudices the Production of Air And it likewise hence is evident that Paste which is made without Ferment will in time yield as much Air as that prepar'd with it EXPERIMENT XIII Octob. 11. New Ale enclosed in a Receiver NEW Ale was put into one Receiver so that the whole Cavity was taken up with it and another Receiver was likewise fill'd with the same Liquor except a small Part of it's Cavity which contain'd Air. Octob. 12. In the Receiver exactly fill'd the Mercury was rais'd a little the other had it's Cover burst and the Ale was conveighed into another large enough for the Purpose Octob. 13. In that wholly fill'd the Mercury was 12 Digits high In the other it was rais'd 13 Digits Octob. 14. The Mercury in the full Receiver was 13 Inches and the other 18. In the Evening the height of the Mercury in the full Receiver was 22 Inches and in the other 20. Octob. 15. The Height of the Mercury in the full
shall alledge the following Experiment viz. That Experiments alledged against their Doctrine If a Bolt-head with a long Stem be made use of to try the Torrecellian Experiment with the space deserted by the Mercury in the Cavity of the Bolt-head and from whence the Mercury drove the Air continues void the Pendulous Cylinder remaining at 30 Inches without offering to ascend to prevent a Vacuum Nor will the Quick-silver rise ¼ of an Inch higher upon the application of cold Bodies outwardly tho' in a common Thermometer the same degree of Cold would make Water ascend several Inches To this I shall add another Argument taken from the consideration of sealed Weather-glasses see Plate 1. Fig. 3. in which it is observed See Plate 1. Fig. 3. That the Air instead of contracting upon an increase of Cold expands it self If it be said That the Water contracting the Air follows it to prevent a Vacuum it may be demanded Why since Nature causes the one to contract in common Glasses and the other in sealed ones to avoid a Vacuum she does not rather make the Air retain its natural extension than suffer it to be condensed and then put her self to double trouble in compelling the Water to ascend contrary to its nature But not to insist on these Arguments I shall rather urge that what is offered by them will not solve the Difficulty for whether the Water or Air be expanded into a large space since Glass is impervious to Air and Water I see not how a Vacuum interspersum and coacervatum can be avoided For if upon the expansion no other Body is added and penetrates the Glass to fill the space deserted by some Parts of the expanded Body there must remain Vacuities betwixt them Because it is impossible the same quantity of Matter should compleatly and adequately fill a greater space by being expanded the Parts of the Body being only able inadequately to fill it by receding from each other But were it allowed that upon the expansion of one of these Bodies and the condensation of the other a third Substance harboured in the space deserted by the one it may be questioned how such Matter should make its way out again Mr. Hobbes his Doctrine examined The second Opinion I shall take notice of is that of Mr. Hobbes which is to me partly precarious partly insufficient and scarce intelligible for tho' when he asserts That the coldness of Liquors depends on their being pressed with a constant Wind besides that he asserts it without Proof it will appear from an Experiment shortly to be alledged That Liquors sealed up in Glasses and suspended in Liquors not subject to freeze may be refrigerated tho' it appears not how they can be raked on by the Wind as his Hypothesis requires Secondly I see no necessity that the Cold should press upon the superficies of the Water in the Shank since by Cold it will be raised in a Weather-glassess kept in a still Place and void of any sensible Wind. Besides he ought to shew Why Air insensibly moved deserves to be styled Wind and how it is possible such a Wind should raise Water so many Inches by pressing upon it Nay further Water poured into a Bolt-head till it reaches into the Stem will subside when refrigerated and not rise And if the Ball of a Weather-glass be encompassed with a mixture of Ice or Snow and Salt the Water will readily ascend which how it will be explained by Mr. Hobbes's Hypothesis I do not see Thirdly Mr. Hobbes allowing not of a Vacuum I wonder he should tell us That by a bare Pressure the Water finding no other Place to recede into is forced to rise into the shank of the Weather-glass For since according to him the shank of the Weather-glass must be full before I see not how it should be able to receive the ascending Water except to use Mr. Hobbes's own words it can be fuller than full Besides it may be further alledged against Mr Hobbes his Doctrine that it gives us no account of the condensation of the Air by Cold in Weather-glasses in which the Water descends with Cold and rises with Heat Fourthly whereas Mr. Hobbes in explaining the depression of Water in Weather-glasses attributes it solely to it 's own Gravity it will easily appear that we must likewise have recourse to the spring of the included Air For if a Thermometer be placed in the Sun when the Water in the shank is but a little above the Surface of the Water without the Tube the rarified Air will depress the Surface of the Water in the Pipe below the other and sometimes so far that some of the rarified Air making it's way out of the Pipe as soon as the remaining Air is refrigerated again the Water will be able to rise up higher into the Tube than it did before A Modern Opinion examined The third and last Opinion I shall consider is one held by some modern Naturalists which ascribes the Ascent of the Water to the Pressure of the Air gravitating upon the Surface of that Water without the Pipe but supposes that the Air contained in it is contracted by Cold alone As for the first Part of this Hypothesis I readily Assent to it and the Author 's proposed but am apt to believe that the contraction of the included Air depends on the same Cause and that the spring of it being weakened by Cold it is condensed by the same Pressure of the Atmosphere the weight of the External Air over-powering the weakened Spring of the Internal In favour of this Opinion I shall add the following Experiments See Plate 1. Fig. 5. and First having filled a Vial capable of holding five or six Ounces half full See Plate 1. Fig. 5. and having inverted a Glass Tube into it about 10 Inches long much bigger than a Swan's Quill it being first sealed at one end and filled with Water the Orifice of the Vial was closed with Cement so that the External and Internal Air had no communication with each other It was placed in a Mixture of Snow and Salt till the Water in the Bottom of the Vial began to freeze yet notwithstanding so great a degree of refrigeration the Water in the Tube did not at all descend so that either the Air was not condensed by Cold or the Water descended not to prevent a Vacuum The Glass being left in this Posture in our absence the sealed end of the Pipe flew off being beaten out by the Intumescence of the freezing Water Having fixed another Pipe as the former which was some Inches longer and drawn very slender at the sealed end that it might easily be broken this was set to freeze as the other yet the Water descended not but as soon as the top of the Glass-Tube was broke off the external Air pressing upon the Water and by the intercourse of that upon the Air the Water in the Tube subsided 8 or 10 Inches but rose
Spirit of Wine and immersed the Ball and part of the Stem in a Vessel of Water which was half buried in Snow and Salt and when the Water began to freeze at the bottom and about the sides the Liquor was Subsided to 5 2 ◠Divisions each Division being half an Inch and then the Weather-glass being taken out of the Water and applied to the Snow and Salt it Subsided to 1 ½ Division To this we shall add another which shews That the Water tho' froze was warmer than the Spirit of Wine when the Mixture of Snow and Salt was applied to it Jan. 15 the Weather-glass being kept in the Water till it began to freeze descended to 5 ½ but being removed into the Snow and Salt it Subsided first briskly and then more gradually till it sunk to the Bottom of the Stem but being removed into the Water again it ascended to the same height the Water had before depressed it to For a further Tryal how much Liquors may be condensed by Cold we took Oyl of Turpentine rectified in a gentle Heat and having weighed a Glass-ball with a long Stem it being one Ounce one Dram five Grains and a half we poured on it so much of the Turpentine as increased the weight to two Ounces seven Drams and thirty four Grains and a half which reaching a little way into the Stem we marked the Superficies with a Diamond after which we poured a Dram more in and successively more still marking how high each Parcel which was weighed exactly rought in the Stem till the Additional weight increased the former to three Ounces one Dram four Grains and a half and then taking a wide-mouth'd Glass with Water in it we immerged the Weather-glass in the Water as before the Vessel in which it was contain'd being first encompass'd with Snow and Salt When the Water began to freeze we mark'd the Stem of the Glass which contain'd the Oyl at the place to which it subsided and then conveying it into a Mixture of Snow and Salt when it had subsided as low as it could we mark'd the Superficies and then remov'd it into the Air till it rose to it's first station and then we pour'd so much of the Oyl out into another Glass carefully poised in a pair of Scales that the Superficies of the Oyl remain'd at the Mark which it subsided to in the Water and we found that the Oyl poured off weigh'd about 10 Grains And so much more being pour'd off as made it stand at the Mark to which the Snow and Salt depress'd it it weigh'd about as much as the former so that the Oyl was Artificially condensed so far That it subsided as much after it had been condensed by Cold strong enough to freeze Water as it was caused to fall by the force of that And by dividing the whole Proportion of Oyl by the number of Grains whose Bulk it seem'd to lose by subsiding in Water we found that it was condensed by the first degree of Cold to a 94th Part of it's Bulk and by dividing it by the Additional number of the Grains more we found that the Snow and Salt had condensed it a 47th Part of it's Bulk Having circumscrib'd Water moderately Cold with a Mixture of Snow and Salt what it shrunk was if not insensible inconsiderable To measure the differing weight and Density of the same Proportion of Water in the Heat of Summer and when extremely Cold we weighed a Glass-Bubble in it which was Heavier than Water moderately cool and by the Diminution of it's weight in that Medium we found according to the Rules of Hydrostaticks the weight of a Portion of Water of equal Bulk And then weighing it in Water cool'd by a Mixture of Snow and Salt we were inform'd by a new Decrement of it's weight of the weight of an equal Bulk of that Cold Water by which we were enabl'd to make an Estimate of the Gravity and Density acquired by the Action of Gold and by weighing the same Bubble in the same Water in hot Weather we Learnt further how much more dense and heavy Water moderately Cold and extremely Cold is than warm Water It would be of use to try such Experiments as these in Italy where they have the Conveniency of keeping Snow and of freezing warm Water speedily A Glass-Bubble which in the Air weighed 150 Grains being weighed in Water on a Day not frosty it weighed 29 ◠8 and being weighed in Water which was a little froze in a Mixture of Snow and Ice it was not above ⅛ Part of a Grain lighter than before so that the Water by Condensation lost not above a 230th Part of it's former Bulk How far it may be of use at Sea to make such Experiments as these and whether they may thereby learn to know by finding the Density of the Water in several Places what Loads to carry in their ships and what the Water will be able to bear I shall leave others to Judge But if such Experiments be try'd in several Parts our Seal'd Weather-glasses or that which contains the Pendulous drop of Water may be of use since they not being subject to be varied by the Alterations in the Atmosphere's Gravity and since they may be conveniently carried from one Country to another the different degrees of Cold in various Regions may be better Estimated a Register being kept of the degrees the Liquor or Pendulous drop stood at such times as the Tryals were made and where and when exposed to such a degree as was able to freeze To conclude this Title I shall add that in making these Experiments with the Thermometer in which the Pendulous Water is contain'd the Stem may for conveniency be held either Horizontal upwards or Perpendicular TITLE V. Experiments concerning the Tendency of Cold upwards or downwards What way or in what Line Cold acts most vigorously THAT Heat generally acts most powererfully on Bodies above it and that it's Tendency is upwards is self-evident But to discover in what Line Cold acts most vigorously and furthest we made the following Experiments A Glass-Bubble with Water in it having a flat Bottom was suspended within less than half an Inch over a Mixture of Ice and Salt but froze not A Bottle which contain'd a Mixture of Snow and Salt being held under Water it was cased with Ice especially about the Bottom so that the Action of Cold seems chiefly to tend downwards But I rely less upon this Experiment because it is observ'd That when a frigorifick Mixture is exposed in a Vial the Ice on the outside is always opposite to the Mixture not reaching higher or lower than that Mixture above half the Breadth of a Barly-corn and as the Mixture dissolves and that which swims upon the dissolv'd Part grows less and less so Proportionably the circle of Ice grows narrower on the outside till the Mixture is wholly dissolv'd and then the Ice vanishes And from an experiment shortly to be
the Water would subside in a stream through the Spirit In warm Water the Ice would swim but in Oyl of Turpentine and the rectify'd Spirit of Wine it would sink like a Stone 3. A piece of Ice which was clear from Bubbles for as much as we could discern and very transparent would not sink in Water but another piece which in a Microscope appear'd to be full of Bubbles was nevertheless transparent and would float on Water 4. That the levity and expansion of Ice depends on the number of Bubbles dispersed through it is unquestionable but how it comes by those Bubbles is a matter that deserves our Inquiry And tho' Mr Hobbes attributes it to the Intrusion of some external airy Parts yet we observ'd That Water defended from the Intrusion of external Air was not without Bubbles when froze in a Glass hermetically sealed but being expanded the numerous Bubbles dispersed through it gave it a whitish Opacity and the same Phaenomena were afforded by Ice froze in Metalline Vessels 5. And that the Ice froze in the hermetically sealed Glass received not its Bubbles from the Air shut up with it is reasonable to believe First Since the Water must be expanded before it could divide that Air into Bubbles Secondly That the Air in the sealed Glass cannot be dispersed through the Ice and thereby cause it to expand appears since oftentimes it is so far compress'd by the swelling Ice that it breaks the Glass which it would not do could it be mixed with the Ice and dispersed through the freezing Water But Thirdly Were the expansion of Ice to be attributed to the insinuation of airy Parts it may be question'd How when Liquors begin to freeze at the bottom first the Air which is so many times lighter than Water can dive into the bottom of it and that too without being seen Fourthly If the Bubbles contained in Ice were deriv'd from the external Air depress'd through freezing Water Ice thaw'd would yield Air enough to fill as much space as the frozen Water possess'd more than the thaw'd Water 6. That the Bubbles contain'd in frozen Water are not adequately fill'd with Air tho' sometimes the Air that they contain be afforded by those airy Parts dispers'd through the Pores of Water and that they are often generated numerously notwithstanding a recess of the greatest part of that Air will appear from the following Experiments I. Water freed from Bubbles in Vacuo Boyliano and afterwards convey'd into a frigorifick Mixture expanded not so much as common Water nor was the Ice near so full of Bubbles II. Water which had been freed from Bubbles in our Prismatical Engine being froze contain'd few Bubbles but being thaw'd and then pour'd into a Glass-Cylinder it was powerfully expanded so far as to burst the Glass III. A Glass-egg with a narrow Stem being filled so far with Water that the surface of it rose an Inch within the Stem it was convey'd into a Receiver and whilst the Air was exhausting Bubbles rose so plentifully that the Liquor seem'd to boyl Which when it was in a great measure cleared of we placed it in a mixture of Snow and Salt and observ'd that the expanded Liquor being froze had risen a great way above its first height When it was placed in the open Air of such a temper as made it thaw leisurely we observ'd That the exterior part of the Ice was full of Bubbles But when that was dissolv'd the Ice in the middle was of an unusual Texture being void of Bubbles and not unlike a frosted piece of Glass whose aspereties were very thick set When the Ice was almost thaw'd we convey'd the Bubble into the Receiver but tho' the Air was exhausted we perceiv'd not that the Ice was sooner melted but the Water afforded a few Bubbles and in a little time some few appear'd in the Ice When the Ice was wholly thaw'd we took the Glass-Bubble out of the Receiver and found That the Water had subsided to its first Mark if not a little below it so that the Water when expanded rising three Inches in the Stem and the weight of the whole Water being but two ounces and a half the Ice seem'd to take up about a twelfth Part more than the unfroze Water 7. A Cylinder of Water being immers'd in a Mixture of Ice and Salt and that convey'd into a Receiver we found That when the Air was exhausted and the Water in a great measure freed from Bubbles the surface of it was considerably rais'd the Water in the bottom being turn'd into Ice as far as the Mixture wrought in which we perceiv'd besides a few large Bubbles small ones enough to render it opacous 8. To shew that the Bubbles perceivable in Ice are not filled with true and springy Air I shall subjoyn the following Experiment We plac'd a Glass-egg which was about as large again as an ordinary Egg in a mixture of Ice and Salt the Cavity of it being fiill'd with Water which rising up into the Neck stood about an Inch above the superficies of the frigorifick Mixture which circumscribed it the Diameter of the Stem being large enough to receive the end of my Finger The Particulars afforded by this Experiment were I. The Water did not sensibly subside before it began to freeze II. Some part of it began to swell in a quarter of an Hour III. In an Hour the Liquor rose 4 2 9 Inches and continu'd to rise till it was above five Inches ½ when we took it out IV. The frigorifick Mixture being below the surface of the Water it froze at the bottom first leaving the top of the Water uncongeal'd V. No Bubbles appear'd in the Water tho' the Ice was full of them some being as large as small Pease VI. We pour'd as much Sallet-oyl upon the Water as wrought two Inches in the Stem and then hermetically sealing the end of it up the Water subsided a little but was presently rais'd again to its former height in the Mixture about an Inch and a half of the Stem remaining above the Oyl filled with Air. VII The Glass-egg being weighed first in Air was left in the Water poised with its opposite weight VIII Upon the thawing of the Ice several Bubbles rose which vanish'd at the top IX The Water being thaw'd the Aequilibrium continu'd the same and subsided to its first Mark and no lower tho' it had parted with so many Bubbles X. The Glass being inverted the seal'd end was broke off under Water upon which some of it being forced up into the Pipe press'd the contain'd Air into less room than before XI The Water and the Oyl possess'd the same Places that they did before XII The Oyl being thrown out and so much Water put into the Stem as rais'd the surface as high as it was rais'd by Glaciation the Glass weighed 4374 Grains When fill'd to the lowest Mark it weighed 4152 and when empty 1032 so that the Water contain'd betwixt the two
burning-Glass to concentre the Rays of the Moon I could neither perceive them cold or hot tho' Sanctorius tells us That they are hot and that being concentred and cast upon the Ball of a common Weather-glass the Water was sensibly depressed but since my Glass for as much as I can gather from the Narrative was better than his I must suspend my Assent 'till further satisfied by Experience for since he tells us that several of his Scholars stood by to watch the Event the Effect might in a great measure depend on the Warmth of their Breath One Particular referrable to the XXI Title The Samojedes cloath themselves with Renes Skins the Hair being outward and I have found a Pair of Cangies warmer than furred Gloves They are chiefly made use of for the Sledge tho' one may walk in the Snow with them it being so dry that a Scarlet being covered all over with it it will brush off without wetting or endammaging it To the XI Title The force of Expansion by Cold. 1. The Barrel of a Gun which was about a Foot long and of a proportionable Diameter had the Touch-hole riveted up and a Screw fitted to the Nose of the Barrel which being done it was filled full of Water and suspended in a Perpendicular Line The Screw having been thrust down as forcibly as a Man could in a frosty Night the congealed Ice raised the Screw considerably so that Ice had made it's way out at the sides of the Barrel But the Experiment being repeated and the Intervals of the Screw filled up with melted Bees-wax the expanded Ice not being able to raise it the Nose of the Barrel was cracked obliquely besides several other Flaws in other Places which gave way to the Wind blown into the Barrel to try it An Appendix to the XVII Title Of the Effects of Nitre in freezing Bartholinus citeing an Experiment wherein the Proportion betwixt Nitre and Water was 35 to 100 to try the success of it we mixed a Pound of Salt-Petre with 3 Pounds of Water and stirring it about constantly as Cabaeus directs in an Hour and half we perceived not the least Ice whereas according to him it ought to have been wholly froze in less time but we could not perceive the Vapours on the outside of the Glass in the least froze For a further Tryal we mixed two Ounces of Salt-Petre with six of Water in a Glass-Vial but by all the shaking we could not produce the least Ice tho' whilst the Nitre was dissolving the Mixture was sensibly colder and the same we have observ'd to happen upon a Dissolution of Common Salt tho' the Degree of Cold was not sufficient for Congelation which I was satisfyed in by removing a Thermoscope out of the Mixture of Nitre and Water into Water which was placed in Snow and Salt For by that means the Liquor in the Weather-Glass subsided in the latter about 3 Inches so that I am apt to think the Learned Cabaeus mistook Chrystals of Nitre for Ice It is believed by most Water-men That the Water begins to freeze at the bottom because they observe large Pieces of Ice rise from the bottom of the Water But the Truth of it is very reasonably question'd since we not only see that Water in Vessels but in Wells begins to freeze at the Top and several Arguments in proof of the contrary may be found in our Section of the Primum frigidum And as for those Pieces of Ice which they observe to emerge that Phaenomenon may easily be solved without supposing the Water to begin to freez at the Bottom For since the Water which runs along the sides of the Banks being froze several Stones may stick to it they by their Weight may cause it to subside when it is partly loosned by the Heat of the Sun and the Water by that Rarifaction becomes lighter Yet when the Water above is cooled and the Water below being warmer hath melted the Ice in some measure and loosned some of those Stones which were before froze to it the Ice becoming specifically lighter than the Water must consequently emerge On which occasion I shall here observe that Capt. James Hall takes notice That they found a Stone of three hundred weight upon a Piece of Ice In confirmation of our Solution of this Phaenomenon I might alledge the Experiments laid down in the Section of the Duration of Ice And it were to be wished that for a further Decision of this matter that either Divers were sent down or Instruments which would bring up Ice if any were there We took a seal'd Weather-Glass and having inverted the Stem of it when furnished with Spirit of Wine so that that being placed in a Hole purposely made in a Box the Ball of the Weather-Glass rested on the Box about that we placed a Mixture of Snow and Salt and found that presently the Spirit of Wine was retracted So that Liquors may be condensed without the assistance of their Gravity to depress and cause the Parts of the Body to sink together But whether in this case the Contraction was assisted by the Tenacity of the Liquor or the Springiness of some Elastick Particles will be inquired into in a more proper Place Frogs and Toads being taken up from under Ice were brisk and lively and it is observ'd that in frosty Weather they generally lye in the Bottom of Pits for their Security Paralipomena to the II and XX Titles of the frost getting into hard and solid Bodies Of the Effects of Frost on solid Bodies In England it hath been observ'd That Wood whose Diameter was a Foot through hath been froze and in Poland the Frost hath been so powerful that it hath rendred the Timber so hard that Hatchets would not cut it and the Wood with which the Houses were cover'd would give Cracks as loud as Pistols And I am told by one that his Bow being froze if he did not take a great deal of Care in thawing it it would break Marle and Chalk will be shattered with the Frost the Texture of those Bodies being by that means opened and rendered more fit to nourish Plants and Grass And I am told by an Experienced Mason that even free stone of which Houses are built will crack and flaw in frosty Weather And it is observed in England That stones dugg up in the beginning of Summer and seasoned in the Air are not near so subject to flaw as those that are dug up and worked whilst the Frost continues And it is further observed That both Earthen as well as Glass-Vessels are considerably impaired by the Effects of Frost upon them To which instances I shall add the Testimony of Maistre Bernard Palissy who says That tho' the stones of the Mountain Ardenne are harder than Marble yet for fear of Frost they are drawn out of the Quarries in the Winter And he further adds That in the Winter the Rocks sometimes crack and fall down without being cut
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
those Vapours which Swim in our Atmosphere A Transparent Liquor may yield a Liquor Diaphanous and another Opacous Having said thus much of Fluidity it may not be amiss to subjoyn one Experiment which shews how a transparent Liquor may be divided into two the one Diaphanous and the other Opacous Pour into a warm Solution of an Ounce of Quicksilver with a double Quantity of Aqua Fortis about half an Ounce or an Ounce of Filings of Lead being cautious that it be not put in so fast as to make the Liquor Boyl over the Event of which will be that the Lead will be immediately precipitated in the Form of a white Powder the Mercury running together again into a Fluid Body immersed in the Aqua Fortis And here it is to be noted that if the success of this Experiment be frustrated the Mercury may by degrees be again recovered if the white Precipitate be diligently ground for some time with Water Motion in the Parts of some Consistent Bodies But to put a Conclusion to this Chapter it is highly probable that not only Fluid but some consistent Bodies have their Parts in a certain degree of Motion whence as we may conjecture proceeds that Dust which is the Effect of Putrefaction in some sorts of Wood And it is not absurd to imagine that from hence Worms in Fruit as well as Magots in Cheese derive their Original And that there is Motion amongst the Parts of some consistent Bodies is further made probable both by that Turpentine which I have observed to Sweat out of Deal Boards and the growth and increase of the Bones and other consistent Parts of Bodies but more particularly in those of colder Animal Substances as Oyster-Shells Crabs-Claws and such like consistent Substances Having said thus much concerning Fluidity it might not be improper to take notice how by the Mixture of Liquids their Fluidity is sometimes promoted and also sometimes destroyed But since we shall have occasion sometime or other in the following Chapter to make such Observations I shall to close this Chapter add an Experiment which may intimate that the event of Mixtures is not always certain The Experiment is the following We Evaporated a Solution of Copper in Spirit of Nitre from whence we obtained a Vitriol of a lovely Colour We likewise dissolved one Part of good Tin in a double Quantity of Spirit of Nitre and tho' Salt-Petre as well as Tin be both Fusible yet this Metalline Mixture would neither melt on quick Coals nor in a red hot Crucible Whereas the Vitriol of Copper would melt with the heat of ones Hand though the Metalline Ingredients be much more hard to be brought to Fusion than Lead or even Silver it self and we have sometimes obtained such a Vitriol as might be preserved in a Fluid Form by the Languid heat of the Sun in Winter either with Spirit of Nitre or a certain Aqua Fortis From whence it appears that the Textures of Compositions are to be considered as well as the Particular Consistence of the Ingredients CHAP. XII Experiments concerning the Superficial Figures of Fluids Especially of Liquors Contiguous to other Liquors COnsidering that the greatest Part of the Universe is made of Fluid Bodies especially if according to the Cartesian Hypothesis the Sun and fixt Stars consist of Fluids it may not be amiss to illustrate what we have only hinted at in the foregoing Chapter For the following Experiments made about the superficial Figures of Fluid Bodies may not a little contribute to illustrate as well what hath been before delivered as what hath been said concerning the Pores of Fluid Bodies besides they may be of no small use in accounting for several Phaenomena belonging to the Grand System of the World EXPERIMENT I. and II. The Figure of the Surface of a Nitrous Liquor To try whether the concave Surface of Fluids contained in a Pipe was wholly to be attributed to the Pressure of the Contiguous Air I poured Dephlegmed Spirit of Wine upon a strong Alkalizate Menstrum which was made of fixed Nitre run per deliquium in a moist Celler and contained in a Cylinder of Glass of about a quarter of an Inch Diameter I found that the Menstrum changed it's concave for a horizontal Superficies and the like succeeded in a Glass of a much greater Diameter And that Superficial Cavity was likewise almost destroyed by pouring on Oyl of Turpentine instead of Spirit of Wine EXPERIMENT III. Of Water If instead of the former Liquor common Water was put into the Glass Cylinder it retained it's former Surface tho' Oyl of Turpentine Swam upon it instead of Spirit of Wine EXPERIMENT IV. To try what Surface would be made by an Oyl heavier than Water Of Oyl of Turpentine by being contiguous to it I put pure Oyl of Turpentine into a Glass Cylinder and found that the Concave Superficies which it had whilst the Air was Contiguous became Convex and protuberant upon an Affusion of Water EXPERIMENT V. The Superficies of a Solution of Tartar c. Again having put Salt of Tartar deliquated into a Glass Cylinder and poured Oyl of Guajacum upon it we found that the Concave Superficies was not altred as it was by Oyl of Turpentine And having gently poured Water upon these two the Oyl of Guajacum Swam betwixt the Water and the Oyl of Tartar having a Convex Superficies at each end that next the Oyl of Tartar being most protuberant EXPERIMENT VI. Of Oyl of Cloves Having likewise put Oyl of Cloves into a Glass Cylinder by pouring Water upon it it 's Concave Superficies presently became Convex and this Oyl being too heavy to Swim upon Water we poured some of it upon Deliquated Salt of Tartar pouring upon it likewise a little common Water which being done we found the Oyl Protuberant at both Ends but more at that which was Contiguous to the Water EXPERIMENT VII Again having put a considerable Quantity of Quicksilver into a Pipe of the same Diameter Of Quicksilver but much longer than the former we found that the Superficies of it which was otherwise considerably Protuberant was in some measure Depress'd when Water instead of Air was Contiguous to it EXPERIMENT VIII Of the same Upon tryal whether a greater or less Quantity of Water would alter the Surface of the Mercury I found that the greater the Quantity of Water was the more it was depressed tho' it did not always succeed But when the Cylinder being of a considerable length was filled with Water the Mercury Contiguous to the Glass was depressed to a Level having in the Center of its Superficies a Protuberance Semicircular and raised above the other level Surface half it's Diameter which Protuberance gradually subsided as the Mercury was drawn off EXPERIMENT IX The Surface of Liquors in Vacuo Boyliano Having conveighed two of the afore-mentioned Cylinders one containing Water and the other Mercury into our Pneumatical Receiver
that the compact Texture of Glass may depend on a like Juxta-position of Parts since the Particles of Fire in the making of it may so divide the Parts of the Ingredients as to render them subtile enough for so strict and close a Union as is requisite to exclude Air from betwixt them for it is not only obvious That Air cannot penetrate the Pores of it when heated in Distillation but in blowing of Glasses where it hath not the least Vent through the Pores of it tho' impell'd with Force yet its Pores are fine enough to give way to the Beams of Light and Heat and likewise to the fine Effluvia of a Loadstone without damaging the Texture of it in the least nor would it be more absurd to conceive that the Parts of Salt-petre or Ice were after the like manner joyn'd together by a Juxta-position But to return to the Place from whence we have made this short Digression tho' from hence it appears that the Spring of the Air may contribute to the Cohesion of the Parts of Solids yet it is not altogether necessary since the same may be accounted for by the Air consider'd barely as a Weight for the Air being a fluid Body and pressing by its Gravity towards the Centre it must needs diffuse it self every way when resisted by the Surface of the Earth and consequently expand it self orbicularly by which means the whole Pillar of Air incumbent on it being virtually incumbent on the lower Superficies of the Glass whatever separates one from the other must out-balance that Pressure of the Air otherwise there being no Air betwixt the two Glasses they must needs stick together but it is not necessary that the contiguous Superficies of these two Glasses should be equal to the Horizon since if they be perpendicular the Sides of the Glasses have a collateral Pressure from the Pillars of Air pressing against them and consequently the Difficulty must be as great to separate them But to try more exactly How much the Pressure of the Air is concern'd in the former Experiments we took two polish'd Marbles as smooth as we could get and fastned Wires to the uppermost so that the lowest could not slide off the other Horizontally but if any way must fall Perpendicularly which Caution being observ'd we found the one would not only draw up the other but a Pair of Scales fixed to it with 16 Ounces of Troy Weight and to make the Experiment more compleat we found That when the Surfaces of the Stones were wet with pure Spirit of Wine the Air being by that Means kept from insinuating it self betwixt the Stones the uppermost would not only draw up the other with a pair of Scales but an hundred and sometimes a hundred and thirty Ounces of Troy Weight tho' the Diameter of the Stones exceeded not an Inch and two Thirds But having repeated the Experiment with Oyl of sweet Almonds instead of Spirit of Wine we found that it took up above four hundred Ounces Troy Weight And that it may not be suspected That this Difference proceeds from the more clammy Parts of the Oyl which caus'd the Stones to adhere more closely I shall add That the contiguous Surfaces being held perpendicular tho' they would easily slide off each other when moisten'd with Oyl yet would they not slip down when moistned with Spirit of Wine without an additional Weight joyn'd to one of them the Protuberances of one perhaps being fastned in the Pores of the other But to shew That the Adhesion of these polish'd Marbles is proportionably greater as the Diameter of them is larger and consequently as they are press'd together by a larger Pillar of Air I repeated the same Experiment with Spirit of Wine and took up about four hundred and seventy Ounces but when I made use of Oyl of Almonds the Weight rais'd was much more considerable being a Thousand three hundred and forty four Ounces of Troy Weight besides at the same time the Marbles were observ'd to stick close together And here again lest it should be suspected that the Oyl made the Adhesion more close I shall relate this Observation viz. That tho' it requir'd so great a Weight to separate these Stones when their contiguous Surfaces were in an Horizontal Line yet would they easily slide one upon another not unlike the contiguous Glasses before mention'd and for the same Reasons and if they were the least inclin'd either this way or that their own Weight was sufficient to separate them From whence it appears how much the Air may be concern'd in compressing the Particles of solid Bodies together And lest it should be further objected That the Cohesion of these Stones rather proceeds from Nature's Abhorrency of a Vacuum than the Cause assign'd by us I shall add these Considerations First That if it were so the same Reason would hold when a much more considerable Weight is fastned to the lower Marble yet we see that then notwithstanding Nature's Abhorrency of a Vacuum they presently part Secondly That the Pressure of the Air is sufficient to account for it Which to make it more plausible I shall add that tho' the Stone were fastned to the Ground yet it would require as much Force to separate the Uppermost from it in a Perpendicular Line as to lift up a weight aequiponderant with the Stone and the Pillar of Air incumbent on it since there is neither Air nor any other Body betwixt the two Stones to help to raise the Lower up and in part to sustain the weight of the incumbent Atmosphaere and therefore it needs not seem strange that when the lower Marble and the weight affixed to it is not sufficient to ballance the weight of the Atmosphaere it should rise along with the Uppermost when drawn up rather than be separated from it since it is usual for two Bodies when joyned together to move the same way if they be not separated by Weights or some other Force which is observable in trying of Load-stones for if the Load-stone be able to raise a Body more ponderous than it self the Knife will as soon raise the Load-stone as the Load-stone will lift up the Knife To Illustrate what hath been said I shall add an Experiment registred amongst my Adversaria which is this viz. Having immerged a Glass Syphon with a Brass Valve cemented on one end almost half a Yard in a tall Cucurbite till it touched the Bottom I filled it with Water till the Superficies of the Water in it was equal to that in the Cucurbite which being done I took a pair of Scales putting an Ounce weight into one Scale and fixing a String to the other one end of the String being likewise fastned to the Valve fixed to the bottom of the Glass Tube where it was to be observed that by that single Ounce I was able to open the Valve whereas when the Water was poured out of the Pipe and it was immersed again the Valve would not be open'd
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
Qualities and stupendious Multitudes of adventitious Corpuscles which are mix'd with it Agitation requisite to preserve Sea Water from stinking But to proceed amongst the various Observations to be made about Sea-Water it is worth our Notice That if it be kept from Agitation it will in a short time stink which I have not only observ'd by keeping some of it in a Runlet for some time but also I am inform'd by one who in a Voyage was for some days becalmed that the Sea for want of Agitation stunk so much in twelve or fourteen days that the Smell was almost intolerable which continued till the Winds put the Water into Agitation Which agrees with what Sir John Hawkins hath observ'd who relates the following Story Were it not for the Moving of the Sea by the Force of Winds Tides and Currents it would corrupt all the World The Experience of which I saw Anno 1590 lying with a Fleet about the Islands of Azores almost Six Months the greatest Part of the time we were becalmed with which all the Sea became so replenished with several sorts of Gellies and Forms of Serpents Adders and Snakes as seem'd Wonderful some green some black some yellow some white some of divers Colours and many of them had Life and some there were a Yard and a half and some two Yards long which had I not seen I could hardly have believ'd and hereof are Witnesses all the Company of the Ships which were then present so that hardly a Man could draw a Bucket of Water clear of some Corruption In which Voyage toward the End thereof many of every Ship fell sick of this Disease and dy'd apace but that the speedy Passage into our own Country was a Remedy to the Crazed and a Preservative for those that were not touched The Saltness of the Sea differs As for the different Degrees of the Saltness of the Sea I shall deliver what I have been inform'd of as briefly as I can And First It hath been observ'd by one to whom I gave a Glass conveniently shaped to try the specifick Gravity of the Water that it grew heavier and heavier as he came nearer the Line till within about thirty Degrees Latitude from whence to Jamaica he observ'd no Alteration in the specifick Gravity in the least And in Confirmation of this I am likewise inform'd by one who for his own Satisfaction weigh'd the Water both under the Aequinoctial and at Cape of good Hope and found that the Weight of both was the same To which may be added that it is commonly observ'd at Mosambique one of the hottest Places in the World that the Sea is so salt there that it bears up the Ships a considerable Height out of the Water more than in other Places and that the Water may be much salter in one Place than another by having more Salt dissolved in it does not only appear from what hath been said but also from what is frequently observ'd in the different Strength of Brine-Pits But to pass from what I have learnt by Information to what I have observ'd my self concerning the Proportion of Salt to the Water it was dissolv'd in which I have observ'd in Sea-Water betwixt England and France The Proportion of Salt in Sea-Water The first Experiment I made to discover the Quantity of Salt was this that having in a Viol weigh'd an equal Proportion of Sea-Water taken up at the Surface of the Sea with common Water the Weight of the former exceeded the latter of forty fifth Part but these Liquors being more Hydrostatically try'd by weighing Sulphur in them that which in the Sea-Water weigh'd ℥ ss + 10 ½ gr in Sea-Water fetch'd from the bottom ballanced the same Weight but being weigh'd in common Water it weigh'd ℥ ss + 15 ½ gr so that the Sea-Water was a Fifty third Part heavier than the fresh the Difference in which way of trying it from what was observ'd in the former Tryal I could attribute to nothing but some grosser Saline Parts mix'd with the common Water or some evaporated Parts of the Sea-Water Another way we made use of to try the different specifick Gravity of these Liquors was by Distillation ad Siccitatem in a digestive Furnace in which a Pound Averdupoise Weight yeilded ℥ ss 10 gr of Salt so that the Proportion of the Salt to the Water was as 30 and 12 100 to one being near the Thirtieth Part. But suspecting that the Quantity of this Salt was much increas'd by imbibing Moisture from the Air I caus'd it to be dry'd in a Crucible and found it weigh'd ʒiij + ss which is about a Thirty sixth Part. How so much a greater Quantity of Salt should be obtain'd by Distillation is difficult to conjecture yet I am apt to think that it might proceed from some Parts of the Water detain'd from flying away by being enclos'd amongst the cubical Salts and this I am apter to believe First Because I have elsewhere prepar'd a Salt which would coagulate and embody it self with Water and Secondly Because I am told That a Sort of Salt is brought from the Coast of Spain which being here purify'd and dissolv'd will yield a double Quantity The Sea-Water salter sometimes than at others Whether the Sea-Water may at some times be more impregnated with Saline Parts than at others I conceive probable if we consider the Supplies that it receives both from the Earth which are carry'd to it along with Springs and also the sudden Additions it may receive from Subterraneal Exhalations but these Observations being very nice it most commonly requires other Measures than what Hydrostaticks afford for it may be observ'd That several volatile Salts which are of no considerable Weight above common Water may be mix'd with it without being perceiv'd so that one may easily be deceiv'd in judging of the Saltness of the Sea altogether by Hydrostaticks because that which violently affects the Taste may have but a small Influence in the Balance To confirm which I shall add That a Bubble of Glass having Metal in it weigh'd ʒiij ✚ 51 ¼ gr in Spirit of Sal Armoniack and but ʒiij ✚ 45 ¾ in common Water But further I weigh'd in the same Liquor an equal Proportion of Sea-Salt brought from the torrid Zone and Sal Armoniack and found that the Bulk of the former was to an equal Proportion of that Liquor as two and a quarter to one whereas the Sal Armoniack was not above a hundredth Part above one and 7 10 to one which is the more strange because Part of the Composition of Sal Armoniack is Sea-Salt But that I might be satisfi'd what was the greatest Degree of Saltness that Water would be impregnated with I shook a Lump of Salt in Water till it would dissolve no more and found that a Brine might be made so strong that the Salt would be dissolv'd in five times its weight of Water To conclude this Discourse I shall add one
thing which hath not been taken notice of by Hydrostaticians which is the weight of the Sea-Salt to its Bulk of Water which I have found to be almost as two to one and I likewise found that a piece of Sal Gemm which is more pure and weighty than Sea-Salt was to its Bulk of Water about as 2 2 8 to 1. CHAP. VIII Memoirs for the Natural History of Mineral Waters THE Use of Mineral Waters are so Universal and the Methods which some Physicians take to try them so slight that tho' I am satisfied it is difficult without Experience to Ascribe Virtues to them à priori by Reason of the Great Variety of Minerals which may impregnate them with Particles of various and very different Natures I cannot but think but that if we were furnish'd with a sufficient Number of Quaeres and several Methods in order to a Discovery of them more nice Tryals might much Contribute to the clearing up of a Natural History of Mineral Waters since by a competent number of Experiments it might be hoped that the Nature of those Metalline Salts with which Mineral Waters are Impregnated might be discovered Wherefore I have lay'd down such sorts of Experiments that might be most easily try'd viz. chiefly Chimical Ones which may be made at home without the Inconveniencies of attending those Mineral Fountains from whence they spring And because my Design is rather to improve Physick by the following Observations than to entertain Speculative Naturalists I have chiefly made it my Business in the following Papers to consider those Waters call'd Acidulae rather than the other term'd Thermae because the former are of more general Use The danger of an ill use of Mineral Waters But perhaps some may think that the Quares hereafter propounded may be too troublesome and more than requisite since the Use of Mineneral Waters are thought so innocent as to be of no ill Consequence if Unsuccesful To which it may be answer'd that tho' when skilfully given they do a great deal of good yet they are as prejudicial if unskilfully prescrib'd and therefore since there cannot be too much Caution we cannot be too inquisitive to inform our selves of their Virtues for there may be a great many hidden Qualities in them and they may be impregnated with several Metalline Properties which may not be discover'd to the Eye or by common Tryals Besides were such Experiments industriously prosecuted they might help to discover several other Qualities in Mineral Waters which are as yet unknown for from the following Experiments it is evident that the Earth which abounds with Minerals of a Martial Nature may be more apt to impregnate subterraneal Waters than we can otherwise imagine for upon pouring of a Tincture of Galls filtrated through Cap-paper upon filings of Steel The Effects of filings of Steel in a Tincture of Galls the Liquor in half an hour became Opacous and almost as black as Ink The like Phaenomena to which were exhibited by Steel in an Infusion of Brasil or Log-wood made in common Water To which we may add that several Waters have been discover'd under ground of very different Tastes some of which have been found to be corrosive and others as harmless being endow'd with several Medicinal and Useful Qualities and I am inform'd more particularly of one which is a Mine of Coral in Devonshire about 360 foot deep in which was found a Water very thick and red yet cool and Diuretick and not in the least nauseous to the Taste CHAP. IX Titles propos'd for the Natural History of Mineral VVaters consider'd whilst in their proper Channel Quaeries in order to a discovery of the Virtues of Mineral Waters IN order to a natural History of Mineral Waters they ought to be consider's in three different Capacities First as they are found in their natural Receptacles Secondly when drawn up for use and thirdly with Respect to their Effects on Human Bodies To the first of which Heads the following Quaeres may be refer'd 1. Within the Precinct of what Climate or Parallel and in what degree of Latitude the Mineral Waters are to be found 2. To what point these Waters lie open most in their Receptacles 3. Whether the Ground in which they are found be a Plain or how much it differs from a Plain 4. If the Ground be upon an Ascent how far they are from the botttom of that Ascent 5. Whether a Recrementitious Substance adheres to Stones long contiguous to these Waters 6. Whether subterraneal Fires be near such Waters and what Phaenomena such exhibit 7. Whether Brimstone or Sal-Armoniack c. be found about the Vents of such subterraneal Fires 8. Whether instead of subterraneal Fires there are other adjacent Aestuaries and whether such be constant or intermitting and if so whether periodical or irregular 9. Whether Mineral Fumes of particular colours or smells arise from such Aestuaries 10. Of what Temper the neighbouring as well as the Soil they pass through is of 11. Whether and of what Nature those Minerals are of which they pass through 12. Whether the Mineral Waters be originally fresh and derive their Virtues from the Soil they afterwards pass through 13. Whether if it acquir'd its Virtues so there were upon the Impregnation any Effervescence or whether any such Effect succeeded its Mixture with another Liquor 14. Whether there be a Spring of a contrary Nature near it viz. as to Heat and Cold as it is observ'd in France 15. Whether an oyly or bituminous inflammable Substance float in it 16. Whether the Seasons of the Year or Temperature of the Weather alters them and what Qualities they lose or acquire by such For after Rain I have observ'd such Waters incapable of turning a Tincture of Galls black But as to its Medicinal Virtues I have found that Rain after long Droughts hath rather increas'd than diminish'd their Strength by dissolving and diluting those Salts which were fix'd in the Earth for want of a Vehicle but if the Waters be weak and the Rain much those Salts being the more diluted render the Waters less Effectual 17. Whether the Qualities of the Waters may be Chymically and Mechanically discover'd as also of what Colour and Weight and with what Menstruums their Salts may be mix'd and likewise what Substances they will yield when expos'd to different Degrees of Fire and what other Chimical Tryals those as well as the Caput Mortuum may undergo CHAP. X. Containing Titles for the Natural History of Mineral Waters when drawn out of their Receptacles A Continuation of Qeaeries 1. WHether the Mineral Water propos'd be actually Hot or Cold From whence we may judge from what Depth those Waters rose and whether they were impregnated with a Salt-Peter or Sal-Armoniack in their Ascent And the several Degrees of Heat or Cold may be either try'd by immerging a Thermoscope or by trying whether they will Coagulate Oyl of Aniseeds or melt Butter 2. Of the specifick Gravity which being
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
Receiver upon the Exsuction of the Air we observ'd that the Air which was contain'd in the Cavity of the Viol was so far expanded that tho' the Viol was able to contain above five Drachms of Water if filled and distended the empty Bladder which was large enough to hold five Ounces and half a Drachm In which Experiment the expanded Air possessed nine times as much space as it did before Expansion But to measure the Air 's Expansion more nicely we fix'd a Glass Bubble to one end of a Cylindrical Pipe hermetically sealed the Diameter of whose Bore was about a quarter of an Inch and having pasted a Piece of Parchment upon the outside of the Tube which was divided into twenty six equal Parts and mark'd with black Lines we fill'd the Cylinder almost full of Water so that after a few Tryals by inverting the Cylinder and stopping the open End with one's Finger we could perceive that as much Air might be permitted to rise up to the Bubble as was equal in Extension to the Breadth of one of those twenty six Divisions When this was done we fitted the open end of the Cylinder to a Glass Viol which was fill'd with Water to the Height of half an Inch all which being put together into a Pneumatical Receiver after a few Exsuctions the included Air was so much expanded as to extend it self to the Surface of the Water in which Experiment the expanded Air took up thirty one times as much Space as before And this Experiment being repeated in a Cylinder which afforded a larger space for the Air 's Expansion it took up above sixty times the space it did before And repeating the like Experiment with a Glass Pipe thirty Inches long part of it having a Hole in the Cover to stand out through by weighing the Water in a nice Pair of Scales together with the Pipe first with the Bubble of Air included and after when the Tube was wholly filled with Water we found That the Air which possessed but the Space of one Grain of Water had been expanded in the exhausted Receiver so much by its own 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as to take up 152 times its Space before Extension And since Marcennus affirms That the Air may be so expanded by Heat as to take up seventy times its Space I conveyed a Cylinder of the former Magnitude into the Receiver and found That upon the Exsuction of the Air in the Receiver that in the Cylinder descended down almost to the bottom of it the lower Surface of it being very convex and seeming several times to knock upon and rebound from the bottom of the Viol which was an Argument of the expansive Force of the Air since the Water it depressed upon the drawing out of the Air was much below the Surface of the Water contain'd in the Viol. EXPERIMENT VII What Figure best resists the Pressure of the AIR HAVING got a thin Glass Bubble which was large enough to hold about five Ounces of Water to which was fix'd a slender Neck about the Bigness of a Swan's Quill we moderately exhausted the Air out of the Receiver and then taking it out of the Pump we joyn'd the Neck of the Bubble to the lower Orifice of the Receiver stopping the Crannies with melted Plaster to prevent the Ingress of the Air and tho' the Glass was as thin as Paper yet upon turning the Key of the Stop-Cock and giving the Air included in the Bubble Liberty to expand the Bubble sustained the Pressure of the whole Atmosphere without being broke EXPERIMENT VIII The former Experiment illustrated WE took a Glass Alembick which was large enough to hold about Three Pints represented by the Seventh Figure The Rostrum E being hermetically closed In the Top of the Rostrum was a Hole into which one of the shanks of a Stop-Cock of an ordinary size was cemented the other being fixed with Cement in the upper Part of the Pump which being done and the upper Orifice of the Alembick being covered close with a Plate of Lead exactly adapted to it upon drawing the Air out of the Receiver the Glass presently cracked which Crack is represented by the Line a b and this Flaw extended it self further accordingly as the Air was more exhausted yet this Glass Vessel was near twenty times thicker than the Bubble And that the Figure of the former Glass enabled it so much better to sustain the Atmosphere was further confirmed by suspending one of the Bubbles hermetically sealed in the Receiver which so strongly resisted the Expansion of the Air contained in it as to continue whole when the Receiver was exhausted EXPERIMENT IX A Confirmation of the former Experiment An Experiment to shew that these Phaenomena exhibited in Vacuo Boyliano proceed not from a fuga Vacui c. A Confirmation of the former Experiment c. HAving put the end of a slender Glass Pipe into a Viol which was large enough to contain four Ounces of Water and fixed it to the Neck of the Viol with a Cement of Rosin and Pitch so that the end of the Pipe almost touched the bottom of the Viol as in Fig. 6 this Viol was conveighed into a small Receiver as much Water being put into it as wrought a little above the bottom of the Cylinder the upper End of the Pipe being most of it without the Vessel a Hole having been purposely made for it in the Top of the Receiver The Event of which Tryal was that upon drawing the Air out of the Pump the Weight of the Atmosphere internally pressing into the Pipe and the Spring of the Air within the Receiver not equally pressing against the sides of the Bottle which were exposed to it a Piece of the Bottle burst out of the side of it with such a Force as to crack the Receiver in several Places and having reiterated the Experiment with a round Glass Bubble the Leaden Cover of the Receiver was not only depressed by the Weight of the Atmosphere so as to thrust out one side of the Receiver but the Glass Bubble was cracked into Pieces with such violence as to tear a Bladder which it was encompassed with to keep it from breaking the Receiver in several Places Before I proceed to the next Experiment it may be requisite to advertise That though the larger Receivers are apt upon some Tryals to crack yet they are not rendered altogether useless since when the Air begins to be exhausted the ambient Atmosphere compresses the Lips of the Glass closer together But if the Crack be considerable it may be cemented with a Plaster made of Quick-lime and Scrapings of Cheese ground together very finely in a Mortar and made into a Paste with a little Water which being spread upon a Cloath about three Inches broad must be apply'd to the Crack EXPERIMENT X. Of the Flame of a Candle in a Receiver HAVING suspended a Tallow Candle in our Receiver we found That upon an Exsuction of
of pumping which ascended very swiftly and immediately disappear'd at the Top first lifting up the Surface of that spirituous Liquor so as to form a thin Film And it was further observable That the Motion of these Bubbles in their Ascent was in a strait Line whereas those of the Water and Wine made a Line which on each side appear'd like the Teeth of a Saw And lastly in this Spirit we took Notice That the order which these Bubbles ascended in was in Lines parallel and of an Equal Distance from each other the Bubbles likewise following each other in such an order as to form a sort of Bracelet one end of which seem'd to rise from a certain Point at the Bottom of the Glass When Air return'd into the Receiver the Bubbles on the Spirit of Wine gradually subsided yet neither that nor the Mixture of Water and Spirit were depress'd below the Mark But the Spirit of Wine continu'd expanded near half an Inch which I found to succeed upon several Tryals EXPERIMENT XXV Concerning the Air 's Gravity and Expansion under Water HAving fill'd a Wide-mouth'd Jar with about half a Pint of Common Water we sunk two Glass-Viols whose Shape and Size is represented by the Eighth Figure one of which contain'd just so much of a Ponderous Mercurial Mixture as was requisite to sink it when cover'd with white Wax the other being weigh'd down by Water and the Mouths being downwards the Quantity of Water contain'd in the former filling three Parts of four of the Glass the Air contain'd in the latter being equal in Dimensions to a Pea. These being let down into the Receiver upon plying the Pump at the last so many Bubbles rose up to that which swam upon the Water as were able by expanding themselves to cause some of the Water to fly out and make the Viol emerge to the Top of the Water contain'd in the Jar where at every Exsuction it continu'd to expand till it was able to raise up the side of the Viol and in part to evacuate it self upon which it presently swam upon the Water as before and eight times after discharg'd a Bubble of Air about the Size of a Pea but when we permitted the Air to enter in again it presently subsided to the Bottom As for the other it continu'd at the Bottom all the while But some time after the Pump being ply'd it rais'd it self considerably but about sixty Parcels of Air as big as Peas finding vent and getting out it presently subsided tho' upon a further Expansion of the Air it rose again and subsided which successive Ascent and descent it continu'd Nine times after after the Pump ceas'd working but when the Air was again let in it was presently fix'd at the Bottom From which Experiment that Hydrostatical Rule That a Body will swim in the Water if it be lighter than its equal Proportion in Bulk will appear to be likewise true when the Weight of the Atmosphere is taken off EXPERIMENT XXVI Concerning the Vibrations of a Pendulum IT being usually taught That the Motion of a Pendulum is something quicker accordingly as the Medium it moves in is thinner we suspended one which weigh'd about twenty Drachms in our Receiver fixing it to the Cover by a piece of Silk and having fix'd another of an equal weight without the Receiver we gave them both an equal Motion and observ'd that whilst the Latter made twenty Vibrations the Former counted twenty but the Pendulum being afterwards put into Motion in the exhausted Receiver and likewise in the same Receiver before it was exhausted continu'd it's Vibrations to an equal space of Time in both so that from what we could observe the Difference of the Vibrations in Air and that more rarify'd Medium viz. the exhausted Receiver was scarce sensible EXPERIMENT XXVII Concerning the Propagation of Sounds IT hath been the receiv'd Opinion of the Schools That the Air is the Medium through which Sounds are conveigh'd But the Industrious Kircher having observ'd that if a Bell be fix'd in the upper end of a Tube and upon making the Experiment de Vacuo be left there a Load-stone apply'd to the side of the Tube will attract the Steel-clapper which upon a Removal of that Load-stone will fall upon the other side of the Bell and cause an Audible Sound He thence infers That the Medium through which Sounds are conveigh'd must be much more subtle than the Air. But to evince the contrary we suspended a Watch in our Receiver by a Packthred and observ'd That the Sound was not only audible at the sides of the Receiver but that that which was likewise perceiv'd by the Ear held near the Cover was different from that which we heard at the sides of the Receiver but the Air being drawn out we could not perceive the least Sound tho' the Motion of the Minutes assur'd us that the Pendulum continu'd it's Motion yet upon admitting of Air again into the Receiver the Sound was again renew'd which Experiment seems to evince that the Air is the Chief Medium through which Sounds are conveigh'd Yet it is not a little strange that so slight a Stroke as that of the Pendulum should give such an Impulse to the Ambient Air as to inable it to communicate a Motion to the sides of the Receiver strong enough to put the External Air into an Undulating Motion But having supported a Bell in the Middle of our Receiver by a large Stick which reach'd from one side to the other the Diameter of the Bell being about two Inches we observ'd that tho' the Sound in the Receiver was not equally as sharp as in the open Air yet there was no considerable Variation when the Air was drawn out which evinces that a subtler Medium than the Air is not altogether incapable of propagating Sounds no more than Air however in the foregoing Experiment try'd with a Bell suspended in a Glass-Tube it may not without Reason be suspected that the Cavity of the Tube was not wholly void of Air since Experience informs us that it is impossible to fill the Glass-Cylinder so as to keep the Upper Part of the Tube void of Air since the Aery Parts lodg'd in the Pores of the Mercury fly up into it And further on this Occasion to shew how far the Air is the Principal Medium of Sounds we might alledge that it was observable in a former Experiment that tho' upon the striking of Fire with the Lock of a Pistol in our Receiver the Sound is audible yet it is much more dead than when made in the open Air And the like Variation is observable in all other Sounds made in our Receiver EXPERIMENT XXVIII The Eruption of Bubbles from Water upon the removal of the Air. FOR a further Confirmation of what hath been deliver'd in the XXth Experiment viz. That the Air included in our Receiver makes as strong a Pressure upon Bodies encompass'd by it as if they were
be observ'd That tho' the Receiver was but moderately exhausted and tho' it leak'd considerably yet the Weight supported by the Pressure of the Atmosphere amounted to ten Pound Nor indeed is it strange that it's Pressure should be so considerable if we do but think how large the Cylinder of Air that recoiling from the Ground presses against it is being extended to the utmost Superficies of the Atmosphere EXPERIMENT XXXIII Concerning the Pressure of the Air against the lower superficies of the Sucker what Weight will draw it down and how much it is able to raise A Discourse concerning the Nature of Suction c. The weight of the Atmosphere consider'd TO compute more exactly the Weight of the Incumbent Atmosphere we impell'd the Cylinder to the Top of the Pump taking off the Receiver and fixing just such a Weight to one of the Teeth of the Sucker as was able to bring it down to the Bottom of the Cylinder which being done and the Sucker impell'd up again to the Top of the Cylinder the upper Orifice of it was exactly stopp'd and a pair of Scales being fix'd to the Iron-Sucker by casting in so many Weights as were able to draw down the Sucker we were truly inform'd of the Weight of a Pillar of the Atmosphere of an equal Diameter with the Bore of the Cylinder By which Method we found that the Sucker which requir'd 28 Pound of Lead to draw it down was not drawn down with less than the Addition of an hundred Pound when the upper Orifice of the Cylinder was stopp'd tho' upon turning of the Key of the Stop-cock and letting in Air it would readily fall without that Weight which was an Argument that the Descent was hinder'd by the Pressure of the Air which buoy'd up against the lower Part of the Sucker What weight the Atmosphere is able to raise suspended at the Sucker This Experiment being try'd and the Sucker being forcibly drawn down to the Bottom of the Cylinder whose Diameter was about three Inches the Pressure of the Atmosphere was so considerable as to be able to raise above a hundred Pound weight besides the weight of the Sucker which was not a little admir'd by the Standers-by because they saw no Force used to lift it up And tho' by such Tryals we may not be able to discover exactly the weight of the Atmosphere yet as a Famous Poet says Est quoddam prodire tenus si non datur ultra But were this Experiment Try'd at several Seasons in the Year and in several Climes as well as in Cylinders of a different Diameter it might render our Guesses more certain as to the Height and Gravity of the Atmosphere and whether it varies considerably at such distant times For the Place where the Foregoing Experiment was try'd was about 51 Degrees Latitude being try'd in the Winter and about the Change of the Moon But not to spend so much time as would be taken up with all the Reflections that might be made on the Foregoing Experiment I shall consider some few Inferences which may be drawn from them And First From the Rising of the Sucker and the Weights fix'd to it we may call in Question what some teach concerning Suction viz. That there is a sort of Endeavour to draw the Body suck'd in the Parts of that Body which is said to suck for tho' when we suck a thing with our Mouths there is a Manifest Endeavour of our Mouth to draw the Body suck'd yet the Cavity of the Cylinder is not so dispos'd by any Endeavour in the Glass-Tube Nor can the Ascent of the Sucker be attributed to any sucking Force of every Part included in the upper Part of the Cylinder since it appears not how such Aery Particles should be hook'd in the Pores of the Sucker or how they should be able to raise such a Weight Nay that those Particles of Air do not draw it up is further evident since by admitting more Air in that supposititious sucking Quality is diminish'd and not increas'd And for the same Reason it is evident that it cannot proceed from a fuga Vacui for there is the same Reason for an Endeavour to prevent a Vacuum tho' a little more Air be let in as there was before since there still remains a Vacuity Nor can the weaken'd Attraction upon letting in of Air be attributed to the Resistance of the Vacuity but rather the Spring of the included Air since when in the former Experiment it was plain that the rising of the Sucker and Weights was not obstructed by the Cavity of the Cylinder when void of Air. Considerations concerning a Vacuum But to proceed From hence further we may be directed what to think of Nature's Abhorrency of a Vacuum which hath been so long held as an Axiom in the Schools For besides that the Insensible Parts of Matter can neither have Sense to perceive any ill consequences in the Universe which would ensue a Vacuum nor be able to know how as Intelligent Parts of Matter to prevent it for if they did Nature may be said in a great many Cases to act very irrationally to effect her Designs since in the XXXII d Experiment instead of rushing into the Receiver she less cautiously rais'd up the Valve and kept her self out But I say besides the Insensibility of Matter it may farther be urg'd against that Axiom that the Endeavour which those Bodies may seem to have rather is to fill than to prevent a Vacuum since upon the drawing down of that Valve the Air which rush'd in could not prevent what was already in Being Besides in our XIXth Experiment it might be demanded Why the Water which descended into the Tube upon the Exsuction of the Air did not rather keep it's place to prevent a Vacuum or why for the same Reason it did not ascend before the Re-ingress of the Air. Moreover the Air may rather be said to rush in again as being impell'd by the Spring of the Neighbouring Air than a Design to fill the Vacuities since from our XVIIth Experiment it appears That when the Receiver was suppos'd to be full we could by the help of the Sucker find the Spring of Subsequent Air impell'd by it still force more into it and even in Wind-Guns it is manifest that the Air compress'd as much as it is in our Receiver may be squeez'd into half the Room And from the foremention'd Experiments it may further be deduc'd That the Reason why Metaphorically speaking Bodies may seem to forget their own Natures to shun a Vacuum seems to consist in this viz. that the Weight of the incumbent Water or the Pressure of the subjacent Air were not strong enough to press down or buoy up one another for from our Nineteenth Experiment it appear'd that when the Pressure of the Air was taken away the Weight of the Water it self was sufficient to make it subside tho it left no Air behind it But further from this
last mention'd Experiment it appears that it is possible Even by Weights to measure how far Nature is dispos'd to prevent or fill Vacuities since a small difference in Weight determin'd by depressing or permitting the Sucker to rise how far Nature's Abhorrency of a Vacuum depended on the Causes we have so often mention'd But here it may be requisite to advertise that by Vacuities I do not mean Spaces altogether void of Matter but void of such as may be perceiv'd so that I take the Word Vacuum in the Common not the strict and Philosophical Sense of the Word But lastly from this XXXIII Experiment it appears that the Weight of the Atmosphere we live in is stronger than what Men usually think it is And probably near the Northern Pole it is much stronger Since if what Varenius observes the Air is so condens'd in Nova Zembla as to hinder the Motion of a Pendulum except moved by a heavier Weight than what is usually made use of in our Climate EXPERIMENT XXXIV Attempts to weigh light Bodies in our Receiver TO try whether the Aequilibrium of two Bodies of an equal Weight in the Air but of unequal Dimensions would be lost in our Receiver as it usually is in Water by Reason of a greater Quantity of Water buoying up against that whose Dimensions are most extensive I took a Bladder half full of Air and ty'd it to one end of our Balance which turns with the 32 part of a Grain which being counterpois'd with a Weight in the other Scale we let it down into the Receiver and having clos'd it up upon an Exsuction of the Air we found the Bladder to dilate and manifestly to preponderate but upon admitting the Air into the Receiver again the Bladder was over-pois'd by the Weight but leaving them in the Receiver all night the Bladder imbib'd so much of the External Moisture as to weigh that end of the Balance down a good way yet the Bladder being dry'd a little they were both brought to an Aequilibrium And the like Experiment we try'd with a piece of Cork instead of the Bladder and observ'd that the Receiver being Evacuated as well as upon a reingress of the Air the Cork manifestly preponderated EXPERIMENT XXXV Of the Cause of Filtration and the Rising of Water in the Syphons c. The Cause of Filtration TO try whether in Filtrations the rising of the Water might not proceed from the Impulse of the Air we made use of a Syphon of Glass represented by the Third Figure which is made of two strait Pieces and a crooked one which joyns the other two together the Junctures being well clos'd The longer Leg of the Syphon was pervious only at the small End so as to suffer the Water to pass through it but both the ends of the shorter Leg were equally pervious the Diameter of their Bore being ¼ of an Inch. The length of these two Pipes was about a Foot and a half that the Rarifi'd Air in the Receiver when it was pretty well exhausted might not raise the Water included in the Pipe too high The shorter Leg of the Syphon being immers'd two or three Inches in a Vessel of Water the other end was fastned to the Cover which things being done and the Receiver clos'd up we began to pump The Result of which was that the Water dropp'd out of the lower Leg of the Syphon as if it had been expos'd to the open Air till the Receiver was in some measure exhausted and then several Bubbles rising in the Water gather'd together at the Top of the short leg'd Syphon where expanding themselves they stopp'd the Course of the Water that in the longer Leg being suspended in the Tube and ceasing to drop and the Water in the shorter Leg was so far depress'd as not to be above a Foot high But as soon as the External Air was let in again it enter'd in at the small Orifice of the longer Tube and ascending through the Water contain'd in the Pipe joyn'd with the former which was lodg'd in the upper Part of the short leg'd Tube But to prevent what Inconveniences ensu'd the rising of these Bubbles the two foremention'd Tubes were placed so as to meet in the middle of a Glass Viol the Neck of the Viol being clos'd up with Cement and the Tubes being thus fix'd and they as well as the Viol fill'd with Water the Syphon represented by the Fifth Figure was plac'd in the Receiver with its shorter Leg in a Vessel of Water upon which the Pump being ply'd the longer Syphon continu'd to drop much longer than before but at the last the Bubbles which rose in the Pipes were so dilated in the Viol as to press down into the Ends of the Tube and interrupt our Experiment tho' what we observ'd gave us Reason to believe that the Air contributed to the Motion of the Water through the Syphons And here I shall subjoyn that I once had a very slender Pipe which when held upon the Surface of the Water in a Perpendicular Posture the Incumbent Atmosphere press'd so much more on the Surface of the External Water than that contain'd in the Tube that the Water was rais'd in the Tube and this Pipe being bent into a Syphon and plac'd with the shorter Leg in Water as Syphons usually are the Water of its own accord rose up in the shorter Leg and ran down the other and this Syphon being plac'd in our Receiver to try what Alteration of the Phaenomenon would appear there we could not discern any sensible one But tho' in this Tube just now mention'd the Water rises of its own accord yet if such a Tube be thrust a little way into the Mercury instead of rising the Mercury in the Tube will be below that which is without it EXPERIMENT XXXVI The Weight of Air in the Exhausted Receiver The subtle penetrating Power of some Spirits above that of the Air. The Cause why Air will not enter the Pores of some Bodies which Water will The Weight of the Air examin'd by an Aeolipile The Proportion betwixt the Gravity of Air and Water Betwixt Water and Quicksilver Conjectures concerning the Weight of the Atmosphere The Weight of the Air. NOtwithstanding the several Methods propropos'd by Galileo and others to try the Weight of the Air being willing to be further satisfi'd we caus'd an Oval Glass with a small Tube at one End to be blown at the flame of a Lamp And this Glass Bubble being of the size of a Hen's Egg was fix'd to one End of a Balance being counterpois'd by a Weight at the other End which being suspended in our Receiver and the Pump set on work the Bubble after three Exsuctions continu'd to preponderate more and more till the Air was let in again and then the Balance was reduced to its former Aequilibrium But having repeated the Experiment with an additional Weight of three Quarters of a Grain in the Scale opposite to the
that upon the first Exsuction the Mercury was brought within an Inch of the Bottom and continu'd several successive Vibrations before it setled at 10 Inches high Secondly If instead of drawing any out Air be forced into the Receiver it will raise the Mercury higher than it 's former Station Thirdly The Receiver was so far exhausted as to make the Mercury subside to a Level EXPERIMENT XXII In Tubes open at both Ends when Nature's Abhorrency of a Vacuum cannot be pretended the Weight of Water will impell Quicksilver no higher in slender than in larger Pipes The suspension of Quicksilver equal in small and wide Pipes TO prove that the Weight of the Atmosphere may buoy up Mercury equall in large as in smaller Tubes I shall add the following Tryals The I. TRYAL Having put as much Mercury into a Glass Tube about two Foot and a half long as reach'd 3 or 4 Fingers the one End being sealed Hermetically we hung two Tubes by Strings to the Top of the former so that the lower Ends of them were immers'd in the Mercury which being done we pour'd Water upon the Mercury and observ'd the Mercury to be equally rais'd in the great Pipe as in the little one and the Water being suck'd out it proportionably subsided in each The II. TRIAL Having pour'd a Convenient Quantity of Quicksilver into a Tube of Glass near a Foot long and filled two Pipes of Mercury of an unequal Bore the one End of each being Hermetically seal'd we immers'd them in the large Tube contriving to open the lower Orifice when below the Stagnant Mercury and I observ'd that they not only both of them subsided to an equal Station but Water being pour'd upon the Stagnant Mercury the Weight of it buoy'd them up both alike in the Tube and the Water being successively suck'd out and put in again the the Mercury in the Tube proportionably fell and rose equally in both no difference proceeding from the Wideness of their Diameters in the Height of the Mercurial Cylinders EXPERIMENT XXIII At what Height Mercury Amalgamated with Tin as well as pure Mercury will be suspended HAVING fill'd a Glass Tube with Mercury Amalgamated with Tin and inverted it it did not fall below 31 Inches In trying this Experiment the following Particulars are to be noted First That if the Amalgama be too thick it will be apt to stick to the Tube and will likewise hinder several Aerial Corpuscles from flying away Secondly From hence it may be observ'd that as the Aequilibrium of Mercury and the Atmosphere varies so does it's Ascent in such Tubes Thirdly It would not be amiss here to consider whether these two Metals penetrate each others Dimensions as I have observ'd Copper and Tin to do and by forming a new Metalline Substance to render the Composition heavier than the Weight of the two single Ingredients EXPERIMENT XXIV A Method of making Barometers which may be carried to distant Countries TO make a Portable Barometer we took a Cylinder about 4 or 5 Foot long and having bent one End at the Flame of a Lamp so as to make the shorter Leg about a fourth Part as long as the other sealing up the End of the longer Leg we injected Mercury into the shorter Leg by a Tunnel till it was rais'd about 3 Inches in both Legs which being done and the Orifice of the shorter Leg being stopp'd with the Finger we inclin'd the longer Leg and so by successively filling the short Leg and inclining it so as to make it run into the longer we fill'd the longer Leg quite full of Mercury and by inclining it several times afterward and permitting the Bubble of Air which usually lies at the Top of the seal'd Head to run through the Mercurial Cylinder backwards and forwards we freed it from those Bubbles which are usually in it's Pores But besides this way of filling the Pipe we have with less Trouble done it by making use of a Tunnel which when the Pipe is a little inclin'd reaching a little above the Flexure of the Syphon will fill the Tube without much trouble And the Pipe thus fill'd with Mercury may by often erecting of it and shaking the Pipe so erected be freed from those Aery Particles which commonly lodge in the Pores of the Mercury See the whole Barometer Plat. 7. Fig. ig 2. The Barometer being thus order'd we contriv'd a Frame to carry it in which was made of a Piece of Wood in which a Gutter was cut for the Pipe to lie in the lower End of the Frame being likewise so contriv'd as to contain the short Leg of this Tube The Pipe being lodg'd in this Gutter we fix'd a Cover to one side of the Frame with little Highes the other when occasion requir'd being fastned with Hasps And because the Motion the Mercury would be put into would be apt to break the Pipe were there too much Liberty given it to move in or were there any Interstices betwixt the Pipe and the Gutter it is lodg'd in we took Care to lay Cotton both betwixt the Pipe and the Concave of the Frame and betwixt the Cover and it and that the empty Space which is usually above the Surface of the Mercury in Barometers might not be prejudicial we took Care to invert the Tube and to fill the remaining Space unpossess'd with Mercury either with an Addition of Mercury or with Water sealing up the Orifice of the shorter Tube Hermetically till it came to be us'd again and then the Superflous Mercury may be taken away by immersing a small Pipe in it which if the upper Orifice be stopp'd with ones Finger will take away so much as the Cavity of the immers'd Tube had receiv'd into it But if Water be made use of instead of Mercury it may be lick'd up with a Spunge And if by shaking of this Barometer in long Journeys any Particles should get out of the short Leg into the larger by successively inverting the Tube and permitting the Bubble of Air to pass backwards and forwards the Mercury in the long Tube may easily be freed from Bubbles Of what Use this Barometer may be in discovering the Weight of the Atmosphere in long Journeys both at Sea and at Land I shall leave to others to consider only I shall annex this Advertisement that sometime after I made this Barometer having carri'd it about 33 Miles I observ'd that it did not rise by ¼ of an Inch as high as it did before but whether it might be imputed to the narrowness of the Pipe or any other Accident I cannot yet determine EXPERIMENT XXV What Height the Mercury in Barometers will be suspended at at the Top of Hills Some Observations of the Height of Mountains especially the Pic of Teneriff HAVING observ'd the Height at which Mercury was suspended at the Bottom of a Hill and compar'd it with a Barometer made the ordinary ways it was observ'd that the Height it was suspended at at the Top
of the Hill was ¼ part of an Inch below the Mark it reach'd at the Latter and as the Barometer was brought lower the Mercury in the Pipe rose higher and higher But if such Observations could be made at the Top and Bottom of the Mountain Teneriff the Experiment would afford further Proof of our Hypothesis concerning the Air 's Spring and Weight An Appendix about the Height of Mountains The Height of Mountains NOtwithstanding some Ingenious Men have taught that the Height of the Atmosphere is of stupendious and others confine it to narrower Dimensions yet I shall add some Observations which may confirm what we have taught concerning it and tho' as Ricciolus takes notice the Jesuit Rector Melensius says that of all the Clouds whose Height he measur'd they did not exceed 5000 Paces yet if we allow Meteors and Comets to arise from Terrene Exhalations and that the Height of Clouds varies according to the different Degrees of the Air 's Rarefaction it will follow that the Height of most of them exceeds what Carden and Kepler allow But to proceed to what I have to relate concerning the Height of Mountains I shall relate what I have learn'd by Information And first the Ingenious Mr. Sydenham told me that the Mountain Teneriff is so high that the Top of it may be seen 60 Leagues off and that he himself had discover'd it at 40 Leagues distance like a blew Pyramid above the Clouds and he likewise told me that the Island of Madera might be seen from it tho' 70 Leagues distant and that the Great Canary seem'd so near it that one would think it possible to leap down upon it And indeed Ricâ—iolus observes that it might be seen 4 Degrees distance and Snellius also allows the Height of it to be Ten Miles tho' I believe that the way he takes to calculate the Height of it may be none of the truest he likewise by Refraction judging the Mountain Caucasus to be 51 Bolonian Miles high which is not believ'd probable since the Mountain Teneriff hath been observ'd by one who took it's Height in a Ship at Sea not to be above 7 Miles high in a Perpendicular Line yet it is esteem'd the highest Mountain in the World tho' if what Aristotle and others report of Mount Caucasus be true there may be others much higher than those For tho' if measur'd from the Foot or Level of that piece of Ground which they stand on they may be lower yet considering that the Ground they stand on may be much more protuberant from the Level Superficies of the whole Globe they may be much higher upon that Account EXPERIMENT XXVI The Pressure of the Atmosphere may be able to keep up the Mercury in the Torrecellian Experiment tho' the Air presses upon it at a very small Orifice IT being observ'd by several Learned Men That Mercury is suspended at an equal height in a close Room as in the open Atmosphere to prove that the Air having a Communication with the External even at small Crannies may have an equal Force as if the Mercurial Cylinder was immediately subject to the whole Atmosphere I shall add That if the Tube just before mention'd for a Portable Barometer be so drawn out at the Flame of a Lamp that the Orifice is but about a tenth Part as big as before the Mercury will be suspended at the usual Height and the like will succeed if instead of drawing the End of the Pipe out so a Cork be put into the End of the Tube leaving but a small part of the Orifice open to the Outward Air. EXPERIMENT XXVII An Oblique Pressure of the Atmosphere may be sufficient to keep up the Mercury at the usual Height in the Torrecellain Experiment and the Spring of a small quantity of Air may do the same IF the the Shorter Leg of a Syphon See Plate the 7th Fig. the 3d. being bent as represented by Fig. 3d. Plate the VIIth the Mercury be suspended at it's usual Height it appears that the Pressure of the Atmosphere hath as strong Effects if the End of the Tube through which it is convey'd only admits of the Pressure of the Air which it receives downwards But if instead of being so bent See Plate the 7th Fig. the 4th the End of the Shorter Leg be Hermetically seal'd as represented Fig. IV. Plate the VII the Mercury is sustain'd at it's usual Height it will appear that the Spring of a small quantity of Air is able to bear up a Cylinder of Mercury N. B. If the Tube thus Hermetically seal'd be shaken the Mercury will form some Vibrations upon the Included Air the Spring of it being compressed and expanded again successively for a while But the former of these Tryals may be made in a Pipe conveniently shapen before the Longer Leg is fill'd with Mercury and the latter by stopping the Orifice with a Cork and Close Cement which may be pierc'd with a Wire when this is us'd as a Baroscope which way may be taken with a Travelling Baroscope EXPERIMENT XXVIII A Baroscope of use but at some times TO shew that the Suspension of Mercury in a Glass Tube less than 30 Inches long does not proceed from a Fuga Vacui I caus'd one to be Hermetically seal'd at one End the Length of it being about two Foot and a half and fill'd it with Mercury a small quantity of Water being left upon it and when the Atmosphere was much lighter I found that the Mercury subsided and that there appear'd a small Bubble of Air in the Water which being no bigger than a Pin's Head was so far compress'd before as not to appear EXPERIMENT XXIX The Ascension of Liquors in very slender Pipes in an Exhausted Receiver HAving tinged Spirit of Wine with Cocheneel which bubbled in the Exhausted Receiver for some time several slender Pipes being put into it it rose highest in those whose Bore was narrowest but when the Air was let in again the Liquor in both subsided to a Level But two Pipes of different Bores being let down into that Liquor a second time tho' it answer'd the former Tryals in the Ascent yet the Surface in the slenderer Pipe remain'd something above the other when the Air was let in again But what was more Remarkable was that tho' the Liquor in the Vessel in this Tryal emitted no Bubbles yet that in the Ends of the Tubes did which were suppos'd to be caus'd by the sides of the Glass they were contain'd in EXPERIMENT XXX When the Pressure of the External Air is taken off it is very easy to draw up the Sucker of a Syringe tho' the Hole at which the Water should succeed be stopp'd FOR a further Illustration of the Doctrin of the Spring and Weight of the Air we made the following Tryals The I. TRYAL We took a Syringe of Brass see Plate 8th Fig. 1st whose Barrel was about six Inches long See Plate the 8th Fig. 1st and it's
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
condensed is able to lift up more than the Air in it's Natural State 3. When the Bladder was taken out of the Cylinder the Figure of it was proportionable to the Cavity which it was contained in being 2 Inches Diameter and 2 Inches and ½ long 4. From the Experiments now mentioned it appears that the Air is able at it's first Expansion to raise a Weight proportionably larger according to the different Bores of the Cylinders made use of but when it hath been a little more Expanded the Proportion is not so exact because a small Quantity of Air being to fill up ¼ or ½ part of an Inch more the smaller Quantity of Air must be much more rarified and consequently lose of it's expansive Force But comparing the expansive Force of Air in different Bores at it's first Expansion some may think the Proportion not exact since the small Bladder being able to raise no more but 10 Pound and the Weight which the larger raises being 42 it is more than a Duplicate Proportion-of what our Hypothesis requires but if we consider that comparing the Diameter of each Cylinder the Bladder in the less proportion ably takes up more Room than in the larger it may be sufficient to account for the Difference 5. Considering that the Bladders in which Air is Included may straiten the Cavities of the Cylinders the expansive Force of the Air might be more exactly determined could Cylinders be contrived stanch enough without such helps 6. And it will not a little contribute to render the Force of the Air 's Spring difficult to be determined that the Air it self at different times varies in it's degrees of Pressure Yet from what hath been said it seems probable that were it possible to contrive an exact Cylinder very tite one of an Inch Bore would be able to raise above 10 pound Weight EXPERIMENT X. An easie way of making a small Quantity of Included Air raise 50 or 60 Pound or a greater Weight in the Exhausted Receiver TO demonstrate more obviously the Air 's Spring we took a * See Plate the second Fig. 4. Brass Cylinder whose Depth was 4 Inches and it's Diameter 4 Inches and ¾ to which we adapted a †See Plate short Plug to whose upper Basis was fixed a broad Rim for Weights to stand on more firmly which being done we pressed a Bladder into the Cylinder that it might adapt it self to the Cavity of it and then observing how much the Plug was above the surface of the Cylinder we laid the Weights upon it see Plate the 2d Figure the 5th and observed that the Air in a Cylinder about 4 Inches broad lifted up 75 pound at the 5 Exsuction so high that one might discern the Mark See Plate 2. Fig. 5. and at 2 Exsuctions more it was elevated 3 10 above the Top of the Cylinder and at the same time in a Mercurial Gage the Mercury that usually stood at ⅛ above the highest Glass Mark subsided to ⅛ below the Second When the Air was let into the Receiver again after some time the Bladder subsided again and being taken out exactly answered the Cavity of the Cylinder The Receiver being again exhausted at the 24th Exsuction the Mercury in the Gage was depressed to the lowest Mark and at the 35th to ⅛ below it And the former Experiment being tryed in a small Receiver in which we heaped flat Weights one upon another the Air raised 100 pound Weight and would probably have raised much more had it not been that the Bladder was so much strained as to give way for some Air to get out at a Leak And here it may not be improper to advertise that the Orifices of such Receivers must not be very wide for if they be they will be subject to be crack'd by the violent external Pressure of the Atmosphere EXPERIMENT XI TO Compare the Gravity of Air and Water I weighed a Glass Bubble in the Receiver which I found to weigh above half a Grain more in the exhausted Receiver than before the Air was drawn out and this Bubble being weighed in the open Air counterpoised 68 Grains and an half upon which the Bubble being immersed in Water we found that the Air in it had been so far rarified by the Heat employed in sealing it up that the Nip being broke off it sucked in 125 Grains of Water the Glass together with the Water sucked into it weighing 193 ½ Grains The whole Cavity of the Bubble being large enough to contain 739 Grains of Water it weighing 807 ½ Grains so that the Proportion betwixt the Weight of the Air and Water did not quite amount to 1228 to 1. Having weighed a Glass Bubble in the Receiver whose Weight was 60 Grains the Air contained in it in Vacuo weighed 27 92 of a Grain and the Weight of such a Quantity of Water as it would contain weighed 720 ¼ Grains In which Experiment the Proportion of Air to Water in Weight was as 857 17 27 to one But Galileo says Water is but 400 times heavier than Water tho' Ricciolus is as much mistaken on the other side who says it is 10000 times heavier To inform my self further of the Weight of the Air I took the following Measures having exhausted a Receiver and when it was void of Air counterballanced it upon turning the Stop-Cock and a Reingress of Air it weighed 36 Grains more than before which succeeded when tryed a second time and likewise a third And then the Receiver being exhausted was immersed in Water and the Stop-Cock turn'd to give way to an Ingress of Water and when as much Water as was able to enter into the Receiver had succeeded in the Place of the exhausted Air we turned the Cock again to keep that Water in and the Receiver being again weighed the Water weighed 47 Ounces 3 Drachms and 6 Grains so that the Water was heavier than its bulk of Air near 650 Grains the Mercury in a Baroscope at the same time being boyed up to 29 Inches ¾ so that the Weight and condensed state of the Atmosphere being greater then than usually was the Reason why the Disproportion was not as great as at other times tho' we may reasonably suspect that the Quantity of Air contained in the Pores of the Water joyning with that in the Receiver might hinder so much Water from getting in as was requisite to fill the Space deserted by the Exhausted Air besides several Particles of Air might probably get in at the Stop-Cock whilst the Experiment was trying which joyning with the Air remaining in the Receiver might contribute to prevent a sufficient Ingress of Water From all which Experiments it appears that tho' the Weight of the Atmosphere is so various that it is impossible to know exactly the Proportion betwixt it and Water yet it is evident that Water is to Air some Number betwixt 600 and 1100 to 1 being greater or less as the Atmosphere is more or less condensed But
wholly freed from Air there was neither any Ebullition nor an appearance of Bubbles yet the Drops of Oyl mov'd in Vacuo after the same Manner as in open Air. Hence it appears that the Motion of the Parts of Oyl depend not in a Dissolution in Vacuo since all Dissolutions are company'd with a production of Bubbles EXPERIMENT VIII May 19. 76. Radishes in a Receiver with Claret HAving cut two Radishes transversly and suspended them all Night in Vacuo over a Vessel of Claret the small End of one being downwards and the other in a contrary Posture all being freed of their Air the next Day I freed two other Radishes from their thick Skin and cutting them transversly suspended them over the Wine as the others in Vacuo upon which immersing them all in the Wine they emitted Bubbles considerably especially those that had been longest in the Receiver From this Experiment we may urge that Bubbles are form'd of Particles of Air contain'd in Water and the Reason why those Radishes yielded most Air whose Skins were not pull'd off is because those Skins are full of Canals and Pores to contain Air in for the forming of Bubbles The Liquor ascended equally in all the Radishes notwithstanding their Postures EXPERIMENT IX May. 4. A small Tube immers'd in Water A Small Glass Tube open at both Ends being immers'd in Water the Water in Vacuo ascended as high as it usually does in common Air but in a little time it was rais'd higher by Bubbles of Water which divided and intercepted the Cylinder of Water in 3 several places besides several Bubbles of Water pass'd out at that End of the Tube which was immers'd One End of this Tube being Hermetically seal'd up the Experiment succeeded after the same manner as when it was open but in the open Air the Water ascended not One thing in this Experiment was very Remarkable viz. That the Water suspended in the Tube yielded no Bubbles but only at the Bottom of the Tube nor did the Cylinder of Water even at the Bottom yield Bubbles when it was rais'd above the Surface of the Water which it was before immers'd in May. 5. The Experiment was repeated but before the End of the Tube was immers'd in Water a Drop which ran over the Superior Aperture of the Receiver fell down to the open End of the Tube and was rais'd two Lines in the Cavity of the Pipe No Bubbles were form'd in half an hour till the Tube was immers'd in Water and then successively they rose one after another In trying this Experiment several times I observ'd that tho' whilst the Tube was immers'd several Bubbles appear'd about the End of it yet when it was rais'd above the Surface of the Water none were to be seen May 6. The Experiment was try'd with an Infusion of Nephritick Wood in which the Success was alike except that in the Infusion when the Bubbles were small they ascended to the Top of the Liquor which is an Argument of it's Thinness and that it hath no Viscocity May 10. I repeated the same Experiment with a Mixture of Spirit of Wine and an Oyl made per Deliquium In which nothing was to be observ'd different from the former but that the Liquor ascended not so high From these Experiments it may probably be inferr'd That the Formation of Bubbles in the Extremity of the Tube depends on aerial Particles which swim in the Water and meeting with some Impediment at their End are kept there till new ones joyning with them form Bubbles EXPERIMENT X. July 18. 76. Beans with Water in an Iron Tube BEANS such as Horses eat being shut up with Water in an Iron Tube 2 days ago to day seem'd unalter'd but the Stopple of the Tube being pull'd back Air and Water broke out which Eruption was succeeded by a bubling Noise which continu'd above an hour July 25. The Iron Tube was open'd a second time and a bubling Noise succeeded as before Whence it appears that Beans contain Air which cannot discharge it self in a Compression till that Compression is remov'd EXPERIMENT XI March 4. 77. Spirit of Sal Armoniack and Copper A Glass half full of Spirit of Sal Armoniack being included in Vacuo with Filings of Copper in it in 15 Minutes it was tinged with a diluted Blew which upon an Ingress of Air in 3 Minutes became vivid and thick April 4. The Liquor having been enclos'd in Vacuo had almost lost it's Colour which it regain'd when the Air was let in again EXPERIMENT XII May 8. Oyl per Deliquium with Spirit of Wine OYL made per Deliquium being shut up in a Receiver with Spirit of Wine swimming upon it when the Air began to be exhausted great Bubbles rose from the Spirit and small ones from the Oyl but in an hour the Oyl afforded Bubbles large enough to fill the whole Diameter of the Pipe in their Ascent and an hour after that they broke out so violently as to strike against the Top of the Receiver May 9. The Experiment being repeated in a Vessel which was longer and narrower I observ'd that the Bubbles which rose from the Oyl were not very large till ¼ of an Inch above the Surface of it and then they were suddenly expanded EXPERIMENT XIII May 3. 76. Aq. Fort. and Spirit of Wine A Mixture of Aqua Fortis and Spirit of Wine being divided into three Parts and each of those included in a distinct Vessel with a piece of Iron one of them was included in Vacuo upon which several considerable Ebullitions succeeded The Liquor when taken out was black and Turbid tho' in the other two it was not alter'd in Colour but only a black Powder was settled in the Bottom Wherefore one of those being included in Vacuo after Ebullitions less violent than those in the Vessel first included the Liquor in a quarter of an hours time being taken out was almost as black and turbid as that first put into the Receiver That in the open Air was not much alter'd May 4. The Liquors shut up in the Receivers appear'd clear and green But that in the open Air bubbled more than the day before and was of a red Colour And all three being shut up in Vacuo the red Liquor afforded larger Bubbles Hence it appears that Spirit of Wine promotes Ebullition in Vacuo EXPERIMENT XIV Jan. 21. 78. Spirit of Sal Armoniack with Filings of Copper A Glass half full of Spir. Sal Armon with Filings of Copper stopp'd with a Leather Stopple was put into a Receiver with unfermented Paste Jan. 22. The Air yielded by the Paste penetrated the Leather which is impervious to common Air which appear'd by the Tincture it gave the Liquor Jan. 25. The Liquor had almost lost it's Colour so that the Particles of Artificial Air are so minute as to penetrate Pores which common Air cannot Feb. 2. The Glass being shut up in a Receiver which admitted Air so
Phaenomena afforded by Frogs in an exhaust-Receiver EXPERIMENT I. Sept. 9. 1662. A Large Frog being shut up in Vacuo Frogs in Vacuo was but little swell'd and mov'd her Throat almost as fast as before the Receiver was evacuated Her Body swell'd more and she continu'd alive about 2 hours In a little more than 3 hours she seem'd dead but being left all night upon the Grass she recover'd again EXPERIMENT II. A Frog being enclos'd in a Receiver almost totally exhausted about 11 a Clock at the first seem'd unalter'd but in six hours dy'd EXPERIMENT III. Sept. 6. 62. A Slender and a large Frog being both included in a Receiver whilst it was exhausting the Lesser skipp'd up and down and some time after but in a quarter of an hour seem'd dead The Larger Frog swell'd a little and continued alive half an hour but the Receiver leaking we pursu'd the Experiment no further EXPERIMENT IV. A Small Frog being included in a Receiver at the first seem'd lively but after mov'd up and down as if very uneasie yet was alive when the Receiver was wholly exhausted for the Space of an hour but at the latter end of the time she wanted Respiration and her Belly and Throat were swell'd In 3 ½ hours time the Air being let in the Abdomen and Throat subsided and instead of a Swelling there remain'd a Cavity EXPERIMENT V. A Large Frog being shut up in a plated Receiver exhausted in seven hours was dead being much swell'd but upon an Ingress of Air was lanker than ever TITLE IV. Of the Phaenomena afforded by a newly kitten'd Kitling in Vacuo A Kitling in Vacuo A Newly kitten'd Kitling being included in a Receiver when it began to be exhausted in a Minute after Convulsions lay with the Tongue out as if dead but when expos'd to the Air in a Trice recover'd Another Kitling of the same Age being included in the same Receiver after it had been by turns convulsive six Minutes upon pumping out the Air seem'd dead and when taken out of the Receiver lay with its Tongue out without either Pulse or Respiration but being pinch'd it presently gave signs of Life and in a quarter of an hour gaping and straining to fetch Breath it recover'd A third being put into the same Receiver after violent Convulsions and want of Breath in a Minute and half seem'd dead no more Air being drawn out than what was done at 3 Exsuctions The Pump being still ply'd and the Kitling seeming to swell some time after gave signs of Life being violently convuls'd After it had been inclos'd 7 Minutes we let in the Air and put Aq. Vitae into the Mouth of the Kitling yet it dy'd in our Hands These Animals continu'd perhaps 3 times as long alive in Vacuo as others would have done TITLE V. Some Tryals about the Air usually harbour'd in the Pores of VVater c. Air conceal'd in the Pores of Water TO try how much Air is contain'd in a Quantity of Water in reference to their Bulk We fill'd a Chymical Pipe 36 Inches long with Water and inverted it in a Glass Vessel about ¼ of an Inch deep and 2 Inches Diameter These being included in a Receiver the Air was pump'd out and upon a Re-admission of it the Bubble collected at the Top wanted 8 10 of about 100 part of an Inch. Soon after a Tube to be describ'd by and by was fill'd with the same Water and inverted and when the Receiver into which it was conveigh'd was so far exhausted that the Water in the Pipe sunk even with the stagnant Water Air was let in and rose the Water within a Tenth part and ½ of an Inch to the Top. The Tube was 43 ¼ Inches above the stagnant Water this Experiment being twice try'd the first time the Space possess'd by the Air was ¼ of an Inch and more the second it was ½ and 1 15. The first time the Water subsided level with the stagnant Water In the second Tryal within 4 or 5 Inches of it In these Experiments it was observable that tho' the Air possess'd so little Room in the Pores of the Water that the Water seem'd not to subside when it was drawn out yet the Air in the Cavity of the Tube possess'd a considerable Space Quare Whether Water freed once of it's Air will yield Air again and whether there is not Air enough in the Pores of Water to be serviceable to Fishes when suck'd through their Gills To discover more nicely what Quantity of Air is contain'd in the Pores of Water we made use of a Pipe which consisted of a Globous Part 3 ½ Inches Diameter and a Stem 9 Inches long an Inch of which at the Top was melted and drawn out 2 or 3 Inches till it was as slender as a Crow Quill This Glass being fill'd with Water was with a Pedestal conveigh'd into a Receiver and upon evacuating of it Bubbles plentifully rose and made a kind of a Froth or Foam but breaking at the Top of the slender Pipe they did not run over When the Receiver had been pretty well exhausted we left off pumping till the Water had been pretty well freed from Bubbles and so we successively pump'd and left off again till the Water seem'd quite free from Air and then letting in External Air the Water did not seem a Hairs breadth lower than before The like Experiment was try'd with Claret which made us think it worth while to try what kind of Substances may be obtain'd from Aerial and Spirituous Bodies by handling them thus TITLE VI. Of some Phaenomena afforded by Shell-Fishes in an exhausted Receiver EXPERIMENT I. Oysters in Vacuo TWO Oysters in their Shells being shut up in Vacuo whilst the Receiver was exhausting several Bubbles got out of the Shell the Oysters were alive at the End of 24 hours EXPERIMENT II. A Craw-Fish in Vacuo A Craw-Fish being included in a Receiver when the Air was pretty well exhausted seem'd dead but reviv'd upon a Re-admission of the Air when the Air was again exhausted it was void of Motion the Experiment being 3 or 4 times exhausted and Air let in again when the Fish was taken out it seem'd not to have suffer'd much harm EXPERIMENT III. ANother Oyster being shut up in a Receiver and immers'd in Water that the Bubbles which might come out of the Shell might be visible if any we found that this Fish was so strong that no Bubbles could get out of the Shell EXPERIMENT IV. A Craw-Fish stronger than the former except one small Intermission continu'd in Motion whilst the Air was exhausting TITLE VII Of the Phaenomena of a Scale Fish in an exhausted Receiver A Gudgeon in Vacuo WE fill'd the Globous Part of a Receiver which was shap'd like a Bolt-head and large enough to hold a Pint half full of Water and put a Gudgeon 3 Inches long into it which swam up and down this being done we exhausted the
suspended by a Wire in the Neck in 2 ½ hours we found it dead and with much ado recover'd when Air was blown in with a pair of Bellows the seal'd end of the Glass being broken off The Station of the Mercury in the Receiver was not alter'd EXPERIMENT II. THE same Experiment being try'd with a small Bird in half an hour it was sick and drooping and in 2 ½ hours a difficulty of breathing gradually increasing it dy'd The Gage was not sensibly alter'd EXPERIMENT III. TO shew that it is not a defect of Cold in an exhausted Receiver that kills Animals included in it We hermetically seal'd a small Bird in a Receiver large enough to hold 3 Quarts of Water In a few Minutes it began to be sick and pant and continu'd so half an hour The Viol was immers'd 6 Minutes in Water refrigerated with a Solution of Sal Armon but the Bird was not refresh'd it vomited and purg'd when taken out of the Water and continuing to pant as before in an hour from her first Imprisonment dy'd TITLE VI. Of the Use of the Air to elevate Steams of Bodies The usefulness of Air to raise Steams from Bodies contiguous to it TO prove that the Air carries off the fuliginous Steams from the Lungs in Respiration We prepar'd a Red Liquor consisting of such Saline and Spirituous Parts as the Mass of Blood yields This Liquor well stopp'd up in a Bottle tho' it be but half full emits no Steams but when the External Air comes to it it emits white Exhalations which rise up into the Air. Whence it appears that the Contact of the Air may enable Bodies to emit Vapors In this Liquor there are two things worth our Notice the First is that when the Viol hath lain quiet and stopp'd a competent time the upper Part will appear void of Fumes so that the Air will retain but a certain Quantity which may help to give a Reason why the same Air which will be clogg'd with Steams in a short time becomes unfit for Respiration The Second is that in Vacuo for want of Air tho' the Bottle was unstopp'd these Exhalations would not rise but as soon as it was let into the Receiver they rising up plentifully were drawn out along with the Air a second time exhausted This Experiment hath some Affinity with that Mentioned in the 29 of the Experiments of the Spring and the weight of the Air in the first Volume that being made with Corrosive Ingredients and this of Medicines good for the Lungs TITLE XVII Of the long Continuance of a Slow-worm and a Leech alive in the Vacuum made by our Engin. EXPERIMENT I. A Slow-worm and a Leech alive in Vacuo WHite Snails without their Shells being shut up in Vacuo had store of Bubbles sticking to them but they put out and drew in their Horns at pleasure in some Hours they became void of Motion and Tumid And in the space of Twelve hours seem'd like blown Bladders the substance of their Bodies being consumed The External Air being let in they sunk together like two Skins no signs of Life appearing EXPERIMENT II. ANEft being included in an Exhausted Receiver 48 hours it seem'd swelled in it's Belly it 's under Jaw moved the first Night but not after The Receiver being opened under Water and half filled the Animal was very much revived EXPERIMENT III. A Leech being included with a little Water in a Receiver large enough to hold 12 Ounces when the Air was Pumped out the Leech keeping under Water several Bubbles rose from distinct parts of it's Body yet it was not much indisposed It continuing well five days by opening the Receiver under Water I found that it had been all the time well exhausted TITLE XVIII Of what happen'd to some Creeping Insects in our Vacum EXPERIMENT I. SIX Caterpillers being shut up in Vacuo two hours after Creeping Insects in Vacuo moved up and down 8 hours after they seemed quite dead but being exposed to the Air in the Morning were alive EXPERIMENT II. CAterpillers being Shut up in two Receivers to one we added the Air which was drawn out of the other Receiver Those which had Air with them were alive two days the others in Vacuo seem'd dead in a little time TITLE XIX Of the Phaenomena suggested by Winged Insects in our Vacum EXPERIMENT I. Winged Insects in Vacuo FLesh-Flies whose head were cut off being included in a Portable Receiver furnished with a large Pipe and a Bubble at the end of it When the Air was drawn out they lost their Motion two hours after Fire not being able to excite Motion in them I let in the Air and then they began to move and were observed to move the next Morning EXPERIMENT II. SEveral Ordinary Flies and a Bee or Wasp lay as if dead in the exhausted Receiver except some which for a few Minutes were Convulsive after 48 hours they neither Recovered when exposed to the open Air nor the Meridian Sun EXPERIMENT III. A great Flesh Flye being put into a Portable Receiver was very brisk and lively till the Air was drawn off but then was taken with Convulsions the Air being let in again she Recovered but it being a second time exhausted she lay as dead till the Glass was stirred and then she moved a little the next Night after neither heat nor any thing else would recover her of a long time but at the last when she was well being shut up again 48 hours and placed in a Warm place she grew so ill as to be past Recovery EXPERIMENT IV. A Grass-hopper whose Body was an Inch long being shut up in an oval receiver large enough to hold a Pint when the Pump was first Plyed he was very uneasie and several Liquid drops came from his Abdomen to the quantity of a quarter of a Spoonful when the Receiver was pretty well exhausted he fell on his back and lay as dead But the Receiver being plac'd in the Sun-shine he moved a little and soon after lay as dead 3 hours But the Receiver being open'd and placed after he seem'd dead half an hour some time in the Sun beams in a short time he recovered EXPERIMENT V. A Rose-Flie being shut up in a receiver strugled much whilst the Receiver was exhausting but in 6 hours time seem'd dead the Receiver being opened Four hours after the Beetle was lively enough The Receiver being a Second time exhausted the Animal in the mean time seemed much disquieted EXPERIMENT VI. SEveral Butterflies being Shut up in Vacuo were not able to flye in so thin a Medium but when the Receiver was inverted would fall from one end to another rudely enough TITLE XX. Of the Necessity of Air to the Motion of such small Creatures as Ants and even Mites themselves Air requisite to the Life of very Minute Animals ANts being shut up in Vacuo in Seven hours time seem'd dead but the Receiver being opened about 14
exprimit per Tubum C. D. primum quidem vehementius subinde remissius prout Aeris vis elastica sensim conquescit Hoc idem quod de Aere intra Vas comprimendo ad aquam evibrandum comminisci placuit servatâ analogiâ dicendum est de Aere tum conatu manûs rectâ trusillum impellentis tum ope Cochleae similiter conformatae intra conceptaculum comprimendo ut ex fistula deinde multa vi emittatur plumbea Glans ubi reseratus Aeri exitus illum subito dilatari permiserit Quin Pneumatica hujusmodi tormenta citra conceptaculum Aeris compressi construere non inutile accidat si quemadmodum nostrates pueri surculos sambuceos fungosa medulla exhauriunt utraque Tubuli extremitate papyraceis Globulis obstructa alterum Globulum congruo Cylindro propellunt atque inclusum Aerem densant quoad Aeris vim elasticam impellentis manûs Conatum non ferens extremus alter Globulus edito scloppo expellatur ita ferream fistulam longiorem paraveris cujus alteri extremitati immittatur plumbea Glans obducta papyro aut simili Materia ut exquisitè Tubi osculum implens demum universam Aeris vim excipiat alteram extremitatem aliquot Spiris ambiat cava Cochlea quam impleat Cylindrus ferreus in congruentem Cochleam deformatus si enim hujusmodi Cylindrus vis brevior fuerit quam fistula apto Manubrio convolutus in fistulam sensim immittatur totum Aerem quo fistula replebatur ad exiguas spatii angustias adiget ex quibus magna vi demum qua data porta erumpens ejacul abitur plumbeum Globulum Casati Mechanicorum Lib. 8. Cap. 5. p. 792. 793. c. TITTLE V. Of the Magnetical Particles in the Air. TITLE VI. Of the Destruction Generation Absorpsion and Extrication of the Air. Concerning the Production of the Air. AIr being a body not only concern'd in agreat many Phenomena of Nature but likewise so necessary to the Preservation of Animals Is thought it of no small use to thy whether it might be Artificially prepar'd and obtain'd from Bodies which seem'd not at all to abound with Air for could it be done it would not only be considerable in helping to explain several Phaenomena of Nature but to preserve Divers much longer under Water To try therefore whether it might be effected and whether that which seem'd to be Air were truly so I made use of the following Experiments taking a durable Springiness or Elasticity as the Criterion by which I should judge whether the Air generated were Genuine or not EXPERIMENT I. Jan. 17. Air generated by a mixture of Oyl of Vitriol and Filings of Steel FIlings of Steel and a conveniently shap'd Glass which contain'd Oyl of Vitriol and was seal'd at both Ends but with a Hole open'd near one of them were coveigh'd into a long and large Tube so much Water being put in with them as was sufficient to dilute the Oyl This being done and the External Tube and the Water exhausted till the Mercury in the Gage was so far rais'd in the open Leg that little remain'd in the seal'd Leg we clos'd up the External Tube exactly and observ'd that when the Oyl was caus'd to run out of the internal Tube by acting upon the Metal it caus'd several Bubbles and a sensible Heat when this Conflict had continu'd some time so much Air was generated as depress'd the Mercury in the open Leg down to the Bottom and rais'd it so much in the other that the Air above it was more compress'd than when the Atmosphere had free Liberty to press against it The Spring of this newly produc'd Air was so strong and durable as to keep the Mercury at â—he same height 3 or 4 Days and some Days after a Boy having heedlesly remov'd the Tube from its usual Station the Mercury in the Gage ascended an Inch and a half at which Height it continu'd till the 25th of January EXPERIMENT II. March 8. Flower moisten'd with Water A Glass Viol which was large enough to hold a Pint was fill'd with Flower of Wheat drench'd with Water and the Orifice being clos'd with a Cork and strong Cement after the Glass had been placed 13 Days in a warm Place it was burst by the Violent expansion of the included Matter tho' the Night before part of the Glass below seem'd empty The Taste of the included Matter seem'd to me only a little sowrish but to another manifestly acid EXPERIMENT III. March 9. Raisins included in Vacuo with Water BRuised Raisins with a little Water being put into a Bolt-head when it was exhausted I plac'd it in a warm Place In four Days no Air was generated but some time after the Bolt-head was burst in pieces and the Raisins thrown about EXPERIMENT IV. Feb. 22. A Glass which would hold about 3 Pound of Water having a sufficient Quantity of Raisins put into the Water a Bladder was ty'd to the Neck of it which had all the Air squeez'd out and in two Days time it was so fill'd with Air that we could not tye it up without losing some of the Water EXPERIMENT V. April 28. SPirit of Salt and Filings of Steel being put into a wide mouth'd Glass we cover'd it with a Receiver fitted with an Eel-Skin and a Wire to the latter of which a thin Glass Vessel was ty'd hermetically seal'd at the Bottom and furnish'd with a sufficient Quantity of Filings of Copper This being done and the Receiver exhausted we thrust the Glass which contain'd the Filings against the Bottom of the Viol and broke it off whereupon the Filings falling into the Menstruum a considerable number of Bubbles were generated The Viol being kept ¼ of an Hour longer in Vacuo the Liquor acquir'd not the least Greenness EXPERIMENT VI. Air shut up in Oyl of Turpentine and Spring Water A Bubble of Air about the Size of a Pea being left at the Top of a round Viol with a long narrow Neck the Cavity of it being fill'd with fine Oyl of Turpentine and then inverted into a Viol fill'd with the same Liquor Another Viol which had a Bubble in the Top was fill'd with Alcohol of Wine and inverted it into the the same Liquor On the sixth Day the Bubble in the Oyl disappear'd and on the seventh that in the Spirit of Wine vanish'd EXPERIMENT VII May 23. Frog 's Spawn A Receiver which had been three Years exhausted was open'd and a black opacous Liquor which we judg'd to be Frog's Spawn which was contain'd in a Viol being taken out was of a stinking Smell but not mouldy It had yielded some Air. EXPERIMENT VIII IT is observ'd that when Miners meet with running Waters under Ground they are by those supply'd with Air enough for Respiration tho' it is observ'd that standing Waters do not afford Air. Experiments about the Production of Air and the Examining thereof propos'd Sect. I. To produce Air by Fermentation in Receivers exactly clos'd and in
with London and at the most not exceeding 52 Degrees The Ice was near six Foot deep and the Frost so violent that Bottles of Brandy would have a fourth Part turn'd into Ice the unfroze Liquor being much stronger than before The Ice which swam upon the Water was fresh from whence they supply'd themselves with fresh Water either by melting it in their Pots or by gathering it from large Cavities in floating pieces of Ice where it was melted by the Sun-Beams A Traveller told me that upon the Top of a Pyrenean Mountain in the Summer it was very hot tho' the same Day it was cover'd with Snow and another told me that the Winds at Morocco were so hot as almost to stifle him And it hath been observ'd upon the Tops of high Pyrenean Mountains that below them there were Clouds which yielded Rain plentifully out of which Lightning flash'd upwards as well as downwards Dr. Stubbs told me that in a Bolt-head about 2 Foot ½ long about 7 or 8 a Clock in the Morning which is the faint time of the Day the Water would rise but ¼ of Inch and half a quarter after which time it would subside till that time the next Day He further added that in 8 or 10 Months time in that hot Country Water would not decrease in Quantity tho' kept unstopp'd I am told by another that in the Torrid Zone near the Coast of Sumatra tho' Ice nor Frost nor Snow are ever observ'd yet he hath known Hail to fall And I am told that in the Island of Ceylon which lies betwixt 6 and 10 Degrees North Latitude in that Torrid Climate it would be so cold at the Top of some Hills to whose Tops they could ascend in half an hour that they would almost shiver And Capt. Knox told me that having spent 18 Years in that Island he observ'd a kind of Meteor in Winters Mornings between a Dew and a hoar Frost which presently vanish'd and that once there happen'd a shower of Hail which were about the size of a black Cherry but were presently melted upon the Ground The Heat is so violent in the Island Suaquena that it excoriates the Skin melts Indian Wax in a Cabinet and sears your Shoes like a red hot Iron Yet on some Mountains in Aethiopia they dread Cold more than Heat tho' no Snow falls but only a little Hail now and then which soon melts and Tellesius witnesses that in many Regions in Aethiopia the Air is more mild than in Portugal so many Degrees distant Northward At Tripoli in Barbary it is observ'd that when the Wind blows over a long Sandy Desart it as well as the Wind it brings along with it seems as hot as the Steams from an Oven And and the same hath been observ'd near the Island of St. Lovis on the Coast of Africk where it was further remarkable that the Ground was so hot that the Gentleman who related it could scarce endure to stand upon it and he further told me that when the Wind blew from a Wood in which the dead Bodies of Wild Beasts lay it stunk so that it could scarce be endured In summo ejus montis Idae sc fastigio sacellum est quod aedificiolo duntaxat constat saxis sibi invicem impositis sine calce cohaerentibus fornicis in modum constructo ad tectum praebendum Sublimi adeo loco est à vehementioribus ventis interdum ita perflato ut lapilli inde transferantur Petri Bellonii lib. 1. cap. 16. Paulo infra id sacellum planities conspicitur montibus undique cincta in quâ multa sunt pascua ubi Arietes Caprae Cretenses aestate pinguescunt Si quis ex summo montis vertice undique prospiciat pâ—â—â—… aberit quin totius Insulae ambitum videat cum 〈◊〉 vicinis Insulis Miso Cerigo sive Cythera 〈◊〉 Archipelagi Aeris intemperies in hoc â—â—â—…te adeo magna est quemadmodum ut in caeteris praeâ—â—â—… montibus ut in ipsis Caniculae ardoribus â—…ridie nullo etiam spirante vento ingens senâ—â—â—tur frigus qua de causa nec hyeme nec aslâ—…te 〈◊〉 eum incolit Nam licet pastores interdâ—…â—â—iâ—â— greges ad pascua agunt noctu tamen in valles se recipiunt In the next Chapter Latè porro patet hic mons ejusque radices 〈◊〉 maris littora ut ante diximus attingunt nam licet urbi Candiae sunt vicinae meditullium tamen insulae occupat ipse mons adeo in sublime evectus ut nives ejus verticem perpetuò tegnant tamque frigida aâ—ra mediis etiam astatis ardoribus isthic est ut vix ferri queat tametsi in convallibus magnus sit aestus Jacobi Zabarelli de-Regionibus Aeris c. 8. Contigit id meae experientiae quod etiam aliis contigisse audivi ut ascenderem ad summutatem usque montis Veneris qui omnium in Patavino agro altissimus est ibi per totum diem habui Aerem serenissimum sed infra circiter medium montis vidi nubes quae me visione vallium prohibebant vesperi autem postquam de illo monte descendi inveni factam eo die infera parte magnam pluviam cum in montis cacumine nihil pluisset ex eo intellexi me transiisse per mediam Aeris regionem in qua est facta pluvia nec tamen eam sensi frigidissimam imò vix aliquam animadverti differentiam frigidioris calidioris Aeris nam aestivum tempus erat pro aestivo tempore eram vestitus nec tamen tantum frigoris quod me laederet ex eo loco percepi pars igitur illa non est absolutè frigida sed solùm comparatione inferi Aeris calidioris Idem de Alpibus proprio exemplo edoctus testatum reliquit Bartholinus Syst Phys Instit Succinct de Terra Aere Igne C. 4. Resp 1. Mount Atlas in the Heat of Summer hath been seen cover'd with Snow and several People who have visited the Tops of high Mountains such as the Alpes and Teneriff have found it exceedingly cold I am told by one that he never heard of Snow or Ice in Guinea but in Barbary where the Plains were excessive hot the Tops of Mountains were cover'd with Snow and the like hath been observ'd in the Island Ceylon and the Mountains of Congo In the Summer 88 I plac'd a Glass in a Cave which faced the Sea it being cover'd with 80 Foot of Earth and cut right in about 130 Foot the Mercury stood ½ above Temperate and at the same time in another Glass in the open Air it stood at hot About Christmas following the Mercury in the Cave vary'd not but that without stood at Frost In New-Hampshire in New-England it is observ'd that in the Winter the North-West Wind is very cold and in Summer intensly hot It is ascrib'd to a large Tract of Woody Land which in the Winter is cover'd with Snow and in the Summer the Valleys being close keep in the Heat till
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
than the Air. Amongst several Tryals made with these Weather-glasses the following were remarkable Having caused a Glass-Egg with a Stem such as Fig. 1. Plate 1. Delineates to be blown at a Lamp the Stem being dipped in Water admitted into it a Cylinder of Water about half an Inch long which when the Pipe was erected would subside to the Bottom of the Cylinder just where it rises from the Egg and there it would stand but if the Glass-Egg was immersed wholly in Water or but half way in Quick-silver the Water would ascend up to the middle of the Cylinder and subside again when taken out In this Experiment several times repeated I observed That when the Glass-Egg was suddenly removed out of the Water and immersed in the Quick-silver the Cylinder of Water would be raised higher but if it was first immersed in Quick-silver and thence removed into Water it would subside but not near so much as in the open Air. These Tryals were made the 26th of June the Weather being moderate But being repeated another day when it was windy and rainy the Aqueous Cylinder upon the immersion of the Thermometer subsided June 27 in the morning the Aqueous Cylinder would subside when the Thermometer was immersed in Water but ascend when it was depressed into Mercury yet when the water had been kept in a warm Room some time till it was as warm to the Touch as the Quicksilver they would both of them immediately raise the Mercury in the Pipe The like Experiment being tryed in January in Frosty Weather the Internal Air being of an equal temper with the External when the Thermometer was immersed in a shallow Vessel of Water the Aqueous Cylinder was raised half an Inch and when it was immersed in a deeper Vessel it was raised as high again but soon subsided when taken out into the free Air. From whence it appears That we may be differently informed of the degrees of Heat and Cold when we Employ our Organs of Touch and when we make use of proper Instruments On this occasion I shall subjoyn that not only Water but moist Vapours in the Air may cause it to seem Colder to our Sensories than commonly Weather-glasses discover it to be And tho' it be generally agreed that a Themometer only more exactly measures the Effects which Cold hath upon it and our Sensories yet I my self have taken notice that at the same time the Weather hath seemed cold to me when the Weather-glass agreed not with the Information my Senses gave me which that it did not proceed from my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was apparent since others were sensible of it at the same time From what hath been said it appears That it is requisite to take notice when Birds and other Animals whose Perception is more delicate than ours seem to be affected with Cold and likewise to examin the degrees of Coldness as well by Experiments as by the Touch. For a further Confirmation of what I have delivered on this occasion I shall add what Martinius in his piece of Geography called Atlas Chinensis says speaking of the Air of that Populous Country his words are these Ad Coeli solique temperiem quod attinet majus in hac Provincia frigus est quam illius poscat poli altitudo vix enim illa excedit gradum secundum supra quadragesimum tamen per integros quatuor saepe Menses Flumina omnia adeo duro concrescunt gelu ut currus equosque ac gravissima etiam onera glacies ferat innoxie ac securissime transeant Ex iis etiam ingentia glaciei frusta excinduntur quae in futuram aestatem ad delicias servant His Mensibus omnes Naves ita in ipsa Glacie defixae sunt ut progredi nequeant ubicunque illas frigus occupat quod certo certius circa medium Novembris ingruere solet per quatuor illos Menses immotae ibi perstare coguntur neque enim resolvitur Glacies ante Martii initium haec plerunque Glaciei concretio uno fit die cum non nisi pluribus fiat Liquefactio To which he adds what is more for our present purpose Omnino illud mirum tantum non videri aut sentiri illud frigus ut Europaeos ad bypocausta subeunda videatur posse cogere aut in Europa ad Glaciem producendam sufficere unde ad subterraneas illic exhalationes pro harum rerum Causis indagandis omnino recurrendum est c. But tho' I have urged the necessity and usefulness of Weather-glasses as preferable to the Informations we receive from our Senses yet tho' they are not obnoxious to the same Causes of uncertainty they are apt sometimes to deceive us since in common Weather-glasses besides that the external or internal Air may be rarified or condensed by Heat and Cold the incumbent Atmosphere being contiguous to the suspended Liquor it may be boyed up by an additional Gravity as well as Heat in the Atmosphere and Vice versâ as we have experienced by a statical Baroscope whose Ballance would turn with the 500th part of a Grain And likewise by conveying a common Weather-glass into the bottom of a deep Pit and at another time by raising it up to the top of a Church or Steeple and comparing it at the same time with a more exact Thermometer for by this Method it appeared that the rising and falling of the Water in the common Weather-glass depended not on the temperature of the Air as to Heat or Cold but on the different altitude of the Atmospherical Pillar of Air incumbent on the Water But besides the Gravity of the Atmosphere there may be other Causes of the ascent and descent of the Liquor in common Weather-glasses as well as Heat and Cold. For not to urge that tho' the height of the same Atmospherical Pillar of Air should seem unaltered the Weather-glass remaining in the same place yet the weight of the Air may be increased by the copious dispersion of Vapours and heavy Steams through the Air and also may be diminished upon a precipitation of those by Dew or Rain which Effects may perhaps be falsly attributed to different degrees of Heat or Cold. To be satisfy'd of the truth of what I have here hinted I tryed the following Experiments I took two Weather-glasses of a more than ordinary length See Plate 1. Fig. 2d and 3d. the divisions of one of which were half Inches and those of the other not much less The one which was furnished with good Spirit of Wine see Plate 1. Fig. 3. was sealed The other see Plate 1. Fig. 2. was not sealed but was so contrived that the Air being shut up in the lower part of the Instrument might rise with Heat and fall with Cold. In these Thermoscopes I observed That in that which was sealed the Liquor regularly ascended in warm Weather and subsided in cold But in the other there being a little hole left open at the top it was remarkable That tho' when the
their In doing of which instead of Liquors made use of in common Glasses we employ Spirit of Wine tinged with Cochineele opened by the most Volatile Spirit of Urine which is not only in less danger of being froze but susceptible of the slightest degrees of Cold impressed upon it by external Bodies But tho' we think these Weather-glasses subject to fewer Exceptions than common ones yet in estimating the several degrees of Cold we look upon them as Instruments to be employed by our Reason and not quite exempt from those Imperfections we have imputed to Weather-glasses since I suspect that some sort of Steams penetrateing the Pores of the Glasses may have other effects upon the Spirit of Wine than what they have in reference to Heat and Cold For I once observ'd that having immersed the Ball of a Weather-glass in a strange kind of a Luke-warm mixture the Spirit rose up slowly 8 or 9 Inches in a Tube not above a foot long and subsided not again much above half an Inch when exposed to the Air a good while after it had been immersed in Water 5 hours The Chymist Orthelius in his Theatrum Chymicum Vol. 6. tells us That the Liquor Distilled from the Oar of Magnesia or Bismute will swell considerably in the Glass it is kept in at the full Moon and subside at the New which observation the Jesuit Casatus makes use of as an Argument And I have observed my self a Tincture of Amber made with rectified Spirit of Wine undergoe several changes when stopped up in a Bottle which other Liquors abounding with Spirit of Wine did not so that not unlikely if Weather-glasses furnished with different Liquors were kept together in the same Place there would be some disparity which could be ascribed to nothing but the peculiar Natures of the respective Liquors which tho' of different kinds may receive the same Colour from the same Metals So Copper gives the known Colour to Aqua fortis and affords a fair Solution in Aqua Regis as well as gives a lovely Blew to Spirit of Urine or Sal Armoniac and I have found that it would give a good Tincture to Chymical Oyl of Turpentine And to shew that even Spirit of Wine in Weather-glasses may be worked upon and influenced by external Bodies I shall add That I have observed in one that lay by me some time emergent Bubbles Which whether they were only made up of united Bubbles lodged in the Pores of the Liquor or some Parts of the Wine disposed to Elasticity by frequent alterations I examin not But sometimes they have been so great as to possess many Inches of space in the shank of the Weather-glass which Bubbles if they be small and lurk about the juncture of the Ball and of the Cylinder may by dividing the Spirit in the Stem from that in the Ball hinder it from rising according to the Changes of the Weather a Bubble of Air being more dicffiultly removed up and down in the Stem of the Glass than the Spirit it self in favour of which we have else-where shewn That Water will pass through a narrower space than Air except the latter be forced But to draw near to a conclusion tho' I have mentioned all these difficulties about sealed Glasses I would not be thought to do it with a design to set Men upon greater Nicities than are necessary but rather to excite us to take into our Consideration as many collateral Experiments and Observations besides those made by our Sensories on Natural as well as Factitious Bodies in judging of the degrees of Cold as we can For tho' Water be thought to be most susceptible of such an intense degree of Cold as destroys Fluidity yet besides Oyl of Aniseeds I have distill'd a substance from Benzoin which becomes fluid and consistent upon much slighter alterations as to Heat and Cold than would freeze Water or thaw it And I have observed likewise That Amber-grease dissolv'd in highly rectified Spirit of Wine or in other Sulphereous or Resinous Concretions dissolved in the same Liquor will shoot into fine figured Masses in cold Weather and re-dissolve in warm others being more rudely congealed And even in Chymical Preparations of Harts-horn and Urine I have observed That sometimes the Spirits would be clear and at other times would suffer a greater or less quantity of Salt to Chrystallize at the bottom according to the various alterations of the Weather in point of Heat or Cold. But to bring Instances from more obvious Liquors it is observed in some Parts of France by the Water-men That their Boats will carry greater Loads in Winter than Summer and on frozen Coasts in several Countries it is observed That Ships draw less Water than on our British Coasts which is an Argument that the Water is heavier and thicker in Winter than in Summer And I my self have poised a Bubble so exactly with Water in it that tho' it would swim upon the top of the Water at Night yet in the Day when the Sun had rarified the Water it swam in it would subside to the bottom And sometimes was so exactly of a correspondent weight with and so equally poised in the Water that it would neither subside nor swim upon the top but move up and down till the Water was either more rarified or further condensed From what hath been said in this Chapter it appears 1st That by reason of the various predispositions in Bodies the testimony of our Senses is not to be taken in judging of the several degrees of Cold. 2dly Tho' Weather-glasses are subject to fewer alterations than our Senses yet they may misinform us except we at the same time measure the Air 's Gravity by other Instruments 3dly Our sealed Weather-glasses are highly preferable before common ones 4thly To conclude this Chapter I shall add That I would not have Men easily deterred from making Experiments about estimating Cold because they may seem disagreeable to vulgar Notions since I doubt not but that the Theory we have is not only very imperfect but ill grounded CHAP. IV. Concerning the cause of the Condensation of the Air and ascent of Water by Cold in common Weather-glasses COncerning the Reason why Water in common Weather-glasses descends upon Heat and is raised by Cold there are three Opinions which may deserve our Consideration The Opinion of the Schools concerning the ascent of Water in Weather-glasses examined The first is that of the Schools and common Peripateticks which teaches That the external Air condensing that included in common Weather-glasses it rises to fill up that space deserted by the Air to prevent a Vacuum But not to urge That they have not yet proved that Nature will not admit of a Vacuum or that it is contrary to the Notion a Naturalist ought to have of Matter to suppose it to act any thing contrary to its own natural tendency for a publick Good I say not to urge these Arguments which we have elsewhere made use of I
again when the internal Air was rarified within half an Inch of the top and then the Apex being sealed up it was placed in Snow and Salt yet the Air in the top had it's Spring so weakened by refrigeration that it was not able to depress the Water tho' as soon as the Apex was broke off it subsided several Inches the external Air pressing upon it The Experiment being a third time reiterated with 3 ½ of Air in the Pipe when the Water in the Vial was in some measure froze it was able to expand it self a little But when the Apex was broke off the External Air depressed the Surface of the Water two Inches but being removed into a warm Room it ascended above an Inch higher than the uppermost Level Having put so much Water into a Vessel See Plate 1. Fig. 6. Such as Plate 1. Fig. 6. Delineates as was able to fill almost the whole Tube we caused a Mixture of Snow and Salt to be placed about the Ball of it yet we perceived not the Water in the least to rise but if at all it might well be ascribed to the the Intumescence of some airy Parts lodged in the Pores of the Water But the Apex of the Tube being broke off under Water the External Air forced the Water several Inches up into the Cavity of the Pipe Another Experiment we made with the following Vessel See Plate 1. Fig. 7 the Stem of this being no thicker than a Raven's Quill tho' several Inches long See Plate 1. Fig. 7. and the Ball being about as big as a Nutmeg we dropped a few drops of Water into the Stem which being suspended there betrayed very slight changes in the Rarefaction or Condensation of the internal Air. Watching therefore when the Air within had raised the Bubble up to the top of the Stem we immediately sealed it up and observed That tho' the sealed Glass was placed in a Mixture of Snow and Salt the Bubble did not in the least subside But if the Apex of the Stem was broke off the Bubble of Water would be sometimes depressed so low as to fall into the Ball of the Weather-glass And what was further remarkable was That when the Liquor was descending if the end of the Tube was sealed up the Water would immediately stop at the place it rested at when the Pressure of the Atmosphere was taken off Where it would continue till the Stem was broke open again and then the Water would be further depressed as the weight of the Atmosphere was able to over-power the Resistance made by the internal Air. Having made use of such a Vessel as Fig. 7. Plate 1. represents and conveyed a pretty Quantity of Water into both the Legs See Plate 1. Fig. 7. we sealed up the end of the bent Stem leaving so much Air above it as we thought convenient Which being done we placed the Ball of it in a frame in which the Tube hanging down we could cover the round Ball with Snow and Salt Upon which the Air in the Stem was able to expand it self so far that the Water in the longer Leg was raised the length of a Barly-corn higher than before and depressed as much in the other But when the end of the Stem was broke open the Water was raised 2 ¼ Inches in the longer Leg and depressed so low in the shorter that several Bubbles rose into the Cavity of the Ball. In which Experiment it cannot be supposed That the weight of the Water in the shorter Leg could be able to raise the Water in the other except by Virtue of it's Spring which being but small answerable to the Quantity of of it it cannot be expected that it should have any considerable Effect upon the Air in the other Leg tho' it's Spring were in some measure weakened by Cold. An Explication of the Figures in the first Plate Fig. 1. p. 12. A. The Ball or Egg. B C. The Stem D. The little Aqueous Cylinder Fig. 2. The open Weather-glass mentioned p. 16 22. Fig. 3. The Sealed Weather-glass or Thermoscope mentioned p. 16. Fig. 4. The Barometer or Mercurial Standard placed in a Frame B B. mentioned p. 17. Fig. 5. An Instrument mentioned p. 34. A. The Vial. B C. The Pipe cemented into the neck of the Vial open at C and sealed at B. Fig. 6. p. 35. A. The Bolt-head B. The small Stem B C. The Cylinder of Water enclosed Fig. 7. p. 36. CHAP. V. The Experimental History of Cold begun TITLE I. Experiments concerning Bodies capable of Freezing others BEfore we proceed to the natural History of Cold it perhaps may be necessary to consider what Bodies are capable of retaining such Qualities and what are not but that being a consideration not so necessary to our present purpose which is only to set down what Observations we have made in Bodies subject to be froze I shall only in short take notice That most Bodies except fire are susceptible of actual Cold and it is a Question whether even that be not rather a state of Matter in such a peculiar motion than a distinct and particular species of Natural Bodies since even Gun-powder and Spirit of Wine before they are set on fire by some other Body are actually Cold. But to proceed to what Observations relate to our Title Experiments of Bodies capable of freezing others 1. Bodies cold enough to freeze others are very few here in England Snow and Salt mixed being most remarkable which cool the Liquor contained in those Vessels which are closed up in such mixtures 2. Snow alone would not freeze Water as a Mixture of it and Salt does and tho' Water poured betwixt the Interstices of Snow or Ice freezes yet there is a great disparity betwixt exposing it to the Air and keeping it up in Vessels and tho' it is froze when covered with Snow in a Bottle all night yet that may proceed from the Coldness of the Air as well as the influence of the Snow 3. If Nitre Allum Vitriol Sal-Armoniack or Sugar be mixed in due Proportion with Snow they will enable it to freeze tho' not so intensely as common Salt 4. Spirit of Salt being shaken together with Snow in the Vials they caused a Dew which was gathered on the outside the Glass to be froze tho' the Mixture within was not and Oyl of Vitriol mixed with Snow in a thin Vial had the same Effect only more intensely 5. But not only these Acid Spirits had these Effects on the moisture of the Air condensed on the outside the Glasses but likewise Spirit of Nitre Spirit of Vinegar and Spirit of Sugar the former of these three being very powerfull tho' the latter were not so strongly frigorifick 6. Spirit of Urine mixed with Snow in a Vial froze the External moisture weakly but Spirit of Sal-Armoniack drawn from Quick-lime did it powerfully 7. Spirit of Urine and Oyl of Vitriol poured upon Snow froze moderately 8. Sal Gem with a
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
be expected that I should say something of the expansion of aqueous Humours and also of the degrees of the Condensation of Water and watry Humours But as for the first I doubt whether there be any expansion except of the watry Parts of them but if it may be of any use to direct us in making an estimate of the different Proportions they contain of Phlegm or other more spirituous Ingredients I would not discourage those whose Curiosity shall prevail with them to prosecute such Experiments And as for the condensation of Water by Cold tho' perhaps in hotter Climates it may be considerable yet I have not found it very sensible in all the Tryals I have made here Particulars referrable to the X Title 1. A Bolt-head whose Stem was 17 Inches above the Water being seal'd up and placed about 9 hours in a frigorifick Mixture the Water ascended 15 Inches ½ and afterwards ½ of ¼ of an Inch being neglected for an hour the seal'd end was blown off and the Bottom of the Glass broke in peices 2. Water freed from Air in our Receiver and seal'd up in a round Bolt-head in which the seal'd Apex was about 5 Inches above the Water afforded an Ice very free from Bubbles and having stood in a frigorifick Mixture about 2 hours it was raised 4 Inches and ⅜ The Conical Apex being broke with a noise and a seeming smoak we found Water unfroze under the Pipe and that the Air was condensed to a 20th Part of the space it possess'd before 3. The Globous part of a Glass-Egg 3 Inches Diameter was filled with Water and froze from the Bottom upwards after it had been Hermetically seal'd it rose 8 ½ Inches the length of the whole Stem being 10 Inches and a half But being a second time sealed up and froze with Ice in it it wrought not 4 Inches above its first station TITLE XI Experiments touching the Expansive force of Freezing Water Of the Expansive force of freezing Water 1. TO help us to make an estimate of the Expansive force of freezing Water We filled a Pewter-Bottle full of Water it being large enough to hold half a Pint In a frosty Night it crack'd the Bottle and the like success we had with frozen Water in a Pewter-box such as they keep Salves in And we found the Expansive force of Frost so strong That it burst a Bottle the thinnest part of which was 1 14 of an Inch and the thickest ◠86 It also broke an Earthen Bottle of Flanders-Metal the thinnest part of which was as thick as the strongest of the other 2. To make a more Determinate Estimate of the Expansive force of Frost we made use of a Brass-Cylinder to which we adapted a Plugg which falling a little way within the Cylinder rested upon the edges of it The length of the Cylinder was about 5 Inches and the breadth 1 ¾ The Experiment made in this Instrument was by filling it full of Water and then laying 56 pound weight upon the top of it And tho' it was a hard matter to cause the Mixture to freeze yet we were at the last able to do it and then we observ'd That the Expanded Ice lifted up the one side of the lower so high that the weight fell down but at another time it succeeded so well that the lower was uniformly raised the breadth of a Barly-corn Upon a gentle thaw the Superficial Parts being taken out the Ice appear'd full of Bubbles And in the Morning when it began to melt before the fire the weight being taken off several drops of Water dilated into numerous Bubbles issu'd out like a kind of Froth 3. Another way we took to measure the Expansive force of Cold was by driving a Wooden Plugg so fast into the end of the Brass-Cylinder That half a hundred weight and a quarter of a hundred might be suspended at it without pulling it out yet in two frosty Nights the expanding Water was able to raise it a quarter of an Inch. 4. There is one thing in these Tryals deserves to be taken notice of viz. That the Expansion of Air by Heat being sufficient to make it possess 70 times it 's former space yet the utmost degree Water by Glaciation will extend it self to is a ninth So that the former by Expansion acquires 60 times the space that Water does taking Mersennus his account of the Air 's Expansion to be true which comes short of what we have shewn it capable of being Expanded to 5. We endeavoured likewise to measure the force of Waters Expansion when congeal'd by enclosing it in a Iron-Globe whose Diameter was about 3 Inches and which had a Female Screw continued from it's Cavity to the out side to which was adapted Male a screw so close That we were forc'd to use a Vice to screw it in but our hopes were frustrated the Compactness of the metal as we suppos'd keeping the Liquor from freezing 6. It would be worth while to consider the cause of so powerful an Expansion since neither the Cartesian nor the Epicurean Doctrine are able to explain this Phaenomenon For the first only accounting Cold to be a Privation of Heat and depending upon the recess of those subtil Parts which he supposes Expansion to depend on according to him they should rather continue an Inactive Mass than retain such a Springyness And since according to Epicurus Expansion depends on an Insinuation of frigorifick Atoms It may well be question'd how parts of Matter which have such a free entrance into such Vessels should not rather find as easie a Passage out again as in without breaking them Besides in several Oyls and other Liquors which must receive those frigorifick Atoms we perceive not the least Expansion at all but they are rather condensed 7. How great the Expansive Force of congeal'd Wine Milk Urine and other Liquors is I shall leave it to others to enquire and shall only take notice That undoubtedly it is considerable since in the Dutch Voyage to Nova Zembla it was observ'd That even Iron-hoops were burst by the forcible Expansion of included Liquors And in Russia it hath been observ'd that tho' Beer and Wine would not burst Wooden Vessels yet Glass and Stone-Vessels would be often broken Particulars referrable to the XI Title 1. We took a Brass-Cylinder 2 Inches Diameter and having put a Bladder with Water ty'd close up in it so that upon Expansion it could not get out into the Cavity of the Cylinder we put a Plugg into it upon which were placed several weights which amounted to 120 Pounds yet the frigorifick Mixture being apply'd to the Cylinder the Water expanded rais'd the Plugg near half an Inch and the Experiment being repeated again the next Day the freezing Water raised 130 Pound-weight 2. An Iron-Barrel 14 Inches long and ⅜ of an Inch in Diameter whose sides were at the thickest Part 1 16 and at the least ◠16 was filled with Water and being buried in a Mixture
of Ice and Salt 2 hours it made an oblique crack in the Barrel Six Inches long and the Ice being taken out seemed full of Bubbles but very small ones and the like success we had with another Barrel of a Gun whose Muzzle and Touch-hole were stopped up with Metal nor had we less success when we buried a Pewter Bottle in a frigorifick Mixture both the Barrel of the Gun and the Bottle being burst in a quarter of an hour TITLE XII Experiments concerning a new way of Estimating the Expansive force of Congelation and of highly compressing Air without Engines A new way of Estimating the Expanâ—…e force of Congelation HOW far we were able to compress the Air by the Incumbent weight of a Cylinder of Mercury we have else where shewn but to reduce it to a greater degree of Condensation I made the following Experiments 1. Having filled a Glass-Egg with Water till it wrought about an Inch into the Stem we placed it in a Mixture of Snow and Salt and in a few hours the Surface of the Liquor was raised about 7 Inches and the Apex of the Stem being sealed up by a fresh application of Snow and Salt it was raised 8 Inches higher So that the Air being compressed into the space of an Inch possessed about nine Parts of ten of what it did before Whereupon the Stem being inverted and the seal'd end opened the Air which when the Stem was inverted rose up to the Ice and separated the unfrozen Water in the Stem from it powerfully expanding it self forced out about ten Inches of Water with Violence and Noise besides a great number of Bubbles ascended from the Bottom of the Glass to the Top. N. B. when the Air was compressed beyond seven Inches we several times observ'd That the Glass just above the Water on the inside was full of little drops of Dew which when the Apex was broke off Disappeared 2. A Vial whose neck was drawn out into a slender Pipe being filled till it wrought an Inch within the Pipe in a little time by the Expansion of the Water the Air being too much compressed the head of the Pipe flew off and the same happened to a round white Glass whose Stem filled with Air was about 3 Inches Nor was the success otherwise when we repeated the Experiment in a large single Vial whose Stem was four Inches long and it's Basis an Inch broad 3. An Oval Glass about the size of a Turkeys-egg with a neck almost Cylindrical was filled with Water within four Inches and a half and then a piece of Paper being pasted upon the Stem divided into half Inches and quarters and the Apex being sealed up by a moderate Heat the Surface of the Water was raised considerably but the Oval Part of the Glass being covered with a Mixture of Ice and Snow the Air was compressed into a 17th Part of the space it possessed before And the Ball of the Glass bursting afterwards with a considerable Noise the Ice appeared full of Bubbles which rendred it white and Opacous In another Glass whose Ball was larger in proportion to the Stem the Air was compressed into a 19th Part of it's former space before the Glass flew in pieces 3. And this way of trying how far the Air might be compressed and Water expanded by Cold we thought least Exceptionable because the Pores of Glass are more impervious to Air and Water than some Metalline Vessels for having broken open the Apex of the Stem of one of our Glass-Eggs we found that tho' the Water was but a little expanded yet not finding a way out at the Pores of the Glass the Water rose up a quarter of an Inch. TITLE XIII Experiments and Observations concerning the Sphere of Activity of Cold. Of the Sphere of Activity of Cold. IN estimating the Sphere of Activity of Cold we are not only to consider the Degree of it in the cold Body but also the Medium through which it is to pass and the Consistence and Texture of it as likewise the Instruments employ'd to receive or acquaint us with the Action of Cold Since from what hath been before laid down it appears That Weather-glasses give us a more nice account of the Degrees of it and that our Sensories may mis-inform us upon the account of their various Predispositions Besides the Sphere of Activity may be vary'd by the Bulk of the cold Body 1. But to consider the Sphere of Activity of small Pieces of Ice we have found it very small in comparison of the Atmospheres of odorous Bodies insomuch that I am perswaded we can have no sense of Cold without the immediate Contact of a cold Body since Ice approaching our Sensory or a Weather-glass affects neither tho' held as near as possibly they may without touching And the like hath been observ'd at Sea where in foggy Nights the Seamen have not been able to discern neighbouring Mountains of Ice Tho' by a Merchant who made the Observation in Greenland I am told That he perceived a manifest access of Cold upon the approach of a floating piece of Ice 2. And I am told that in Ispahan the Capital City of Persia the Ice being never much more than a Finger thick they usually pour Water upon it which as it runs over the Ice is in part froze by which means they thicken the Ice and preserve it in proper Conservatories This Experiment having been tryed in England by pumping of Water upon Flakes of Ice I found That the Pump-water being warmer than the Ice thawed it instead of increasing the Thickness of it And tho' here in England Water poured upon Snow promotes its Dissolution yet in Russia and Muscovy I am told That Water thrown upon Snow freezes it which they therefore make use of to incrustate several Bodies with Ice yet one thing is to be observ'd that generally at the same time the sharpness of the Air is so violent as to incrustate several Bodies with Ice when only Water is made use of so that in trying such Experiments we are to consider the Temperature of the Air at the same time which hath a great Influence in promoting or varying the Effects of such Tryals 3. How deep Frost penetrates into Water and Earth will be a very hard thing to determine since Earth especially may be more or less disposed to freeze according to the several Degrâ—es of Cold and its Duration the Texâ—â—â—… of the Earth and the Nature of the Juices dâ—â—â—…ed through it or subterraneal Steams Whence large Tracts of Land that lye over some Mines are always free from Snow good quantities of Lime-stone being near the Surface of the Earth 4. But tho' it be so difficult to know to what Depth Frost will reach yet that we may contribute as much as we can to the general History of Cold we shall add the following Notes After four Nights hard Frost the Ground in the Orchard was froze about 3 Inches deep and in the
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
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
convenient for the more commodious discerning of the Phaenomena of this Experiment to try it in a dark place And fourthly it is convenient to advertise that the Sulphur frequently so obscures the Glass with its fumes which partly stick to it that sometimes it is very difficult to discern what happens within the Glass Fifthly it is requisite the Heat of the Iron should be considerable that the Flame of the Sulphur may be more lasting the flaming of it depending on the Heat of the Iron and not the force of its own Flame EXPERIMENT III. A very volatile and saline piercing Liquor being dropped upon filings of Steel the Mixture grew hot and emitted out of the Vial it was contained in very fetid steams which would kindle at the flame of a Candle and continue to burn a good while where we convey'd it into our Receiver and upon the first Exsuction of Air it flamed brisker than before and likewise upon the second and third but after it went out it would not be kindled again tho' the Air was let in upon it EXPERIMENT IV. Spirit of Wine being impregnated with a Mineral which tinged its Flame I convey'd it into the Receiver in a small Glass-Lamp with a slender wick and observed that in half a minute after the Pump was plyed the Flame was extinguished But letting Air in and out as occasion required I observ'd that when the Flame began to decay the Turn-Key being successively drawn almost out the Flame lasted a minute and a half and sometimes longer The Turn-Key being taken out in the beginning it lasted two minutes or better A Pipe being bedded in the Cement at the bottom of the Glass and having at each end an open Orifice almost of the bigness of that which the Turn-Key usually fills the Flame burnt very well and would have continued longer than it did if we would have permitted it The Orifice at the top being stopped the lower was left open yet the Flame began to decay but Air being blown in with a pair of Bellows it was presently refreshed again yet in a minute after it was quite extinguished EXPERIMENT V. Flame preserved under Water Tho' it is taught that Naptha and Camphire will burn under Water yet I could never find that they would but three ounces of Gun-Powder a drachm of well burnt Charcoal good Sulphur half a drachm of choice Salt-Petre near a drachm and a half being all powdered and mixed together a Quill or a Tobacco-pipe stopped at one end being filled with this Mixture and kindled in the Air would burn till it was wholly consumed under Water the force of the Flame keeping the Water from breaking in upon it at the open end In which Experiment Flame seems to be continued without Air there being no Air to preserve it under Water but what may be lodged in the Pores of the Water except some moist Particles betwixt the Particles of the Nitre in favour of the necessity of Air to preserve Flame may be supposed to be rarified and form Air for a time as the rarified exhalations which flow out of an Aeolipile which are not true and permanent Air but presently return to Water again EXPERIMENT VI. Of the flaming of a Metal in Vacuo Having placed the piece of Iron so often made use of in our Receiver we designed to let a parcel of Sulphur fall upon it but when we went to drop the Sulphur down by accident it fell on one side the Iron and whilst we were considering what to do we discerned a a blue Flame in the middle of the Glass which continued much longer than that of ordinary Sulphur and when we opened the Receiver we found that it was afforded by a metalline substance which lay melted in the middle of the concave superficies of the Iron being a composition of Lead and Tin but tho' these Metals mixed so opened the Bodies of each other as to yield a Sulphureous fuel for Flame in Vacuo yet in the open Air they would not The III. TITLE Of the difficult Propagation of actual Flame in Vacuo Boyliano EXPERIMENT I. HAving kindled some Sulphur which was of a peculiar sort upon the Iron so often mentioned I let down a piece of Spunk upon it when the Receiver was exhausted and by being contiguous to the flames it was turned into a substance as black and brittle as Tinder and disposed to kindle when touched with fire EXPERIMENT II. Another parcel of the same Sulphur being kindled in Vacuo Boyliano Camphire tho' in the open Air disposed to draw the Flame of Sulphur yet it was not kindled by hanging in the Flame of it And a Match being partly dipped in Sulphur and let down upon the hot Iron burnt as far as the Sulphur raught but no further EXPERIMENT III and IV. Having placed a piece of Paper upon the Plate of our Pump and whelmed over it a very clear and thin Receiver we laid a train of Gun-Powder upon the Paper and observed that tho' by a good Burning-Glass several grains would be exploded yet those would not kindle those that were contiguous to them the Propagation of Flame so much depends on the free access of Air. And to confirm this I shall add that a little Instrument made to try Gun-Powder being charged and primed and suspended in Vacuo tho' by the help of a Burning-Glass the priming would be exploded yet that would not kindle the Powder contain'd in the Box but when the exhausted Air was let in again and the Pan new primed tho' the Receiver was shut it would in that close Air go off readily and also in the open Air. EXPERIMENT V. Gun-Powder being put into two Bubbles one of which was exhausted and the other not they were placed upon Live-coals upon which when they had stood a while they where both burst in pieces but without the appearance of any Flame which effect seemed to depend on this viz. That the Heat of the coals acted not only on a few grains of Powder at once but upon the whole Area so that every Particle being equally acted on as to sense they were exploded at the same time so the Focus of a Burning-Glass acting uniformly on Aurum Fulminans causes it to explode at once but it may be so ordered that the Focus not sufficiently warming one Part a partial explosion will only ensue CHAP. XVIII New Experiments about the relation betwixt Air and the Flamma Vitalis of Animals EXPERIMENT I. Animals included in Receivers with Flame and Air. REctified Spirit of Wine contained in a Glass-Lamp with a thin Wick and at the same time a small Green-Finch being both conveyed into a Receiver eighteen Inches high and which was large enough to contain about twenty pints of Water the Flame of the Lamp was extinguish'd at the end of two Minutes but the Bird being brisk at the end of the third Minute was taken out And when the Bird recover'd again the Experiment being repeated
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
incumbent on the other parts of it which will appear from the following Experiments And first If a Cylindrical Pipe open at both ends be held in a perpendicular Posture and the lower end be immersed three Inches in Water the Liquid within the Tube having a free Communication will be of an equal height with the external Water and in thin Tubes a little higher But if Oyl be gradually poured upon the Water without the Pipe the superficial Plain will have a greater Pressure upon it without than within and consequently the Water under the Tube finding not so great a Pressure within the Pipe as without it gradually rises 'till the external and internal Pressure upon the imaginary Plain be equal But since this will be further evident from what is contain'd in the following Paradoxes I shall proceed to them as soon as I have laid down the following Experiments to shew Air is not a Body devoid of Weight as some Peripateticks suppose The first is that a Glass Bubble being blown whose Capacity was short of two cubical Inches it was instantly hermetically sealed whilst hot and when it was cool being placed in a nice pair of Scales and then the Apex of the Stem being broke off the Air rushing in with a noise caused the Bubble to preponderate half a Grain tho' by breaking of the Stem under Water it appear'd that the rarify'd Air remaining in the sealed Glass possess'd one fourth of its Capacity Another time the same Experiment being tryed the Air contain'd seem'd to weigh near three quarters of a Grain and the Capacity of the Receiver being filled with common Water it weighed 905 Grains So that allowing the Air contain'd to take up one fourth and that the weight of the remaining Part was ¼ probably the weight of the whole was about a Grain and consequently the Water weighed little more than nine hundred times as much as an equal Bulk of Air. PARADOX I. paradox 1 That in Water and other Fluids the lower Parts are pressed by the upper If in a Glass of Water See Plate 2. Fig. 1. A B C D see Plate the second Fig. the first a Cylindrical Tube be immersed which contains Oyl of Turpentine and that Oyl be suspended there by keeping the upper Orifice close after it hath been suck'd up to a convenient height 'till the Pipe is depress'd to a convenient Depth in the Water if the lower end of the Pipe B Q be immersed 'till it reaches to the imaginary Surface G H and the Oyl X Q presses no more upon that imaginary Surface than the Water without the Tube then the Oyl will be suspended there and not be able to depress the Surface of the Water below it but if the Surface of the Oyl in the Tube be much above the Water and it presses more upon the imaginary Surface G H than the Water without then it will make its way through that Surface 'till the Oyl within and the Water without are brought to an Aequilibrium again so that they both equally press upon the Surface G H and the like will happen if the Tube be raised to the Surface D S and gradually on to the Surface L M for as the Pressure of the external Water grows less and less as the imaginary Surface is nearer the top of the Glass so the Oyl in the Tube growing preponderant falls out at the lower end of the Tube 'till the Tube T V being almost raised to the Surface L M but a little Water pressing upon that Surface the Oyl is almost wholly fallen out of the Cylindrical Cavity of it But if instead of raising the Pipe P Q it be depressed to the Position N O the Water incumbent on the Surface E F on the outside the Pipe being more powerful than the Cylinder or Oyl W AE which is only aequiponderant to a Cylinder of Water leaning on the Surface G H the Oyl must be buoyed up by the Pressure of the external Water and the Space O AE filled with Water so that the Oyl betwixt W AE and AE O being both aequiponderant to a Cylinder of Water they may equally press upon the Surface E F with the Water on the outside And agreeable to what hath been said it is that the Cylinder of Oyl X Q will be something above the Surface L M when the Tube is only immersed to the Surface Q. Since Oyl of Turpentine being specifically lighter than Water the Cylinder must be longer to press upon the Surface G H equally with a Cylinder of Water no longer than from the Surface L M to G H. And if a heavier Liquor than Water were made use of the Surface X must be more above L M than in Water otherwise it would not press equally upon the subjacent Surface From whence appears the Truth of the Proposition for if the Oyl be kept suspended at a different Height as the external Water is deeper to countervail it and if as it is raised from G H to I K the Oyl in the bottom of the Pipe is pressed out it must needs follow that it is pressed down by the weight of the incumbent Oyl since then the surface of the Water I K being not equally pressed upon from without as by the Oyl it is able to break that Surface and make its way out But before I proceed to the following Propositions I shall subjoin the following Advertisements First What we say of the Pressure of Fluids upon one another is to be attributed to heavy Fluids in general except some reason appears for a particular exception in some Places Secondly That in slender Pipes the Surface of the Liquor within is generally above the Surface of the external Thirdly Small Pipes are the fittest for these Experiments because in larger the emerging Oyl passing through the Water obscures the Light of what is design'd to be visible Fourthly We make use of Oyl of Turpentine rather than any other Liquor because clear and colourless and not apt to stain ones Cloaths and as for the offensive Smell that may be corrected with Oyl of Rhodium or any other odoriferous Oyl tho' any other Liquor may be made use of that will not mix with Water Fifthly Oyl of Turpentine may be tinged with Copper to render the Phaenomena within more visible for which reason we often employ a Decoction of Brasil instead of clear Water or of Log-wood or red Ink it self Sixthly the Figure of the Glasses may be what you please but the Pipes must be broader or longer as occasion requires Seventhly The Pipes are to be filled by sucking up the Air to a convenient Height and then stopping the Orifice above with ones Finger but if it be too high the Experimenter may let it out as he pleases by admitting a convenient quantity of Air in at the Top by gradually removing his Finger Lastly In such Experiments as require a considerable disparity betwixt the two mingled Liquors we may make use of Oyl of Tartar per
by the hand above but only the Surplusage of weight which surmounts the weight of an equal bulk of Water And tho' the School-men tell us that this Phaenomenon depends on the indisposition of Water to weigh in its own place yet I have found that Lead being convey'd into melted Butter contained in a wooden Box and that being suspended in Water by a Silken-thred at the end of a ballance we observed that this was as much indisposed to weigh as Water in Water no more weight than what surmounted the weight of an equal bulk of Water being made sensible by the ballance But when it was partly raised out of the Water or wholly a greater weight was requisite to counterballance it for supposing that part of the Bucket N to be above the Surface of the Water L M a great force is requisite to sustain it the weight of Water incumbent on the Surface P Q being not able to ballance it and consequently the bottom of the Bucket H will scarce be pressed upwards half so strongly as before But if the Bucket be raised to O the Water being not at all contiguous to it cannot contribute to the supporting of it All that is further contained in this Appendix being only a Repetition of what hath been already delivered on this subject I shall pass it by as needless to be repeated again APPENDIX II. Why Divers and others who descend to the bottom of the Sea are not oppressed by the weight of the incumbent Water From what hath been already delivered it appearing that Water weighs in Water and consequently presses upon Bodies contained in it I shall therefore before I propose my own opinion briefly take notice of the following And first Monsieur Des Caries tells us See Plate 4. Fig. 6. that if the Body of a Man were placed in the bottom of the Vessel B so as to stop the Orifice A he would feell the weight of the Water C B A incumbent on him but if he were placed at B he would not be sensible of that weight because should his Body descend the Water betwixt B and C would not descend with him but supposing the Orifice A to be stopped with a solid that would feel the weight of the Water because it hindred the descent of the Water betwixt B and A but since the Principles already laid down overthrow the foundation of this Explication I shall only add that were the matter of fact true the Reason would be that when his Body was at A the Man would sustain the weight of the incumbent Water without any subjacent Water at A to buoy up against him whereas at B the subjacent Water buoys up as much as the other presses down or more But Stevinus Hydrostat Lib. 5. Pag. 149. says Omni Pressu quo corpus dolore afficitur pars aliqua corporis luxatur sed isto Pressu nulla corporis pars luxatur isto igitur Pressu corpus dolore nullo afficitur Sed Exemplo clarius ita intelliges esto A B C D See Plate 4. Fig. 7. aqua cujus fundum D C in quo foramen E habeat Epistomium sibi insertum cui dorso incumbat homo F quae cum ita sint ab aquae pondere ipsi insidente nulla pars corporis luxari poterit cum aqua undiquaque aequaliter urgeat Which solution might hold if the question was only why the Body of a Diver is not pressed down to the bottom of the Sea But as for what he says viz. That the equality and uniformness of the Pressure makes it less sensible I am of his opinion for tho' in the Air the Pressure of it is not perceivable for a like Reason yet if ones hand be applyed to the top of a Receiver and the Air exhausted the Pressure of the incumbent Atmosphere will cause a sensible Pain And to shew that the uniformity of the Pressure and the firmness of the Bodies of Divers may enable them to bear the Pressure of the Water I shall add that having included a Tad-pole in an Instrument See Plate 4. Fig. 8. such as Fig. 8. Plate the fourth describes the Plug was so far depressed that the Air in the end of the Pipe was compressed into an eighth part of the space it possessed before so that the Pressure upon the Water was equal to the weight of a Cylinder of Water three hundred foot high yet the Tad-pole moved up and down as nimbly as before being not at all indisposed tho' its Body appeared to be compressed into less room than before CHAP. VII An Hydrostatical discourse c. ALL that is contained in this discourse being chiefly a Repetition of what hath been before delivered in other Parts of the Author's Works and now only repeated to obviate some Objections of Dr. More 's and the truth 's laid down by our Author in his Hydrostatical Paradoxes and Physico-mechanical Experiments being so plain and these Objections so trivial it would but be needless to encrease the bulk of the Book with what may with more Reason be avoided CHAP. VIII A new Essay Instrument and the Hydrostatical Principle it 's founded on c. Communicated in the Transactions of June 1675. The first Section Shewing the occasion of making this Instrument and the Hydrostatical Principle it 's founded upon A new Hydrostatical Instrument and its uses proposed HAving several years ago made of a Bubble with a long Stem to estimate the specifick Gravity of Metals by its easie or more difficult immersion with them I applyed it likewise to estimate the weight of other Solids by observing how Solids suspended at this Bubble would depress it variously according to their specifick Gravities It being a general Rule in Hydrostaticks that any solid Body in Water loses so much of its weight as a parcel of Water of the same Dimensions would weigh in the Air so that Gold being specifically heavier than Copper it must lose less of its weight in the Water than Copper because proportionably the Ignobler Metal possesses the space of a greater quantity of Water whose weight by weighing it in that fluid is lost in the weight of the Body suspended at the Bubble And consequently an ounce of Gold must cause that Bubble to be immersed deeper in Water than an ounce of Brass or Copper would the Brass by Reason of its larger Dimensions losing more of its weight than the Gold The second Section Describing the Construction of this Instrument This Instrument may be made of any Metal or other matter which will float in the Water without soaking it in but the best for the uses hereafter mentioned are those made of Glass tho' they are not so lasting as those that consist of Copper or Silver This Instrument is made of three Parts a Ball the Stem and that which holds the Pipe The Ball consists of two Metalline Plates each of the fashion of a Convex Glass and the Cavity within must be so large that the
Air contained in it may be sufficient to hold as much Air as will keep the whole Stem from sinking under Water if the Ballast which is to keep the Vessel immersed in an erect posture is to be contain'd within the Vessel the Stem ought to be hollow but otherwise to consist of a small Cylinder without any Cavity and of a convenient length The Instrument I employ for Guineas hath its Ball as big as a Hens-egg and the Stem about four or five Inches long being soddered on to a hole in the Centre of the uppermost Convex part of the Ball and to the Centre of the lowermost is fixed a piece of Wire to lay the Guiny upon or a screwed stirrup to fix it in If you have a mind to try pieces of Gold of greater weight the stirrup ought to be fixed to a small Cylinder upon which several pieces of Metal being fixed and having holes in the middle that they may be put on or taken off as occasion requires the Instrument may be adjusted to any piece of Gold tho' twice or thrice as heavy as a Guiny To adjust this Instrument for the use of Guineas it must be lightned by the use of a file or made heavier by the addition of Ballast that it may be sufficiently immersed in the Water without sinking and then a mark being fixed on the Stem at the Surface of the Water a piece of Brass must be substituted in the place of the Guiny of the same weight or a grain or two heavier in the Air and a mark set at the Surface of the Water when it is immersed by that weight In which method of adjusting the following Particulars are to be minded First the Guinea must be placed exactly with its middle in the screw that it may not incline the Tube but let it stand erect Secondly Quick-silver Ballast in Metalline Instruments is apt to dissolve the sodder Thirdly the marks may be made of chewed Mastick fixed in small holes or by fixing a Silver or a Golden Wire in a nick made round the Stem Fourthly one of the heavyest Guineas is to be made use of in adjusting this Instrument and care must be taken that ½ of an Inch be left above the Water because all Waters themselves are not of an equal weight yet those circumstances vary not the success since the difference in the immerging this Instrument in several Waters is in considerable in respect of the difference betwixt a piece of Brass and Gold of an equal weight in the Air it being an Inch and three quarters Fifthly before we can determine by this Instrument whether the Gold be good it must be weighed in the Air to see whether it be of a just weight and then this will discover whether it be genuine for otherwise we may think the Metal not good when it only wants weight in the Air. The Explication of the Figures See Plate 1. Fig. 00. Fig. 1. A B. The Stem or Pipe C E. The two Parts of the Ball soddered together B C D E. The Ball it self F. The screw G. The stirrup somewhat out of its Place H. The mark to which Copper of the weight of a Guinea in the Air depresses it I. The mark to which the Gold sinks it Fig. 2. The screw by it self to be taken off or put on the undermost Stem of the Instrument Fig. 3. The Perforated Plates to be put upon the lower Stem as ballast Fig. 4. The lower Stem with a Perforated Plate upon it Fig. 5. The stirrup which my be made use of instead of the screw Fig. 6. A. B. C. The Glass Instrument D D D. The Coin supported by four Horse-hairs Fig. 7. The undermost Stem of a Glass Instrument to which a screw is fastned with Horse-hairs or otherwise Fig. 8. A B C D. The Instrument for estimating the specifick Gravity of Liquors E E The Quick-silver or Water employed as Ballast The third Section Representing the uses of this Instrument as relating to Metals The first Vse Is to distinguish true Guineas from Counterfeit The second Vse In examining a piece of Gold lighter than a Guinea so much Ballast may be added as will make that amount to the weight of a Guinea and if the Gold be heavier so many of the perforated Plates must be taken off the Stem that the Instrument may not be sunk by it and when a Coin but a little heavier than a Guinea is to be tryed it may be convenient to place a perforated Plate upon the upper screw so that it may lye upon the Ball and be taken off or lightned with a file as occasion requires That several pieces of Gold may upon some occasions be fix'd at once the aperture of the screw ought to be wider than what will just admit of a Guinea If the Instrument be well proportioned so that a piece of Gold a little heavier than a Guinea may not depress it under Water it may be examined without altering the weight of the Instrument And acording to the method above laid down a half Guinea may be tryed by placing a true half Guinea with it in the screw The third Vse This Instrument may be adjusted to try Silver Coins which are lighter than half a Crown by weighing Silver in it and marking the Surface of the Water upon the Pipe and then observing what difference there is betwixt that and an equal weight of an ignobler Metal in the Air. And tho' several Instruments would be more convenient for the trying of these different Metals yet by altering the Ballast Plates one may be made to serve the turn The fourth Vse And by the like method an Instrument may be adjusted to discover whether Tin be more or less adulterated with Lead since Tin being the lightest of Metals the Lead will depress the Instrument lower if mixed with Tin as Gold on the contrary is the heaviest Metal and is lighter upon the addition of another Metal The fifth Vse It may enable us to guess at the Qualities of Metalline Mixtures and the proportions of the ingredients for by adjusting how much such a weight of Gold will depress the Stem by afterwards trying how much lighter in Water the same weight of allayed Gold in the Air will be and at the same time observing what was the proportion of Silver in the Alloy we may be enabled to judge how much other pieces of Gold are alloyed by comparing their weight in Water with this Standard provided they be of the same specifick weight in the Air with the Gold unalloyed And the same measures may be taken to make an estimate of the alloys of Silver with Copper or of Copper with Tin CHAP. IX Observations of the growth and increase of Metals About the growth of Tin I am told by the Master of a Tin Mine that after a Tin Mine had been quite drained of its Ore by washing and vanning about 120 years after it yielded rich Ore again and that a good quantity
vitrify'd Sand as filled a Retort and two or three fluxing Additaments of small price sixteen grains of pure Gold And tho' by some it is thought strange that there should be a necessity of fixing Gold yet I have elsewhere made it appear that by a small addition of another Substance Gold may be sublimed without a naked Fire and form several Crystals like Rubies And if Sands as well as Earths and Stones abound with Mineral Ingredients it may be convenient to take an account where such Substances are found and likewise to take a Sample of them as also of the Ores of different Mines and to try them Hydrostatically for I have observ'd that in English Lead Ores of several kinds those in which thirty pound of Lead is only to be got out of an hundred of Ore are looked upon as not worth working those that yield half their weight of Metal are indifferent and other Ore which yields from fifty five to sixty in the hundred is looked upon to be very good but those that afford eighty Pound in the hundred are accounted very rich but I have not met with any that afforded more than seventy five in a hundred weight Which Ore seemed to consist wholly of Metal and was made up of Parts of a Cubical Figure and much resembling Dies placed one by another But besides what hath been already proposed to be inquired after concerning Metalline Fossils not only its Proportion is to be consider'd but the plenty or scarceness of the Mineral the easiness or difficulty of coming at it as also its depth and freeness from Waters its nearness to plenty of Fuel its nearness to Water to drive Mills and to transport it c. are to be consider'd likewise before one begins to work a Mine An Explication of the Instruments employed in these Experiments and those in the following Chapter aa The Beam See Plate 1. Fig. 00. bb the Dishes cc the Frame to suspend the Beam upon which d a sliding Socket e its Arms containing f a Pulley over which g another Pulley passes h a Line fastned to i a moveable Weight by which the Beam is raised up or let down k a Hair to suspend l the Body to be weighed in the Water held in m the Glass Cistern n the Bucket for Liquors o the Box of grains p the Forceps to manage them q the Pile of Weights r the Handle of the Ballance ssss the Table CHAP. XI Medicina Hydrostatica FROM what is contain'd in the fore-going Chapter it appearing that white Marble or Crystal may be a Standard to distinguish mineral Substances from other Bodies I shall here subjoin the way of weighing sinking Bodies in Water The method of weighing Bodies And first the solid Body to be examin'd is to be suspended by a Horse-hair at one of the Scales just now described and there to be counterpoised then the Weights being taken out by deducing from the weight of the Body in Air the weight of it in Water by the Remainder divide the whole weight of the given Body in the Air and the Quotient will shew the Proportion in specifick Gravity betwixt the examin'd Solid and as much Water as is just equal to it in Bulk For Example if the Weight of a Cubick Inch of Rock-Crystal be 1169 grains in the Air and 738 in Water the Remainder will be 431 grains by which the 1169 grains being divided the Quotient will be found to be 2 × 71 100 or near enough 7 10 for the proportion of the Gravity of white Marbles to Water In which Direction it is requisite to observe first Cautions requisite to be observ'd That what we have said implys that the Body weighed must be heavier than Water Secondly Horse-Hairs are more convenient than other strings because they are nearer to a specifick Gravity with Water Thirdly Where the Figure of a Body disabled us from suspending it by tying a hair about it we platted a sort of net of Hairs to hold it in Fourthly So much of the Hair as is above the Water must be counterpoised by a Weight in the other Scale Fifthly Sometimes instead of the Scale I counterpoised the opposite with a weight of Lead and suspended the Horse-Hair at the String but when I did not take off the Scale I caused it to be perforated in the middle Sixthly Care must be taken that the Water below touches not the bottom of the Scale and that the Body be freely suspended and wholly immersed in the Water Seventhly Care must be taken that no Bubbles of Air be contained in the Pores of the Body weighed since the success will be apt to fail in some Tryals upon that account And these circumstances being observed it will be easie to know by the method proposed the difference betwixt the specifick weight of other Bodies heavier than Water It being agreeable to that Hydrostatical Paradox of Archimedes That a Body heavier than Water weighs less in Water than in the Air by the weight of as much Water as is equal to it in Bulk or Magnitude And The first Use of this method of weighing Bodies By this Method we found That the weight of Lapis Hematites to Water was as four 15 100 to one and by subliming it with Sal-Armoniack we found by the Astringency of it that it abounded with Metalline Parts of a Martial Nature which was further confirmed by observing that a grain of it turned an Infusion of Galls black Lapis Lazuli was to its bulk of Water in weight as three to one A Load-Stone which besides Magnetical hath Medicinal Vertues appeared to be as four 93 100 to one Lapis Calaminaris was as four 169 100 to one In which Concretes the Medicinal Virtues seem to depend on the plentiful mixture of metalline Ingredients but some Bodies which abound less with Mineral Substances may be as operative by reason of some more active Particles But This Hydrostatical method of weighing Bodies Use II may be further serviceable in distinguishing Stones from Plants or other petrified Substances as Coral which weighs in proportion to Water as two 68 100 to one and therefore appears to be a Stone being heavier than Crystal A monstrous Pearl taken out of an Oyster which weighed 206 grains was to Water as two 51 100 to one A Calculus Humanus which weighed six drams and a half was in proportion to Water as one 76 100 to one and another that weighed four drachms and a half was to Water as one 69 100 to one These Stones tho' the productions of Distempers have been accounted better than Oriental Bezoar in their Effects Choice Bezoar Stones which weighed three drachms in the Air being weighed in Water one of them was as one 47 100 to one another somewhat lighter was as one 53 100 to one a third which was taken out of another Stone which being weighed in the Air weighed six drachms wanting nine grains was in proportion to Water as one 55 100 to
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
less so it might be said to be of a Magnitude proportionable for if it weighed but 128 grains less in Water it might be said to be of such a bulk of Water but if it weighed 256 wanting thirty two grains that being an eight of a whole Cubick Inch of Water the bulk of the Body may be said to be ⅞ of a Cubick Inch. And if the Body weighs one ounce thirty two grains amounting to 512 grains or one ounce and a half forty eight grains amounting to 768 grains the bulk of the Body will be equal to two or three Cubical Inches And if after the Division there remains a Fraction it will not be difficult to estimate it and to know the exact bulk of the Body since the Cubical Inch consists of such aliquot Parts as are easily and regularly divided and subdivided And thus we may easily know the bulk of a Body that is heavier than Water but if it be specifically lighter it will be a difficult matter The method Mersennus proposes is this viz. First weigh the Body to be examined in the Air. Secondly take a piece of Lead of a determinate weight and able to sink the other Body in Water Thirdly weigh the Plate in Water and the weight it loses in Water will be the weight of Water equal in bulk to the Body weighed Fourthly tye together the Plate of Lead and the lighter Body and note the weight of the Aggregate Fifthly weigh the Aggregate in Water and substract the weight of it there from its weight in the Air and the difference will be the specifick weight of the said Body in Water Sixthly from this difference substract the formerly found specifick Gravity of the Plate alone in Water and the remains will give you the weight of the lighter Body in the same Liquor And then dividing the obtained weight of the light Body in Water by 256 grains and it will give you the solid content of that naturally floating Body To illustrate this method I shall subjoin the following Experiment I. The Oaken Cube in Air weighs seven drachms thirteen grains and a half 193 ½ II. The weight of the Lead in Air four drachms 240 III. The weight of the Lead in Water three drachms and a half ten grains 220 which being substracted from its weight in Air leaves for its specifick weight in Water 020 IV. The Aggregate of the two in Air is 433 ½ V. The weight of both together in Water is 162 which being substracted from its weight in Air gives the difference of both the Aggregates 271 ½ VI. The difference betwixt the weight of Lead alone in Air and in Water or which is all one the specifick weight of the Plate alone viz. 020 Being substracted from the difference of the Aggregates in Air and in Water gives for the weight of the Cube proposed which wants but four and a half of the weight of a Cubical Inch of Water 251 ½ The same method that hath been taken with solids not subject to dissolve in Water may be taken with Alloms c. Which is only by employing Oyl of Turpentine instead of Water for a Cubical Inch of that weighing 221 grains and ⅛ the difference of the weight of a solid in the Air and in that Oyl being divided by that Number the Quotient will give you the solid contents of the Examined Body But to discover the weight of Bodies which are apt to imbibe too much of the Liquor they are weighed in we may guard them from it by a thin coat of Bees-Wax and having first taken the weight of the Wax in Air and then fastned it to a Plate of Lead substract the weight of as much Water as is equal in bulk to the Wax and proceed with the Body contained and the Plate of Lead as before taught and having thus obtained the Weight of the proposed Body in Water by dividing it by 256 grains by the help of the Quotient we may obtain the solid contents of the proposed Body Another way I devised for to learn the solid contents of a Body without imbibing Water into it was by finding the weight of a Cubick Inch of Mercury and also the specifick weight of the Vessel and then pouring upon the Body contained in that Vessel as much Silver as it would hold by knowing the weight of that Quick-silver from the weight of the whole which the Vessel would contain one might be acquainted to how much Mercury the matter contained was equal Having thus proposed a Hydrostatical way of trying Bodies I shall leave it to others to contrive an Instrument more apt for such uses than I have done And shall to what I have said add that these kind of Experiments do not always equally answer in success being apt to be diversifyed as well by the want of uniformity in the Qualities and specifick weight of Bodies of the same Denomination as by the difference in Water in intensely Hot and Cold Weather as also upon the account of less exact Ballances But another reason is the difference of weights of the same Denomination for we are told by a diligent Mathematician that cum omnia grana vel semina quae reperiri solent in atriis venalibus Lutetiae and stateram expendisset vix granum ullum inter ejusdem Speciei grana grano alteri exacte respondisset in incertis Ludere noluit And the same Author tells us that 688 Roman grains are but equal to 576 French grains and this estimate of their difference by another Ballance was found to be thirty six grains false And the same Author receiving two accounts of the number of grains contained in a Roman ounce the one told him there were 612 the other 576. And tho' our weights as well as those made use of by Gheraldus have twenty four scruples in an ounce yet he divided his scruples into twenty four grains whereas we divide ours but into twenty And Mersennus p. 37. lib. 16. tells us that cum autem dixi Chelinum undecim dici denariorum credunt tamen alii decem duntaxat nil assero And. To what hath been said I shall only add that tho' this method of weighing Bodies be not Mathematically exact yet it comes as near Physical exactness as we can expect and may be of use till some more nice way of Tryals be found out A Table representing not only the Weight of several Bodies in Air and Water but their Proportions in Weight to an equal Bulk of Water A Weight In Air in Gr. In Water in Grains Proportion AMber 306 12 1 4 100 to 1. Agat 251 156 2 64 100 to 1. A piece of Allom-stone 280 ¾ 152 ¼ 2 18 100 to 1. Antimony good and supposed to be Hungarian One 391 295 4 7 100 to 1. B    Bezoar stone 187 61 1 48 100 to 1. A piece of the same 56 ½ 22 1 64 100 to 1. A fine Oriental one 172 60 1 53 100 to 1. Another 237 61 1 34
scarce discernable if at all as in Loadstones Ambergrease c. Those requiring a long time to make their Consumption discernible in which time we are not sure but the Weights themselves may have lost of their weight as well as the Counterpoise and consequently not be able to discover the loss those sustain But there are several other besides statical ways of trying whether Bodies emit Effluvia or not and there are several peculiar ways requisite to cause them to emit them as Glass c. affect the Nostrils upon an Attrition I had a Diamond as well as a Ruby which would be excited by a gentle heat in my Pocket or only by strokeing my Finger over the former tho' sometimes they would fail to be so easily or uniformly excited and it is not a little strange that upon the Tread of a Hare or Partridge Effluvia should be so long emitted as to give a Scent to Dogs several Hours after And if Load-stones and other Bodies may have Constant Atmospheres which are only to be discover'd by particular Bodies several other Substances not yet taken notice of may emit Effluvia which by peculiar Methods may be discover'd CHAP. IV. Of the Strange Subtlety of Effluviums Of the subtlety of Effluviums THE subtlety of the Effluviums will be most aptly represented by considering I. The strange extensibility of some Bodies whilst their Parts remain tangible II. The Multitude of visible Corpuscles that may be afforded by a small Portion of Matter III. The smallness of the Pores at which the Effluvia of some Bodies will get in IV. The small Decrement of Bulk or Weight that a Body may suffer by parting with great store of Effluvia And V. The great quantity of Space that may be filled as to Sense by a small quantity of Matter when rarify'd or dispersed And First I have observed that a Grain of Silver Wire amounted to 27 Foot or 324 Inches and since half an English Inch may be divided into a 100 Parts by diagonal Lines it must consist of 64800 true Metalline Parts which may be well conceived to be made of Parts yet more minute And I had a gilt Wire an Ounce of which made a Wire 1000 paces long allowing Five Foot to a Pace and 720 Foot above and had this Wire been drawn out to an equal smallness with the Silver Wire the Gold would have been divided to an indefinite number of Parts being sufficient to cover the superficial Area of so long a Wire And I have known Silk to be drawn out of the Mouth of a Worm which tho' it weigh'd but two Grains and a half was 300 Yards long But to evince the great extensibility of Matter we took six beaten Leaves of Gold the sides of whose Squares were 3 Inches and 2 8 which Number being reduced to a Decimal Fraction viz. 3125 100 and multiplyed by it self affords 10â—5â— 10000 for the Area of each and this multiplyed by 6 the Number of the Leaves amounts to 6313750 10000 square Inches for the Area of the six Leaves of Gold which weighed but 1 Gr. ¼ so that 4 Grains was extended to above 50 square Inches And if each of these Inches may by Lines drawn from opposite Points be divided each into 100 Parts one Grain of Gold must be divided into 500000 little squares discernable by a good Eye and if an Inch were divided into 200 Parts as I have one by me that is then a Grain may be divided into 2000000 of squares And to be satisfy'd further of the extensibility of Gold I enquired and was told that 8 Grains of Gold would gild an Ounce of Silver Wire as fine as a Hair and which would reach betwixt 90 and 100 Miles But supposing the Wire to be as fine as that first mentioned and that 8 Grains of Gold went to gild it a sheath of Gold weighing but 8 Grains may be extended so as to reach 60 times as much in weight of Silver Wire as it covers and consequently a grain of that Wire being twenty seven foot long the ounce of Gold would reach to 777600 foot i. e. 155 ½ miles and if this Gold Wire were cut into as small thongs or lists as posibly it might be it must reach to a stupendious length But secondly to shew into what a number of visible Corpuscles a Body may be divided we put an ounce of Water into an Aeolipile and having placed it upon a Chafing-dish of Coals we observed that Vapours streamed out or above sixteen minutes and considering a few intermitting gusts afterwards and what drops of Water were condensed in the top of it I guessed that had the whole been driven out in Vapours they would have continued twenty minutes N. B. to the Orifice of the Aeolipile we applied a long Tube twenty Inches long and an Inch in Diameter the remoter end being continued about six Inches longer and so far expanded that its Diameter was four or five Inches and by the help this Pipe we were able tho' not actly to measure the Extension of the rarified Vapours To this instance I might add the prodigious expansion of some Inflamable Bodies when turned into actual flame as Spirit of Wine c. Which being burnt in a Glass Lamp so contrived that the Surface of the Liquor was still Circular the waste made in ¼ of an hour was very small tho' the Physical superficies of the Liquor must needs be successively rarified and expanded and fly away in streams and if so little of this Liquor was able to afford matter for flame so long the same bulk of a more compact Body may easily be supposed to be capable of being expanded to much greater Dimensions And to these instances I shall add that half a grain of Gun-Powder being exploded under a Vessel whose Basis was eight Inches and its Altitude twenty and its figure such that it was more Capacious than a Cone of that size the exploded Gun-Powder was observed to fill the whole Cavity of the Vessel as to sense and successively issued out of the upper Orifice for half a quarter of an hour so that the Diameter of it being two Inches many Myriads of visible Corpuscles must be conceived to throng out in so long a time as they crouded out one after another But to make a kind of an estimate of the Expansion of this Substance we filled the Vessel full of Water and found that the weight of it amounted to 320000 half grains And if we suppose the specifick Gravity of the Gun-Powder to be as much again as that of Water we my probably guess the smoak to posses 500000 times the space that the Gun-Powder did And as a further Argument of the great minuteness of small Parts of matter I shall urge the smallness of Cheese-mites which being so small as not to be discernable to a naked Eye but when they move must be made of extremely fine Parts otherwise there would not be room enough for an Organical Body
and if an Organical Body furnished with all the Parts requisite for the Preservation of Life be contained in so small a compass how minute must they be at the first since the Eggs out of which they are formed bear but a small proportion to them when perfectly formed and even comparative Observations tell us that a Mite being ten days a hatching the Rudiments of its Body at the first must bear but a small proportion to the bulk of that small Egg and to this I shall add that tho' these Creatures be so very small yet I have been able to discern single hairs growing upon their Legs Another instance of the Extension of matter minutely divided is this viz. We dissolved a grain of filings of Copper in Spirit of Sal-Armoniack pouring the Solution into a tall Cylinder four Inches in Diameter and successively filling it four times with distilled Water still pouring it off into a Conical Glass which being done and the weight of the Glass Cylinder deducted from the Joint weight of the Liquor contained in it we found that one grain of Copper was able to give à Tincture to 28534 times its weight of Water tho' its specifick Gravity is not half so much as that of fine Gold and if we estimate the proportion not by weight but the bulk of these Bodies the bulk of Water to Copper being as nine to one the aforementioned number multiplyed by nine will give us the proportion betwixt the tinged and tinging the Body so that one grain of Copper gives a colour to 256806 parts of Limpid Water and by prosecuting this Experiment further I found that it was able to give a manifest Tincture to above 385200 and a faint but discernable one to above 513620 times its bulk of Water To shew that the Effluvia of Bodies may enter in at very small Pores I shall intimate the effects of Cantharides held in the hands of some Persons and on the Neck of my own Bladder when applyed outwardly to my Neck And not only Scaliger tells us of Spiders in Gascony whose Virulent Poyson would penetrate the Shooes of those that trod upon them but Piso speaking of a Fish called Amoreatim and by the Portugals Peize sola he says Quae mira sane Efficacia non solum Manum vel levissimo attactu sed pedem licet optime calceatum Piscatoris incaute Pisciculum conterentis Paralysi stupore afficit instar Torpedinis Europeae sed Minus durabili Lib. 5. Cap. 14. And to shew that some Emanations even of solid Bodies may be subtle enough to get through the Pores even of the closest Bodies I shall add that a needle being Hermetically sealed up in a Glass Tube and that laid upon Water a Load-Stone would cause the Needle to leap up in it and by the help of the Load-Stone I could lead the Tube from one part of the Surface of the Water to another as I moved the Load-Stone And to shew that the Magnetical Effluvia of the Earth may penetrate so close and compact a Body as Glass I shall add that a Cylindrical piece of Iron being sealed up in a Glass Cylinder and held in a Perpendicular Posture it acquired such Magnetical Virtues as to become a North Pole and according to Magnetical Laws to drive away the North Point of a Needle but being inverted and held under the Point of a Needle it became a South Pole and attracted it Another Proof of the great subtlety of Effluviums may be taken from the small decrease of Weight by parting with store of such Emanations as Vitrum Antimonii Crocus Metallorum and Quick-silver the two first of which give a Vomitive Virtue to a vast quantity of Wine without growing sensibly lighter and so Quick-silver impregnates Water with a Virtue of killing Worms And a piece of Ambergrease which weighed about 100 or 120 Grains being suspended three days in the open Air lost not sensibly of its Weight notwithstanding the quantity of odoriferous Steams it must have parted with in that time Assa Foetida in about six Days lost about half a quarter of a Grain one Ounce of Nutmegs in six Days lost 5 Grains ½ and an Ounce of Cloves 7 grains â… And tho' Loadstones emit Effluvia without a sensible loss of weight yet I suspect that as these Magnetical Particles fly out of one Pole they enter in at the other and so make the Pores of the Load-stone their constant Thorow-fares To these Instances I shall add that a Grain of Copper being dissolved in a spoonful of a Menstruum and that put into a Glass-Lamp the Metal tinged the Flame which continued half an Hour and six Minutes so that supposing the Flame to have streamed through a Cylindrical Pipe so long that small parcel of Metal must be divided into a vast Number of small Parts for Water which ran through a Cylinder whose Diameter was but half as great as that of the Flame amounted to above Nine Gallons or Seventy two Pounds The last Particular I shall insist upon to shew the strauge subtlety of Effluviums is the great quantity of space a small parcel of Matter may be extended to and as to Sense possess it this we may be enabled to guess at by considering how long a Dog will distinguish the Scent of Partridges Hares c. after they have left the Place and will almost give one sufficient grounds to guess how long the Animal hath been gone from thence before And I am told that a Blood-hound will not only perceive the Seent of a Man that hath gone over a piece of Ground several Hours before but that the scent of a Deer will continue upon the Ground from one Day to the next And if we consider that the eighth part of a Grain can scarce be suppos'd to be left on the Ground where such an Animal hath stood and likewise at what distance it may be scented and how long that scent continues it will be sufficient to convince us of the extraordinary minuteness of those Parts of Animals which were rendered more apt to be dissipated in Effluviums by their having been first strained through the Pores of their Bodies Nor is it less remarkable that Birds especially Crows are able to discover the smell of Gun-powder at a considerable distance and that they are I am satisfi'd by my own Observations as well as the Relations of others And on this occasion I shall add That Julius Palmarius in his Tract de Morbis Contagiosis observes that Horses Beeves Sheep and other Animals have grown mad by eating the Straw that mad Swine have lain on which may give us Reason to suspect that the Feet of distempered Animals may leave an Infection upon the Grass they tread on But to prosecute the chief aim of our Discourse I shall add That since Corpuscles that are too minnte to be visible may affect an Organ of Sense it is not improbable but that there may be a great many which may be so fine
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
Pump D. D. is joyn'd by a Screw to the Stop-Cock C. E. A Vessel which fluctuates in the Receiver in which an Animal being put and the Pump fill'd with Water and joyn'd to the Stop-Cock by a Screw the Water contain'd in the Pump will by lifting up the Sucker be forc'd into the Receiver and by that means condense the Air without an addition of new and by drawing the Sucker down again the same parcel of Air will be again expanded so that Observations may be made how much the thickness or thinness of Air contributes to the preservation of the life or health of Animals PLATE VII An Instrument to distil in Vacuo See Fig A. A. A Brazen Vessel the lower part of which is shut and the upper open B. B. A piece of Tin exquisitely adapted to the Tube so as to prevent the External Air from entring in being adapted to the Edges of it A. A. D. D. C. C. A Tube fix'd in the middle of the Tin Plate B. B. D. D. A Brazen Vessel whose Orifice is contiguous to B. B. E. E. A Stop-Cock fix'd to the Perforation in the Plate B. B. F. F. A Tube-reaching from the Stop-Cock to the Pneumatick Engin. G. G. A metalline Vessel enclosing the Junctures of the Vessels with the Diaphragma and also the Stop-Cock that by keeping them immers'd in Water they may be free from External Air this is cemented to the Vessel A. with Soder The manner of using this Engin is the following viz. The Tin Plate being remov'd and the Ingredients to be boil'd being put into the Vessel A. A. then re-applying the Tin Plate A. A. and the Vessel D. D. and the Tube F. F. being apply'd to the Pneumatick Engin and the Air pump'd out the Vessel G. G. having been first fill'd with Water we shut the Stop-Cock and remove the Tube F. F. and then the exhausted Vessel being placed on the Fire Vapours will ascend through the Tube C. C. which will be condens'd in the upper Vessel and what Quantity of Air is there generated will appear by the Mercurial Gage H. in the Top of the Vessel But here it is to be noted that round pieces of perforated Paper being laid upon the Orifices of the Vessels A. A. D. D. they will be more exactly joyn'd with the Tin Plate The Junctures of the Tube F. F. both with the Pneumatick Engin and Stop-Cock are to be guarded with Cement and the Stop-Cock must be so contriv'd as to stand so far without the Vessel G. that it may be conveniently turn'd When any thing is to be conveigh'd into the Vessel the Tin Plate E. E. and the Stop-Cock may be laid aside Which may be done without any great Dissiculty for the Key being made up of two parts the one of which M. is turn'd in the Stop-Cock by a Chink into which the End of the other part O. O. which fills the Pipe N. N. fix'd to the Vessel G. G. is receiv'd so that one End being prominent outwardly whilst it is turn'd it may communicate Motion to the other Part M. But whilst the Tin Plate B. B. is is to be taken out of the Vessel G. G. it must be drawn outward Fig. 2. Another Instrument for the same Vse with the former B. B. A small Tube both Ends of which are polish'd that it may be exactly adapted to the Orifices of the Vessels A. and D. A. A. D. D. Two Vessels made of Glass so joyn'd by the Tube B. B. that Vapours may pass from one to the other E. E. F. F. G. G. I. Are of the same Use with the first Figure and the Instrument is to be evacuated by the same Method only the Glass Vessel must be placed in Balneo Mariae or on Sand and the Vapours so rais'd will condense in the Vessel D. D. CHAP. III. ARTICLE I. Several Ways to help the Production of the Air. EXPERIMENT I. Air produced from Bread TO try whether a piece of Bread which was moist and a little kneaded would yield Air I included it in Vacuo with a Mercurial Gage July 12th 76. but it yielded none On the 12th some broke in the Receiver and raised Mercury 3 Inches high and at Night it was rais'd an Inch higher tho' no external Air got in July 13th it ascended higher On the 26th Day it expanded it self so powerfully as to separate the Receiver and it's Cover the Smell of it being acid So that Air may be drawn out of Bread by such a Menstruum as Water EXPERIMENT II. JVly the 11th Bread being burnt by a Burning-Glass in Vacuo yielded Air which came from it with an Explosion whence we may guess that could Air be separated more easily from it it would produce very considerable Effects EXPERIMENT III. Septemb. 22. I Enclos'd in a Receiver From Grapes Eight Ounces of dry'd Grapes bruis'd in 7 Ounces of Water the Receiver being large enough to contain 22 Ounces Septemb. 23. Tho' the Receiver was cover'd with Water all Night the Mercury was rais'd two Inches Septemb. 30. In seven Days it was rais'd thirteen Inches Octob. 5. In five Days more it was 25 Inches high Octob. 18. The Mercury ascended slowly some Air making it's way out of the Receiver Grapes without Water did not yield Air so plentifully See Art IX Exp. I. EXPERIMENT IV. July 12. I Shut up 10 Ounces of Raisins of the Sun bruis'd From Raisins in as much Water as was sufficient to make them ferment July 14. In 48 Hours rais'd the Mercury ten Inches at Night the Mercury was 5 Inches higher the next Day it was almost as high as when buoy'd up by the Atmosphere July 16. In the Morning the Receiver and it's Cover were separated by Air which got through the Water which the Receiver was cover'd with The same Raisins were shut up in Vacuo again July 18. In the Morning the Air broke out July 19. They were enclosed in the empty Receiver July 21. The Receiver was so full of Air that some of it forced it's way out and they were inclosed in the exhausted Receiver again July 22. The Receiver was almost full The 23d in the Morning it forced it self out When the Parts of the Water have work'd upon Grapes 5 or 6 days they yield Air very fast tho' at the first they do not EXPERIMENT V. August 13. 1677. PLums were shut up in one Receiver From Plums and Pears in two others August 16. They were all full of Air and one which contain'd Pears and lay open to the Sun-Beams rais'd the Cover in 24 hours EXPERIMENT VI. Octob. 16. 77. From bsed Grs. I Enclosed two Ounces of bruised Grapes in a Receiver large enough to hold 20 Ounces of Water .. Octob. 17. The Mercury was raised half an Inch. Octob. 18. The Mercurial Cylinder was raised half an Inch more The 20th it encreased 2 Inches The 22d 4 Inches The 27th near 6 Inches Jan. 2. 78. It was not quite 10 Inches
so close upon it that the Water should not be able to get out between them To the midst of this bottom was fastned a long string for a use to be hereafter mention'd the Instrument being thus prepared the Water was poured in at the top of the Pipe A B which pressing upon the false bottom C D against the subjacent rim G H contributed to render the Vessel more close and to obstruct its own passage whereupon we tyed the upper end of the string I K to a beam and put so many weights into the opposite Scale as were sufficient to raise the false bottom C D from the rim G H. And then deducting from that weight the weight of the false bottom and the Water contained in the broad Cylindrical Box B E C H. G D F we found that the Pressure which was made upon C D was much greater than what reading Stevinus would make one expect and than all the Water contained both in the Pipe and Cylinder would have been had it been contained in an uniform Cylinder paradox VII PARADOX VII That a Body immersed in a fluid sustains a Lateral Pressure from the fluid and that increased as the depth of the immersed Body below the Surface of the fluid increaseth This appears from what is represented by Plate the third Fig. the fifth See Plate 3. Fig. 5. where Oyl being sucked up into the Pipes G F K and they sufficiently immersed in the Water contained in the Vessel A B C D so that the Surface of the Oyl I K may be but a little above the Water the Imaginary Pillar of Water H G will suspend it there but if the Pipe be raised the Oyl becoming too heavy to be kept up by so short a Cylinder the incumbent Cylinder will force it out of the Orifice G but if the Pipe be further immersed the Water will raise the Oyl in the Tube and fill part of the Cylindrical cavity below it To this Experiment I shall add See Plate 3. Fig. 6. that having stopped the Mouth of the Vial ABCD represented by Fig. six Plate the third with a Cork and Cement and bored with a hot Iron a hole to receive the Pipe G H and the other E F I stopped the Orifice G with a Cork and Cement likewise and then pouring in Water through the Pipe E till it rose to the Surface I the Bubble X was so nicely poised that it swam but as soon as by pouring in more Water the Surface was raised to K the Bubble X subsided to the bottom From whence it appears that the whole Water contained in the Pipe E presses upon the whole Water within the Glass otherwise it could not compress the Air in the Bubble and make it sink and likewise that it not only presses upon that subjacent but likewise upon those Parts that are latterally situated in Respect of it And that not only the upper Parts of the Water but even the Cork that is below the Surface of the Water I is pressed by the weight of it and obliquely too appears since if the Orifice G be not closely stopped the Water will be raised through it and if instead of a Cork and Cement it be only stopped with ones Thumb one may perceive an evident Pressure of the Water against it And that the subsiding of the Bubble depended on the Pressure of the Water above it appeared since if part of the Water was poured off by inclining the Vial it would presenty emerge again And one thing in this Experiment worthy our notice was that if the Glass A B. C D was not wholly filled but the space betwixt L M filled with Air yet the Pressure of such different Fluids may be so easily communicated from one to the other that the Bubble would descend equally as if it were filled with Water paradox VIII PARADOX VIII That Water may be made to depress a Body lighter than it self as well as to buoy it up The truth of this Paradox will be easily made out by the following Experiments for if a Glass Syphon See Plate 3. Fig. 7. of the Figure represented by Fig. 7. Plate the third be filled from H to I with Oyl of Turpentine and immersed in the Glass A B C D till the Orifice A of the shorter Leg be under Water if then the Orifice E be unstopped and the whole Tube E I F G H be depressed gradually the incumbent Water H K will press the Oyl out of the shorter Leg H G into the longer E F. And For a further confirmation of this Paradox as well as the foregoing and the second I shall subjoin that having provided a Pipe of the Figure represented by Fig. 8. and sucked so much Oyl into it as filled the space L M N P See Fig. 〈◊〉 I immersed it in Water and upon the opening the Orifice O as the Pipe was gradually depressed the Oyl was pressed out of the Pipe L M to N and from thence to what height I pleased in the Pipe O P N. PARADOX IX paradox IX That whatever is said of Positive Levity a parcel of Oyl lighter than Water may be kept in Water without ascending in it Considering that since the Surface of a Vessel of standing Water is Physically speaking Horizontal the Water that presses against the lower part of the immersed Body must needs be deeper than that which presses against the upper and that this is the Reason why Bodies lighter than Water emerge I concluded that if the Water upon the upper Surface of Oyl in a Tube could be so high as to ballance the Pressure of that Water below Oyl might be suspended betwixt two Parcels of Water To try the Result I sucked an Inch of Water into a Tube and by stopping the upper Orifice and by that means suspending the Water in the Tube I removed it into a Vessel of Oyl and then opening the upper Orifice till an Inch of Oyl was buoyed up into it I removed it again into a Vessel of Water and immersed it so far in that till the Water below the Oyl was equal in height to the Water above it in which station the Cylinder of Oyl and Water being equal in weight with the Pressure of the external Water the Oyl Q. R. was suspended betwixt the Water S. R. and that below it P. Q. the Surface of the Water in the Pipe T. S. being so much above the Surface of the Water A D. as was requisite to make the Oyl and Water contained in the Pipe to press equally on the Surface G. H. with the external Water See Plate 4. Fig. 1. as Plate 4. Fig. 1. represents PARADOX X. That the Cause of the Ascension of Water in Syphony paradox X and of flowing through them may be explained without having recourse to Nature's Abhorrency of a Vacuum To demonstrate this See Plate 4. Fig. 2. we provided a Glass Tube A B. C D. of a convenient wideness and half a
yard or more in depth as also a Syphon with two Legs F K and K G to which is joined a Pipe E K and to each of the Legs of that Syphon we tyed a Glass Pipe sealed at the bottom and having Water contained in each to the height there delineated Things being thus prepared Oyl of Turpentine must be poured into the Tube A B. C D but that it may not take up too much of the Oyl the bottom of the Vessel to X Y may be filled with Water till it reaches above the top of the Syphon F K G and then by the weight of it the Water in the Pipe will be raised through the Syphon and run into the lower Vessel H. In which Experiment the Water is raised through a Syphon by pressure tho' at the same time there be a free communication of Air through the Pipe E K without danger of a Vacuum In which Experiment if the Reason be asked why the Water does not rather run out of the Bipe H into G than the contrary It may be answered That tho' externally the Oyl is deeper upon the surface of the Water in the Pipe H and consequently presses more upon it yet the Tube G on the other side instead of having that pressure of Oyl hath a Cylinder of Water of an equal length which being heavier than Oyl raises the Water out of that Tube more forcibly than it is raised out of the other And for the like Reason when once the Water is raised in Syphons tho' there be a longer Cylinder of Air upon that end which is immersed in the lower Vessel yet there is a greater weight on the other because besides the incumbent Atmosphere there is a considerable Weight of Water But if the Syphon be above 34 or 35 Foot high the Water will not flow through it the pressure of the external Air being unable to raise Water to such a height And one thing observable in these Experiments is That if when the Water is running through these Syphons a small hole be made upon the top of a Syphon the Air pressing upon the Water within the Pipe as well as without it it will cease to run tho' the hole be no bigger than one made with a Needle which hole if it be stopped with a Needle the pressure of the external Air will by that means be taken off and the Syphon be rendred fit for use PARADOX XI paradox XI That a Solid Body as ponderous as any yet known tho' near the top of the Water it will sink by its own weight yet if it be placed at a greater depth than that of twenty times its own thickness it will not sink if its descent be not assisted by the weight of the incumbent Water To demonstrate what is contained in this Paradox See Plate 4. Fig. 3. we must fill the Glass A B C D see Plate the 4. Fig. the third almost full of Water the length of it being near three Foot in which Water if we suppose the Weight E F to be placed upon the surface G H it will sink by reason of its specifick Gravity the Water incumbent on other parts of that Plain being not equiponderant but if we suppose it to be placed upon the Surface I K the Pillars of Water being above nine times as thick as it they will counterballance it for which Reason were there no Water upon it it would subside no further and were a method contrived to keep the Water from pressing upon it the like would happen supposing it to lean upon the Surface L M. And to shew that were the weight so depressed free from incumbent Water it would not subside I shall add the following Experiment let then the Brass Body E F See Plate 4 Fig. 4 see Plate 4. Fig. 4. be the cover of a Brass valve the valve being fastned with Cement to the Glass Pipe O P the Body E F must by pulling a hair fired to the button of Valve Q close the Orifice of it and then it being convey'd under Water a foot deep the Cement and sides of the Glass O P will keep the Water off the upper part of the Body E F and consequently the imaginary Surface V W will only be pressed upon by the sole weight of the Body E F but the other Parts of that Surface by the incumbent Cylinders of Water so that the Body E F will be bore up without the assistance of any thing else but the Water buoying up against it but if the Tube be raised till the Body E F be above the Surface I K and near X Y the weight of it being greater than the weight of the incumbent Pillars of Water the Body will be no longer supported but if upon the first immersion when the Body E F is let down to the Surface R S a weight L be suspended at it that will not be able to sever the Body from the Valve from whence it appears that there is no need in our Physico-mechanical Experiments to fly to a Fuga Vacui to explain the Reason why two exactly polished Marbles when contiguous are so hard to be separated To what hath been said under this Paradox I shall add that when the weight L is suspended at the button Q the Body E F will be separated before it rises to the Surface I K. APPENDIX I. Objections to evince that the upper Parts of Water press not upon the lower Objections answered answered The first Objection is that if the upper Parts of the Water pressed upon the lower the lower would be condensed but to this it is answered that Water consisting of Parts tho' minute yet very solid it does not therefore follow since in a heap of the powder of Diamonds the lower are no more compressed than the superficial ones besides it hath not been found that Water was capable of being compressed by any force we could use And tho' it be further urged that Plants grow in the Sea without being depressed yet that happens because the Pressure is not only incumbent but Collateral likewise and so contributes to sustain it and the rather because the Collateral Pressure is greater than the incumbent Another Objection is that a Bucket of Water weighs no more when full in Water than the Bucket it self out of it nor so much But the Reason of this is very plain for supposing A B C D to be a Well See Plate the fourth See Plate 4. Fig. 5. Figure the fifth in which the Bucket which is contiguous to the Plain I K is suspended by the string E F the Water in the Bucket G if it be made of Wood which is lighter in Specie than Water and the incumbent Pillar of Water not pressing upon the Surface H equally as the Water on the Surface I K the Water below must buoy it up And tho' the Bucket was made of something heavier than Water yet the whole weight of it will not be perceived