Experimenta & observationes physicæ wherein are briefly treated of several subjects relating to natural philosophy in an experimental way : to which is added, a small collection of strange reports / by the Honourable Robert Boyle ... Boyle, Robert, 1627-1691. 1691 Approx. 185 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 109 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2007-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A28968 Wing B3959 ESTC R19615 12221492 ocm 12221492 56407 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A28968) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 56407) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 128:6) Experimenta & observationes physicæ wherein are briefly treated of several subjects relating to natural philosophy in an experimental way : to which is added, a small collection of strange reports / by the Honourable Robert Boyle ... Boyle, Robert, 1627-1691. [29], 158, [2], 28 p. Printed for John Taylor ... and John Wyat ..., London : 1691. Errata: p. [2] at beginning. Advertisements on p. [3]. Reproduction of original in Yale University Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Physics -- Early works to 1800. 2006-05 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2006-06 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-07 Derek Lee Sampled and proofread 2006-07 Derek Lee Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-09 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion ERRATA . PAge 6. for omitted , r. emitted , p. 14. l. 9. of left out . ADVERTISEMENT . Books Published by the Honourable Robert Boyle , and Printed for John Taylor at the Ship in St. Paul's Church-Yard . 1. A Free Inquiry into the Vulgarly receiv'd Notion of Nature , made in an Essay adress'd to a Friend : In English and Latin. 2. The Martyrdom of Theodora and Dydimus . 3. A Disquisition about the final Causes of Natural things ; wherein it is inquir'd , Whether , and ( if at all ) with what Cautions a Naturalist should admit them ? To which are subjoyn'd , by way of Appendix , some uncommon Observations about Vitiated Sight . 4. The Christian Virtuoso : Shewing that by being addicted to Experimental Philosophy , a Man is rather assisted , than Indispos'd to be a good Christian ; to which are subjoyn'd : 1st . A Discourse about the Distinction that represents some things as above Reason , but not contrary to Reason . 2. The first Chapters of a Discourse , Intituled Greatness of Mind Promoted by Christianity . Printed for J. Taylor at the Ship ; and J. Wyat at the Rose in St. Paul's Church-yard . Experimenta & Observationes PHYSICAE : Wherein are briefly Treated of SEVERAL SUBJECTS Relating to Natural Philosophy IN AN EXPERIMENTAL WAY . To which is added , A small Collection of STRANGE REPORTS . By the Honourable ROBERT BOYLE , Fellow of the Royal Society . LONDON , Printed for Iohn Taylor at the Ship , and Iohn Wyat at the Rose in S. Paul's Church-Yard . MDCXCI . A Letter that may serve for a Preamble . To my Learned Friend Mr. H. Oldenburg ( Secretary to the Royal Society . ) SIR , BEing at length come to a Resolution , I have already done something more than barely entred upon that way of Writing , that you and I have more than once Discoursed of together ; and wherein you particularly ( tho not you only ) among my Learned Friends , have wish'd to see me Engaged . 'T is not , that I am insensible of the Prejudice which the things I deliver are like to sustain , by the disadvantageous Dress wherein they must appear , in the way of Writing I have pitch'd upon ; which being for the most part plainly Historical , and set down in the order wherein , they chanc'd to come to hand , denies most of them , not only the usual Ornaments of other Books , but the allowable Advantages , that Method , elaborate Discourses , neat Hypotheses , and subtil Disputes , are permitted to bring even to Philosophical Writings . But these Considerations were over-sway'd by a sad one , founded upon the ( yet continuing ) condition I was in , when I was Debating this matter in my Thoughts . For it having pleased God ( to whose always most just Dispensations Men ought entirely to submit ) to Afflict me with the Stone and the Palsy ; as on one side , these , added to a sufficient number of Avocations , scarce permit me any great expectation , of finishing in a short time the Tracts I had made a lesser or greater Progress in , according to my first design ; so on the other side , my Friends judging it unfit , that the Materials provided for these more than begun Treatises , should be quite lost , or kept too long useless , it seemed expedient , that as Opportunity should from time to time serve , I should look over my Memorials , and other scatter'd Papers , to take notice what Experiments and Observations were to be found in them . Upon these , and the like inducements , having pick'd up several of my dispersed Papers , some of them Written many Years ago , and some of a less ancient date ; I began to refer the most part of what I found Historical in them , together with some few things that did seem necessary not to be sever'd from them , to certain Heads or Titles which I called Chapters ; and made them the more numerous , that they might singly be the less Prolix : And about these I must desire your leave to represent some things , by way of Preface . And first , several of the ensuing Particulars that I met with among my Papers , being parts of Essays of other Discourses , and being for hast Transcribed for the most part Verbatim , as they were couched there ; I dare hope for your excuse , if among such Transcripts you now and then meet with things , which , how pertinent soever to the Tracts they first belong'd to , might have been spared as needless , if not sometimes Forein ; also , in the new Form the Discourses are now put into ; since I could not leave out such unnecessary Clauses ( whereof yet I hope you will not find many ) without too much mutilating the coherence , or obscuring the sense of what is delivered ; and I could not alter them , and adapt others to supply their places without spending more time , and taking more Pains , than in the condition I am now in , I suppose you would be willing to condemn me to . Next , I despair not but you will allow me the Liberty I have taken , to vary the Bulk and Method of particular Chapters , as my occasions would permit , or the plenty or paucity of Materials suggested ; or the Nature of the thing I treated of , and the Scope I proposed to my self in Writing of it , seem'd to require . But sometimes my want of Health and Leisure , and my desire to hasten to other subjects , that either pleased me better , or seem'd more considerable , made some of the following Chapters , compared with others , but short ; especially , if I were supplyed but with a number of things pertinent to that Subject , by the Papers I had then in hand , how much soever I may have Written of it in other Papers , which I hope hereafter to be Master of . And this Advertisement may render you a Reason why to the Title of some of the Chapters I have subjoyned the first Section , tho it be not at present followed with a second . And , as for my having imployed very differing Methods in some of the ensuing . Tracts , I did it with design , as judging such a variety of Method more conducive to my purpose , than Uniformity in it would have been . For , besides that some of the Treatises , vhence these Chapters were taken , did , by the ways wherein they were already Written , oblige me , to accommodate my self to their Method ; I thought , that if you should shew these Papers to any , that are very unacquainted ( which I have heard you complain , that too many are ) with the way of accommodating in some tolerable manner , his Enquiries and his Writings to the several Subjects he applies himself to , he may be somewhat helped , by the differing Examples he may here meet with , to make variations somewhat suitable to the differing Natures of the Subjects he deals with . But here I must beg you to take notice , That , tho in compliance with this design , as well as for some other reasons , I have in several of the following Chapters given intimations and hints of things , which I do not there prosecute ; and now and then propose some Conjectures and Opinions , whose proof I do not insist on ; yet I am not willing you should think , that , however some of those passages may be but occasional things , mentioned principally to excite , and give hints to the inquisitive and sagacious ; yet all , or most of them , are of the same kind ; and that I thought not on them , but as slightly and transiently as I mentioned them ; and have no better and other Reasons to alledg for my suspicions or intimations , or even for my conjectures or my opinions , than those you will meet with in Papers hastily drawn up ; especially since , I think , I can shew you divers of the things deliver'd in those passages , enlarg'd and render'd at least probable or practicable in other Discourses , that for certain Reasons do not accompany these I now send you . I expect , that you should think it somewhat strange , to find many of the following Experiments set down much less circumstantially than those that are mentioned in the Physico-Mechanical Experiments touching the Air ; in the Continuation of them ; in the History of Cold , and in some other Books of Mine that you have been pleas'd to peruse . But on this occasion give me leave to represent to you , that the nature of divers of the former Experiments , especially Chymical ones , and my aims in mentioning them , being considered , it seem'd not requisite they should be more fully Treated of : And as for others , tho the brevity and dispatch ; which divers reasons made me propose to my self , had not forbidden me to amplify ; yet I daily feel my leisure , not to say my Life too ; so torn piece●●●● from me , by Sickness , Visits , Business , and inevitable Avocations , that I am frequently admonished to hasten the securing of as much as conveniently I can , by dispatching particular Subjects , and am quite hundred from dwelling so long upon them , as , if I had more Health and Leisure , I should willingly do . To these things perhaps , so favourable a Person as Mr. Oldenburg will add , that the Characters which Learned Writers , English and Forein , tho divers of them personally unknown to me , have been pleased to give of the diligence and sincerity employed in setting down the Physico-Mechanical Experiments , and those of some other Writings of Mine , may permit me to hope , that it will be thought , that , after having been divers years vers'd in making Tryals and Experiments , I have made them with some care and wariness , and mentioned them faithfully , where I have not done it amply ; upon hopes it may be taken in good part from a Person in my present condition , that was never a Professor of Philosophy , nor so much as a Gown-man ; to have made shift to make the Experiments and Observations he communicates , and set them down truly and candidly , without fraudulently concealing any part of them , for fear they should make against him . And tho perhaps you will easily believe , that in divers of the Experiments which I have but briefly mention'd , I have been as diligent an Observer of Circumstances , as I was wont to be when I made those , which have had the luck to be taken notice of for being fully related ; and tho it may be also , that some Scruples or Objections , which my brevity may in part occasion , were not unforeseen by me , and might have been avoided by a more copious and diffus'd way of Writing ; yet I purposely decline such a way of delivering things , not only for the reasons above mention'd ; and because I suppose them that may peruse these Papers , to be acquainted with my formerly Published Writings , and to have either from them , or otherwise , understood the way of making such Experiments as mine ; but also , because , tho I wanted Time and Health , much less than I do , I should not think it fit too much to prevent the Industry of others about the Tryals I mention ; and reap the Field so clean , as not to leave them , not only store of Ears to Glean , but some corners of standing Corn. I have therefore here and there purposely omitted , both , some not absolutely necessary Practical Directions about making of Tryals , that might prevent such Scruples or Objections , as have the Grounds of answering them clearly deliver'd in my Printed Books ; and several , not only lesser Circumstances , but considerable Phaenomena , and obvious Applications , that may probably occur to others , as they did to me in making the Tryals and Reflecting on them . Advertisements about the Disposition of the following Treatise . YOV will quickly discern that the following Chapters could not be intended for compleat Tracts , about the Subjects handl'd in them . And indeed they were intended but for such Memoirs about the Various particular Subjects they Treat of , as may be serviceable to the Solid Natural History that has been nobly design'd and is still prosecuted , by the Royal Society . Wherefore since ( at least in our Age ) no Writer that I know of , has so early and so well , both urg'd the necessity of Natural History , and promoted divers Parts of it by Precepts and Specimens , as the illustrious Lord Verulam ; I shall not scruple in the way or manner of Writing these short Collections of mine , to make use somewhat frequently of his Authority and Examples ; but without Confining my self to either . I. Agreeably to this Advertisement you will find , that some of the Particulars that the following Treatise consists of , are single and as it were , Independent ones ; upon which account they resemble those which in the Verulamian Sylva , or Natural History , are call'd Experiments Solitary : And have for that reason induc'd me to give that Title to each of the several Chapters that are made up of them . II. Another sort of Chapters there is , wherein divers Experiments and Observations , all of them relating to the same Subject or Purpose , are set down together . These if they were rang'd and sorted in order to distinct Theories , I should call , in imitation of the mention'd Author , Experiments in Consort . But my backwardness to frame Theories has made me chuse to forbear as yet to methodize them , and therefore has made me think fit to call them only various Experiments and Observations about this or that Subject ( which they belong to . ) III. My hast , tho not that only , induc'd me to make one sort of Chapters more , that partly agrees with , and partly differs from each of the two that I come from mentioning : For in every one of these Chapters , there are two or three , if not more , single or Solitary Experiments ; and there are also others that have some kind of Connexion among themselves , as being referable to the same Subject or Purpose . On that score the Title that is given to each of the Chapters of this Third sort , is that of Miscellaneous Experiments ; and sometimes ( but seldomer ) of Promiscuous Ones . And all the Particulars that I refer to the three foremention'd Heads , are cast into Chapters , wherein the several kinds are distinguish'd only by their Titles , or not . IV. There is one Advertisement that regards all the sorts of Particulars that are refer'd to the foremention'd Chapters , which is , that I have usually comprehended Observations , as well as Tryals , nuder the Title of Experiments ; which I have done , not only upon the Authority , and in following the Example of our Judicious Chancellor ( as is every where obvious in his Sylva Sylvarum ) but for other reasons too . For both the sorts of Particulars may pass for matters of Fact , and so are Historical , taking the word in a lax sense , and the imploying it in that sense , makes the Articles or Passages , whereof the Chapters and other parts of our Collection consists , much more commodious for References and Citations . V. Besides the three foremention'd kinds of Chapters , you will meet in the ensuing Treatise with another sort of Writings , whereof some are almost entire , and others Fragments of larger Discourses . In neither of these , I did confine my self so much to matters of Fact , as in those Chapters that consist of Experiments and Observations ; but took the liberty , as occasion requir'd , to inlarge in Discourses , and sometimes to Cite such passages out of other Mens Writings , as I judg'd I could make some pertinent Application or use of , perhaps unthought of by the Author . And these Papers being most , if not all of them Written in a more free and discursive way , I thought fit to separate them from the Sets of Collections that are almost merely Historical ; and accordingly I have not styl'd them Chapters , but Titles ; and have forborn to assign them , as I did the others , Ordinal Numbers ; which I desire likewise you would not prefix to any of them , because I am not yet resolv'd how I shall dispose of them , either by supplying what is wanting to finish any one , or more of them , or by taking to pieces , and imploying those pieces as Materials for other Tracts . VI. Perhaps I shall not be thought to need Pardon , if to comply with their Curiosity , who affect most those Experiments , that are either uncommon , or teach them to do or perform something useful or pretty ; I sometimes prefix a Title declaring what it treats of , to a particular Experiment ( or Observation , ) which for its Importance , Novelty , or Vsefulness ( Theorical or Practical ) may deserve to bedistinguish't ; since by this means such Particulars may be the better imprest on the memory , to gratifie those , whose nicety or want of leisure , may make them well pleas'd by a transient view of the Titles we speak of , to find such Passages as they chiefly look'd for , with less trouble than that of perusing an Index . VII . Among the Experiments our Collection consists of , there is here and there one , to which it was thought fit to add something , either by way of Explication , or of Illustration , or of Confirmation , or of Answer to Objections , or of Theorical Reflection , or of Practical Application , &c. And these Supplements or Additions it was thought fit to call sometimes Annotations , but oftner Scholiums , because that Term is freely us'd in a very comprehensive Sense by Mathematical Writers . But tho I readily acknowledg that this Term has been chiefly imploy'd by Mathematicians , yet the use of it has not been so confin'd to them , but that good Authors in other parts of Learning have not scrupl'd to imploy it , as may appear by the Scholiums that some Learned Physicians have Written upon Hollerius , an eminent Person of their Profession ; as also by the Example of the famous and Experienc'd Forestus , who has not seldom subjoin'd Scholiums , even to his own Medicinal Observations . VIII . The mention of these Scholia prompts me to tell you , I had almost forgotten , but yet must not leave unmention'd , that I thought fit now and then to premise to Sets of Experiments , and sometimes ( tho more seldom ) to a single Observation a short Preamble by way of Introduction , which may often excuse the need of subjoyning a Scholium ; and may be warranted by the Example of the Lord Verulam in his Centuries , wherein he often inserts such short Preambles , as things fitted to give light to the Experiments they belong to , and to give some Advertisement both of the Nature and Importance of the Subject , and of the Scope of the Writer , or of other useful circumstances . IX . If among my own Experiments , namely , those that I have made or seen , I have sometimes inserted Experiments or Observations that are not so : I have not done it without reason , and am authoris'd in that Practice , by frequent Examples afforded me by the first , if not only Author that I know of , that gave us a Set of Precepts of well writing Natural History , our often cited Verulam , whose Centuries do in great part consist of borrow'd Experiments and Observations ; without which , he was sensible that his Sylva must be of too narrow a compass , or too thinly stock't with Plants , especially with Trees . And indeed 't is not to be expected , that , as the Silk-worm draws her whole Mansion altogether out of her own Bowels , so a single man should be able to write a Natural History out of his own Experiments and Thoughts . And he that will strictly confine himself to those , will be often reduc'd to omit things very pertinent , if not necessary , to his Subject , which is of practice studiously declin'd by me , who prefer the Readers Vtility , to the ambition'd Glory of being thought to borrow nothing from any Body . And I can add in my Defence , at least my Excuse , that I have made use but of a small part of the Liberty allow'd me by the Example of so great a Guide in the way of Writing Natural History . For I have very much seldomer than he , employ'd the Tryals of others ; and have yet seldomer mention'd unverifi'd Reports or vulgar Traditions , being careful that the Bulk of the Matters of Fact I deliver , should consist of things , whereof I was my self an Actor , or an Eye witness ; and that the comparatively few borrow'd Experiments that I added , ( that I might not deprive my Reader of some things very pertinent and useful to my Subject ) were receiv'd from Persons of very good credit ; besides that I do not only frequently give sufficient Intimation in the Experiment or Observation its self , but oftentimes by placing the Letter C in the Margent , do give notice ; nay , and sometimes to a whole Set , prefix the Title of Communicated Experiments or Observations . X. I have nothing more to give you notice of here , save that , whereas you will find that I Write but on one side of the Leaves , whereof this Book * consists : I did so for two Reasons . The First , That in case I should have occasion to imploy any of these Experiments in other Treatises , for which I am more concern'd than for this Rhapsody , I might have room to Substitute , if it should be thought fit , one or more of my later Experiments in its place . And Secondly , That I might have room , if I can get leisure , to Write Annotations , or make Reflections , or Illustrations , or Corrections , or in a word , such Addititions and Alterations of particular Experiments and Passages , as they shall be thought to deserve or need . I am sensible that this Preamble , increas'd by the Advertisements that 't was thought necessary to annex to it , is of a length that may seem disproportionate to the Book or Tract 't is prefixt to . But I may in excuse of this represent to you , that the Bundle of Writings you now receive , is but a part of the Book ; to which , if God vouchsafe me Health and Leisure , this Preface inlarg'd by its Appendix , is design'd for an Introduction . And in that case 't is hop'd that these Preliminaries , as many as they are , will not be thought Impertinent , or needlesly prolix . Experimenta & Observationes PHYSICAE . TOME I. CHAP. I. CONTAINING Chymico-Magnetical Experiments and Observations . THE Loadstone , Pyrophilus , is so admirable a Body , and its Usefulness to Mankind is already so great , without denying us hopes of farther Improvments ; that I think we must want Curiosity or Gratitude , if we neglect either to take notice of any Experienc'd Phoenomena that directly relate to so abstruse a Subject , or , by consigning them to Paper , to preserve them from Oblivion . 'T is chiefly by this Consideration , Pyrophilus , that I am induc'd to mention to you the following Experiments and Observations , made most of them by the help of the Fire . For , tho some of them may seem but slight ; yet they may not prove unuseful , towards discovering the Nature of a Body so strange and singular , that , for ought is yet manifest , any true Magnetical Phoenomena may somewhat conduce to the knowledg of it , And I was the rather induc'd to make Tryals and Observations of this Kind , because most of them are such as I have not met with in Authors . And the few that remain , I have not found sufficiently taken notice of there ; Philosophers and Mathematicians ayming chiefly , in their Magnetical Writings , to prosecute and apply the Attractive and Directive , and perhaps the Inclinatory , faculty of the Loadstone . Whereas , throwing into another Paper , what I Observ'd , of that kind , I did in the present Inquiry mainly intend to make the Loadstone rather the Object than the Instrument of my Tryals : and handling chiefly the very Substance of the Stone , endeavour not so much to Advance or Apply its Faculties , as to Weaken and Destroy them , tho in order to the better knowing of them . Having therefore procured a considerable number of , for the most part naked ( or uncapt ) Loadstones , most of them Course , but of differing Sizes , Shapes , Colours , and Countries ; I made upon them several Tryals , some of which I should immediately proceed to give you a brief Account of , but that 't will be proper to premise this short Advertisement : That , I would not have the Title of these Experiments make you expect , that the Fire should be a main Agent in every one of them , since to preserve some few of them , I refer them hither , tho an actual Fire was not Imploy'd to make them : Since the common Rule that a potiori parte fit denominatio , will suffice to Warrant , or at least excuse , my giving to this small Collection the Title of Chymico-Magnetical Experiments ; because the greatest part were perform'd by the help of the Fire , or Bodies Chymically prepar'd by the Application of it . And because 't is usual with the best Writers about Magnetism , to reckon Steel and Iron among Magnetical Bodies ; I shall not scruple to deliver in this Paper some Experiments , made by the help of the Fire upon those Subjects ; with reference neverthe less to Magnetism . EXPERIMENT I. Having Ignited several Loadstones , and removed them from the Fire till they grew Cold again , I found a great disparity in the visible substance whereof they consisted , and the manifest structure of the gross parts that made them up . For some Stones upon Refrigeration , either fell asunder of themselves , or grew very Brittle ; when as others still continued in their entireness : Some of them being broken look'd not unlike Iron-Ore , or Stones which I have gather'd near Iron-Mynes in Kent ; others being broken , after Refrigeration appear'd to consist of Plates or Flakes of several Colours , and lying Parallel to one another : And others again , which as I remember were English ones , did neither appear to be compos'd of any such Flakes , nor had their dark Colours much , if at all chang'd by the operation of the Fire , nor did cease to be Solid Bodies . EXPERIMENT II. We could not upon the Burning of several small Loadstones one after another , discern any such blew sulphureous Flame as Porta in his Natural Magick relates himself to have seen , and judges to have been as it were the Soul of the Loadstone , upon whose recess he says , it lost its Magnetick Faculty , which is most commonly true as to any considerable degree of the Coitive or Attractive Power , but not of the Directive Faculty or Vertue . But it may be that Porta mistook the small Flame , which is often omitted even by well-kindled and glowing Charcoales , ( on which sort his Loadstone was placed ) especially when a little blowen upon , for the exhaling Soul of the Loadstone ; or else , to be civil to him , we may suppose , that , His Stone was more rich in Unctuous Moisture than Others are wont to be ; and if we had had by us a very exact pair of Scales , we should have endeavoured to have by them discovered , whether the Fire do deprive Loadstones of any ponderable parts . EXPERIMENT III. The Solidity of some English Loadstones , made me think it fit , tho I look'd upon them as a kind of Iron-Ore , to try whether they could not be brought to strike Fire . And accordingly , having made divers Collisions betwixt a rough peice , and the steel of a Tinder Box ; I found that with much ado it was possible to obtain some Sparks , ( tho they seem'd but small ones : ) But having taken a large peice of smooth Loadstone , I found that , by striking it somewhat briskly , with the edge of a steel'd Hammer , we were able to produce good store of Sparks , and some of them of a surprizing bigness ; for they were judged to exceed the size of those that are usually afforded by common Flints . EXPERIMENT IV. For certain Reasons I thought fit to make a further Tryal , being desirous to satisfie my self , whether it were not possible , to make Loadstones afford Fire without the help of Iron or Steel . And being willing to comply with this Curiosity , I made choice of two solid peices of Loadstone , that were cut almost into the form of Cubes ; and found that many Collisions being made between them , especially at the edges ; there were produced from Time to Time , ( tho not frequently , ) some Sparks of Fire , tho neither so numerous , nor so great or vivid , as those of the foregoing Experiment wherein the Steel was employ'd . EXPERIMENT V. I have ( elsewhere ) formerly related , that if an Oblong Loadstone made glowing hot , be refrigerated Perpendicularly , the lower extream will thereby become its Northern Pole. And I shall now add , that yet if such a Loadstone be refrigerated Perpendicularly , not upon an ordinary Terrestrial Body , but upon the Northern extream of a much stronger Loadstone ; in such case , this debilitated Stone will receive its Impressions , as if it were an Iron , and its lower extream will not be , as before , by the Magnetick Effluvia of the Earth , made its Northern Pole ; but it will be contrariwise animated by the Pole of the Loadstone , on which 't is cool'd ; and according to the Laws Magnetical , the lower extream of it , will not be its Northern , but its Southern Pole , nimbly attracting the North end of an excited and Aequilibrated Needle . EXPERIMENT VI. By the forementioned way of Refrigeration I also found , that a Disanimated Loadstone ( if I may so speak ) may be restored , to some degree of its Attractive Vertue ; for I try'd that a small Loadstone , which after its being made red hot in the Fire , and cool'd Perpendicularly upon the Ground , was not able to take up a fragment of a Needle ; being again heated , and not only cool'd upon the Pole of a strong Loadstone , but suffered to rest on it a while after , was soon grown vigorous enough , to take up what formerly it could not move . EXPERIMENT VII . I further observ'd , that tho a Loadstone that had pass'd the Fire , had not , by being immediately before made red hot , had its Body open'd and fitted to take in plentifully the Magnetical Streams ; yet it would , like a wire of Iron , acquire a new Verticity from the vigorous Loadstone ; but not be in many Hours so vigorously impregnated with Magnetick vertue , if it were applied cold to the Pole of the Animating Loadstone ; as it would in a very short time , if being glowing hot it were refrigerated thereupon . N. B. It has been observ'd , that if a Loadstone be made red hot in the Fire , it will scarce retain any sensible Attractive vertue , save that it will be able , by being endowed with a Magnetism from the Earth , to drive away that Pole of a Needle well poys'd , which agrees in Denomination with that Pole of the Loadstone , which is applied to it . But I desire that it may be remembred , that I intimated that this is not strictly and universally true ; for in some of our English Loadstones , it has been observ'd , that Ignition does not only leave them capable of a Directive Vertue , but leaves them also a considerable Attractive power , so that they will sustain a good weight of Steel ( as will appear hereafter . ) EXPERIMENT VIII . We took three English Loadstones that appeared to be of a very compact Substance ; two of them very small , as not being of near half an Inch in length ; the other much greater , being about an Inch long , and of a considerable breadth , but yet of small thickness : These we made red hot in a Fire of well kindled Charcoal , and being thorowly Ignited , removed them one after another , and hastily set each of them upon a Plate of Silver ( for neither Wood nor Iron would have been convenient ) and applying the Loadstone ( Capp'd ) to each of them , whilst it was yet red hot ; it seem'd manifest enough , not only , that whilst it was in that state , the Stone had not so strong an Operation on it , as if it were not red hot : But , which is remarkable , when it ceas'd to appear Ignited , but yet was intensly hot , ( so that it was readily able to burn his Fingers that should offer to take it up between them ) the armed Loadstone had a more powerful Operation on it , by way of what they call Attraction and Sustentation ( not only , as I said , than it had , whilst the Ignited Stone conspicuously retain'd the colour Fire , but ) than it had , after the same Stone was grown cold . EXPERIMENT IX . This Experiment was reiterated with the two smaller Magnets and the greater , with the like success : And when the Magnets were grown cold , they did notwithstanding their having been twice ignited , discover some little Magnetism , if apply'd to the end of a well-excited Magnetick Needle , nicely poys'd upon the point of an ordinary Needle [ or brass Pin ] ( on which its Center of Gravity lean'd . ) And I found that the bigger of the three forementioned Loadstones , after the first , if not also after the second Ignition ; did not only move the Magnetick Needle more briskly than one would have expected , but , ( which may seem strange ) being thrust into filings of Mars , and then taken out , it carried up with it and sustained a considerable Number of them . Whence we may conclude , that in some Loadstones of a very solid Constitution , such as this was ; the Magnetical vertue is more Radicated ( if I may so speak ) or Permanent , than in the generality of other Magneticks : This Stone being the first wherein I observ'd , after I had thorowly Ignited it , any Attractive vertue able to take up Filings of Iron . EXPERIMENT X. On occasion of these Tryals I made another , which tho to some it may seem but slight , I thought the more worthy to be made , because I remember not to have read or heard of it before ; we took then , the same Loadstone that we employ'd about the last Experiment , and having again made it red hot , in the Fire , suffered it not to cool leisurely in the Air , as before , but quenched it , in a Bason of cold Water ; intending thereby to make a double variation of the Experiment , first , by cooling it Hastily , and as it were Abruptly ; and next by cooling it not in the Air , but in a Fluid some hundreds of times more Dense or Ponderous than the Air. The Event of the Tryal was , that , upon the Immersion of the red hot Stone , there fell off some flaky matter , as if it had been Scales of Mars ; and the Stone , when cold , would not take up any filings of Iron , as before it did many ; so that it appear'd to have lost much of the Vertue it so lately had , tho it retain'd the Power to move a well-poys'd Needle , if it were held near to either side of the point of it . EXPERIMENT XI . A black Oblong Loadstone , of a Homogeneous Substance , and weighing near three Drams , having been in a Fire of well-kindled Charcoals , Ignited , and continued so for some Minutes , of an Hour ; being weighed again as soon as it was cool'd , was found to have lost about ⅝ of a Grain of its first Weight , and much of the blackness of its Colour . Tho the Affinity between the Loadstone and Iron , might make one expect that the Fire might have a like Operation upon this Stone , and that out of which Iron is commonly melted , both being indeed Iron-Oars ; yet for some Reasons that I cannot now stay to mention , I was induc'd to think , that the Effect of Ignition upon those two Bodies might be very differing , as I conceive their Internal and unseen Texture to be . And therefore I made the following Experiment . A Lump of Iron Oar , which look'd almost like a white Stone , rather than a common Oar , and was about the bigness of two Eggs ; being apply'd , in several of its parts , to an excited Needle , did not appear to move it manifestly . But being afterwards made glowing Hot , and kept so for a while , and then Refrigerated ; it did in those parts , which seem'd by their newly acquir'd Colour to abound with Metalline Corpuscles ; it did , I say , manifestly Attract the North end of the Needle . And this was tryed , both with a Needle of our own touching , and by the Mariners Needle of a Sun-Dyal ; whos 's Flower-de-Luce , the burnt Oar did manifestly draw . EXPERIMENT XII . To confirm the former Observation , and also what I elsewhere gave notice of , That divers Bodies are of a Magnetical Nature or have in them some parts that are so , which yet are not vulgarly believ'd to be referable to that sort of Bodies ; I shall subjoyn the following Experiment . A Brick that had not been us'd , was saw'd long ways into two equal pieces , and each of these ( one at one time , and another at another ) was heated red hot in the Fire for a pretty while , and afterwards suffer'd to cool North and South : And , as I expected , it thereby acquired a Magnetical Verticity ; and with that end that in cooling respected the South , did a little , tho but faintly , draw the Flower de Luce ( which pointed out the North ) of the Mariner's Needle ; and with the other end , did somewhat more vigorously drive the Flower de Luce away , and a little attract the other Extream of the Needle . EXPERIMENT XIII . We took a [ black ] Loadstone , and having by degrees beaten it small , without suffering it to touch any Iron or Steel Vesiel or Instrument , [ which because of the hardness of the Stone , was very troublesome to do ; ] we set aside the grosser Grains for other uses , and upon some of the finer Powder we pour'd the Spirit of common Salt , which had at first a sensible Operation upon it , by producing foetid Fumes , and making a kind of Ebullition , as that Menstruun is wont to do upon filings of Iron or Steel . But nevertheless , being kept a Night or two in Digestion , it drew a high Tincture ; and tho this was not at all , like the Solutions of Mars in Spirit of Salt , Green , but of a Yellowish Brown , not very remote from Redness : Yet a little of it being dropt into a fresh and sufficiently coloured Infusion of Galls , turned it presently into an Inky Substance , which in some Positions appear'd blewish , as a Tincture or light Solution of Mars would have done .. I shall only add , about the Solution of Loadstone , that having carefully made it with a good Aqua regia , obtain'd a Solution , some of which you may yet command a sight of , that by some Virtuosi to whom I shew'd it , was thought either a fine Solution of Gold , or little , if at all , inferior to it in kind or Richness of Colour . I chose to employ the Spirit of Salt , rather than that of Nitre or Aqua Fortis , in this Experiment ; because I found the first named Liquor to dissolve Iron very well , if not better , tho less furiously , than Aqua Fortis it self ; and also , because I could by this means better judge of the Tincture of its Colour ; having formerly found by Tryal , that Spirit of Salt makes a Green Solution of Mars ; but Aqua Fortis or Spirit of Nitre , a Reddish one . And it was to judge of the Tincture of the Loadstone , as well as for another purpose , that I was so careful to keep the Stone from touching Iron , when it was pulverising ; least by the Hardness of it , and the Sharpness of its Angles , it should grate off some parts of the Metal , and so alter the Solution ; for want of which Caution , I have known some Experiments about Artificial Gems to miscarry ; the Brass Morter wherein the hard Ingredients were beaten , having communicated some Particles to them , that alter'd the Colour which the Masse after Vitrification would otherwise have been of . EXPERIMENT XIV . Some Parts of the foregoing Experiment may be confirm'd by that which follows . I caus'd a weak Loadstone to be heated red hot , to make it the more easie to be powder'd , and having caus'd it to be beaten very fine , I digested good Spirit of Salt upon it . ( I afterwards found that ordinary Spirit would serve the turn ) This in a few Hours acquir'd a Tincture not greenish , but almost like that of a troubled Solution of Gold. It strongly relish'd of Iron , and a little of it being dropp'd into Infusion of Galls , it turn'd it immediately into an Inky Liquor ; part of this Solution being gently Evaporate ● , grew thick like an Extract , but did not seem dispos'd to shoot into Chrystals ; yet another part of it did precipitate with Salt of Tartar , much like a Solution of Vitriol ; and another with Spirit of fermented Urine gave a plentiful , but yellowish red , Praecipitate . EXPERIMENT XV. Meeting among my loose Notes , with one that may serve both for a Variation and Confirmation of what has been above delivered in the Experiments ; it seem'd not improper to annex a Transcript of it . A red Mineral , whose Consistence was between Stony and Earthy , was by me judg'd to be a kind of Iron Oar , tho having powder'd some of it , I could not find that a good Loadstone would attract any part of it : Therefore , to satisfie my self , and to confirm D. B's Observation ; about the Vertue of Linseed Oyl , I caus'd this red Powder , wetted with that Liquor , to be kept about two Hours Ignited in a Crucible ; by which means it was turn'd blackish . This dark colour'd Powder was taken out , and suffer'd to cool , and then would readily adhere to the same Loadstone , almost as if they had been a heap of filings of Iron . But the Operation of the Fire perhaps contributed , as much ( or more ) as the Linseed Oyl , to this Change. For a parcel of the red Powder being kept Ignited in a Crucible , tho without the Liquor , did afterwards appear Magnetical . After having said thus much of the most useful of uncommon Stones , the Magnet : It will not , I presume , be thought incongruous to subjoin some Remarks about the most precious of them that are known among us , viz. Diamonds ; which will be done in the next Chapter . CHAP. II. CONTAINING Various Observations about DIAMONDS . DIamonds being generally esteem'd the most Noble and Precious of Gems , and even of Inanimate Bodies here below , ( for of Carbuncles , the very Existence is disputed ; ) the Opportunity I had of being one of the Committee or Directors of the English East-India Company , ( whereto the desire of Knowledge , not Profit , drew me ) allow'd me in some measure to gratifie my Curiosity about them , by adding to some Observations of my own , the Answers I had to the questions , I propounded to some East-India Merchants and Jewellers , that had Opportunity to deal much with those Gems . Part of what I had learn'd about them , I committed from time to time to some Papers , which were the main things that supply'd me with the following Particulars . These Gems , ( to add that upon the by , ) may the rather deserve our Curiosity , because the Commerce they help to maintain between the Western and Eastern parts of the World , is very considerable . For as small as their Bulk is , their Properties and Mens Opinion , do so much recommend them , that I remember one of the most famous and intelligent Merchants of this Nation , ( who has been Governor of more than one Trading Company in it , ) being enquir'd of by me about the value of the Diamond Trade ; he answer'd me , That according to his well-grounded Estimate , there came from the East-Indies into Europe , one year with another , to the value of about 350000 Sterl . of which about 100000 l. came into England ; which at present , because of the prudent Indulgence of the Government , and of the East-India Company , is become the Mart of Diamonds . I. To prove the great hardness of Diamonds , even in comparison of other Bodies , that are thought wonderfully hard , a famous Artist for cutting of Diamonds , in return to some questions I put him , affirm'd to me , that he could not either Cut or Polish Diamonds with any thing but with Diamonds . And he further answered me , that if he should employ so rough a way , and such forcible Engines to cut Rubies or any other Stones , as he does to cut Diamonds , it would presently break them in pieces ; which the Inspection of his Engine made very probable to me . II. A very skilful Cutter and Polisher of Diamonds ( Mr. L. ) being demanded by me , whether he found that all sorts of Diamonds were of equal Hardness , told me , that having dealt in Diamonds near twenty years in Amsterdam , and divers years in England , he perceiv'd that there are of later years , brought over worse and worse sorts of Diamonds ; so that he judges those of the old Rock ( as he calls them ) either to be quite spent in the Indies themselves , or at least to be seldom or never brought over to us . And he finds several of recent Diamonds , so soft and brittle in comparison of those of the old Rock , that he is oftentimes afraid , or unwilling to meddle with them , least he should spoil them in the Cutting or Polishing . III. Notwithstanding the ( lately mention'd ) wonderful Hardness of Diamonds , there is no Truth in the Tradition , as generally as 't is receiv'd , that represents Diamonds as uncapable of being broken by any External force , unless they be soften'd by being steep'd in the Blood of a Goat . For this odd Assertion , I find to be contradicted by frequent practice of Diamond Cutters : And particularly having enquir'd of one of them , to whom abundance of those Gems are brought to be fitted for the Jeweller and Goldsmith , he assur'd me , That he makes much of his Powder to Polish Diamonds with , only , by beating board Diamonds ( as they call them ) in a Steel or Iron Morter , and that he has that way made with ease , some hundreds of Carrats of Diamond Dust . IV. 'T is an Opinion receiv'd among many that deal in Gems , that as Diamonds are the hardest of Bodies , so the same Compactness , and their great Solidity , gives them also a proportionable Gravity , and makes them extreamly weighty , in reference to their Bulk : And I saw in the Hands of a Virtuoso , a Book ( that I could not procure ) not long since put out by a French Jeweller , who as he affirms , has dealt very much in Diamonds ; wherein the Author asserts , the great Ponderosity of these Stones , in comparison of other Bodies . But this Opinion agrees very little with the following Experiment , that I find among others , that I try'd about Gems , Register'd to this purpose . A rough Diamond somewhat dark within , did in a pair of Scales that would turn either way with the 32th part of a Grain , weigh 8 Grains , and eight Sixteenths . This Stone being with care weigh'd in Water , according to the Rules of the Hydrostaticks ; its weight appear'd to be to that of an equal Bulk of that Liquor , as 2 11 / 23 to 1. So that , as far as can be judg'd by this Tryal , even a Diamond weighs not full thrice as much as Water . V. A famous and experienc'd Cutter of Diamonds , being ask'd by me , whether he did not find some rough Diamonds heavier than others of the same bigness , told me , that he did , especially if some of them were Cloudy or foul : Insomuch that shewing me a Diamond that seem'd to be about the bigness of two ordinary Pease or less , he affirm'd , That he sometimes found in Diamonds of that bigness , compar'd together about a Carrat ( or four Grains ) difference in point of weight . VI. The shape or figure of Diamonds is not so easie to be securely determin'd . For those that are seen in Rings and other Jewels , having been by way of Preparation cut and polish'd , have chang'd their natural Figures for that which the Artificer thought fit to give them . And rough Diamonds themselves ( which are not obviously met with ) do oftentimes come to our Hands broken , tho unwillingly , by the Diggers . And thereby unfit to acquaint us with their genuine Shape , which we may also miss of being able to discover , on account of the Accidents that the matter they consisted of was subject to , at their formation in the Mine . For to omit other Proofs , having had a Parcel of between 100 and 150 ( if I misremember not the Number , ) put into my Hands at one time in the East-India House to gratifie my Curiosity , I found very few of them compleatly shap'd ; but most of them broken , and of very irregular Figures , like those of so much Gravel taken up at adventures upon the Sea-shore . But some few I saw that were pretty regularly figur'd , which probably were not much hinder'd from shooting freely in the Wombs or Cavities , wherein they were Coagulated or Concreted . And these seem'd to consist , in my opinion , of several Triangular Surfaces that were terminated in , or compos'd , diverse solid Angles . And one rough Diamond I had of my own , wherein this Shape was more conspicuous than I remember to have seen in any other . Besides having enquir'd of a very experienc'd Artificer , who dealt much in fitting these Gems for the Goldsmiths use , whether he found rough Diamonds to be of any constant Figure , and if he did , what that Figure was ? He answer'd me , That he always found those that had any constant , ( or as he meant , regular ) Figure , to be in his own Expression six corner'd . VII . Diamonds have in them a Grain ( or a determinate tendency of their Fibres , or rather of the thin Plates they are made up . of , ) as well as Wood , and may with case enough be split along the Grain , tho not against it ; as I have seen a very large Diamond that was cut according to the Grain into three pieces , whereof the middlemost , tho large and about the thickness of a Shilling , was of an even thickness , and exactly flat on both sides . I have my self a Diamond-Ring , whose Stone I would not have polish'd , but caus'd it to be set rough as Nature produc'd it , because in that state the Grain is manifest to the naked Eye , and much more to a Glass moderately magnifying the several Plates it consists of , having their Edges distinguishable like those of a Book a little open'd . A Cutter of these Gems that has had store of them to practise his skill on , answer'd me , That one good blow may split even great Diamonds , if it be given , as they speak , with the Grain ; but against the Grain , he affirm'd to me , as dexterous and expert an Artificer as he is , that he is not able so much as to Cut or Polish them . VIII . The common Colour of Diamond being generally enough known by sight , 't is not needful , as it would not be to describe it by Words ; but the most usual Colour of these Gems is not the only , of which they may sometimes be found . A great Traveller into the Eastern parts of the World assur'd me , That he had seen some of them that were of a pale blewish Colour : That famous French Jeweller as well as Traveller , Monsieur Tavernier , gives an account of a fair Diamond that he had of a very red colour ; and that great . Ornament of our English Court the D. of R. told me , that she was Mistress of a fair one , which tho not of a Ruby , was of a red Colour , but not having it at Hand , she could not then shew it me : A Relation of mine , in the same Court , used to wear a Diamond Ring ; which tho the Stone was not great , he valu'd at a hundred Pound , because its Colour was of so fine a Golden yellow , that I I should have taken it for an excellent Topaz , but that he had satisfi'd me 't was a Diamond to which agreed its great hardness , which gave an uncommon Luster . And I remember , that Surveying attentively a parcel of rough Diamonds newly brought from the East-Indies , I perceiv'd among them , besides several lighter variations of Colour . One Stone that was all Green , and that to such a degree , that I doubted not that if it were polish'd land set , it might pass for an excellent Emerald ; and I should have suspected this Gem to have been really of that kind , but that I found it among Diamonds that belong'd to Merchants too Skilful in those Gems to be impos'd upon ; and which was more , the Stone being yet rough and uncut , I found it plainly to have the proper shape of a Diamond . IX . At the late return of the Ships from India , being present at the delivery of the Diamonds to the Owners , I observ'd one belonging to a Dutch Merchant whose Father was a Cutter of Diamonds , and bred him to the same Trade . The Diamond came from the King of Cholconda , it was shaped ( like mine ) with fix Triangular sides , which yet were neither regularly figured nor truly flat , some of them being a little Convex , and one of them having a manifest and odly-figured Cavity in it . But the Diamond being fair and flawless , and so thick , that the Merchant told me it would be too deep for one Ring , and that therefore he meant to split it into two . I had it weigh'd , and found it to amount to ten Charats ( or 40 Grains ) . I could easily perceive the Grain of this Diamond , which the Merchant also acknowledged ; who answer'd me , that he had never seen in Diamonds any Heterogeneous mixture inclosed . He further inform'd me , that there was brought him a large Diamond from Borneo , that was much darker than one I shewed him ; insomuch that he compared it to Soot ; but when he had cut and polished it , he and others were much surprized to find it a fair and clear Stone , of very great value . X. The conjecture I have elsewhere propos'd , that divers of the real Virtues of Gems may be probably deriv'd from the metalline , or mineral tinctures , or other Corpuseles that were imbody'd with the matter of the Gem , whilst it was yet fluid , or soft , and afterwards concoagulated therewith : This conjecture , I say , may be much countenanc'd by the following Relation , which deserves a place in this Chapter , by reason of its pertinency to the Subject of it . I have long suspected that the matter whereof Diamonds mainly consist was , whilst it was yet in Solutis Principiis , impregnated with metalline , and more particularly with martial ones : But by reason of the dearness of those Gems , and some other impediments , tho I have ben Master of several Diamonds of differing sizes , cut , and uncut , yet I could never make a Tryal capable of satisfying my curiosity , till having lately met with among other little curiosities that lay long neglected by me , some number of small Diamonds , that I had bought for Experiments ; I consider'd that their being yet rough , and so in their Natural State might make them more fit for my purpose , and so it might that they were not so clear as those that we value in Rings , which probably argued their having more of Martial Tincture in them than I should expect in the more Diaphanous : Upon this account , I say , I took a moderately vigorous Loadstone ( for 't was none of the strongest I have had ) and apply'd it successively to five or six of these small Stones , without perceiving it had any Operation on them : But when I came to apply it to one more , which look't somewhat duller than almost any of the rest , I found that it had in it Particles enough of an Iron nature to make it a Magnetical Body ; and observ'd without surprise , that not only it would suffer it self to be taken up by the strongest Pole of the Loadstone , but when that Pole was offer'd within a convenient distance , it would readily leap through the Air to fasten it self to it . I have elsewhere mention'd some other Qualities of Diamonds , as besides their Electrical Vertue , this , That 't is possible that some of them may without Fire or Intense Heat be brought to shine ; tho among all that I have Try'd , I found but two that I could so make Luminous . One of these belongs to the King , and is Describ'd at the latter end of our History of Colours ; and the other is a very small one of my own ; which either was quickly lost among other Stones of the same size , or quickly lost its Faculty of Shining . But , to avoid Repetitions , I shall here only add , that some few other Observations of a more peculiar sort than those deliver'd in the two foregoing Pentades , may be found in other Writings of ours , to which they seem more properly to belong . CHAP. III. Many Changes of Colour produc'd by one simple Ingredient . I Know not any way more likely to Convince the generality of Men ( who are wont to be much more impress'd on by sensible Phenomena than Theories , tho solidly Founded ) how great an Interest the variable Texture of Bodies may have in making them appear of differing Colours , than by shewing how the addition of a single Ingredient that either is Colour ess , or at least is not of any of the Colours to be produced , is capable ( and that for the most part in a trice ) by introducing a secret change of the Texture to make the Body , 't is put to , appear sometimes of one Colour , sometimes of another , according as the parts of the Body wrought upon are dispos'd to receive such a change as Modify's the incident Beams of Light after the manner requisite to make them exhibit a Blew , a Green , a Red , or some other particular Colour . Upon this Consideration I thought of several Liquors , such as Aqua fortis , Oyl ( as they call it ) of Vitriol , or instead of it of Sulphur . Aqua Rezia , besides other Saline Liquors that I shall not now stay to name , because it may here suffice to tell you , that amongst them all I made choice of the Spirit ( not that which Chymists call the Oyl ) of Salt , as that which is very simple , and which if it be not too much dephlegm'd , may be had clear and Colourless enough . With this Spirit , I proceeded to make the following Experiments upon several Bodies , whose differing Textures made me suppose they would be fit for my purpose . And tho I could not , without much disadvantaging my Design , forbear to mention some Tryals that may be found elsewhere scatterd among my Writings on other occasions ; yet the greatest part by odds of those laid together in this Chapter , will , I presume , be found New. I. Some drops of well Coloured Syrup of Violets being let fall together upon a piece of white Paper , if a third or fourth part so much Spirit of Salt be with the tip of one's Finger mix'd with them , the Syrup will presently become of a Red Colour , usually somewhat inclining to Purple . II. But if the Liquor to be Acted on , be otherwise disposed , 't is possible with Spirit of Salt to turn it from a Blew Colour , not to a Red , but to a Green , as I have sometimes done by letting fall into a deep Solution of Filings of Copper made with an Urinous Spirit , as that of Sal armonia● , just as many drops of Spirit of Salt as were requisite and sufficient to produce the change intended . I say just so many Drops , because a very small error either in excess or defect , may leave the mixture still Blew , or bring it to be all Colourless . III. Upon a quantity , not exceeding many Drops of good Syrup of Violets , let fall two or three drops of good Spirit of Urine , Harts-horn , or the like , or of Oyl of Tartar per deliquium ; and when by mixing them well , the Syrup has acquired a fine Green Colour , then by putting to it a little of the Spirit of Salt , and stirring it with the tip of your Finger , you may turn the Green Syrup ( as in the first Experiment you did the Blew ) into a Red. IV. If you put a quantity of Red Rose Leaves well dryed into a Glass Vial almost full of fair Water , and soon after put to them as much Spirit of Salt as will make the Water pretty Sharp , you will quickly see both that Liquor and the contain'd Leaves brought to a fine and lovely Red , which Scarlet Colour it will retain for a great while ; the like effect Spirit of Salt will have on some other Vegetables of a Stiptick or of an Astringent Nature . V. But if by infusing Brazil in fair Water , you make a Tincture of it , which you may much deepen by droping into it a little Spirit of Harts-horn , or of Urine ; if you then put to it a little Spirit of Salt , it will presently change it from a deeply reddish Colour , oftentimes like that of Muskadine , to a Colour far more pale , or rather yellow , like that of the more dilute Sack ; so that the same Spirit acting upon two Vegetable Tinctures differingly dispos'd , draws out and heightens redness in one , and destroys it in the other . VI. If you make an Infusion of true Lignum Nephriticum in Spring Water , it will appear of a deep Colour , like that of Oranges , when you place the Vial between the Window and your Eye , and of a fine deep Blew when you look on it with your Eye placed between it and the Window . But if you shake into this Liquor a few drops of Spirit of Salt , the Caeruleous Colour will presently vanish and appear no more , in what light soever you look upon the Vial , tho the Liquor will still retain the Orange Colour . VII . We took common Writing Ink , and having let fall several Drops of it upon a piece of white Paper , so that when it grew dry in the Air , some parts of the Ink lay thick and some thinner upon the Paper whereon it did spread it self , we put a few Drops of strong Spirit of Salt , some on one part of the black'd Paper , and some ( or perhaps a small Drop ) on another , and observ'd , as we expected , that in these places , where the Spirit had been put , or to which it reach'd , the blackness was quite destroyed , and succeeded by an unpleasant kind of Colour that seem'd for the most part to participate of Yellow and Blew , neither of them good in its kind . VIII . If in Spirit of Salt , you dissolve Filings of Steel , and slowly evaporate the filtrated Solution , it will shoot into a kind of Vitriolum Martis that will be Green as well as that which Chymists vulgarly make with Oyl of Vitriol . And to add , That on this occasion , if you take these Chrystals made with Spirit of Salt , and when they are dry , keep them in a Crucible , you will find that even a moderate Fire if duly apply'd , will make them in a short time exchange their Green Colour for a Red , like that of the finer sort of Crocus Martis , as indeed this Operation makes them referable to that sort of Medicines . IX . We took some Mercury precipitated , per se ( that is , by the sole Action of the Fire , without any saline additaments ) and tho crude Mercury is not as far as I have tryed , soluble in our English Spirit of Salt ; yet this Red Precipitate ( which is suppos'd to be meer Mercury ) with its own Sulphur extraverted , did readily enough dissolve in that Liquor , and if I very much misremember not , did not at all impart its own Colour to it : And I also found that Red-Lead or Minium being boyl'd a while in good Spirit of Salt , the Redness did totally disappear . So that the same Agent that produces Redness in divers Bodies , did in those two , I have been mentioning , more than change it , since it quite abolished it . Of which also , I can give you an easier instance , by observing that the Reddest Coral being dissolv'd in our Menstruum , the Redness vanishes , and the Solutition appears Colourless . X. Take Filings of Copper , ( the smallest are the fittest for this Experiment ) , and having poured on them good Spirit of Salt till it swim , about two fingers breadth over them ; keep the Vial in a pretty strong Heat ( in a Sand Furnace ) till you perceive the Menstruum has dissolv'd a competent part of the Metal : Then warily take out the Vial , and holding it between your Eye and the Light , you will perceive the Solution of Copper to be not like that of Steel formerly mentioned , of a Green Colour , but of a dark and troubled one , oftentimes inclining to a deep , but muddy Red. XI . But if you pour this Solution into a wide-mouth Glass , and let it stand for a competent time , ( which sometimes amounts but to a few hours , and sometimes to very many ) the expos'd Liquor will appear of a Green , much finer than that of the Chrystals of Mars . XII . Take filtrated and limpid Solution of Silver , or of Mercury made in Aqua fortis , and drop upon it some Spirit of Salt , by which you shall find the clear Liquor turn'd white as Milk , which after a while will let fall a precipitate of the same Colour . XIII . And if instead of a Solution of Silver or Quick-silver , you take a Red Solution or Tincture of Benjamin , or of the Resinous part of Jallap Root , or you 'le also have upon the Affusion of Spirit of Salt , a white Liquor and a Precipitate of the same Colour . XIV . Being desirous to produce two differingColours at once by the same Affusion of Spirit of Salt , I infused some dryed red Rose leaves in fair Water , till it had acquired a deep Colour from them . To this Infusion , pour'd off warily , that it might be clear , I added a considerable proportion of the sweet Liquor , made by digesting Spirit of Vinegar upon red Lead , by which I knew 't would be turn'd of a Blewish Green. Upon this almost opacous Liquor , I pour'd Spirit of Salt , which as I expected , precipitated the Lead that had been dissolv'd in the sweet Liquor , into a very white Powder , and gave the remaining Liquor , well impregnated with particles of the Rose Leaves , a very fine and durable Scarlet Colour . To which Experiment I shall add on this occasion , that if it had been well made , you may barely by shaking very well together and confounding the White Powder with the Red Liquor , make a Carnation Colour , which ( when 't is made as it should be ) appear'd very fine and lovely whilst it lasted , for in no long time the two Substances that compos'd it , would by degrees separate , and re-appear each of them in its former place and Colour . XV. We took some Spirit of Salt , that having lain long upon Fylings of Copper , had lost the muddy Tincture it had first acquired by being almost boil'd upon them . This Liquor , I say , that look'd like common Water , we pour'd into a small , but wide-mouth'd Christal-Glass , about half an hour after 8 in the Morning , and leaving it in a Window , it appear'd after 40 Minutes to have there acquir'd a Colour , much like that of a German Amethist , and seem'd to have no tendency to Greenness . But being detain'd by the visit of a Virtuoso till eleven a Clock , I could not see what happen'd in the mean time : But then as he was going away , I invited him to see the Liquor , which he ( not knowing what it was ) told me it look'd of a Grass-green Colour , wherein tho I were not altogether of his mind , yet in a short time after , it did to me also appear of a lovely Green ; in its passage to which it had in all been expos'd about 3 hours and a half XVI . Precipitate a strong Solution of Sublimate , ( made in fair Water ) with a s . q. ( and no more ) of Oyl of Tartar per deliquium . Put the Liquor and Powder into a Filter of Cap-paper , and when the Water is run thorow , there will remain in the Filter the Precipitate , which is to be slowly and well dry'd . Then take it out of the Filter , in the form of a gross Powder , and having put it into a clear Glass , let fall on it warily some Drops of pretty strong Spirit of Salt , and ( if the Experiment succeeds with you as it did with me ) during the Conflict that will be made , the little Lumps of the Precipitate will lose all their former Brick-dust Colour , and turn White , tho afterwards they will appear dissolv'd into a transparent Liquor , wherein the Orange Colour is quite abolish'd . XVII . Having calcin'd Copper without any Additament , save Fire and Water ( by the way we elsewhere mention ) we took an Arbitrary quantity of it , and having pour'd on it about 3 or 4 times the quantity of good Spirit of Salt , we obtain'd ( what we look'd for ) both a Muddy , but manifestly Reddish Liquor , and ( somewhat to the surprize of the Persons I had a mind to satisfy ) a white Powder , whose quantity bore a considerable proportion to the Part that was dissolv'd , ( but whose Qualities belong not to this place ) In which part its self , ( to add that upon the by ) by the affusion of common Water , and the action of the Air , we afterwards produc'd more than one change of Colour . XVIII . We sometimes for Curiosity sake took a quantity , not exceeding a spoonful , of the dark brown or somewhat reddish Solution of ♀ , mention'd in the foregoing Experiment , and having put it into a cylindrical Vial , that the change of Colour may appear the better , we pour'd on it 2 or 3 Spoonfuls of totally ardent vinous Spirit , and giving the Glass a shake to mingle them , we presently had ( as soon as the mixture became clear ) a lovely green Liquor , which when 't was well setled , was very fair , and lookt almost as if it were a liquid Emerald . XIX . We took some green Taffatee Ribband , and having moisten'd one part of it , that was not great , twice or thrice with good Spirit of Salt , we suffer'd it to dry of its self ; which it did in a short time , and then we found as we expected , that the wetted part was no longer of a Green , but chang'd to a Blew Colour . But the same Spirit , ( to add that upon the by ) presently turn'd that part of a piece of black Ribband , upon which we put 2 or 3 Drops of it to a Colour not unlike that which they call Fueille Morte , or , a fading Leaf . XX. 'T is usual in Paper-shops , and in divers other places , to meet with Pamphlets and other thin Books that are covered with Papers that look sometimes of a Greenish Blew Colour , bordering upon Purple , and sometimes upon that of Violets . Some of the deeper colour'd Papers of this sort , I have several times to gratify some curious Persons , especially of the Sex , held in my left hand , and with the other lightly and nimbly toucht them here and there with the end of a feather ( cut off from the rest of the Quill ) dipt in Spirit of Salt , which almost in the twinkling of an Eye , dy'd the toucht parts of the Paper with a Lovely Red , that would sometimes continue very Vivid for a good while , and be manifest at the end of divers Weeks , if not Months . And if instead of the forementioned Quil , I took into my right hand ( a Brush , or ) somewhat that was fit to sprinkle with , and having dipt it in the Saline Spirit , made many drops at once fall upon the Paper , 't was pleasant enough to behold how suddenly and prettily it would be Speckled . XXI . VVe took Antimony well powder'd , and pour'd on it 3 or 4 times its weight of good Spirit of Salt ; we caus'd it to be boil'd in this Liquor , ( and that in a Glass Vessel ) wherein a part of it was dissolv'd , and taken up into the Menstruum ; where the Antimony quite lost its blackness . And this thus impregnated Spirit of Salt , being dropt into fair VVater , the black Mineral subsided immediately , in the form of a very white Powder or Precipitate . To these I might add other changes of Colours , that I have made , by the help of Spirit of Salt. But these being not of so quick and easy Tryal , ( especially because some of them require skill in Chymistry ) I thought it not fit to annex them ; supposing that those already deliver'd , amounting to above four Pentades , may suffice for the purpose declar'd at the begining of this Paper . And also to afford us this Reflection , That it may not be amiss , if Physicians , Chymists , and others that are wont to compound Drugs , or other Ingredients ; would be less forward than they usually are , to mingle , not to say to jumble , several of them together , either unnecessary , or without due regard to the friendly and incongruous Qualities ( in reference to one another ) that the separate Ingredients may have . For most of us are but too lyable to be mistaken , when we presume before-hand , what changes the Coalition , or other Associations of differing Bodies may produce ; especially if they be either Saline , or plentifully partakers of a Saline Nature ; Since Experience frequently shews , that by the Action and Reaction that are consequent upon untry'd ways of Composition , there Emerge in the mixture new Consistences and other Qualities or Accidents , that were not look'd for , when the Ingredients 't is compounded of , were put together . And tho it may sometimes happen luckily enough , that these Emergent Qualities , whether of Drugs , or other Comparatively simple Bodies , may prove advantagious ; yet this may well be look'd upon but as a lucky chance ; and hinders not , but that one may justly fear that ordinarily the newly produc'd quality of a Medicine , may prove to be either worse than was expected , or at least other than was design'd , and consequently less fit for the Physicians or the Artists determinate purpose . CHAP. IV. An Advertisement touching those Passages that in this Book relate to the Art of Medicine . THE favourable Reception the Publick was pleas'd to give two Editions set forth in one Year of The Usefulness of Experimental Philosophy , having Encourag'd the Stationer to Solicite me for a new Impression , I was on the same ground invited to think of making additions to divers parts of that Treatise ; but afterwards observing that notwithstanding the Thanks and Acknowledgments I had the good fortune to receive from several Physicians ( some of them of great Reputation , and perhaps by that only known to me ) yet others were not well pleas'd that a Person not of their Profession should offer to meddle with it , tho with a design of advancing it : I , whose condition exempted me from taking upon me their Calling , and who consequently must want many opportunities that others injoy'd of making Observations about the Phaenomena of Diseases and of Medicines , suffer'd my self without much violence to be diverted to other Studies more suitable to my Inclinations , as well as to my Condition , and accordingly I laid aside the Papers I had Written in reference to the Physicians Art , nor were it easy , or perhaps possible for me to retrieve them , after they have lain so many Years dispers'd and neglected , by which means perchance divers of them have been lost . But all this could not hinder me from being press'd to retrieve and communicate these scatter'd and dusty Papers by the Secretary of the Royal Society Mr. H. Oldenburgh : For as this Gentleman has been almost every where wonderfully solicitous to preserve every thing from being lost , that may any way contribute to increase the stock of useful knowledg . So having got notice of these Papers , and a sight of some of them , his partiality for me made him much over-value them , and perswaded him that a Collection of them as incoherent and unfinisht as they were , might be of some use to the Physicians Art. And this seem'd the more hopeful , because Natural Philosophy being a Science of far greater Extent than Physick , and supplying it , with many of its Principles and Theories ; 't is very Possible that Naturalists , tho not Profest Physicians , may propose some such comprehensive Notions and Methods , as may awaken and inlarge the minds of them that are so , and at least afford some useful hints to considering and ingenious Men. And in effect divers Physicians , as well as many Patients , have been pleas'd to declare ( some in Print , and some other ways ) that sometimes they found not useless assistances from some of those Papers , wherein I occasionally touch'd on Medicinal things . Such Motives as these made Mr. Oldenburg so earnest to procure the scatter'd Fragments , that I might have yet remaining , about Medicinal Affairs , that tho for the Reasons mention'd above , I could not think it fit to make a Collection of Papers so unlike in their Subjects , so disproportionate in their Bulk , and so unfinish'd and imperfect on divers scores ; Yet thus far I was content to comply with his desires , that when these Trifles came to hand , I would now and then insert them among my Experimenta & Observationes Physicoe . ( Medicine being a Part , or an Application of Natural Philosophy ) especially if there were any great affinity between the Paper I lighted on , and the Subject I was then treating of : Knowing well that Mr. Oldenburg , and perhaps some others too , had rather I should impart them at all adventures , than suppress what they judg'd might be useful ; and that 't was better to run the hazard of having them slighted , than lost . This Advertisement I thought fit to give in this place , once for all , that when hereafter there shall occur any thing among these Experimenta & Observationes Physicae , that directly relates to the Physician 's Art , you may not think it strange , remembring upon what account I ventur'd to meddle with things of that Nature , and also that you may readily understand what I mean , when you meet with any Particulars delivered , as Thoughts or Desiderata or Wishes , tending to , or aiming at the Improvement of Medicine ; which how slight or superfluous soever they may be to Experienc'd Masters , to whom I did not presume to recommend them , I thought might probably be serviceable to a very Ingenious , but yet Young Cultivator of that noble Art , ( whose Name , I conceal'd after the way of the Curious of Germany under that of Trallianus , ) for whose use they were intended . The I. PENTADE . EXPERIMENT I. A very Tall and well Set Gentleman , Aged about 24 years , by a Fall from his Horse , had his Skull broken in several places , and being a Person of good Estate , had several Chirurgeons to attend him in the course of his Sickness ; during which he was divers times Trepan'd , and had several pieces of his Skull taken off , which left great Chasms ( that I have seen and felt ) between the remaining Parts . Within about three days after his Fall , this Knight ( for so he now is ) was taken with a Dead Palsey on his Right Side , which did not equally affect his Arm and his Leg : The use of the latter being somtimes suddenly Restor'd to him in some measure , and ( tho seldom ) after a while almost as suddenly Lost : But his Arm and Head were constantly Paralytical , being wholly depriv'd of Motion ; and having so little Sense , that it would sometimes lye under his Body without his Feeling it . But if his Hand were prick't with a Pin , he could take notice of it . This Palsey continu'd during almost the whole time of the Cure , which lasted 23 or 24 Weeks . And when the Chirurgeons were going to close up his Head , as having no more to do ; one of them who was an Ingenious Man , and Tenant to this Gentleman , oppos'd all the rest , alledging , that , if they did no more , the Gentleman would lead an Useless and very Melancholy Life ; and that he was confident , the Palsey was some way or other occasion'd by the Fall , which had left somthing in the Head that they had not yet discover'd . And the Knight himself agreeing to this Man's motion , his Head was further laid open ; and at length , under a piece of proud Flesh , they found , with much ado , a Splinter , or rather Flake , of a Bone , that bore hard upon the dura mater , and was not pull'd out without a great Hemorrhage , and such a stretch of the Parts , as made the Patient think his Brain it self was tearing out . But this Mischief was soon Remedy'd , and his Hurts securely Heal'd up ; and he is now a Strong Healthy Man , and finds no Inconvenience by having so broad and various a Callus instead of the Skull ; save that he is a little obnoxious to take Cold in his Head. But the memorable Circumstances , for whose sake I mention this Narrative , were these : When I ask'd him how big the Bone was , that was last taken out ? He told me , that it was less than half the Nail of one of his Fingers ( not his Thumb ) and that it was almost as thin , being in size and shape like the Scale of a Fish : But that it did not in his Head lye flat , but bore hard upon the dura mater . When I ask'd him how long after it was taken out , he began to feel some Relief , as to his Paralytic Distemper ? He reply'd , That in less than five hours he found himself , to his great joy , able to move his little Finger ; and ( tho this happen'd in the Evening ) he was the next morning able to move all his Fingers , and within 2 or 3 days after to lift up his Arm : By which it seem'd manifest , that so little a Body as the Splinter lately mention'd , produc'd in so robust a Person , a Palsey of the whole side it lay on . For when I particularly ask't him , Whether , after the taking away of the proud Flesh that encompass'd the little Bone , he did not find , if he found none before , some Relief as to his Palsey ? He answer'd , that he found none at all , till the Bone had been pull'd out , which was not till a good while after the Chirurgeon had been by degrees eating off the proud Flesh that , grew about it . But there was in this case another Phoenomenon that I thought little less considerable than the former . For , remembring the important controversie , that is agitated among modern Physicians and Anatomists , about Nutrition by the Nerves , and having thereupon ask'd this Knight , whether he did not find an Atrophy in the Limbs of his Body that were affected ? He told me , that when he began to be Paralytic on that side , it by degrees much wasted , and the Paralytic Leg was very much Extenuated : But the Arm and Hand much more , seeming nothing but a System of Bones , with the Skin pasted on them . And when I further ask'd , if upon the removal of the Bony Splinter above-mentioned , the Atrophy of the Parts did not also begin to lessen ; he answered affirmatively , and told me , that in no very long time his Leg and Arm recover'd their wonted Dimensions ; and in effect I ( some days since ) saw the restor'd Arm well plump'd up with musculous Flesh , tho the Weather were exceeding Cold. And he further told me , that he found no difference between the Limbs that had been Paralytic , and the others , except that they would grow sooner and more sensibly cold in Sharp or Frosty Weather . This Gentleman answer'd me , to add that upon the by , that , during the course of his Cure , he was very frequently ( almost every second day ) let Blood ; that he wanted not Appetite to his Meat ; that for the most part he slept indifferent well ; and , which was more remarkable , upon so great a Hurt of the Head he did not Vomit , not had afterwards any Convulsions . II. Among other Instances I have met with , that shew the great Power which sudden Passions of the mind may have upon the Body , I remember that a Woman of middle Age , complain'd sadly to me of the mischief , a Fright had done her ; for she related to me , that having taken along with her to a Meadow by a River-side , a little Boy that she was dotingly fond of , whilst she was busie about the work she came thither for , the Child stole away from her , and went along the Bank , to delight himself with the View of the Stream ; but being heedless , it seems by Circumstances , that he set his Foot upon some piece of Ground that the Water had made hollow ; upon which account , the Earth failing under the weight of the Boy 's body pressing it , that , and he fell together into the River : In the mean time the poor Mother casually missing her Child , hastily cast her Eyes towards the brink of the River , and not being able to see him there , she presently concluded him to be Drown'd , and was struck with so much horrour upon the sudden accident that tore from her a favorite Son , that among other mischiefs , she fell into a Dead Palsy of her right Arm and Hand , which continu'd with her in spight of what she had done to remove it , till the time she complain'd of it to me , who had not opportunity to know what became of her afterwards . III. On the other side , to show that Violent Passions , and even Frights may sometimes , tho very seldom , do good , as well as harm ; I shall here add a Relation that was circumstantially made me by the learned Person himself , to whom the Accident happen'd . I familiarly knew a Gentleman that liv'd to be an Eminent Virtuoso , and to oblige many by his useful Writings , who when he was a Youth , fell into a violent and obstinate Sciatica , which continu'd with him so long , that it left him little hope of Recovery ; but the Devotion of this Young man's Friends invited them to make him be carry'd , since he could not go , to Church upon Sundays ; and there it happen'd , that the Town being a Frontier Garrison , the Guards were so negligent , that there was occasion given to a very hot Alarum , that the Enemy was got into the Town , and was advancing towards the Church to Massacre all that were in it . This so amaz'd and terrifi'd the People , that in very great and disorderly hast , they all ran out of the Church , and left my Relator in his Pew upon a Seat that they plac'd him , and whence he could not remove without help : But he being no less frighted than the rest , as they forgot him , he forgot his Disease , and made a shift to hamper off the Pew , and follow those that fled ; but it quickly appearing , that the Alarum had been a false one , his Friends began to think in what a condition they had left him , and hasten'd back to help him out of the Pew , which whilst they were going to do , they , to their great surprise found him in the way upon his feet , and walking as freely as other Men. And when he told me this Story , he was above forty years Elder than when he was thus strangely rescu'd , and in all that time , never had one Fit of the Sciatica . ADVERTISEMENT . 'T is easy to be observ'd , that of the two kinds into which Chymists may be conveniently enough sorted ; the Number is greater of those that are not Profest Physicians , than of those that are : And yet several of the former sort are led by their more free Curiosity , or their particular Designes , to allow a large scope to their Tryals ; and so in their Experiments upon various Bodies , to operate upon some of those that may be reduc'd ( either directly , or by sit applications ) to the Materia Medica , and afford uncommon Preparations : Which tho design'd for other purposes , may by a skilful Physician , with a light Variation , and perhaps without any , be made to afford good Medicines : And therefore I think it may be no inconsiderable service to the Publick , if by the leave and assistance of the Authors , divers Chymical Experiments that are not directly useful to their immediate purpose , were not , ( as is usual ) thrown away , but put into the hands of some Sagacious Physician . Upon these grounds , I thought my self little less than oblig'd , to set apart now and then an Experiment that contain'd some uncommon Preparation , which seem'd applicable to Medicine ; and to try whether , tho , being in the Country or in some other inconvenient Circumstances , I had not opportunity to prove it my self , the notice given of it , might not happen to be of use to a skilful Physician . I shall therefore partly in this Chapter , and partly ( if God permit ) in some following Chapters and other Writings , tender to such a one , some few of the Experiments of this sort , that I lately lighted on among my Adversaria , and that seem'd not uncapable to be made of some service to the Physician 's Art. Of the good and bad effects of these , I shall be glad to be inform'd , that they may be either us'd more freely and improv'd , or corrected and quite laid aside ; and I desire that this short Preamble may serve for a general one to all the other design'd Chymical Medicins that I shall venture to propose hereafter . A Design'd Chymical Medicine . IV. I know how much Men are prejudic'd in some whole Countries , against Vomitive Medicines : and I remember we have had here in London a Physician of great Fame and Practice , that would turn over a Patient to another Doctor , if the Case were such that the Patient would needs make use of Emeticks . And I readily acknowledg that they are edg'd Tools , that require a Skilful Hand , to imploy them without danger of doing more harm than good : But since Experience shews that where the Patient can bear them , and the Disease requires them , they act more speedily and effectually than other evacuating Medicines : And since the generality of our Physicians , not excepting some that are justly reputed very Cautious , do not scruple frequently to make use of the Infusion of Crocus Metallorum , tho it do not seldom prove a Remedy harsh enough ; I shall venture in compliance with some ingenious Physicians , and others that have often made use of a Medicine , that goes under the name of my Emetick Drops , to communicate the Preparation of them ; without pressing the use any otherwise than by confessing that divers Practitioners of Physick of differing Sentiments , agree in assuring me , that they have not yet found any Emetick to work so effectually , nor with more ease and safety , than this Liquor ; which some of them prefer by much to other Antimonial Vomits ; and especially to the Infusion of Crocus Metallorum . In preparing my Vomitive Liquor , I have not always imploy'd the same proportion of the Ingredients 't is made of , nor did I find it necessary to be nice in that matter . But the proportion I somewhat prefer , is to take two Parts of well chosen and finely powder'd Antimony , and on these to pour three Parts of the Menstruum , viz. Sp. ; which ought to be rather moderately strong , than too much rectified . These are to be distill'd together in a Glass Retort fitted with a Receiver not very small , till there come over a great part of the Menstruum , which will usually towards the close be accompany'd with Red Flores , ( some times copious enough ) which being separated by filtration through Cap-paper , the clear transmitted Liquor is to be put into a Glass , not newly wash'd , but dry on the inside , and to be kept close stopt from all Intercourse with the Air. The Dose is usually to a Man or Woman , especially at the first time , from 4 or 5 , to 7 or 8 Drops : But I know an Ingenious Physician that gives to 10 or 12 , or a few more Drops , if the Case be urgent ; and by that means he told me , that with a small Button-Bottle , that I chanc'd to give him a little before , he did in 2 or 3 hours rescue three Gentlemen , that by a bad Surfet with very bad Circumstances , were suddenly brought into great danger of speedy Death , and carry'd to a neighbouring Tavern , as being too ill to be carry'd home . The Vehicle may be a Spoonful or two of Wine , or Black-Cherry Water , or ( which divers Persons chuse rather ) of Spring-Water , Drinking up the Liquor immediately after , because there will some Precipitation be made ; and then taking 2 or 3 Spoonfuls of the same Vehicle to wash it down . It usually begins to work early , and does it without causing near so much straining as vulgar Emeticks , and yet makes Copious Evacuations ; and sometimes so Eradicative of the Morbifick matter , that the Physician lately mention'd , who Cur'd the three Gentlemen , having a poor Patient who had Conflicted for above three Years with an Ague in several Types , but most commonly Quartanary , perfectly Cur'd him with two Doses of these Drops , and a Julap made chiefly of the Distill'd Water of a common Vitriolick Mineral . And this Cure seem'd therefore to me , when the Physician gave me an account of the Drops he had from me , the more considerable , because the Patient had made use of great Variety of Remedies ; and particularly he devour'd great store of the Jesuits Bark , or Cortex Peruvianus , ( perhaps because it was not well Condition'd , or skilfulfully Administer'd ) which sometimes alter'd the Type of his Ague , turning it to a single or a double Tertian , and sometimes kept off the Fits for a while , when 't was a Quartane , but never Cur'd him quite ; and left him in a deplorable estate , wherein the Emetick Drops found him . Tho I sent this Medicine to several Patients , in whom , thanks be to God , it succeeded more than ordinarily well , yet I durst not venture to give it to Children , or to very young Persons ; but having gratifi'd an Ingenious Surgeon of good Practice , with a stock of it , the Tryals he made upon divers Persons , with great Success on other Patients , imbolden'd him to give it to Boys and Girls , and afterwards even to several Children , whereof he gave me a good Account , only he discreetly took care to proportion his Doses to the Age and Strength of his Patients , and not to give the whole Dose at once , but divide it into 2 or 3 parts , that if the first should work within half an hour or less , the second should not be given , or lessen'd in quantity . And if neither the second did work within about an hour , he added the third . And by this Cautious Method , he assur'd me that he had suddenly reliev'd several Children in bad Cases , and found not any mischief or danger ensue upon the administration of it . But Children being tender Creatures , this is to be further and cautiously try'd . POSTSCRIPT . Having had occasion to keep by me some Vials furnish'd with the Emetick Drops , longer than I thought I should need to do so : I observ'd that in tract of time , there , began to subside a white Powder , wherein a good part of the Emetick faculty of the Medicine may be suppos'd to reside ; therefore 't will be best either to imploy the Liquor in no long time after 't is made , or if one has not leisure or conveniency to do so , to shake the Vial well ( that the Powder may be rais'd and we 'l dispers'd through it ) just before it be administer'd . A Design'd Chymical Medicine . There are many that having a high Esteem for Chalybeate Waters , such as those of the Spaw and Tunbridg , which yet in many places are not to be had at all , and in few to be had well condition'd , are very Solicitous to find Succedaneums to them . To gratify some Ingenious Persons of this sort ( and improve a casual hint taken from a Book of a somewhat like Preparation propo●●ded for another purpose ) I remember , I Employ'd a way of Aemulating such Waters that answer'd the outward Phaenomena of Colour and Taste , and seem by the paucity and harmlesness of their Ingredients like to be innocent Medicines ; I had no opportunity to make tryal of them in Physick , but finding that some Inquisitive Cultivaters of that Art , valu'd them more than I did , I committed the Experiment to Paper , and now suffer it to come abroad , that it may be try'd by Physicians , and either rejected or made use of , as success shall direct . The Experiment as I made it , was this . We took one part of very good Fylings of ♂ ; and ten parts of good Distill'd Vinegar . These we put into a Bolt-head , and shop'd it well , and then in a mild heat of Sand we digested them for about two days , and afterwards augmented the Heat till the Liquor appear'd of a deep Orange Colour , but yet transparent . Part of this Tincture we pour'd off , and kept well stop'd by its self , because tho by a longer digestion and a greater heat , we obtain'd a very red Tincture , yet we did not so much value it , because when the Menstruum is over Impregnated , the Metal usually precipitates , and the fine Colour is destroy'd . Of the first reserv'd Tincture , we let fall 4 Drops into ℥ VIIIss , ( 8 ℥ ss ) of clear common Water , whose Colour was not thereby sensibly alter'd ; and the Vial containing this Mixture being well shaken , that the Tincture might diffuse it self the more thorowly , we kept it carefully stop'd for use , as being our Factitious or Counterfeit Spaw . A Spoonful or somewhat more of this , with about a quarter of a Grain , or less , of good fresh Powder of Gauls , would presently afford a Purplish Tincture , like that of Natural Springs impregnated with Mars , such as the Water of the German Spaw , or of Tunbridg in Kent ; if ones Mouth were Wash'd with it , 't was found to have like those Natural Chalybeat Waters , a manifestly faeruginous tast . N. B. These Artificial Acidulae are to be Administer'd in no long time after they are made ; for Experience has inform'd me , that ( at least sometimes ) when I kept them too long , within not many days after they were made , they would lose much , if not most of their Briskness and Force . And I sometimes perceive that there would subside to the bottom a certain red or reddish Substance , as it were Oker , which was a token of the Degeneracy of the Liquor ; and some such thing I have observ'd in some Natural Chalybeat Waters too long or negligently kept . But our Acidulae may be so soon and so cheaply made freshly , that the above mention'd Inconveniency will scarce to the Skilful seem considerable . The II. PENTADE . EXPERIMENT II. Because it may be on some occasions of use to a Physician , to have ways of Discovering the Adulterateness of Bezoar Stone , which for its dearness is often Counterfeited , and not easily discern'd to be so by the common ways of Exploring , which use to be uncertain enough ; it may not be amiss to Communicate a new way of Tryal , which 't is unlike that Impostors have dream'd of , or if they should know it , can easily elude . And this I am the rather willing to do , because the propos'd way may afford an useful hint to the Sagacious Inquirers into the Nature , and some of the Preparations that may be made , of the Bezoar Stone ; which tho it be a Drug too much Magnify'd by some Physicians , especially those that depend on it , against the true Plague ; yet a Physician of great Experience , and rather a severe , than any ways a partial Judg of it , allows it to be an excellent Remedy even in Malignant and ill-condition'd Fevers , at least if they be not truly Pestilential . One of the ways I imploy'd , in treating the Bezoar Stone , may be easily gather'd from the ensuing Transcript of one of my register'd Experiments . We took 40 or 50 Grains of choice Oriental Bezoar Stone reduc'd to Powder , and in a Bolt-glass pour'd on it . ʒVI of good Spirit of Niter , as well to try whether this Liquor would prove a fit Menstruum for : this Stone , as we found it to be for the Calculus Humanus , as for other purposes . And tho this Affusion being purposely made in the Cold , the Liquor did not seem at first to work on the Stone ; yet soon after it fell violently upon it , and dissolv'd the greater part of it , not without noise and a Notable Effervescence . The Solution was almost Red , and the Glass being put in a digestive Furnace , the whole Powder was not only dissolv'd , but being left a night or two in a North Window , it afforded divers Saline Concretions , much larger than could well have been expected from so small a quantity of matter ; and these Crystals , whilst they were yet in the Glass , might easily be taken for Crystals of Salt-peter , so great was their resemblance . To manifest how much the faculties of loosening and binding , are relative things , and depend upon the Disposition of the Body to be wrought upon , and so upon the Congruity betwixt the Agent , and the Patient , I know an Ingenious Gentlewoman , on whom Cinnamon , which generally is a considerable Astringent and Stomachick Medicine , has a quite contrary Operation , and that in a strange degree , insomuch that having found by 2 or 3 accidental Tryals , that a very little Cinnamon seem'd to disorder her Stomach and prove Laxative , she resolv'd once to satisfy her self , whether those Discomposures came by Chance , or no ; and having strew'd some powder'd Cinnamon upon a Tost , she was going to put into her Ale , upon eating the Tost she was copiously Purg'd for two days together , and that with such violence , that it put her into Convulsion Fits , and a kind of Spasmus Cynicus , which she could never be perfectly freed from , being troubled with from time to time for . 3 Years , as was the other day averr'd to me , and divers others that know her , by her Husband who is himself a Learned Man and a profest Physician . A prosperous Physician , to whom I had recommended some things relating to his Profession whilst he practis'd it with Success in the Capital City of Ireland , where at that time there rag'd a new and violent Fever , whereof Multitudes Dy'd , very few Patients Recovering of it , happily lighted on a Method that prov'd , through God's Blessing , very Prosperous . This Doctor returning into Ireland sometimes before , having been desir'd by me to send me an account of some things relating to Natural Philosophy and Physick that I nam'd to him , wrought to me in answer to some of my Enquiries a Letter , out of which I thought fit to make this Extract , because I know not but that it may give good hints towards the Cure of some other ill-condition'd Fevers . Dublin , Feb. 27. 1682. I Have imployed Ens Veneris for the removal of a Subsultus Tendinum , in a Person dangerously Sick of a Febris Petechialis ( a Discase fatal to very many here for these 12 or 14 Months ) and found that it answer'd my hopes in 3 or 4 Hours after I gave it in Conserve of Borrage Flowers . I have , since I came from England , thought of a Method of Curing the aforesaid Fever , which has not once fail'd me , tho I made of it for 16 or 18 several Persons , many of which would certainly Dye , if treated after the usual manner in this case . If I should tell you from what Observations and Reasonings I came to alter the Method of Cure , I should be very tedious . I shall therefore at present wave that , and proceed to tell you , That when first I come to any Sick of this Disease , if I find Costive ( as generally they are ) I prescribe a Glister , and after that an Episplastick Plaister 6 or 7 Inches broad , and 8 or 9 Inches Long , to be apply'd between the Shoulders ; the Blister being well rais'd , I order to be Dress'd carefully , stripping off the Cuticula . This continues running till the Fever is gone off ; which is most commonly in 10 or 12 days , if they have not kept up too long with it , and then we cannot certainly foretel the time of the Fever's declination ; for the whole time till the going off of the Fever , I Prescribe Emulsions of Aq. Aronis , Card. Bened. Citrij totius & Syr. Granatorum cum Aceto ; I allow of Orange and Butter-milk Possets , of roasted Apples , Flummery , or any other light and cooling thing they call for . By this Method I keep the Genus Nervosum and Brain from being Affected , and consequently secure my Patients ; for as many as I have ever known of them Dye , that were troubled with this Disease , Dy'd of a disorder of those Parts . I do not defer the Blistering Plaisters , as others do , till I find my Patients Delirous , Lethargick , Convulsive , or otherwise affected in their Heads and Nerves , finding by the Experience of others that then they most commonly prove ineffectual , because of some Morbifick Matters being too deeply lodg'd in these parts . I do not prescribe , except upon some extraordinary occasions , any Volatile Salts or Spirits , or any thing too apt to quicken the already over-brisk Circulation of the Blood , having Experimentally Learn'd that by these often us'd , the Brain and Nerves become sooner than ordinary affected , for as much as they deeply insinuate themselves , and drive with them some Morbifick Matter into the Brain and Nerves . I find Bleeding bad , being generally Fatal . If I doubt of the Recovery of any of my Patients Sick of this Disease , 't is only when I find that they have been let Blood , or lain for 8 or 9 days before I come to them ; tho I have brought through it , even Persons in those Circumstances . A Design'd Chymical Medicine . I shall not , because I need not , Discourse of the Medicinal Vertues of Steel in a City where many Learned Physicians do so much esteem and imploy Chalybeate Medicines as they do in London , and therefore I shall content my self at this time to offer you a couple of Preparations of Steel that possibly you have not met with or thought of . 1. Considering that most of the ways made use of by Chymists to prepare Steel , tend by dividing it into very Minute parts , to make it more lyable to be wrought on by the Liquors of the Stomach , and some other parts of the Body , and that the generality of these Chalybeate Preparations are wont to be made only with Acids , whether manifest , as Oyl of Vitriol , Spirit of Vinegar , &c. or Occult , as Brimstone , which tho insipid in its Natural State , when it comes to be Melted , discloses its hidden Salt , and works on ♂ by a sharp Acidity ; considering this , I say , and that Men have confin'd themselves to Acids in working on Steel , because they suppos'd Instruments of that kind were necessary to dissolve that Metal , I thought it might do you , and some Ingenious Men of your Profession , some little Service , if I propos'd to you a way of Opening the Body of Steel , that tho I gave a hint of it divers Years ago , is , for ought I know , yet unpractis'd . We took then several Ounces of highly rectify'd Spirit of fermented ( or putrify'd ) Urine made per se , and consequently without Quick-lime , and pour'd it upon as much Filings of Steel freshly made , to be sure , not to have any Rusty ones , as we guest , would at least suffice to satiate it fully . These we put in a moderately warm place , where the Menstruum wrought on the Metal for divers hour together , and Dissolv'd a considerable part of it . This Solution we set to filter , and found it of a Taste considerably strong , but very different from any of the Chalybeat Preparations , we remembered , that were seen made with Acids . The Liquor being kept in a stopt Viol for some days near a Window , did in the Cold let fall by degrees a considerable quantity of Powder of a deep Green Colour , which surpriz'd some Virtuosi , to whom I shew'd it , especially because the Liquor it self was not of that Colour ; tho at least the superficial part of what remain'd ( in plenty ) in the Filter , did also in the Air acquire a Green Colour . But tho our Solution pour'd off from the subsided Powder , was warily and slowly evaporated , yet we did not find it would well Crystallize What use may be made in Physick , of Preparations of this kind , I leave to you , whose Profession as well as Curiosity will ingage you to consider . I do not presume to tell you , but in general it seems that Steel Prepar'd with Volatile Spirits of the Animal Kingdom that are wont to be friendly to Nature , and are very contrary to Acids , may have new qualities very differing from those of Steel Prepar'd with Acids , and may be more safe in some Cases and to some Patients . With what other Volatile Menstruums I have dissolv'd Mars , and what Phaenomena some Tryals I made with that Metal open'd by such Salts , you may command an Account of , if you think it worth desiring . A Design'd Chymical Medicine . Another Experiment that I made on Steel , was design'd to make as much of it Volatile , as I could with a Menstruum , not so Corrosive or Dangerous to the Body as Oyl of Vitriol , or Spirit of Niter , which , especially the former , are imploy'd by divers Chymists to make Chalybeat Preparations that yet are not Volatile . The Medicinal Scope I had in my Eye , for I had also a Chymical one ( that belongs not to this place ) was to try if I could by it obtain any Sulphur of Mars , which the Commendations that some , even of those Chymists , whether Adepti or not , whose Authority I most regard , represent as an excellent Medicine , especially in Cases that require Anodynes , and which the others , or the same speak of as a graduatory Substance ( as to some Metals ) or both : If you should ask me , why I did not make use of the common Vitriolum Martis , which is easy to be had in the Shops of Chymists ? I answer , That my design being to try whether or no I could obtain a Sulphur , that might properly enough ( tho not in the utmost rigor ) we call Sulphur of Mars , that which is made the common way , would not answer my end , since tho I should be able from this Vitriol to obtain a real Sulphur ; yet I should not think it safe thence to conclude , that it came from the Metal , and not from the Menstruum ; because I have several times from Oyl of Vitriol it self , obtain'd no contemptible proportion of Yellow and Combustible Sulphur . To which I add , that the acquisition of a Metalline Sulphur , tho it was not the only thing that I aim'd at in this Preparation , for I presum'd , that at least I should make a very great Comminution of the parts of Steel , which is one of the main things aim'd at by the more Rational Physicians in the Preparations of that Metal . Upon these and the like grounds , I pitcht upon good Spirit of Sea-Salt as a Menstruum , much fitter for my purpose than either Oyl of Vitriol or the Acid part of Sulphur ; and accordingly in a good many Ounces of this Menstruum , we dissolv'd as much as we easily could of choice Filings of fine Steel , and having filter'd the Green Solution , we very slowly Evaporated it in a Glass Vessel , and took such care not to spoil the matter , that we had store of fine Green Crystals that were not very small , and lookt prettily ; most of these we put into a strong , but small Retort , and by degrees of Fire , and a strong one , for the last hours ; we obtain'd divers Ounces of a Liquor that came over in white Fumes , like Mists driven by the Wind , and afforded a Sulphureous Smell : This Liquor we rectify'd , and had a Yellow Ponderous Spirit , that seem'd to be much more of Kin to the Spirit of Sea-Salt , than to the common Oyl of Vitriol ; especially since being mixt with Aqua-fortis , it would , like Spirit of Salt , make it a Menstruum , that would even in the Cold Dissolve Gold in thin Leaves . Which last words I add , because having put into a little of it already made Yellow , by having dissolv'd Leaf-Gold a very thin Plate , but a pretty deal thicker than a Leaf of Hammer'd Gold , the Menstruum made it look all over white , almost like Silver , which seem'd to argue , that this Vitriolate Menstruum differ'd from common Spirit of Salt. And however , it may be worth taking notice of by the By , that not only Vitriols Blue , as is well known to Chymists , but that Vitriols of one of those Colours , and whereof the same Metall is the basest , may differ much from one another on the score of the various , and to us perhaps , unknown Menstruum that dissolves the Metal , since our Green Vitriol yeilds Liquors very different from common English Vitriol of Mars made with Oyl of Vitriol , tho all the three be green . Which may give us some Reason of the uncertainty , whereof Vitriol is mainly imploy'd ; and 't is perhaps worth remarking , that tho we did not find the Vitriol of Mars made the common way , nor even Roman Vitriol to dissolve in a Vinous Spirit totally Inflammable , yet it would easily enough Dissolve our Saline Vitriol , ( if I may so call it ) which Solution to hint that in Transitu , you may perhaps see cause to imploy as a Medicine in several Cases , and particularly as a Styptic in Wounds , since its Tast is very Astringent , its Parts very Subti , and made fit by the Vinous Spirit , to prevent Corruption ; especially in those Clymates where Chirurgeons complain . That they can scarce prevent the Breeding of Worms in Wounds , unless they do betimes Dress them with Spir. of Wine or Brandy . But that which we chiefly aim'd at in this Operation , was the dry part , of what was Elevated by the force of the Fire . This we found to be distinguishable , partly by its Situation , and partly by more durable Accidents , into three kinds of Substance , whereof one was almost like a Powder , which after the Contact of Air , did in a while come over to be of a Yellow Colour , almost like Sulphur , but it was not indeed truly Combustible Sulphur . The other Substance consisted of larger parts , and was of a deep Colour , between Read and Brown. But the third , which seem'd the most Copious of all , was made up of fine parts , larger than the former , of a deep Reddish Colour , and adorn'd with a fine Gloss , like that of Scales of Fishes , that look'd very prettily . The Caput Mortuum was found to be of a Texture that would have surpriz'd most Men ; for a great part of it appeared to be turn'd into a Talky Substance , consisting of pretty broad and very thin Plates , smooth and glossy , that lay upon , and against one another , like those that make up Muscovia-Glass , when the pieces are more thick than large . CHAP. V. CONTAINING Experiments and Observations Solitary ; in two Pentades . The I. PENTADE . EXPERIMENT I. A notable Comminution of Gold into Powder that will sink in Water . TO manifest into how great a multitude of Corpuscles , gross and heavy enough to sink to the bottom even of a Saline Liquor in the form of Precipitate or Powder ; I thought of this Expedient . We took a Grain of Refin'd Gold , and having dissolv'd it without heat in a competent quantity of good Aqua Regia , we put to it by guess about two Spoonfuls of Water , and then by a Thread we hung in the mixture a little bit of clean metaline Body , and kept it suspended in the Liquor for many hours ( or some few days . ) By this means we obtain'd , as we expected , a Precipitate of a fine and deep Colour , so copious and so light , that it was a long time before it would all settle at the bottom . Then looking upon the remaining part of the Suspended Metaline Body , we found it so very little less than when the whole was first put in , that the diminution of it was not judg'd to amount to near a Grain . By which Experiment it appear'd , that one Grain of Gold , not swiming in parts separately invisible , as 't is in Solutions , but reduc'd to a Manifest Powder , seem'd to make a considerable quantity of Precipitate at the bottom of the Cylindrical Vial , whose Diameter was about an Inch , that we kept it in . And this Glass being a little shaken , the Precipitate would rise like a Mud , and be so thorowly disperst in the form of a Powder , through the whole Body of the Liquor , and a greater quantity of Water added to it , that at first it would seem Opacous , and after some time , it would appear like a high and lovely Purple Solution . So that one Grain of Gold ( for the Colour argu'd that there was some of that Metal , in every Corpuscle of the Precipitate ) was reduc'd into as many Grains of Powder , as suffic'd to lodg themselves in all the Particles of space great enough to be visible , that were contain'd in a Mass of sixteen Drachms ( is Two Ounces ) of Water . EXPERIMENT II. A Proof of the Metalline Nature of Granates . I have else where endeavour'd to shew that divers , if not most , of the real Vertues of some Gems , ( for there are too many Fabulous ones ascrib'd to them ) may in probability proceed from the Particles of Mineral Juices , that were admitted whilst the matter was yet in Solutis Principiis , or at least soft , and afterwards Coagulated with the Lapidescent part of the Stone . In confirmation of this Conjecture , I shall now observe , that having , upon some grounds not necessary to be here mention'd , suspected that Granates contain ( some of them ) besides some other Metalline Substances , divers Corpuscles of a Martial Nature ; I made choice of some small ones , which by their deep and almost dark Colour , ( to name no other Signs ) I guess'd to contain somewhat of Iron or Steel ; and apply'd to them a pretty vigorous Loadstone , which as I expected , readily took them up and to which they constantly stuck afterward , till I forcibly separated them from it . But tho I try'd this upon more parcels of Garnets than one or two , yet I found that there was not many in one heap , that would easily adhere to the Magnet . EXPERIMENT III. A Gentleman Eminent for his Travels into Eastern Parts , and for his Skill in Jewels , told me , in Confirmation of my Opinion about the Origine of Gems from Fluid Materials ; that he had seen a white Saphir that was a Table-Stone , as they speak , i. e. flat and not cut in Facets , about the middle of which there was a Cavity about the bigness of a large Pins head , or small Fitch , that contain'd in it a drop of Liquor that it seems could not be Coagulated into Stone with the rest of the Matter : Which Liquor , he said , was very easily discernible by its shifting places in the Cavity , when the Stone was put into differing Postures . And when I ask't , whether there was no Flaw or Commissure in the Stone , at which the Liquor may be suspected to have got in ; he assur'd me that there was none , but that the Cavity was every way encompast by the solid Stone , and was about the thickness of three Barly Corns beneath the upper Superficies of it . SCHOLIUM . It may be here fit to give notice once for all , about the Experiments that are in the following Collections , styl'd Solitary , that tho most of them are deliver'd nakedly as matters of Fact , without any such Introduction or subsequent Reflection , as may be met with sometimes expressly , and oftner by Intimation in divers others ; yet that it should not be thence infer'd , either those that are simply recited , were lighted on by chance , or made at all adventures , or that they are of no use , because for the most part there is not any expressly ascribed to them : For as they were not written without a particular occasion and scope too , so that many of them may be apply'd to good purposes , will , perchance , be found here and there in our other Writings . And to make it probable in general , that most of them may not be useless , it may perhaps suffice that we refer to what we have elsewhere purposely Discoursed , about the uses of Experiments ( even ) to Speculative Philosophy . This may pass for a general Scholium applicable to most of those Experiments that are not attended with any particular Scholium , nor any thing in the Experiment or Observation its self , that may easily by an attentive Reader , be made to supply the place of a Scholium . Which last clause I add , to intimate , that besides my hast , another reason why so many Scholium's , as may be expected in the following Collection , will not be found in it , was , because the proemial part did , on several occasions , make it needless to subjoyn Annotations . EXPERIMENT IV. An Ingenious and Credible Person ( Mr. W. ) assur'd me , that in one of the fine Gardens near Genoa , that he delighted to Visit , there was Pond , which being made on the side of a Hill , the Wall next the bottom of the Hill was so high , that Men could not look over it into the Pond , nor be at all seen over it by the Fishes in the Pond ; and yet he has several times observ'd these Fishes to be call'd together by the Gardiner , as he pleas'd , with a certain noise that the Gardiner made to assemble them , tho neither he nor any man else could be discover'd by the Fishes that readily obey'd their Summons . This Relation may be of use in the Controversy , Whether Fishes hear under Water . EXPERIMENT V. Upon occasion of what is elsewhere said of the Production of vivid apparent Colours by the breaking of the beams of Light , on Corpuscles extraordinary Minute , tho solid ; I took a Globe of rock Chrystal , which being for a certain use saw'n in two by a Cutter of Gems , and having lookt upon the flat Surfaces , observed to the Sun Beams , the little Particles that ( notwithstanding their seeming smoothness in the Shade ) asperated their Surfaces , did so retract and reflect the Light , as to make them exceed the vivid Colours of the Rain-bow , ( but in a somewhat interrupted manner ) sometimes on one part of the Surface , sometimes on another , as the Surface happen'd to be Scituated in reference to the Sun. And having caused a choice and fine Grain'd Touch-stone to be likewise saw'n asunder by the same Artificer , to make two of it ; I observed upon the new Surfaces made by this Action , that to the Touch smooth and polish'd , such vivid Colours as I lately mention'd to be these Surface , were put in to various Position in reference to the Sun and the Eye ; so that notwithstanding the great transparency of the Chrystal and great Opacity of the Touch-stone , their superficial Corpuscles were found fit to exhibit ( in due positions ) the vivid Colours we admire in the Rain-bow . The II PENTADE . EXPERIMENT I. Having for less than two hours borrow'd an Oculus Munai , whose Colour was White , whose Figure was Round and plain Convex , and whose Diameter , I judg'd , to be about a third part of an Inch ( rather less than more ) I put it into a very shallow Glass Vessel almost fill'd with fair Water , and observ'd within one Minute , or thereabout , with the Minute-Watch , that one part of the Edg began to appear somewhat Diaphanous , and the whole Stone did by degrees lose its Whiteness , appearing of a dark Brownish Colour : When this Change had reach'd the whole Surface , I look'd upon my Watch , and found that the Stone had lain nine Minutes in the Water ; out of which having taken it , I perceiv'd the Body was grown Semi-Diaphanous , and the parts near the Edg being less thick , appear'd to have lost much more of their former Opacity than the innermost part had . Then putting the Stone presently into the Water again , I let it lye there so long till the Time efflux'd , since the begining of the Experiment amounted just to half an Hour . Then taking it out , and wiping it , I found it was grown much more clear , since being held against the light , it look'd almost like Yellow Amber , but not quito so Diaphanous . Then I expos'd it to the Contact of the Air , in the Scales of a very good Ballance ( where it weigh'd four Grains and about a quarter ) and left it for a quarter , or near half an Hour , in that Ballance to try if by the recess of any imbib'd aqueous Moisture it would become lighter ; but want of Time hindred me from compleating the Experiment , but did not deter me from making another Observation , which was , that within about a single Minute of an Hour , a portion of the Stone near one part of the Edg , was manifestly grown Opacous and Whitish , and within not many Minutes after , the whole Stone began to appear in a changing condition , but did not change in every part at once , nor did the alteration make an uniform Progression ; but here one might successively discover divers white Arches , or as 't were Zones , that were parallel enough to one another , and being quite Opacous , intercepted between them other little Zones , which being yet Semi-opacous , appear'd of a Brown Colour , and concurr'd to make the Stone look like a very pretty Agate , wherein the Whiteness made a continued Progress as long as the Time permitted me to observe it : And the Possessor assur'd me , that within an Hour or or two it would be all of a Cream White ( as he express'd himself ) which I thought the more Credible , because I saw one part of it , that was pretty broad , to have obtain'd already a Whiteness , little , if at all inferiour to that of Ivory . EXPERIMENT II. Remarkable Observations about Hurricanes . The late Governour of the Bermudas Islands , ( very much subject to Hurricanes ) in Answer to my Questions , about the Presages of those hideous Tempests , inform'd me , that these were of the principal Forerunners . First , That the Sea would manifestly swell at some distance from the Shores , insomuch , that the Fishermen would divers times make to Land , and warn the Inhabitants , upon the confidence of that Presage , to provide against that dismal Storm , tho the Sea were then smooth enough . Secondly , That the Sea would beat with great Noise against the Shore , especially the Rocks , tho there appear'd no manifest Cause , as upon the account of the Wind or Tide , why it should do so . And this Sign would sometimes not appear till many Hours , or perhaps a full Day after that foremention'd . And sometimes 't was observ'd , that the Sea would now and then suddenly Invade the Shore , and gain further upon it than could be accounted for by the Wind or Tide , and then quickly Ebb away beyond the usual Low water-Mark , and after return again with more fury , and fall back further than before . Thirdly , That sometimes there would be perceiv'd an ungrateful Smell in the Air , before the Hurricane began to Blow . And Fourthly and Lastly , My Relator affirm'd to me , both he and others had seen many Bundles , as it were of long Streaks of differing Colours , some Whitish , some Reddish , and some Blewish , or Greenish , which by reason of their Figure are usually call'd in those parts Horse-Tails : And these were seen in parts of the Sky , where the Air was Troubled indeed , but yet no form'd Clouds did appear to the Eye . EXPERIMENT . III. A Monstrous Pearl . Yesterday a curious Person came to shew me a Monstrous Pearl , if I may so call it , because it was very irregularly shap'd , and of an Enormous bigness . For tho it were so artificially set in Gold , that by the help of a little of that Metal fitly plac'd here and there , the whole Jewel represented a Lion ; yet I made shift to Measure it exactly enough with a Pair of Calapar Compasses , ( as they call those whose Legs are made Arch-wise ) and found the Length to be just an Inch and an Half , and the greatest Breadth ( where yet it was of a proportionate Thickness ) to be 2 / 10 or 4 / 5 of an Inch. The Colour was Orient enough , all but one dark Spot , which by its size , figure , and situation , I guess'd to be the remains of that Part ( whether like an Umbilical Cord or no ) whereby it was fasten'd to the Naker or Shell of the Fish that produc'd it . EXPERIMENT IV. An odd Observation about the Influence of the Moon . I know an Intelligent Person , that having by a very dangerous Fall , so broken his Head , that divers large Pieces of his Skull were taken out , as I could easily perceive by the wide Scars that still remain ; Answer'd me , that for divers Months that he lay under the Chirurgeons Hands , he constantly observ'd , that about Full Moon , there would be extraordinary Prickings and Shootings in the wounded Parts of his Head , as if the Meninges were stretched or press'd against the rugged Parts of the broken Skull , and this with so much pain , as would for 2 or 3 Nights hinder his Sleep , of which at all other times of the Moon he us'd to injoy a competency . And this Gentleman added , that the Chirurgeons , ( for he had 3 or 4 at once ) observ'd from Month to Month , as well as he , the Operation of the Full Moon upon his Head , informing him , that they then manifestly perceived an Expansion or Intumescence of his Brain ; which appear'd not at all at the New Moon ; ( for that I particularly ask'd ) nor was he then obnoxious to the foremention'd Pricking pains . EXPERIMENT . V. An uncommon Experiment about Heat and Cold. To confirm what we have elsewhere deliver'd about the Mechanical Origine of Heat and Cold , we devis'd the following Experiment : We took a small and hermetically seal'd Thermoscope , whose Stem was divided into parts , equal enough as to Sense , by little Specks of Amel , that sharp Liquors might not eat off or spoil the Marks . The Ball of this Instrument we put into a slender Cylindrical Vessel , ( call'd in the Shops a Mustard Glass ) and more than cover'd it with strong Oyl of 🜖 , and left it there awhile to be reduc'd to the temper of the surrounding ▪ Liquor . Then we cast upon it by degrees , grosly Powder'd , * which presently was wrought on furiously by the Menstruum ; and by this Conflict , was produc'd a seeming Effervescence , with great noise and store of Froth , which more than once was ready to run out of the Vessel . But for all this seeming Ebullition , the mixture instead of growing Hot , did really grow Colder and Colder , as appear'd not only when the Vessel was touch'd by the Fingers on the outside , but by a surer mark , which was the descent of the colour'd Spirit of Wine . How much farther it would have descended , ( for the Liquor was not near satiated with the 🜔 ) we were hinder'd from Discovering by an unlucky Accident , that broke the Thermometer , and put an end to that First part of our Experiment . But this was no hindrance to the Second part , which for its Novelty we mainly design'd . For when we pour'd this actually and considerably Cold Mixture into three or four times its weight ( by guess ) of as much common Water , that was likewise actually Cold ; this Second Mixture did , as I expected , immediately grow so Hot , that I did not like to keep my Finger for a Minute or two upon the outside of the Glass . An Advertisement about the Nature and Scope of the Chymical Experiments contain'd in the following Pentades . CHAP. V. Containing two Pentades of Chymical Experiments . BEfore you enter upon the perusal of the following Pentades , I think my self oblig'd to give you notice , that you will be deceiv'd if you expect to find them consist , either Solely or Mainly , of Spagirical Secrets , or difficult and elaborate Processes . I do not indeed deny , that I am not altogether unfurnish'd with such as in probability , most Readers would refer to Experiments of that Nature , and you may find divers of them scatter'd upon fit occasions , in several of my Writings : But in the present Tract , tho I have not forborn to mention here and there as many Particulars of that sort , as I thought necessary to excite and maintain the Curiosity , and sustain the Attention of a Reader that Relishes nothing that is not Season'd with somewhat that is not common ; yet in this Treatise , wherein I aim'd not to appear a Chymist , so much as to make my Reader a Naturalist ; it was more suitable to my design , tho not more conducive to my Credit , that the following Pentades ( which God permitting , may in tract of time , much increase in Number ) should mainly consist of Experiments , rather useful than Specious ; my design being to contribute some sound Materials towards the Erection of a solid and useful Natural Philosophy . In making choice of which Materials , I usually prefer those Experiments that afford the more Light to those that appear with the most Luster , and those that are proper to increase the Readers skill , to those that make an Ostentation of the Writers . On which ground it is , that , whatever I may do , where I purposely Recommend Chymistry , I make this small Collection , consist mainly of simple and not Intricate or elaborate Experiments . Those that are Simple being not only more easy to be Try'd , and if need be , Reiterated without much trouble , or danger of erring ; but ( which I more regard ) more easy to be judg'd of , as to their Causes , Phenomena and effects , and consequently more fit to ground Notions and Reasonings upon : Divers of which may probably in the applications that sagacious Persons may make of them , prove to be of Practical as well as Theorical use . Thus tho a Wedg of Gold and a Diamond be , one more Rich and finely Colour'd , and the other more precious and sparkling than a piece of Steel and a Hint ; yet on many occasions the two latter are far more serviceable to Mankind than the former : Since not those that are more priz'd for themselves , but those that in comparison seem despicable , afford Sparks , which do not only give Light , but are fit to kindle Fires , which both afford incomparably more Light , and in the application are of excellent and necessary use in the Kitchins of Families , the Forges of Smiths of all sorts , the Furnaces of Myne-men , and the Laboratories of Chymists . The I. PENTADE . EXPERIMENT I. To Dissolve Crude Gold with dry Bodies . Because the generality of Chymists make so great a matter of Aurum Potabile , tho they cannot deny , but that by their Preparations it is not made irreducible ; and because also I am willing to grant , that even some Preparations , that leave the Metal reducible , may yet be of considerable use in Physick ( the grounds of which Opinion I elsewhere declare , and shall not here repeat ) I will in this place set down a Process , which tho I do not overmuch value , serv'd me well enough on some occasions , to Vye with those that much vaunted their particular ways ( as they thought them ) of making Aurum Potabile , I told them , I could make one in an hour or two's time without a Furnace ; and that without any other Distill'd Liquor whatsoever than common Spirit of of Wine well Dephlegm'd . This I did several times , after the following manner . I prepar'd a Saline Mixture consisting of one part of Sal Almonia● , two parts of Roch Allum , and four parts of pure Nitre . This being well pulveriz'd and mingl'd , I rub'd diligently in a Glass or Marble Mortar , with 15 or 16 parts in weight of the whole Mixture of Leaves of Gold , such as Apothecaries and Book-binders use . Then I put this into a small new Crucible , and putting a few , and but a few , kindled Coals round about it , and at a little distance from it , to neal the Vessel ; I soon after approacht them , till the heat made the Matter melt , and so with that gentle Fire , I kept it in fusion , till it visibly emitted no more Fumes but grew dry again . This sign appearing , I presently took it off from the Fire , and whiles it was yet warm , dug it out , as clean as I could , and having seasonably pulveriz'd it , that it might not attract the Moisture of the Air ; I put upon it some highly rectify'd Spirit of Wine , which within an hour or less time , was enobled with a rich Golden Colour . And accordingly I found it to be a real Solution of Gold , by divers Tryals that I purposely made , to evince it to be so . Of this and some other less common Preparations of ☉ more may be met with hereafter . EXPERIMENT . II. Luna Cornea by Distillation . There was taken ℥ III of well refin'd Silver , thinly Laminated , and six of common Sublimate . This was put first into a Retort , and the Silver cut into small pieces , was put in after , that the matter lying uppermost might be Penetrated by the ascending Fumes : But the Fire having not been made strong enough , the Sublimate was Elevated to the uppermost part of the Retort , and left the Silver scarce at all chang'd in the bottom of the Glass . Wherefore we put the same Sublimate and Metal into another Retort , and administring a stronger Fire , that the Sublimate might be thorowly melted before it could flee away , we obtain'd no running Mercury at all , but the greatest part of the Sublimate was Elevated in its usual form , leaving behind it the Silver in a Lump , which stuck hard to the bottom of the Glass , and appear'd much alter'd . For besides that there was acquir'd ℥ I. in weight , many of the pieces of Metal stuck together , and seem'd at least half Melted , and were of a kind of Horny and Semi-Diaphanous Substance , which would readily enough Melt almost like Sealing-Wax , when I held it to the Flame of a Candle , at which yet I could not perceive it manifestly to take Fire . SCHOLIUM . 'T is here to be noted once for all , that in this and divers other Chymical Experiments , there is sometimes much more deliver'd than is necessary to make good the Title , or the thing mainly intended . But 't was thought fit , not to Dismember or Mutilate the entire Memoir as 't was register'd , because that of the other Particulars some may be , tho indirectly , refer'd to the principal part , and others may be look't on as Phaenomena , which may be of use at least to me , by keeping me from forgetting them , and probably tend to the main design of all these Experiments , viz. to contribute to a Natural History , which may respect Practice , as well as Theory . EXPERIMENT . III. Mercury growing warm with Silver . We took ʒII of animated ( or antimonial ) Quicksilver , and put it into the palm of ones Hand ; we put to it by degrees a Dram and an Half of Powder of fine Silver , made by Precipitation with Copper the ordinary way ( but with more than ordinary care ) . Whilst this Mixture was making with ones Finger , he that held it in his hand , confess'd he found it grow sensibly Warm ; and I , whose Finger was considerably Warm , could not with it perceive any coldness in the Amalgame . This in a very short time became of a soft , and ( as to sense ) uniform consistence , and so soft that it was like almost melted Butter , insomuch that we added half a Dram more of the Calx of Silver , without rendring the Amalgame at all too stif ; and perhaps we might have added the other half Dram , without overcharging that penetrant Mercury : in which case it had swallowed up full its own weight of Silver ; so different it was from common Mercury ; and when we left off , it had reduc'd into a very yeilding form , three quarters of its own weight of solid Metal . This aaa we put into a small Vyal , and stopt the Glass with a Cork , to observe whether the Amalgame would harden without intercourse with the free Air. Next morning it appear'd to be concreted in the Glass ; and the next morning after that , we broke the Glass to take out the Matter , which we found considerably hard , but brittle enough . EXPERIMENT . IV. The Durableness of the Faculty of a certain prepar'd Mercury to grow Hot with Gold. To convince those that Treat the Incalescense of Prepar'd Mercury and of Gold , as a Chymical Chymera ; I sent in a Conceal'd way to the Royal Society , some Mercury laboriously Prepar'd in my Furnaces , whereof ℥ I. being put upon a due proportion of a Calx of Gold made by the common way , ( Quartation ) they grew presently and very sensibly hot in the Palm of ones Hand . I shall now add , that to try whether this surprizing Faculty of growing hot immediately upon Gold , will continue any long time in the Mercury ; I lately took some that I had ( for a certain purpose ) kept Hermetically seal'd in a Glass Egg for divers Years , ( if I mistake not , Ten or Twelve at least ) and having Reiterated the foremention'd Tryal with it ; first alone , and then in the presence of a Cultivator of Chymistry ; it presently grew hot with the ☉ in the palm of the Hand . And having Distill'd off the Mercury , and try'd it again as well as some that was Undistill'd , if I much misremember not , it did again heat with the Gold. EXPERIMENT . V. An uncommon way of operating upon ♁ . When Chymists expose Antimony , for instance , and divers other Consistent , but not fixt Bodies , to the action of the Fire , they are wont to do it in Vessels , either open , as when they make Calx , or Glass of Antimony , or at least in Vessels that are not so close : But that there is Air included with the matter , as when they Sublime it in Glasses , or in Earthen subliming Pots ; and tho they regard not this included Air , because usually there is not much of it in the Vessel , yet it may have a not inconsiderable influence on the effects of the Fires Operation , not only as it contributes to the ascention and sustentation of dissipated parts of the Mineral , but as it affords these Corpuscles room to fly to and fro in it , and thereby make Associations or Coalitions and Concretions that otherwise would not be produc'd . Upon this account I guest that it may be , on divers occasions , a thing of use for Discoveries , and perhaps too , for Practice , to imploy a Method , that the Body expos'd to the action of the Fire , may be kept from the Contact of the Air , at least as to any sensible portions of it , and being as it were included in Bodies almost equivalent to Solids ; and one may suppress the free emission and ascent of Exhalations , and so to make an Operation , not only in Clauso , but as it were in Solido , and reduce the parts of the Body Expos'd , and perhaps the Igneous Corpuscles to act reciprocally upon one another , without any notable Dissipation , or Avolation of Parts . To apply now what hath been said , to Antimony ; I shall briefly set down an uncommon way that came into my mind of Operating upon it . We took well powder'd ♁ , and well dry'd ( white ) Chalk reduc'd likewise to Powder ; with these in a large Earthen Pot or Crucible , we made SSS . having a care to make the lowermost and uppermost bed of Chalk , and the last thicker than any of the rest , as also that none of the Antimo-nial Layers , were but of a moderate thickness , that the Heat might penetrate them the better ; then the Vessel , being cover'd , was put among the kindled Coals of a good digestive Furnace , ( not because such a one was necessary , but because 't was at hand ) where 't was kept for a competent time , which according to the bigness of the Pot , and the strength of the Fire , may be sometimes 20 or 24 Hours , sometimes a Day and a Half , and sometimes two Days or better . The II. PENTADE . EXPERIMENT I. A very uncommon way of making a Cale of Gold. 'T is known that most Chymists , and many Physicians , have a Superlative Esteem for the Medicinal Vertues of Gold , and the Preparations of it . And upon this ground , divers of them have long been , and still are Solicitous to make Calces of Gold by differing ways ; most of them laborious , and some of them scarce to be safely wrought and us'd in Physick : Wherefore I shall , I presume , be easily Pardon'd , if I here set down a way that came into my mind , and that I have sometimes us'd to make a preparation wherein Gold is reduc'd to very minute Parts , without the help of Mercury , or of any Precipitation made by sharp Salts , whether Acid or Lixivial . We took then refin'd Gold , and dissolv'd it in clean and Spirituous Aqua Regia , and instead of Precipitating the clear Solution with Oyl of Tartar per deliquium , as is usually done , or with Spirit of Sal Armoniac , or other Volatile Urinous Spirits , we first with a very modest Heat drew off the Superfluous Liquor ; whereby the Gold with the remaining part of the Menstruum , was left in the appearance of a thick and Oleous Liquor . This done , we pour'd upon it a treble weight of Vinous Spirit totally inflammable and in a short time , we had , as we expected , a very subtil Powder , or high colour'd Calx of Gold , that subsided at the bottom ; the Menstruum being strangely dulcifi'd as to Tast , and become fragrant in point of Smell When a very few days were past , we decanted the Liquor , and put on it fresh ardent Spirit , and leaving them a while together , there subsided the like well colour'd Calx more plentifully than the first time . I know not , to add that upon the by , whether it may , or may not be worth while to try to Discover whether this Dulcifi'd A. R. Spirituosa being drawn off from the subsiding Gold , may have acquir'd any Virtue from the open'd Metal . Some Tryals seeming to argue that the openness of this Calx made it fit to be easily wrought upon by a Menstruum that would not touch Water-Gold , as they call the common Calx made by quartation , nor yet Leaf-Gold , such as the Apothecaries Imploy ; but however the Menstruum has acquir'd such qualities as make it seem likely to prove an useful Medicine , which yet I refer to Tryal . By the way we pitch'd upon to make this Powder of Gold , it seem'd probable , that it would not ( at least ) be less subtil , and yet would be more mild , than common Preparations ; and nevertheless we thought it might , perhaps , make it yet more secure , if we should , as we did , put upon it a totally Ardent Vinous Spirit , and burn it off once , twice , or thrice , to carry off with it any little Corosive or Saline Particles ▪ that may have still adher'd to the Metalline ones . N. B. The Spirituous Aqua Regia , mention'd in the Process , is so call'd by me , partly to distinguish it from the common Aqua Regia , and partly because 't is indeed of a more Spirituous Nature than the common , being compos'd without any gross Salt ; Such as * but only of Spirits . This Menstruum I made for some particular uses : And tho it works more slowly than the common Chrysulca , yet I often prefer it to this , as that which I can imploy to some uncommon purposes , and as it may probably be a more innocent Menstruum in making Preparations of Sol , design'd for Medicinal uses . I make it very easily , by mixing one part of good Spirit of Salt , with two parts of strong Spirit of Niter , or ( when 't is not to be us'd for Medicines ) of common , but clean Aqua Fortis . SCHOLIUM . The above recited Tryal was made as 't is deliver'd ; but some Circumstances that I took notice of , and particularly some Grains of Powder that , tho mingl'd with the rest , were shining , as if they had been extreamly Minute , and bright Filings of Gold. These Circumstances , I say , made me Suspect that the Success might much depend upon particular and nice Circumstances that may need more exact Tryal , than I had then occasion to make ; and therefore it may be fit that the Experiment be heedfully repeated . It may also be try'd whether the imploying common A. R. instead of the Spirituous , will much vary the Experiment . EXPERIMENT II. To try how much Volatile Salt an assign'd quantity of Water would Dissolve , we took ℥ III of Distill'd Water , and put into it by degrees , some dry Salt of Salt Armoniac ( that was very White , and compact enough ) keeping the Liquor in digestion for a pretty while , that it might have time to Dissolve as much as it could . When we found it would Dissolve no more in a moderate Heat , we took it off , and found that after standing some Hours in the Cold there fell to the lower part of the Glass , and setled there , a pretty quantity of Salt , which we guess'd to be about ʒII , which being deducted from ℥ II , that had been in all put in , there remained ℥ I and ʒVI in the Liquor , which by this account had Dissolv'd at least half its weight of Salt. SCHOLIUM . I desire it may not be thought strange , if among our Chymical Experiments , some few shall be here and there met with , that are much less Elaborate or Promising than others that I could easily have inserted in their Rooms ; for I did it on set purpose , partly because oftentimes ( as was intimated at the beginning of the Chapter ) some more simple or seemingly less valuable Experiments may be fitter materials , than more curious ones , for the Natural History we would promote ; and partly to give an Example , if mine can signifie any thing , of not disdaining to Register some things that seem mean ; if by the light they afford , or the uses they may be apply'd to , they compensate the want of Lustre , and of immediate Utility . And the substance of this Scholium I desire may be mentally transferr'd , as occasion shall require , to those following Chapters that Treat of Chymical Experiments . EXPERIMENT . III. Perhaps some Chymists will think that the following Memoir may give hints that may be of use on several occasions , both for other purposes , and for theirs , that would draw Tinctures from several Bodies , that will not afford them in simple Spirit of Wine , tho well rectifi'd . The simple Spirit of good French Verdigreas , being once or twice abstracted from as much Salt of Tartar as it would dissolve in the Cold ; left the Salt easily susible , and dissoluble in highly rectifi'd Spirit of Wine . EXPERIMENT IV. I have not been unacquainted with some Curious and Elaborate Preparations of that noble Flower the Rose ; and experience hath convinc'd me that t is possible , whatever most Chymists think of it , to obtain from Roses a true essential Oyl , that mixes not with Water , and is exceeding fragrant : But there are several that are so far from believing that an Essential Oyl may be obtain'd from Roses , without being in the form of a Butter , but in a liquid one like Oyl of Cloves , or Wormwood , that they doubt whether a true Spiritus Ardens can be obtain'd from them , without addition of Wine , or some such inflamable Liquor . I shall here transcribe the following Note , as containing a more simple and easie Preparation ( than any of those before mention'd ) of the Ardent Spirit of those Flowers , and therefore more suitable to the design of the whole Chapter . To make an inflammable Spirit of Roses . Two Bushels of Damask Roses ( together with a good number of red Rose-buds ) being beaten , and put into a Vessel with Water amounting to about 4 Gallons , were mingled with about a quart of Ale-Yest , and kept in Fermentation for about 5 or 6 days ( the weather being cold for the Season ) and then being Distill'd per vesicam , afforded us a Spiritus Ardens . EXPERIMENT . V. An Experiment about the Chymical Analysis of Pearls . We took ℥ II of Seed Pearl , that were carefully bought for Oriental , and without breaking them , put them into a Retort , and Distil'd them in a Sand-Furnace by degrees of Fire , giving a strong one at the last . By this means we had a little Black Oyl Swimming upon the Spirit , which was also dark and muddy , as if incorporated with some more Oyl . The weight of both these Liquors was 23 Grains , besides which there stuck to almost all the upper part of the Retort , a thin film of Oyl , which together with a streak of the like reaching to the bottom of the Receiver , we estimated at 3 Grains more , and so reckon'd 26 Grains for the weight of the whole ascended matter . The Caput Mortuum amounted to full the remainng weight of two Ounces . The Empyreumatical Liquors that came over , smell'd much like those of Harts-horn , and the Spirit was found to belong , as we expected , to the Tribe of Urinous ones , or , as many now call them Volatile Alcaly's For it readily hiss'd and produc'd Bubbles , with good Spirit of Salt turn'd Syrup of Violets Green , and being drop'd into Solution of Sublimate , turn'd that White ; to omit another way or two , by which I examin'd it . The Oyl that stuck to the Retort , and which was faetid , like that of Harts-horn , did easily dissolve in dephlegm'd Spirit of Wine , and afforded a reddish Brown Solution . The Caput Mortuum was very black , and some Grains of it were found readily enough dissoluble in Spirit of Vinegar . Being calcin'd in a well cover'd Crucible , with a strong Fire ( for a moderate one will not do it , unless it be long ) we reduc'd them to be purely White , and to a weight less by some Grains than an Ounce , and ʒIII and we found , as we expected , that being Pulveriz'd , this Calx tasted hot and bitterish upon the Tongue , like good Calx Vive , and was not only of an Alcalisate , but a Lixival Nature : For besides that it presently turn'd Syrup of Violets Green , it quickly afforded an Orange Colour'd Precipitate , with Solution of Sublimate . Strange Reports , In II. PARTS . Address'd to a Vertuoso , Friend to the Author . Advertisement . I Presume , Sir , you may yet remember , what I Wrote about the Nature and Scope of my Collection of Strange Reports , in an Essay which take's its Title from them ; and which I was encouraged to make by the Example and Authority of Aristotle . And therefore I shall desire , that to save your Trouble and my own , That Paper may serve for a Preface to that which follows . About which , supposing this Request to be Granted , I shall need to give you at present but this short Advertisement ; That for distinction's sake , I thought fit to divide the ensuing Particulars into two Parts , because they are indeed of two sorts : One relating to things purely Natural , and the other consisting of Phaenomena , that are , of seem to be , of a Supernatural Kind or Order . The first Set of Particulars belonging to each of the two foremention'd Parts , has prefixt to it the Title of the First Section , tho it be not at this time attended by a Second ; because 't is design'd , that God permitting , it shall be so hereafter , when I shall get time to pick up out of my Adversaria , and other Memoirs , Particulars fit to have plac'd in the List of Strange Reports . I must likewise give you notice , That you are not to expect the II. Part at this time : Discretion forbidding me to let that appear , till I see what Entertainment will be given to the I. Part , that consists but of Relations far less strange than those that make up the other Part. Strange Reports . PART . I. SECTION . I. RElating to a judicious Virtuoso , that a Physician of Bruxels a while since affirm'd to me , That he himself had prepar'd 3 or 4 resuscitable Plants , one of which he had presented to the Marquess of Castel Rodrigo , now Governor of the Spanish Netherlands , where this Virtuoso had not long since been . Relating this , I say , to this Gentleman , and Enquiring of him , whether he had seen this resuscitable Plant ; he answered me , That he had never seen nor heard of it ; but told me on this occasion , That coming to Deal with an Apothecary of Namier , if I misremember not the Name , much esteem'd for his extraordinary Skill in Chymistry about some choice Preparations , wherewith this Man's Shop was furnish'd the Apothecary told the Virtuoso , that he had really prepar'd resufcitable Plants , a different way from that which others pretended to , and that he could prepare a great variety of them . And when having enquir'd of the Virtuoso , whether he himself had seen any of these prepar'd Plants , he assur'd me , that he had seen not only some , but many ; I then upon farther enquiry how they appear'd , learned that the Chymist had divers of them in distinct Glass-Bottles ; that the Apparitions that were exhibited , shew'd not the peculiar Colours , but only the shape of the Plant ; but this so genuinely that he could perfectly distinguish and easily know it to be such or such a Plant instancing particularly in Carduus Benedictus , and Camomile . And the difference betwixt this way of Exhibiting Plants , and that which is mention'd by Quercetan , and pretended to by others ; I found by this Gentleman's Answers , to consist chiefly in these two things : The first , that the Apothecary's Plants did not as the others seem to grow up into the Air included in a Seal'd Vial , but were seen as growing in a clear Liquor , wherewith the Bottle that contain'd it was almost fill'd ; and the next , That whereas to make the Apparition , mention'd by Quercetan , and others , the Application of an actual Heat ( as that of a Lamp , or the Sun-beams , or the like ) is affirm'd to be requisite , upon the absence of which the Phantastical Plant relapses into its Ashes . In the formation of the Apothecaries Vegetables , he doth not employ any actual Heat , but ( which may seem more strange ) only the shaking , of the Bottle , for upon that Agitation the prepar'd Ashes or Powder being this'd from the bottom , and dispers'd quite through the Liquor , when the Glass is set by in a quiet place , the scatter'd Particles by degrees so convene , as to compose a Model of the Plant they once belong'd to . And Heat not being requisite to their formation , these Plants do not quickly , as the Pelonian Physician 's Phantastick Vegetable , Recorded by Quercetan , fall back into a Powder ; but if let alone , continu'd a great while , until the Preparer think fit by a gentle Agitation of the Bottle , to dissolve the loose Contexture of it . RELATION II. I met the other day with a very intelligent Person , well vers'd in Chymistry , not credulous , and in a word very well worthy of Credit , who assur'd me , that he had himself seen a few years ago at Mentz , in the Hands of one Monsieur P — r , a Gentleman of Switzer-land , and a Virtuoso , a piece of Glass about the bigness of a Shilling , or somewhat bigger ; which was Red and pretty transparent like Glass of Antimony made per se , and which this Monsieur P. affirm'd to the Relator , that he Hammer'd before the present Elector of Heidelberg ( to whom I told him , I had the Honour to be known , and ) by whom the Relator was about that time imploy'd . And this Monsieur P. being his intimate Acquaintance , and perceiving that he was , ( as he well might be ) indispos'd to believe so strange a thing , after he had confest the Glass to have been given him by an excellent Chymist in his Country ( Switzerland ) ; this Gentleman , I say , at the Relators earnest Request , gave him leave for his satisfaction , to lay the piece of Glass upon an Anvil , and to strike seven or eight strokes with a Hammer upon it ; by which means he found , that tho it was nor malleable ( at least in the state it then was ) like neal'd Silver , since it began to crack at the edges like Silver that is over-hammer'd ; yet it did really stretch under the Hammer , growing more thin on the beaten part , and having visible Marks or Impressions made on it by the edg of the Hammer . RELATION III. A Pious and Learned School-Master , that ventur'd to stay in London in the great Plague 1665 , and was much Employ'd , as some Friends of mine that knew him , and commended him , assur'd me , to Visit the Sick , and distribute Alms and Relief to them , went indiscriminately to all sorts of Infected , and even Dying Persons , to the number , as he told me , of nine Hundred , or a Thousand ; and being ask'd by me about the Infection of other things than Walls , he told me , That being once call'd to Administer some Ghostly comfort to a poor Woman that had Buried some Children of the Plague , he found the Room so little , that it scarce held any more than the Bed whereon she lay Sick , and an open Coffin wherein he saw her Husband lye Dead of the same Disease , whom the Wife soon after follow'd . In this little close Room they affirm'd to him , that the Contagious Steams had produc'd Spots on the very Wall ; and when I ask'd , whether he himself had seen them , he answer'd , That he had not ; but yet was inclin'd to believe the thing to be true , not only upon the score of the Relators , but because he had observ'd the like in his own Study , which being divided only by a Wall from some Rooms of a House , which the Owner had turn'd into a kind of a Pest-house , and in which , Numbers had Dyed in a short time ; he took notice that the white Wall of his Study was ( since the Sickness rag'd , without any other cause that he could imagine ) Blemish'd in divers places with Spots , like those of Infected Persons ; when ( to add that upon the by ) I inquir'd what Antidote he us'd ; he replied , That next the Protection of God , which so many sad Objects made him the more fervently Implore , and a constant fearlesness , the only Preservative he us'd , besides good Diet , were half a Spoonful , or a Spoonful of Brandy five or Six times a day , especially when he went into Infected places , and the bigness of a small Nut or less , of a Root of Spanish Angelica , of which he held in his Mouth the quantity of a Pepper-corn , or somewhat less , as often as he thought there was need . RELATION IV. An ingenious Person , and very worthy of Credit , inform'd me the other day , in answer to some questions that I propos'd to him , That he was Imploy'd some years ago by a German Physician ( whose Name he told me ) to Distil a certain Mineral not unknown to me , which he perform'd in a naked Fire , with so good success , that he had from about half a Pound of the Mineral , near ʒIII of the Liquor ; this he included in a Glass with a Bubble , and a slender neck like one of my Weather-Glasses ; but tho the Liquor at first reach'd not above the Bubble , but only fill'd it to the bottom of the Pipe ; yet as the Moon increas'd , this Liquor , as the Doctor expected , by degrees expanded it self in the Glass , so that about the Full - Moon , it reach'd about an Inch into the Pipe , and upon the Decrease of the Moon , it subsided by degrees to the bottom of the Pipe. And when I ask'd , whether the Vessel were carefully stopt , he answer'd , That it was not only so , but Hermetically Seal'd like one of my Thermometers with Spirit of Wine , which he had seen . This the Relator averr'd to me upon his own Observation , and being desir'd , he readily gave me a description of the Mineral , and a direction where to procure it , ( which I am now endeavouring to do ) adding that the same Doctor made the like Tryal with another Mineral , akin to this , with which my having heard that such an Experiment had been done , gave me occasion to propose him the question . RELATION V. An inquisitive Traveller that not long since waited on a German Prince addicted to Chymistry , and was imploy'd by him in his private Laboratory ; being ask'd by me some questions about Ore of Bismute or Tin-glass , whereof there is said to be a Mine in that Prince's Territories , and in particular , whether he had observ'd any thing of the varying bulk of a strange Liquor obtainable from it : He answer'd me to this effect , That he had had occasion to make many Tryals upon this Mineral , and that particularly by his Prince's command , he had Distill'd a considerable quantity of a certain sort of it ( because it yields but very little Spirit ) and that he thereby obtain'd a Liquor , which being by Rectification freed from its superfluous Phlegm , amounted to about half a Pint. This Liquor was put into a Vial , which it almost half fill'd . This Vial being exactly stop'd , was set aside in a quiet place , where , ( as the Prince expected ) as the Light of the Moon increas'd , from the New - Moon towards the Full ; so this Liquor gradually swell'd , and that not in a hardly perceptible degree , but very manifestly and confiderably ; so that when the Moon was Full , the Liquor reached almost to the top of the Glass , and during her Wane , as the Light decreas'd , so did the bulk of the Liquor , which was always least at the New - Moon . I ask'd him if any Tryal had been made , whether the Weight of this Spirit varied with the Bulk , and he frankly confess'd to me , That it had not come into his Mind ; but for what is above Related of the Increment and Decrement as to quantity affirm'd to me , that he himself , as well as his Prince had several times Observ'd it ; and he also readily told me the way he used in making the Distillation , which he said , exacted an intense degree of Fire . RELATION VI. An inquisitive Person , that having gone through his Studies in the University , Travell'd throgh divers Countries to make himself the more fit for the Profession of Physick , answer'd me , That having Resided for some time in Prussia , he had more than once or twice ( and that in differing places ) observ'd , as others in his Company also did , That the Fisher-men in breaking the Ice of long Frozen places , and taking out thence confiderable Masses of Ice , did several times find in them Swallows , sometimes numerous enough , that were so inclos'd in the Ice , that unless by breaking or thawing it , they could not be gotten out of it . And he further answer'd me , That when these Lumps or Masses of Ice came to be thaw'd in their German Stoves , the Swallows , that lay as Dead before , would Revive , and perhaps fly about the Room ; but did not long survive their Recovery out of their Insensible state ; some Dying again in few hours , others the next day , or perhaps the third ; but sew or none , that he observ'd , Living beyond the fourth or the fifth ; which immature Death , my Relator judg'd to be caus'd by their having no Appetite to Eat , which Inappetency made them Dye Starv'd . But as the conjecture may be true as to those that Liv'd for some days , so it seems not like that those that Perish'd in few Hours , Dyed meerly of Hunger ; and as for them that were Starv'd to Death , I should suspect that they were Starv'd , not so much for want of Appetite , as for want of such Animals as they us'd to Feed on , especially Flies , which they could not get in Winter . RELATION VII . An Inquisitive Gentleman lately Return'd from Jamaica , where he was Imploy'd by the Governour to make Discoveries of Natural Things , answer'd me ( this Morning ) that he had seen in that Island great number of Trees that bear the Silken Cotten , that he found many of them to surpass in bigness and height the larger sort of our English Oaks ; and that on a Mountain that many went to Visit out of Curiosity , to view a stupendious Silk-Cotton Tree , he saw its Bulk , and many affirm'd to him , and it was the general Tradition of the Country , which he saw no cause to disbelieve , that this prodigious Tree was in the Body no less than 21 yards about , that is , more than 60 Foot in Compass . The same curious Traveller told me he saw a Cannow made of the hollow'd Trunk of one of these Silk-Cotton Trees , which after all that had been taken off to give it the shape of a Vessel fit for Service , was 30 Foot about , and of at least a proportionable length . RELATION VIII . A Merchant Rich and Judicious , and more addicted to Letters than is usual to Men of his Calling , being return'd into England , from some of the remoter Parts of the East-Indies , to satisfy my Curiosity about a strange Tradition of several Navigators about a more than one way extraordinary In-draught of the Sea on the Coast of a great Island of the Southern Ocean , sent me the ensuing Relation , which tho it contains something manifestly Fabulous , but easily distinguishable from the rest , I give you in the Relators own Words , being unwilling to alter any thing till I can see him again , and propose my Scruples to him . At Campar and Rakan , on the East Coast of Sumatra , is in the Rivers Mouth ( to a certain distance ) at each New and Full-Moon , a Violent In-draught of the Sea , ( call'd Bunna ) which approacheth with an hideous noise , and Mountain-high , so that whatsoever opposeth it , Perisheth . It s approach is in three Parts , the first high , but not so terrible ; the second is high , black and horrid ; the third is low , and of gentle motion ; before its approach , it giveth so fair warning , that the People may Eat , and bath themselves , before they weigh Anchor ; but when they weigh , they must Row hard against it , and when its fury is past , follow with it , till they return to their Anchor place . The true reason whereof the Inhabitants cannot discover : But ( as if Greece only were not the Mother of Fabulous Traditions ) these poor Natives Fabulize , That at Campar ( where is the greatest Bunna ) in former Ages , there was a Princess , who , to shun the Rape of an insolent Casfree Slave , ran into the Seas mouth ; but the Slave still pursuing her , and after him the Princess's little-Dog ; all perish'd and thus ( by a new Metamorphosis ) these three Waves perpetuate their Commemoration . That afterwards a bold Fellow hoping to divert this Bunna from Campar ( by advice of some Wizards ) Row'd up against that first part of the Torrent , and filling a Bottle of its Water , which he immediately stopt up close , he betook himself to Rakan ( not far distant ) and pour'd it out into that Rivers Mouth , which brought the Bunna thither also , tho it left not Campar ; but that Fellow suddenly after Dying , none durst since attempt the like , else the Natives fancy it may still be done . My humble Opinion is , ( adds my Relator ) that the Mouths of those Rivers being choakt up with their Sand-Banks , and so render'd very Shallow ; when the great Spring-Tydes come roaring over those Shoals ( at the New and Full-Moons ) out of the Malacca Streights , the first Influx is Irresistible , by such small Vessels as use that Port , ( especially if attended with dark Weather or Stormy Gusts ) so that they are forc'd to Weigh and Bear up against it for fear of being Strandded and Split . In which Sentiment I rest , till I can attain a more prevalent Reason . RELATION IX . A Gentleman that had Travell'd far and Observ'd much , related to me , That being off the Coast of Mosambique , between the 20th and last Days of September , the Captain of the great Portugal Ship they were in , walking to and fro upon the Deck , Spy'd a great way off , a very little dark Cloud or blackish Spot in the Sky : Whereupon , tho the Weather were fair , he made all the hast he possibly could to provide for a great Storm , by taking in the Sails , &c. And thó for a while the Sky continu'd clear , and they had no signs of an imminent Change ; but that when the Cloud approacht , the Wind that had till then fill'd , their Sails ceas'd , and the Sea became Calmer than before : But presently after they had a furious Hurricane , which turn'd their Ship quite round many times one after another , as if it were an Aerial Whirl-pool , which lasted for above two Hours , and then left them , seeming to have a progressive Motion , as Whirl-pools in Rivers often have . RELATION X. An Ingenious Practitioner of Physick , accompany'd by one of the same Profession , assur'd me with great Asseveration , That some while since , being at a place in the Country near Amsterdam , where there Liv'd a kind of a Farmer , who ( tho Illiterate enough ) was reputed very Curious ; this Person shew'd him , among other things , a considerable quantity of Quicksilver that was altogether of the Colour of Gold. And , to answer my scruple , this Relator added , that the Colour did not belong only to the Surface of the whole Mass ; but having purposely ( with Water ) divided it into many Globules , each of them retain'd the same rich Colour . And he further told me , That the possessor of this yellow Mercury , having put some of it over a Fire in a convenient Vessel , it quickly lost its fludity , and was precipitated into a red Powder ; about which he hop'd to learn some notable things at his next Visit to the Author : But that having been too long delay'd ; when he came to the place again , he found to his great Grief that the Master was Dead , and his Relations were , or pretended to be , ignorant of his Secrets . A very Learned and Experienc'd Physician , made me a Visit to give me notice , that a few Days before he had receiv'd one in the Night from a couple of Strangers , one of whom by some things that he saw him do , he judg'd to be ( what they call ) an Adeptus , who besides a thing far more rare and valuable , shew'd him as a Curiosity , a runing Mercury of a lovely Green. And when I ask'd my judicious Relator , whether he had broken the fluid Mass into Drops , to observe whether the Colour were that only of the Surface , or of the whole Mass ? He answer'd , that he purposely laid it upon a rough Body , as a Carpet , and found the Globules , whereinto 't was by this Means divided , to be of the same fine Green that had beautify'd the whole Mass . These Relations , tho they had come to me from less Credible Persons than those I receiv'd them from , I should not hastily have rejected , because of some odd and fine Colorations of runing Mercury , that I have my self Observ'd , but here forbear to mention , because they belong to another Paper . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A28968-e900 * This refers to the Manuscript that was sent to Mr. O. and is left to shew the Intention of the Author . Notes for div A28968-e1760 Lib. 7. Cap. 7. See Exper. 10. 10 Cent. 12. Decemb. 23. Nov. 9. 89. Notes for div A28968-e6960 This Famous Philosopher in his little Tract , whose Title some render de Mirandis Auditionibus , scrupled not to comprise without Method , divers Reports , uncertain or fabulous , nor to insert several that were not so cautiously admitted as those recited in the following . Collection . Notes for div A28968-e7170 January , 25.