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; [Page 2] 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. 'Tis 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 [Page 3] 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 [Page 4] that 'twill 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 ChymicoMagnetical 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 'tis 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 [Page 6] 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 Lib. 7. Cap. 7. 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 [Page 7] 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, See Exper. 10. 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 [Page 8] 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 [Page 9] 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 [Page 10] contrariwise animated by the Pole of the Loadstone, on which 'tis 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 [Page 11] 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, [Page 12] 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 [Page 13] 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 [Page 14] 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 [Page 15] 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 [Page 16] 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 wellpoys'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 [Page 18] 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; whose 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 [Page 20] 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 [Page 21] 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 [Page 22] 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; [Page 24] 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. [Page 25] 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 [Page 27] 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 [Page 28] 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.
[Page 29] 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 [Page 30] 'tis 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. 'Tis 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, [Page 31] 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.
[Page 32] 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 [Page 33] 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, [Page 34] 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 [Page 35] 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, 'tis not needful, as it would not be to describe it by [Page 36] 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 'twas a Diamond to [Page 37] 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 [Page 38] 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 [Page 39] 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 [Page 40] 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 'twas 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 [Page 41] 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 'tis 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 [Page 42] 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 [Page 44] the Body, 'tis 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 [Page 45] 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, 'tis 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 [Page 46] 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.
[Page 47] 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 [Page 48] 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 [Page 49] 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 [Page 50] 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 [Page 51] 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 [Page 52] 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 [Page 53] 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 'twould 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 'tis made as it [Page 54] 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 [Page 55] invited him to see the Liquor, which he (not knowing what it was) told me it look'd of a Grassgreen 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 [Page 56] 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 [Page 57] 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 'twas 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 [Page 58] 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. 'Tis 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 [Page 59] 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, 'twas 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, [Page 60] 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 [Page 61] 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 'tis 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 [Page 62] 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 [Page 63] 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 [Page 64] 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 [Page 65] Principles and Theories; 'tis 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; [Page 66] 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 'twas 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 [Page 67] 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 [Page 68] 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 [Page 69] 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 [Page 70] 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 [Page 71] 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 [Page 72] 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 abovementioned, 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 [Page 73] 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 [Page 74] 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 [Page 75] 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 [Page 76] 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 [Page 77] 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.
'Tis 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 [Page 78] 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.
[Page 79] 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 [Page 81] 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 'tis made of, nor did I find [Page 82] 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 [Page 83] 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 [Page 84] 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 [Page 85] 'twas 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 [Page 86] 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 'twill be best either to imploy the Liquor in no long time after 'tis made, or if one has not leisure or conveniency to do so, to [Page 87] 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 [Page 88] 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 [Page 89] 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, 'twas found to have like those Natural Chalybeat Waters, a manifestly faeruginous tast. N. B. These Artificial [Page 90] 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 'tis 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 [Page 92] 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 Boltglass 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 [Page 93] 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 [Page 94] 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 [Page 95] 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 [Page 97] 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 [Page 98] 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 [Page 99] bad, being generally Fatal. If I doubt of the Recovery of any of my Patients Sick of this Disease, 'tis 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 [Page 100] 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.
[Page 101] We took then several Ounces of highly rectify'd Spirit of fermented (or putrify'd) Urine made per se, and consequently without Quicklime, 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 [Page 102] 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 [Page 103] 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 [Page 104] 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 [Page 105] 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 [Page 106] 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 [Page 107] 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 'tis 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 [Page 108] 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 [Page 109] 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 [Page 111] 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 'tis in Solutions, but reduc'd to a Manifest Powder, seem'd to make a considerable quantity of Precipitate [Page 112] 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 [Page 114] 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, [Page 115] 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 [Page 116] 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 [Page 117] 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 [Page 118] 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 [Page 119] 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 [Page 120] 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 10 Cent. 12. 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 [Page 121] 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 [Page 122] 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 'twere 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 [Page 123] 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 [Page 124] 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 'twas 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 [Page 125] 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 Decemb. 23. 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 [Page 126] 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 [Page 127] 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 Nov. 9. 89. 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 [Page 129] 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 [Page 130] 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 [Page 132] 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 [Page 133] 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 [Page 134] 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 [Page 136] 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.
[Page 137] 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, [Page 138] 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 [Page 139] 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.
'Tis 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 'twas thought fit, not to Dismember or Mutilate the entire Memoir as 'twas 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 [Page 140] 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, [Page 141] 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, [Page 143] 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 [Page 144] 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 [Page 145] 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 [Page 146] among the kindled Coals of a good digestive Furnace, (not because such a one was necessary, but because 'twas at hand) where 'twas 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.
'Tis 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 [Page 147] 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 [Page 148] 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 [Page 149] 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 'tis indeed of a [Page 150] 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 'tis not to be us'd for Medicines) of common, but clean Aqua Fortis.
SCHOLIUM.
The above recited Tryal was made as 'tis deliver'd; but some Circumstances that I took notice of, and particularly some Grains of Powder that, tho mingl'd with [Page 151] 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 [Page 152] 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) [Page 153] 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 [Page 154] 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 tis 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, [Page 155] 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, [Page 156] 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 [Page 157] 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 [Page 158] 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.