ESSAYS
Of the
STRANGE SUBTILTY
GREAT EFFICACY
DETERMINATE NATURE
OF
EFFLUVIUMS.

To which are annext
NEW EXPERIMENTS
To make
FIRE and FLAME Ponderable:
Together with
A Discovery of the Perviousness
of GLASS.

BY
The Honorable ROBERT BOYLE,
Fellow of the Royal Society.

—Consilium est, universum opus Instaurationis (Philosophiae) potius promovere in multis, quàm perficere in paucis.

Verulamius.
LONDON:
Printed by W. G. for M. Pitt, near the little
North Door of St Paul's Church. 1673.



An Advertisement to the READER.
'TIS hop'd, the Reader will
not think it strange, not
to meet with in the fol∣lowing
Papers a more close
and uniform contexture of
the passages that make them up, if he
be seasonably inform'd of the rise and
occasion of penning them, which was
this. The Author having many years
ago written an Essay about an Experi∣ment
he made of Nitre, by whose Phae∣nomena
he endeavour'd to exemplifie
some parts of the Corpuscular Philosophy,
especially the Production of Qualities;
he afterwards threw together divers oc∣curring
thoughts and experiments, which
he suppos'd might be imployed by way of
Notes, to prove or illustrate those Do∣ctrines,
and especially those that concern'd
the Qualities of Bodies; and among these


observing those that are call'd Occult,
to be Subjects uncultivated enough, (at
least in the way that seem'd to him pro∣per,)
he propos'd to handle them more
largely than most of the rest; and in or∣der
to that Design he judg'd it almost
necessary, to premise some Considerations
and experimental Collections about the
Nature and power of Effluviums, about
the Pores of Bodies and Figures of Corpu∣scles,
and about the efficacy of such Lo∣cal-motions
as are wont either to be
judged very faint, or to be pass'd by
unheeded. For he had often look'd upon
these three Doctrines, of Effluvia, of
Pores and Figures, and of Unheeded
Motions, as the three principal Keys
to the Philosophy of Occult Qualities. But
having hereupon made such Collections,
as upon review appear'd too large to pass
for Notes on so short a
Text, he was induc'd to
draw them* into the
form (they now appear
in) of Essays; but he
would not put himself to
the trouble of doing it, with care to keep


them from retaiaing much of their first
want of exact Method and Connexion.
Nor was the Author solicitous to finish
them up, in regard that his other Studies
and occasions made him perceive, that
in what he had design'd about Occult
Qualities, he had cut himself out more
work than probably he should during many
years have opportunity to set upon in
earnest, and complete. And in this Con∣dition
these Papers lay for divers years,
(as is well known to several that saw
them, or even transcrib'd some of them,)
and might have continued to do so, if
the Author had not been induc'd to let
them come abroad, partly by considering,
that though the Subjects, (however he
handled them) were as well important
as curious, yet he did not find himself
prevented by others in what he had to
publish about them; and partly by the
References he had made to them in some
other Papers, that he had promised his
Friends, wherein several things here
deliver'd are vouched, and others sup∣pos'd.
And because the Notes concerning
the Porosity of greater Bodies and the


Figurations of minute Particles, together
with the Paper about unregarded Mo∣tions,
having been long laid aside among
other neglected papers, were some of
them missing, and others so mis-us'd,
that they could not easily be made ready
to accompany those that now come abroad;
the Author, that he might keep this
Book from having its dimensions too dis∣proportionate,
was content to add to the
thickness of it, by subjoyning one of those
little Tracts, that lay by him, concer∣ning
Flame, because of the Affinity be∣twixt
the preceding Doctrine about Ef∣fluviums
in general, and Experiments
that shew in particular the Subtilty and
the Efficacy of those of Fire and Flame. And
though, to that Tract it self, there belong
another, design'd to examine, Whether the
matter of what we call the Sun-beams,
may be brought to be ponderable; yet
supposing this, hitherto cold and wet
Summer, to be like to be as unfriendly
to the Tryals to be made with Burning-glasses
as of late years some other Sum∣mers
have prov'd, he was easily pre∣vail'd
with, not to make those Experi∣ments


that were ready, wait any longer
for those, that probably will not in a
short time be so; especially since those that
now come abroad have no dependency
upon the others.



OF THE
Strange SUBTILTY
OF
EFFLUVIUMS.

BY
The Honorable ROBERT BOYLE.

LONDON:
Printed by W. G. for M. Pitt at the sign of the
White Hart, over-against the little North
Door of St Paul's Church. 1673.


Page 3
OF The strange SUBTILTY OF EFFLƲVIƲMS.
CHAP. I.
WHether we suppose with
the Antient and Mo∣dern
Atomists, that
all sensible Bodies are
made up of Corpu∣scles,
not only insen∣sible,
but indivisible; or whether we
think with the Cartesians, and (as
many of that Party teach us) with
Aristotle, that Matter, like Quantity,
is indefinitely, if not infinitely divi∣sible:
It will be consonant enough
Page 4

to either Doctrine, that the Effluvia
of Bodies may consist of Particles
extremely small. For if we embrace
the Opinion of Aristotle or Des-Cartes,
there is no stop to be put to the sub-division
of Matter, into Fragments,
still lesser and lesser. And though
the Epicurean Hypothesis admit not
of such an interminate division of
Matter, but will have it stop at cer∣tain
solid Corpuscles, which for their
not being further divisible are called
Atoms (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,) yet the Assertors of
these do justly think themselves in∣jured,
when they are charged with
taking the Motes or small Dust, that
fly up and down in the Sun-Beams,
for their Atoms; since, according to
these Philosophers, one of those little
grains of Dust, that is visible only
when it plays in the Sun-Beams, may
be composed of a multitude of Atoms,
and exceed many thousands of them
in Bulk. This the Learned Gassendus
in his Notes on Diogenes Laertius
makes probable by the instance of
a small Mite, which, though scarce
Page 5

distinctly discernable by the naked
Eye, unless when 'tis in motion, does
yet in a good Microscope appear to
be a compleat Animal, furnished with
all necessary Parts; which I can
easily allow, having often in Cheese-Mites
very distinctly seen the Hair
growing upon their Legs. And to
the former Instance I might add,
what I have elsewhere told you of
a sort of Animals far lesser than
Cheese-Mites themselves, namely
those that may be often-times seen
in Vinegar. But what has been al∣ready
said may suffice for my present
purpose, which is only to shew, that
the wonderful minuteness I shall here∣after
ascribe to Effluvia, is not incon∣sistent
with the most received Theo∣ries
of Naturalists. For otherwise
in this Essay the Proofs I mean to
employ, must be taken, not à Priori,
but à Posteriori. And the Experi∣ments
and Observations I shall em∣ploy
on this occasion will be chiefly
those, that are referrible to one of
the following Heads.

Page 6
I. The strange Extensibility of some Bo∣dies whilst their Parts yet remain tangible.
II. The multitude of Visible Corpuscles, that may be afforded by a small portion of Matter.
III. The smallness of the Pores at which the Effluvia of some Bodies will get in.
IV. The small decrement of Bulk or Weight, that a Body may suffer by parting with great store of Effluvia.
V. The great quantity of Space that may be fill'd, as to sense, by a small quantity of Matter when rarified or dispers'd.
But though to these distinct Heads
I shall design distinct Chapters, yet
you must not expect
to find the Instan∣ces
solicitously mar∣shall'd,* but set down
in the order they
occurr'd to me; such a liberty being
Page 7

allowable in a Paper, where I pre∣tend
not to write Treatises, but
Notes

CHAP. II.
AMong many things that are
gross enough to be the Ob∣jects
of our Touch, and to be mana∣ged
with our Hands, there are some
that may help us to conceive a won∣derful
minuteness in the small Parts
they consist of.

I do not remember what Cardan,
and since him another Writer have
deliver'd about the Thinness and
Slenderness to which Gold may be
brought. And therefore without
positively assenting to, or absolutely
rejecting what may have been said
about it by others, I shall only bor∣row
on this occasion,*
what I have men∣tion'd
on another
upon my own Observation; namely,
Page 8

That Silver, whose Ductility and Tra∣ctility
are very much inferiour to
those of Gold, was, by my procuring,
drawn out to so slender a Wire, that,
when we measur'd it, which was
somewhat troublesom to do, with a
long and accurate measure, we found,
that eight Yards of it did not yet
fully counterpoise one Grain: So that
we might add a Grain more with∣out
making the Scale, wherein 'twas
put, manifestly preponderate, not∣withstanding
the Tenderness of the
Ballance. Whence we concluded,
that a single Grain of this Wire a∣mounted
to 27 Foot, that is, 324
Inches. And since Experience in∣forms
us, that half an English Inch can
by Diagonal Lines be divided into 100
parts great enough to be easily distin∣guish'd,
even for Mechanical uses, it
follows, that a Grain of this wire∣drawn
Silver may be divided into
64800 parts, and yet each of these
will be a true metalline, though but
slender and short, Cylinder, which we
may very well conceive to consist
Page 9

yet of a multitude of minuter parts.
For though I could procure no Gilt
Wire near so slender as our newly
mention'd Silver-wire; yet I tryed
that some which I had by me was
small enough to make one Grain of
it fourteen foot long: At which
rate an Ounce did amount to a full
Mile, consisting of 1000 Geometrical
Paces, (of 5 foot a-piece,) and 720
foot over and above. And if now
it be permitted to suppose the Wire
to have been, as in probability it
might have been, further drawn out
to the same slenderness with the a∣bove-mention'd
Silver-wire, the In∣stance
will still be far more conside∣rable;
for in this case, each of those
little Cylinders, of which 64800 go
to the making of one Grain, will have
a superficial Area, which, except at
the Basis, will be cover'd with a Case
of Gold; which is not only separa∣ble
from it by a mental Operation,
but perhaps also by a Chymical one.
For I remember, that from very slen∣der
gilt Wire, though I could get
Page 10

none so slender as this of meer Silver,
I did more than once, for Curiosities
sake, so get out the Silver, that the
golden Films, whilst they were in a
Liquor that plumpt them up, seem'd
to be solid wires of Gold: But when
the Liquor was withdrawn, they ap∣pear'd,
(as indeed they were) to be
oblong and extremely thin and dou∣ble
Membranes of that Metal, which,
with an Instrument that had been
delicate enough, might have been
ripp'd open, and displayed, and been
made capable of further. Divisions
and Subdivisions. To this I shall
add, that each of the little silver Cy∣linders
I lately spake of, must not only
have its little Area, but its Solidity;
and yet I saw no reason to doubt, but
that it might be very possible, if the
Artificer had been so skilful and wil∣ling
as I wish'd, to have drawn the
same quantity of Metal to a much
greater length, since even an Animal
substance is capable of being brought
to a slenderness much surpassing that
of our Wire, supposing the Truth
Page 11

of an Observation of very credible
Persons critical enough in making
Experiments, which, for a Confirma∣tion
and an Improvement of our pre∣sent
Argument, I shall now subjoyn.
An Ingenious Gentlewoman of my
Acquaintance, Wife to a Learned
Physician, taking much pleasure to
keep Silk-worms, had once the Curio∣sity
to draw out one of the Oval Ca∣ses,
(which the Silk-worm spins, not,
as 'tis commonly thought, out of its
Belly, but out of the Mouth, whence
I have taken pleasure to draw it out
with my Fingers,) into all the Silken-wire
it was made up of, which, to
the great wonder as well of her Hus∣band,
as her self, who both inform'd
me of it, appeared to be by measure
a great deal above 300 Yards, and
yet weigh'd but two Grains and a
half: so that each Cylindrically shap'd
Grain of Silk may well be reckon'd
to be at least 120 Yards long.

Another way, I remember, I also
employed to help men by the exten∣sibility
of Gold the better to conceive
Page 12

the Minuteness of the Parts of Solid
Bodies.

We took six beaten Leaves of Gold,
which we measured one by one with
a Ruler purposely made for nice Expe∣riments,
and found them to have a
greater equality in Dimensions, and
to be nearer true Squares, than could
be well expected: The side of the
Square was in each of them exactly
enough three Inches and 2/8, (or 1/4,)
which number being reduc'd to a
Decimal Fraction, viz. 3125/100, and
multiplied by it self, affords 10|5625/10000
for the Area, or superficial Content of
each square Leaf: And this multi∣plied
by 6, the number of the Leaves,
amounts to 63|3750/10000 square Inches, for
the Area of the six Leaves. These
being carefully weigh'd in a pair of
tender Scales, amounted all of them
to one Grain and a quarter: And so
one Grain of this foliated Gold was
extended to somewhat above fifty
Inches; which differ'd but about a
fifth part from an Experiment of the
like nature, that I remember I made
Page 13

many years ago in a pair of exact
Scales; and so small a difference may
very well be imputed to that of the
pains and diligence of the Gold-Beaters,
who do not always work
with equal strength and skill, nor
upon equally fine and ductile Gold.

Now if we recal to mind what
I was lately saying of the actual di∣visibility
of an Inch into an hundred
sensible parts, and suppose an Inch
so divided to be applied to each side
of a square Inch of the Leaf-Gold
newly mention'd, 'tis manifest that by
subtle parallel Lines, drawn between
all the opposite Points, a Grain of
Gold must be divisible into five hun∣dred
thousand little Squares, very
minute indeed, but yet discernible by
a sufficiently sharp-sighted Eye. And
if we suppose an Inch to be divided
into two hundred parts, as I lately told
you it was in a Ruler I employ, then,
according to the newly recited way,
the number of the Squares, into which
a single Grain is capable of being di∣vided,
will amount to no less than two
Millions.

Page 14

There is yet another way that I
took to shew, that the extensibility,
and consequently the divisibleness of
Gold is probably far more wonderful,
than by the lately mention'd Tryal
it appears.

For this purpose I went to a great
Refiner, whom I used to deal with
for purify'd Gold and Silver, and
inquir'd of him, how many Grains of
Leaf-Gold he was wont to allow to
an Ounce of Silver, when it was
to be drawn into gilt Wire as slender
as an Hair? To this he answer'd
me, that eight Grains was the pro∣portion
he allowed to an Ounce
when the Wire was to be well gilt;
but if it were to be more slightly
gilt, six Grains would serve the turn.
And to the same purpose I was an∣swer'd
by a skilful Wire-drawer.
And I remember, that desiring the
Refiner to shew me an Ingot of Silver,
as he did at first gild it; he shew'd
me a good fair Cylindrical Bar,
whereon the Leaf-Gold, that overlaid
the surface, did not appear to be by
Page 15

odds so thick as fine Venetian Paper;
and yet comparing this with gilt
Wire, which I also desired to see,
the Wire appeared to be the better
gilt of the two; possibly because the
Gold in passing through the various
Holes, was by the sides of them not
only extended but polished, which
made it look more vividly than the
unpolish'd Leaves that gilded the In∣got.

So that, if we suppose an Ounce
of the gilt Wire formerly mention'd
to have been gilt with six Grains of
Leaf-Gold, it will appear by an easie
calculation, that at this rate one
Ounce of Gold, employ'd on gilding
Wire of that slenderness, would reach
between ninety and an hundred Miles.
But if now we further suppose, as
we lately did, that the slender Silver-wire,
mention'd at the beginning of
this Chapter, were gilt; though we
should allow it to have (because of
its exceeding slenderness,) not, (as
the former) 6 Grains, but 8 Grains
of Leaf-Gold to an Ounce of Siver,
Page 16

it must be acknowledged, that an
hollow Cylinder or sheath of Gold
weighing but eight Grains, may be
so stretch'd, that 'twill reach to no
less than 60 times as much (in weight)
of Silver-wire as it covers: [I said
60 times, for so often is 8 contain'd
in 480, the number of Grains in an
Ounce;] and consequently (a Grain
of that Wire having been found to
be 27 foot long,) the Ounce of Gold
would reach to seven hundred seven∣ty
seven thousand six hundred foot,
that is, an hundred fifty five Miles and
above a half. And if we yet further
suppose this superficial or hollow
Cylinder of Gold to be slit all along,
and cut into as slender lists or
thongs as may be, we must not deny
that Gold may be made to reach to
a stupendious length. But we need
not this last supposition to make
what preceded it an amazing thing:
which yet though it be indeed Stu∣pendious
and seem Incredible, ought
not at all to be judg'd Impossible,
being no more than what upon the
Page 17

Suppositions and Observations above
laid down, does evidently follow.

CHAP. III.
AFter what has been said of the
minuteness of tangible Objects,
'twill be proper to subjoyn some in∣stances
of the smallness of such as
yet continue visible. But in regard
these Corpuscles are singly too little
to have any common measure apply'd
to any of them, we must make an
estimate of their minuteness by the
number of those into which a small
portion or fragment of matter may
be actually divided, the multitude of
these being afforded by so inconside∣rable
a Quantity of matter, sufficiently
declaring, that each of them, in par∣ticular,
must be marvelously little.

Among the instances, where the
smallness of Bodies may be deduc'd
from what is immediately the Object
of Sight, it may not be unfit to take
Page 18

notice of the evaporation of Water,
which though it be granted to consist
of gross particles in comparison of
the spirituous and odoriferous ones
of divers other Liquors, as of pure
Spirit of Wine, Essential Oyls of
Spices, &c. yet to shew that a small
Quantity of it may be dispers'd into
a multitude of manifestly visible
Corpuscles, I thought upon, and
more than once try'd, the rarefa∣ction
of it into Vapors by help of an
Aeolipile, wherein, when I made the
Experiment the last time, I took the
pains to register the Event as fol∣lows.

We put an Ounce of common
Water into an Aeolipile, and having
put it upon a Chasing-dish of coals,
we observ'd the time when the
streams of Vapors began to be mani∣fest.
This stream was for a good
while impetuous enough, as appear'd
by the noise it made, which would
be much increased, if we applied to
it at a convenient distance a kindled
brand, in which it would blow up
Page 19

the fire very vehemently. The stream
continued about a quarter of an hour
(sixteen minutes or better,) but
afterwards the Wind had pauses and
gusts for two or three minutes before
it quite ceased. And by reason of
the shape of the Aeolipile, (which be∣ing
fram'd chiefly for other purposes,
was not so convenient for this) a
great portion of the Vapors con∣dens'd
in the upper part of it, and
fell down in drops; so that supposing
that they also had come out in the
form of Wind, and the blast had not
been intermitted toward the latter
end, I guess'd it might have continued
uninterruptedly 18 or 20 minutes.
Note, That applying a measure to
the Smoak, that came out very visi∣ble
in a form almost conical, where
it seem'd to have an Inch or more in
Diameter, 'twas distant from the
hole of the Aeolipile about twenty
Inches; and five or six Inches be∣yond
that, though it were spread so
much, as to have four or five Inches
in Diameter, yet the not uniform
Page 20

but still-cohering Clouds (which
was the form wherein the Vapors
appear'd) were manifest and conspi∣cuous.

After the rarefaction of Water
when 'tis turn'd into Vapors, we
may consider that of Fewel when 'tis
turn'd into Flame; to which purpose
I might here propose several Tryals
as well of our own as others, about
the prodigious Expansion of some
Inflammable Bodies upon their being
actually turn'd into Flame. But in
this place to mention all these,
would perhaps too much intrench
upon another Paper; and there∣fore
I shall here propose to your con∣sideration
but one instance, and that
very easie to be tryed; of which I
find this account among my Adver∣saria.

Having oftentimes burnt Spirit of
Wine, and also Oyl in Glass-lamps,
that for certain uses were so made,
that the surface of the Liquor was
still circular, 'twas obvious to ob∣serve,
how little the Liquor would
Page 21

subside by the wast that was made
of it, in about half a quarter of an
hour. And yet if we consider, that
the naked Eye after some Exercise,
may, as I have often tryed, di∣scern
the motions of a Pendulum that
swings fast enough to divide a single
minute of an hour into 240 parts,
and consequently half a quarter of an
hour into 1800 parts; if we also con∣sider
into how many parts of the
time imployed by a Pendulum, the Vi∣brations,
slow enough to be discerni∣ble
by the Eye, may be mentally
subdivided; and if we further con∣sider,
that without intermission, the
Oyl is preyed upon by an actual
Flame, and the particles of it do con∣tinually
furnish a considerable stream
of shining matter, that with a
strange celerity is always flying a∣way;
we may very well conceive,
that those parts of Flame into which
the Oyl is turned, are stupendiously
minute, since, though the wasting
of the Oyl is in its progress too slow
to be perceived by the Eye, yet 'tis
Page 22

undoubted that there is a continual
decrement of the depth of the Oyl,
the Physical surfaces whereof are
continually and successively attenua∣ted
and turn'd into flame; and the
strange subtilty of the Corpuscles of
flame would be much the stronglier
argued, if we should suppose, that in∣stead
of common Oyl the flame were
nourish'd by a fewel so much more
compact and durable, as is that in∣flammable
substance made of a Me∣talline
Body, of whose lastingness
I have elsewhere made
particular mention,* af∣ter
having taught the
way of preparing it.

Having in a pair of tender Scales
carefully weigh'd out half a Grain
of good Gunpowder, we laid it on
a piece of Tile, and whelm'd over it
a vessel of glass (elsewhere describ'd,
and often mention'd) with a Brass-plate
to cover the upper orifice of it.
Then having fir'd the Gunpowder,
we observ'd that the smoak of it did
opacate, and as to sense so fill the
Page 23

whole cavity of the Glass, though
its Basis were eight inches, its per∣pendicular
height above twenty
inches, and its figure far more ca∣pacious
than if it were conical, and
this smoak, not containing it self
within the vessel, issued out at two or
three little intervals, that were pur∣posely
left between the orifice of the
vessel and the plate that lay upon it.
This cover we then remov'd, that
we might observe how long the
smoak would continue to ascend;
which we found it would do for a∣bout
half a quarter of an hour, and
during near half that time, (viz. the
three first minutes) the continually
ascending smoak seem'd to be, at its
going out, of the same Diameter with
the orifice at which it issu'd; and it
would ascend sometimes a foot, some∣times
half a yard, sometimes two
foot or more into the Air, before it
would disperse and vanish into it.

Now if we consider, that the ca∣vity
of this round Orifice was two
inches in Diameter, how many my∣riads
Page 24

of visible Corpuscles may we
easily conceive throng'd out at so
large an out-let in the time above∣mention'd,
since they were conti∣nually
thrusting one another for∣wards?
And into so many visible Par∣ticles
of smoak must we admit, that
the half Grain of Powder was shat∣ter'd,
beside those multitudes, which,
having been turn'd into actual flame,
may probably be suppos'd to have
suffer'd a comminution, that made
them become invisible. And though
I shall not attempt so hopeless a
work, as to compute the number of
these small Particles, yet to make an
estimate whereby it would appear to
be exceeding great, I thought fit to
consider, how great the Proportion
was between the spaces, that to the
Eye appear'd all full of smoak, and
the dimensions of the Powder that
was resolv'd into that smoak. Causing
then the Glass to be fill'd with com∣mon
Water, we found it to contain
above two and twenty Pints of that
liquor, and causing one of those
Page 25

measures to be weigh'd, it was found
to weigh so near a pound (of sixteen
ounces,) that the computation of the
whole Water amounted to at least
160000 grains, and consequently
320000 half grains. To which if
we add, that this Gunpowder would
readily sink to the bottom of Water,
as being (by reason of the Saltpeter
and Brimstone, that make up at least
six parts of seven of it) in specie hea∣vier
than it, and in likelyhood twice
as heavy, (for 'tis not easie to de∣termine
it exactly,) we may probably
guess the space to which the smoak
reach'd to exceed 500000 times that,
which contain'd the unfir'd Powder;
and this, though the smoak, being
confin'd in the vessel, was thereby
kept from diffusing it self so far as
by its streaming out it seem'd likely
that it would have done.

To these Instances from Inanimate
Bodies I shall subjoyn one more
taken from Animals. Whereas then
men have with Reason wonder'd,
that so small a Body as a Cheese-mite,
Page 26

which by the naked Eye is often∣times
not to be taken notice of, unless
it move, (if even then it be so,) should
by the Microscope appear to be an
Animal furnish'd with all necessary
parts; whereas this, I say, has given
just occasion to conclude, that the
Corpuscles that make up the parts
of so small an Animal, must them∣selves
be extremely small; I think
the Argument may be much impro∣ved
by the following Consideration.
Those that have had the Curiosity to
open from time to time Eggs that
are sat upon by a hatching Hen can∣not
but have observed, how small
a proportion in reference to the bulk
of the whole Egg the Chick bears;
when that, which the Excellent Har∣vey
calls Punctum saliens, discloses the
motion of the Heart, and the colour
of the Blood; and that even about
the seventh or eighth day the whole
Chick now visibly form'd, bears
no great proportion to the whole
Egg, which is to supply it with
Aliment, not only for its nourish∣ment,
Page 27

but speedy growth for many
days after.

To apply this now to the matter
in hand, having several times ob∣served
and shewn to others, that
Cheese-mites themselves are genera∣ted
of Eggs, if we conceive, that in
these Eggs, as in ordinary one, the
Animal at its first formation bears
but a small proportion to the bulk of
the whole Egg, the remaining part
being to suffice for the food and
growth of the Embryo probably for
a pretty while; since, if an Inge∣nious
person, that I desired to watch
them, did not mis-inform me, they
used to be about ten or twelve days
in hatching; this whole Egg it self
will be allowed to be but little in
reference to the Mite it came from,
how extremely and unimaginably
minute may we suppose those parts
to be, that make up the Alimental
Liquors, and even the Spirits, that
passing through the Nerves or Ana∣logous
parts, serve to move the Limbs
and Sensories of but, as it were,
Page 28

the Model of such an Animal, as,
when it rests, would not (perhaps)
it self to the naked Eye be so much
as visible; and in which we may
presume the nobler sort of stabler
parts to be of an amazing slender∣ness,
if we consider, that, though in
other hairy Animals, the Optick or
some other of the larger Nerves do,
I know not how many times, in
thickness and circuit surpass a hair
of the same Animal; yet in a Cheese-Mite,
though none of the largest of
those Creatures, we have divers
times manifestly seen, as is before
intimated, single Hairs that grow
upon the Legs.

Another way there is, that I im∣ployed
to give men cause to think,
that the invisible Effluvia of Bodies
that wander through the Air may
be strangely minute; and this was,
by shewing how small a fragment of
matter may be resolved into parti∣cles
minute enough to associate them∣selves
in such numbers with a Fluid
so much more dense than Air, as
Page 29

Water is, as to impart a determinate
Colour to the whole liquor. What
I did with Cocheneel in prosecution
of this design, my Experiments about
Colours may inform you; but I shall
now relate the success of an attempt
made another way, for which per∣haps
some of your friends the Chy∣mists
will thank me; though I was
not solicitous to carry on the Experi∣ment
very far with Gold, not because
I judged that less divisible into a
number of colour'd particles, but
because I found, as I expected, that
the paleness of the native colour of
the Gold may make it in the end less
conspicuous, though, if I had then
had by me a Menstruum, as I some∣times
had, that would dissolve Gold
blood-red, perhaps the experiment
with Gold would have surpass'd that,
which 'tis now time I should begin
to relate, as soon as I have hinted
to you by the way, that, for varie∣ties
sake, I made a tryal with Cop∣per
calcin'd per se, that I might not
be accused of having omitted to
Page 30

employ a Metal whose Body Chy∣mists
suppose to be much opened by
Calcination. And though the event
were notable even in Comparison of
that of the experiment made with
Cocheneel, yet my conjectures inclin'd
me much to preferr the way describ'd
in the following Account.

We carefully weigh'd out in a pair
of tender Scales one grain of Copper
not-calcin'd, but barely fil'd; and
because, as we made choice of this
Metal for its yielding in most Men∣struums
a Blew, which is a deep and
conspicuous colour; we also chose
to make a solution, not in Aqua fortis
or Aqua regis, but the Spirit of Sal Ar∣moniack
(as that is an urinous Spirit,)
having found by former tryals, that
this Menstruum would give a far deeper
solution than either of the others.
This lovely Liquor, of which we us'd
a good proportion, that all the Cop∣per
might be throughly dissolved,
we put into a tall cylindrical Glass
of about four inches in Diameter,
and by degrees pour'd to it of distill'd
Page 31

Water, which is more proper in this
case than common Water, which
has oftentimes an inconvenient Sal∣tishness,
'till we had almost fill'd the
Glass, and saw the colour grow some∣what
pale, without being too dilute
to be manifest; and then we warily
pour'd this liquor into a conical
Glass, that it might be the more
easie to fill the vessel several times to
the same height. This conical Glass
we filled to a certain mark four times
consecutively, weighing it, and the
liquor too, as often in a pair of excel∣lent
Scales purposely made for Stati∣cal
experiments, and which, though
strong enough to weigh some pounds
in each Scale, would, when not too
much loaden, turn with about one
grain. These several weights of the
Glass, together with the contained
liquor, we added together, and then
carefully weighing the empty Glass
again, we deducted four times its
weight from the above-mentioned
summ, and thereby found the weight
of the liquor alone, to be that, which
Page 32

reduc'd to grains amounted to 28534;
so that a grain of Copper, which is
not full half so heavy in specie as fine
Gold, communicated a Tincture to
28534 times its weight.

But now if you please to take no∣tice,
that the scope of my Experi∣ment
was to shew, into what a num∣ber
of parts one grain of Copper
might be divided, you will allow
me to consider, as I did, that this
multitude of parts must be estimated
by the Proportion, not so much in
weight as in bulk, of the tinging
Metal to the tinged Liquor, and con∣sequently,
since that divers Hydro∣statical
tryals have inform'd me, that
the weight of Copper to the weight
of Water of the same bulk is proximè
as 9 to 1, a grain-weight of Copper
is in bigness but the ninth part of as
much Water as weighs a grain; and
so the formerly mention'd number of
the grains of Water must be multi∣plied
by 9, to give us the Proportion
between the tinging and tinged Bo∣dies,
that is, that a single grain of
Page 33

Copper gave a blewness to above
256806 parts of limpid Water, each
of them as big as it. Which, though
it may seem stupendious, and scarce
credible; yet I thought fit to prose∣cute
the Experiment somewhat far∣ther,
by pouring all the liquor out
of the tall cylindrical Glass into
another clean vessel, whence filling
the conical Glass twice, and emptying
it as often into the same cylindrical
Glass, the third time I fill'd the co∣nical
Glass with colourless distill'd
Water, and pouring that also into
the cylindrical Glass, we found the
mixt liquor to have yet a manifest,
though but a pale, blewness. And,
lastly, throwing away what was in
the cylindrical Glass, we poured into
it, out of the same conical Glass, equal
parts of distill'd colourless Water,
and of the tincted Liquor we had for∣merly
set apart in the clean Vessel,
and found, that, though the colour
were very faint and dilute, yet an
attentive Eye could easily discern it
to be blewish; and so it was judg'd
Page 34

by an intelligent Stranger that was
brought in to look upon it, and was
desir'd to discover of what colour he
thought it to be. Whereby it ap∣pears,
that one grain of Copper was
able to impart a colour to above
double the quantity of Water above
mentioned.

This Experiment I have allow'd
my self to be the longer and more
particular in relating, both because
I know not, that any such has been
hitherto either made or attempted,
and because it will probably gratifie
your Chymists, that love to have
the Tinctures of Metals believ'd very
diffusive; and because, if Circum∣stances
were not added, it would seem
to you as well incredible, as perhaps
it does seem stupendious, that a por∣tion
of matter should be able to im∣part
a conspicuous colour to above
256806 times its bulk of Water, and
a manifest tincture to above 385200,
(for so it did, when the proportion
of the ting'd part to the whole
mixture, made of it and the unting'd
Page 35

part, was as 2 to 31,) and a faint, but
yet discernible and distinguishable co∣lour
to above five hundred and thir∣teen
thousand six hundred and twenty
times its bulk of Water.

CHAP. IV.
IT were easie for me (Pyroph.) to
give you several Instances, to shew,
that the Effluvia of Liquors may get
in at the Pores of Bodies that are
reputed of a close Texture, but I shall
at present forbear to mention such
Examples, not only
because they belong to
another place*, where
I take notice of them,
but because many such
would not seem so remarkable, nor
be so considerable to our present pur∣pose,
as a few taken from Bodies that
are not Fluid.

And first, it is deliver'd by Writers
Page 36

of good credit, that several Persons,
(for the Experiment does not hold in
all) by barely holding for some time
dryed Cantharides in their hands, have
been put to much pain at the neck
of the Bladder, and have had some
other parts ministring to the secretion
of Urine sensibly injured. That this
is true, I am induced to believe, by
what I have elsewhere related to you
of the unwelcome experiment I had
of the effect of Cantharides applied
but outwardly to my neck, and that
unknown to me, upon the Urinary
Passages; and that these Operations
are due to material Effluxes, which,
to get into the Mass of Blood, must
pass through the pores of the skin,
you will not, I presume, put me to
prove.

Scaliger Exercit. 186. relates, that
in Gascony, his Countrey, there are
Spiders of that virulency, that, if a
man treads upon them to crush them,
their poyson will pass through the
very soles of his Shooes. Which sto∣ry,
notwithstanding the Reputation
Page 37

of the Author, I should perhaps have
left unmention'd, because of a much
stranger about Spiders, which he
relates in the same Section, but that
I met with one that is analogous in
the diligent Piso's late History of Bra∣sile;
where, having spoken of ano∣ther
venemous Fish of that Country,
and the Antidotes he had successfully
used to cure the hurts it inflicts, he
proceeds to that Fish the Natives call
Amoreatim, of one kind whereof,
call'd by the Portugals Peize Sola, his
words are these; Quae mira sanè effi∣cacia
non solum manum vel levissimo
attactu, sed & pedem, licet optimè cal∣ceatum,
Piscatoris incautè pisciculum
conterentis, Paralysi & Stupore afficit,
instar Torpedinis Europaeae, sed minus du∣rabili.
Lib. 5. cap. 14.

What I shall ere long have occa∣sion
to tell you of the power of the
Torpedo, and some other Animals, to
affect the Hand and Arm of him that
strikes them, seems applicable to the
matter under consideration: For,
though their affecting the striker at
Page 38

a distance, may very well be ascrib'd
to the stupefactive or other venemous
Exhalations that expire (and perhaps
are as it were darted) from the Ani∣mal
irritated by the stroke, and are
breath'd in together with the air
they infect; yet their benumming,
or otherwise affecting the Arm that
struck them, rather than any other
part, seems to argue, that the poy∣sonous
steams get in at the pores of
the skin of the Limb, and so stupifie,
or otherwise injure, the nervous and
musculous parts of it.

Other Examples belonging to this
Section may be referr'd hither from
divers other places in these Papers
about Occult Qualities, and there∣fore
I shall only add here that most
remarkable Proof, That some Ema∣nations,
even of solid Bodies, may be
subtil enough to get through the pores,
even of the closest Bodies; which is
afforded us by the Effluvia of the Load∣stone,
which are by Magnetical Wri∣ters
said to penetrate without re∣sistance
all kind of Bodies. And
Page 39

though I have not tryed this in all
sorts, yet having tryed it in Metals
themselves, I am apt to think, the
general Rule admits of very few Ex∣ceptions,
especially, if that can be
fully made out, which is affirm'd
about the perviousness of Glass to
the Effluxions of the Loadstone.
For, not only Glass is generally re∣puted
to be as close a Body as any is,
but (which weighs more with me)
I have by Tryals purposely made,
had occasion to admire the closeness
of very thin pieces of Glass. But
the reason why I just now express'd
my self with an If, was, because I
was not entirely satisfied with the
Proof wont to be acquiesc'd in, of
the perviousness of Glass; namely,
that in Dials and Sea-Compasses that
are cover'd with plates of Glass, the
Needle may be readily moved to and
fro by a Loadstone held over it. For
these Plates being commonly but
fasten'd on with Wax, or at best
with Cement, a Sceptick may pre∣tend,
that the magnetical Effluvia
Page 40

pass not through the Glass, but
through that much more pervious
matter, that is imployed to secure the
Commissures, only from the access
of the Air. To put then the matter
past doubt, I caused some Needles to
be Hermetically seal'd up in Glass-pipes,
which being laid upon the
surface of water (whereon by reason
of the bigness of the Cavities they
would lightly float,) the included
Needles did not only readily feel the
virtue of an externally applied Load∣stone,
(though but a weak one) but
complied with it so well, that I could
easily, by the help of the Needle, lead,
without touching it, the whole Pipe,
this was shut up in, to what part of
the surface of the water I pleased. And
I also found, that by applying a better
Loadstone to the upper part of a sealed
Pipe, and a Needle in it, I could make
the Needle leap up from the lower
part as near to the Loadstone as the
interposed Glass would give it leave.

But I thought it would be more
considerable, to manifest that the
Page 41

Magnetical Effluvia, even of such a
dull Body, as the Globe of the Earth,
would also penetrate Glass. And
though this seem difficult to be tryed,
because no ordinary Loadstone, nor
any Iron touch'd by it, was to be
imployed to work on the included
Iron; yet I thought fit to attempt it
after this manner: I took a cylin∣drical
piece of Iron of about the big∣ness
of ones little finger, and between
half a foot and foot long, (for I had
formerly observed, that the quantity
of unexcited Iron furthers its Opera∣tion
upon excited Needles,) and ha∣ving
Hermetically seal'd it up in a
Glass-pipe but very little longer than
it; I supposed, that if I held it in a
perpendicular posture; the Magneti∣cal
Effluvia of the Earth, penetrating
the Glass, would make the lower
extreme of the Iron answerable to the
North Pole; and therefore having
applied this to the point of the Nee∣dle
in a Dial, or Sea-Compass, that
look'd toward the North, (for Au∣thors
mean not all the same thing by
Page 42

the Northern Pole of a Needle or
Loadstone,) I presum'd it would,
according to the Laws Magnetical
(elsewhere mention'd) drive it a∣way,
which accordingly it did.
And having for farther tryal inver∣ted
the included Iron, (so that the
end which was formerly the low∣ermost,
was now the uppermost)
and held it in a perpendicular posture
just under the same point of the Nee∣dle,
that extreme of the Iron-rod,
which before had driven away this
point, being by this inversion become
(in a manner) a South-Pole, did (ac∣cording
to the same Laws) attract it:
By which sudden change of Poles,
meerly upon the change of situation,
it also appear'd, that the Iron ow'd
its Virtue only to the Magnetism of
the Earth, not that of another Load∣stone,
which would not have been
thus easily alterable. And this Ex∣periment
I the more particularly re∣late,
because this is not the only
place, where I have occasion to make
use of it.

Page 43
CHAP. V.
ANother proof of the great Sub∣tilty
of Effluviums, may be ta∣ken
from the small Decrement of
weight or bulk that a Body may suf∣fer
by parting with great store of
such Emanations.

That Bodies, which infus'd in Li∣quors
impregnate them with new
Qualities suitable to those of the im∣mers'd
Bodies, do so by imparting to
them somewhat of their own Sub∣stance,
will, I presume, be readily
granted by those that conceive not,
how one Body should communicate to
another a solitary and naked Quality,
unaccompanied by any thing Corpo∣real
to support and convey it. But I
would not have you think, Pyrophilus,
that the only matter of fact I have to
countenance this notion, is that Ex∣periment,
which has convinc'd divers
Chymists and Physicians, otherwise
Page 44

not friends to the Corpuscular Philo∣sophy,
that Medicines may operate
without any consumption of them∣selves.
For, though divers of these,
some of them Learned men, have con∣fidently
written, that Glass of Antimony
and Crocus Metallorum, being either of
them infus'd in a great proportion of
Wine, will make it vomitive; and
if that liquor be poured off, and new
be poured on, every new portion of
such liquor will be impregnated with
the same virtue, and this though the
liquor be chang'd a thousand times,
and yet the Antimonial Glass or Crocus
will continue the same as well in
weight as virtue; and though thence
some of them, especially Chymists, ar∣gue,
that some Metals without impar∣ting
any thing substantial, but only, as
Helmont speaks of some of his Ar∣cana,
by irradiation: Yet, I confess,
I have some doubts, whether the
Experiment have been competently
tryed, and shall not fully acquiesce
in what has been said, till some skil∣ful
Experimenter deliver it upon his
Page 45

own Tryal, and acquaint us too, with
what Instruments and what Circum∣spection
he made it. For, besides
that the Ingeniousest Physicians I
have question'd about it, acknow∣ledg'd
the Tast, and sometimes the
Colour of the Wine to be alter'd by
the infus'd Mineral, I could not ac∣quiesce
in the affirmation of an ordi∣nary
Chymist or Apothecary, or even
Physician, if he should barely averr,
that he had weigh'd an Antimonial
Medicine before 'twas put to infuse,
and after the infusion ended, and ob∣serv'd
no decrement of weight. For
I have had too much experience (as
I elsewhere mention) of the difficul∣ty
of making exact Statical tryals;
not to know, that such Scales, as are
wont to be imployed by Chymists
and Apothecaries in weighing Drugs,
are by no means fit to make tryals
with the nicety which that I am
speaking of requires: It being easie,
even with the better sort of such un∣accurate
Scales, especially if they be
not suspended from some fixt thing,
Page 46

but held with the hand, to mistake
half a grain or a grain; and perhaps
a greater quantity, and at least more
than by divers of the Experiments of
this Essay appears necessary to be
spent upon the impregnating of a
considerable proportion of Liquor
with Corporeal Effluxions. Besides,
that if, when the beaten Crocus or
Glass be taken out of the Wine to be
weigh'd again, the Experimenter be
not cautious enough to make allow∣ance
for the Liquor that will adhere
to the Medicament, 'tis plain that he
may take notice of no decrement of
weight, though there may be really
Effluviums of the Mineral amounting
to several grains, imbib'd by the Li∣quor.
And though he be aware of
this, and dry the powder, yet 'tis
not so easie, even for a skilful man,
to be sure that none of the more vi∣scous
particles of the Liquor stick to
the Mineral, and being sensible upon
the Ballance, though not to the Eye
or Hand, repair the recess of those
emetick Corpuscles that diffus'd
Page 47

themselves into the Menstruum. And
the sense of these difficulties put me
upon the attempting to make so no∣ble
an Experiment with excellent
Scales, and the care that it deserves:
But after a long tryal, an unlucky
accident frustrated at last my endea∣vours.
But though, till competent
Relators give us an account of this
matter upon their own tryal, and
repeat the Infusion very much oftener,
than, for ought I find, any man has
yet done, I must not acquiesce in all
that is said of the Impregnation of
Wine or other Liquors by Antimonial
Glass and Crocus Metallorum; yet that
after divers repeated Infusions the
Mineral substance should not be sen∣sibly
diminish'd in bulk or virtue,
may well suffice to make this In∣stance,
though not the only or chief
that may be brought for our pur∣pose,
yet a pertinent one to it. For
that there is a powerful Emetick Qua∣lity
imparted to the Liquor, is ma∣nifest
by experience; and that the
Mineral does not impart this virtue
Page 48

as 'twere by irradiation, but by sub∣stantial
effluxion, seems to me very
probable; not only because I conceive
not, how this can be done otherwise,
but because, as 'tis noted above, the
Wine does oftentimes change colour
by being kept a competent time upon
the Mineral, as if it drew thence a
Tincture; and even when it is not
discolour'd, I think it unsafe to con∣clude,
that the Menstruum has not
wrought upon it. For I have kept
good Spirit of Vinegar for a consi∣derable
time upon finely powder'd
Glass of Antimony made per se, with∣out
finding the Spirit to be at all
ting'd, though 'tis known, that An∣timonial
Glass is soluble in Spirit of
Vinegar, as mine afterwards appear'd
to be, by a longer digestion in the
same Liquor. But there may be a
great number of minute particles dis∣solved
in the Menstruum before they
be numerous enough to change the
Colour of it. And with this agrees
very well what is observ'd, That
though too great a quantity of the
Page 49

prepar'd Antimony be put into the
liquor, yet it will not be thereby
made too strongly Emetick. For the
Wine, being a Menstruum, will, like
other Menstruums, be impregnated but
to a certain measure, without dissol∣ving
the overplus of the matter that
is put into it. And Mars, which is
a harder and heavier body than Glass
of Antimony, is it self in part solu∣ble
in good Rhenish or other white
Wine, (and that in no long time,)
and sometimes even in Water.

I do not therefore reject the Eme∣tick
Infusion, as unfit to have a place
in this Chapter, but till the experi∣ment
have been a little more accu∣rately
made, I think it inferiour, as
to our purpose, to some of the In∣stances
to be met with in the next
Chapter, and perhaps also to that
mention'd by Helmont, and tryed by
more than one of my Acquaintance,
concerning the Virtue of killing
Worms, that Mercury imparts to
the water or wine wherein it has
been long enough infus'd, or else for
Page 50

a while decocted. Though Quick∣silver
given in substance is commen∣ded
as an effectual Medicine against
Worms, not only by
many profest* Spa∣gyrists,
but by divers
** Methodists of good
Note. And though,
some other things, Chymical and
Philosophical, keep me from being of
their opinion, who think that in this
case the Mercury impregnates the li∣quor
as it were by Irradiation, ra∣ther
than in a Corporeal manner, yet
the Eye does not perceive, that even
limpid water takes any thing from
clean and well purg'd Mercury,
which we know that divers corro∣sive
liquors themselves will not work
upon.

To this Instance I must add one
that is yet freer from exceptions,
which is, that having for Curiosity
sake suspended in a pair of exact
Scales, that would turn with a very
small part of a grain, a piece of
Amber-greece bigger than a Walnut,
Page 51

and weighing betwixt an hundred and
six-score grains, I could not in three
days and a half that I had opportu∣nity
to make the tryal, discover, even
upon that Ballance, any decrement
of weight in the Amber-greece; though
so rich a perfume, lying in the open
Air, was like in that time to have
parted with good store of odoriferous
Steams. And a while after suspen∣ding
a Lump of Assa foetida five days
and a half, I found it not to have su∣stain'd
any discernible loss of weight,
though, in spite of the unfavourable
cold weather, it had about it a neigh∣bouring
Atmosphere replenish'd with
foetid exhalations. And when twelve
or fourteen hours after, perhaps upon
some change of weather, I came to
look upon it, though I found that
in that time the Aequilibrium was
somewhat alter'd, yet the whole Lump
had not lost half a quarter of a grain;
which induc'd me to think, that
there may perhaps be Steams discer∣nible
even by our Nostrils, that are
far more subtil than the odorous
Page 52

exhalations of Spices themselves.
For, having in very good Scales su∣spended
in the Month of March an
ounce of Nutmegs, it lost in about
six days five grains and a half. And
an ounce of Cloves in the same time
lost seven grains and five eigths.

You will perhaps wonder, why I
do not preferr to the Instances I make
mention of in this Chapter, that
which may be afforded by the Load∣stone,
that is acknowledg'd conti∣nually
to emit multitudes of Magne∣tical
Steams without decrement of
weight. But though I have not
thought fit to pass this wholly un∣der
silence; yet I forbear to lay so
much stress on it, not only because
my Ballances have not yet satisfied
me about the Effluvia of Loadstones,
(for I take them not all to be equally
diffusive of their Particles;) but be∣cause
I foresee it may be doubted,
whether Loadstones, like odorous Bo∣dies,
do furnish afresh of their own,
all the Corpuscles▪ that from time to
time issue from them? Or, whether
Page 53

they be not continually repaired,
partly by the return of the Magnetical
Particles to one Pole that sallied out
of the other; and partly by the con∣tinued
passage of Magnetical matter
(supplied by the Earth or other
Mundane Bodies) it make the Pores
or Channels of the Loadstone their
constant Thorow-fares.

I doubt not but it will make it
more probable, that a small Quantity
of matter being scatter'd into invisible
Effluvia may be exceedingly rarified
and expanded, if it can be made ap∣pear,
that this little portion of mat∣ter
shall, for a considerable time,
emit multitudes of visible parts, and
that in so close an order among them∣selves,
as to seem in their Aggre∣gate
but one intire liquor, endow'd
with a stream-like motion, and a
distinct superficies, wherein no inter∣ruption
is to be seen, even by an
Eye plac'd near it. To devise this
Experiment, I was induc'd, by con∣sidering,
that hitherto all the (total)
dissolutions that have been made of
Page 54

Pigments, have been in liquors natu∣rally
cold, and consisting probably
of much less subtile, and certainly
of much less agitated parts, than that
fluid aggregate of shining matter that
we call Flame; whereas I argued,
that if one could totally dissolve a
Body compos'd of parts so minute as
those of a Metal into actual Flame,
and husband its Flame so, as that
it should not immoderatly waste, I
should thereby dissolve the Metal in
a far more subtil Menstruum than our
common water, or Aqua fortis, or
Aqua Regis, or any other known
Menstruum I have yet imployed.
And consequently the attenuation
and expansion of the Metal in this
truly Igneous Menstruum would much
surpass not only what happens in
ordinary Metalline solutions, but
possibly also what I have noted in
the third Chapter of this Essay, a∣bout
the strange diffusion of Copper
dissolv'd in Spirit of Urine and Wa∣ter.
In prosecution of this design,
I so prepar'd one single grain of that
Page 55

Metal, by a way that I elsewhere
teach, that it was dissolv'd in about
a spoonful of an appropriated Men∣struum.
And then having caus'd a
small Glass-lamp to be purposely
blown to contain this liquor, and
fitted it with a socket and wieck, we
lighted the Lamp, which, without
consuming the wieck, burnt with a
flame large enough and very hot, and
seem'd to be all the while of a greenish
blew, as if it were a but finer and
shining solution of Copper. And yet
this one grain of prepar'd Metal
ting'd the flame that was from mo∣ment
to moment produc'd, during
no less than half an hour and six mi∣nutes.
And now if we consider, that
in this flame there was an uninter∣rupted
Succession of multitudes of
colour'd Particles newly extricated,
and flying off in every of those many
parts wherein a minute of time may
either actually or mentally be divided;
and, if we consider Flame as a light
and very agitated body, passing with
a stream upwards through the Air,
Page 56
and if we also consider the quantity
of liquor that would (as I shall by
and by tell you) run through a Pipe
of a much lesser diameter than that
Flame, within the compass of the
forementioned time: What a quan∣tity
of the streaming fluid we call
Flame, if it could have been preserv'd
and collected into one Body, may we
suppose would appear to have issued
out of one grain of Copper in the
space of thirty-six minutes; and what
a multitude of metalline Corpuscles
may we suppose to have been supplied
for the tinging of that Flame during
so long a time? since a Cylindrical
stream of water falling but through
a very short Pipe of glass, constantly
supplied with liquors, did pass at
such a rate, that, though the aqueous
Cylinder seem'd more slender by half,
(or perhaps by two thirds or better)
than the Flame, yet we estimated, by
the help of a Minute-watch and a
good pair of Scales, that, if I had
had conveniencies to let it run long
enough, the water efflux'd in thirty-six
Page 57

minutes (the time of the Flames
duration) would have amounted to
above nine gallons, or, (reckoning
a pint of water to contain a pound of
sixteen ounces) seventy-two pounds.

CHAP. VI.
THE last sort of Instances I shall
propose to shew the strange
Subtilty of Effluvia, is of such, as
discover the great quantity of space
that may by a small quantity of mat∣ter,
when rarified or dispers'd, be
either fill'd as to sense, or, at least,
made (as they speak) the sphear of its
activity.

To manifest this Truth, and there∣by
as well confirm the foregoing
Chapter, as make out what is design'd
in this, I shall endeavour to shew, and
help your imagination to conceive,
how great a space may be impregna∣ted
with the Effluxions of a Body,
oftentimes without any sensible, and
oftener without any considerable de∣crement
Page 58

in bulk or weight of the
Body that affords them. And in or∣der
to this, though I shall not pretend
to determine precisely how little the
substances, I am to instance in, would
waste upon the Ballance, because you
will very easily see they are not that
way to be examin'd; yet I presume,
you will as easily grant, that the
decrement of weight would be but
inconsiderable, since of such light
substances the loss even of bulk is so;
which last clause I shall now attempt
to make good, by setting down some
Observations, partly borrow'd from
the writings of approv'd Physicians,
and partly that my friends and I have
made about the durable Evaporation
of such small particles of the Efflu∣xions
of Animals, as are actually not
to be discern'd by the Eye to have any
of those things sticking to them,
which are so very long in flying suc∣cessively
away.

'Tis wont to be somewhat surpri∣zing
to men of Letters, when they
first go a hawking with good Spa∣niels,
Page 59

to observe, with how great
sagacity those dogs will take notice
of, and distinguish by the scent, the
places where Partridges, Quails, &c.
have lately been. But I have much
more wonder'd at the quick scent of
an excellent Setting-dog, who by his
way of ranging the fields, and his
other motions, especially of his Head,
would not only intimate to us the
kinds of game, whose scent he chanc'd
to light on, but would discover to
us where Partridges had been (though
perhaps without staying in that
place) several hours before, and assist
us to guess how long they had been
gone before we came.

I have had strange answers given
me in Ireland, by those who make
a gain if not an intire livelihood by
killing of Wolves in that Countrey,
(where they are paid so much for
every head they bring in) about the
sagacity of that peculiar race of dogs
they imploy in hunting them; but
not trusting much to those Relators,
I shall add, that a very sober and
Page 60

discreet Gentleman of my acquain∣tance,
who has often occasion to
imploy Blood-hounds, assures me,
that if a man have but pass'd over a
field, the scent will lye (as they speak)
so as to be perceptible enough to a
good dog of that sort for several
hours after. And an ingenious Hun∣ter
assures me, that he has observ'd,
that the scent of a flying and heated
Deer will sometimes continue upon
the ground from one day to the next
following.

And now we may consider these
three things; First, That the sub∣stance
left upon the grass or ground
by the transient tread of a Partridge,
Hare, or other animal, that does but
pass along his way, does probably
communicate to the grass or ground
but some of those Effluxions, that
transpire out of his feet, which be∣ing
small enough to escape the di∣scernment
of the Eye, may probably
not amount to one grain in weight,
or perhaps not to the tenth part of it.
Next, That the parts of fluid Bodies,
Page 61

as such, are perpetually in motion,
and so are the invisible particles that
swim in them, as may appear by
the dissolution of Salt or Sugar in
water, and the wandering of a∣queous
Vapours through the Air,
even when the Eye perceives them
not. And thirdly, That though the
Atmosphere of one of these small
parcels of the exhaling matter we are
speaking of, may oftentimes be ex∣ceeding
vast in comparison of the
emittent Body, as may be guess'd by
the distance, at which some Setters,
or Blood-hounds, will find the scent
of a Partridge, or Deer; yet in pla∣ces
expos'd to the free air or wind,
'tis very likely that these steams are
assiduously carried away from their
Fountain, to maintain the fore-men∣tion'd
Atmosphere for six, eight, or
more hours, that is, as long as the
scent has been observ'd to lye, there
will be requisite a continual recruit
of steams succeeding one another
And that so very small a portion of
matter as that which we were say∣ing
Page 62

the fomes of these steams may be
judg'd to be, being sensibly to im∣pregnate
an Atmosphere incompa∣rably
greater than it self, and supply
it with almost continual recruits,
we cannot but think, that the
steams it parts with, must be of an
extreme and scarce conceivable mi∣nuteness.

And we may further consider,
that the substances, which emit these
steams, being such as newly belong'd
to Animals, and were, for the most
part, transpir'd through the pores of
their feet, must be in likelihood a
far more evaporable and dissipable
kind of Bodies than Minerals or adust
Vegetables, such as Gunpowder is
made of; so that if the grains of
Gunpowder emit Effluviums capa∣ble
of being by some Animals per∣ceiv'd
at a distance by their smell,
one may probably suppose, that the
small grains of this powder may hold
out very many times longer to sup∣ply
an Atmosphere with odorable
steams, than the Corpuscles left on
Page 63

the ground by transient Animals.

Now though it be generally a∣gree'd
on, that very few Birds have
any thing near so quick a sense of
smelling as Setting-dogs or Blood-hounds,
yet that the odour of Gun∣powder,
especially when assisted by
the steams of the Caput mortuum of
Powder formerly fir'd in the same
Gun, may be Fowls be smelt at a
notable distance, particularly when
the wind blew from me towards
them, I often perswaded my self I
observ'd, especially as to Crows,
when I went a shooting; and was
confirm'd in that opinion, both by
the common Tradition, and by so∣ber
and ingenious persons much ex∣ercis'd
in the killing of Wild-fowl,
and of some fourfooted Beasts.

I had forgotten to take notice of
one Observation of the experienc'd
Julius Palmarius: Whence we may
learn, that Beasts may leave upon
the Vegetables, that have touch'd
their bodies for any time, such Cor∣puscles,
as, though unheeded by
Page 64

other Animals, may, when eaten
by them, produce in them such dis∣eases
as the infected Animals had.
For this Author writes in his useful
Tract de morbis Contagiosis, that he
observ'd Horses, Beeves, Sheep and
other Animals, to run mad upon the
eating of some of the straw on which
some mad Swine had layn.

And now to resume and prosecute
our former discourse, you may take
notice, that the Effluvia, mention'd
to have been smelt by Animals, are,
though invisible, yet big enough to
be the objects of sense; so that 'tis
not improbable, that, among the
steams that no sense can immediate∣ly
perceive, there should be some
far more subtil than these, and con∣sequently
capable of furnishing an
Atmosphere much longer, without
quite exhausting the effluviating
matter that afforded them.

*Forestus, an useful Author, re∣cites
an Example of Pe∣stilential
contagion long
preserv'd in a Cobweb.

Page 65
Alexander Benedictus writes also,
that at Venice a Flock-bed did for
many years harbour a pestiferous ma∣lignity
to that degree, that when
afterwards it came to be beaten, it
presently infected the by-standers
with the Plague.

And the Learned*Sennertus him∣self
relates, that in the
year 1542. there did in
the City of Uratislavia
(vulgarly Breslaw,) where he after∣wards
practised Physick, dye of the
Plague, in less than six Months, lit∣tle
less than six thousand men, and
that from that time the Pestilential
Contagion was kept folded up in a
linnen cloth about fourteen years,
and at the end of that time being
display'd in another City, it began
a Plague there, which infected also
the neighbouring Towns and other
places.

*Trincavella makes mention of
a yet lastinger Conta∣gion,
(which occasion'd
the death of ten thousand
Page 66

persons) that lay lurking in certain
Ropes, with which at Justinopolis
those that dy'd of the Plague had been
let down into their Graves.

But, though none of these Rela∣tions
should to some Criticks appear
scarce credible, it may be objected,
that all these things, wherein this
Contagion resided, were kept close
shut up, or at least were not expos'd
to the Air. Wherefore having only
intimated, that the exception, which
I think is not irrational, would,
though never so true, but lessen the
wonder of these strange Relations,
without rendering them unfit for our
present purpose, I shall add, that
though 'tis the opinion of divers
Learned Physicians, that the matter
harboring Contagion cannot last a∣bove
Twenty or a few more days,
if the Body it adheres to be expos'd
to the free air and the wind, and
though I am not forward to deny,
that their judgement may hold in
ordinary cases; yet I must not deny
neither, that a Contagion may some∣times
Page 67

happen to be much more te∣nacious
and obstinate: Of which I
shall give but that one, almost re∣cent
instance observ'd by
the Learned*Dimmer∣brook
in his own Apothe∣cary,
who having but remov'd with
his foot, from one side to the other
of a little Arbour (in his Garden)
some straw, that had layn under the
Pallet, on which near eight Months
before a Bed had layn, wherein a
Servant of the Apothecaries, that
recover'd, had been sick of the
Plague; the infectious steams pre∣sently
invaded the lower part of his
leg, and produc'd a pungent pain
and blister, which turn'd to a pe∣stilential
Carbuncle, that could scarce
be cur'd in a Fortnight after, though
during that time the Patient were
neither feaverish, nor, as to the rest
of his Body, ill at ease. This memo∣rable
instance, together with some
others of the like kind, that our
Author observed in the same City
(of Nimmegen) obtain'd, not to say,
Page 68

extorted, even from him, this Con∣fession;
which I add, because it
contains some considerable, and not
yet mentioned Circumstances of the
recited case: Hoc exemplo Medicorum
Doctrina de Contagio in fomite latente
satis confirmatur. Mirum tamen est,
hoc Contagium tanto tempore in praedicto
stramine potuisse subsistere, utpote quod
tota hyeme ventis & pluviis, (he adds
in another place) nivibus & frigori,
expositum fuisset.

And now I will shut up this
Chapter with an instance, that some
will think, perhaps, no less strange
than any of the rest, which is, that
though they that are skilful in the
perfuming of Gloves, are wont to
imbue them with but an inconside∣rable
quantity of odoriferous matter,
yet I have by me a pair of Spanish
Gloves, which I had by the favour
of your fair and virtuous Sister (F.)
that were so skilfully perfum'd, that
partly by her, partly by those, that
presented them her as a Rarity, and
partly by me, who have kept them
Page 69

several Years, they have been kept
about eight or nine and twenty years,
if not thirty, and they are so well
scented, that they may, for ought
I know, continue fragrant divers
years longer. Which instance, if
you please to reflect upon, and con∣sider,
that such Gloves cannot have
been carried from one place to ano∣ther,
or so much as uncover'd
(as they must often have been) in
the free Air, without diffusing from
themselves a fragrant Atmosphere,
we cannot but conclude those odo∣rous
Steams to be unimaginably sub∣tile,
that could for so long a time
issue out in such swarms, from a lit∣tle
perfum'd matter lodged in the
pores of a Glove, and yet leave it
richly stock'd with particles of the
same nature; though, (especially by
reason of some removes, in which I
took not the Gloves along with me,)
I forgot ever since I had them, to keep
them so much as shut up in a Box.



Of the
GREAT EFFICACY
OF
EFFLUVIUMS:
BY
The Honorable ROBERT BOYLE.


Page 1
OF THE GREAT EFFICACY OF EFFLƲVIƲMS.
CHAP. I.
THey that are wont in the Esti∣mates
they make of Natural
Things, to trust too much
to the negative informations of their
Senses, without sufficiently consulting
their Reason, have commonly but a
very little and slight opinion of the
Power and Efficacy of Effluviums;
and imagine that such minute Cor∣puscles
(if they grant that there are
such,) as are not, for the most part
of them, capable to work upon the
Page 2

tenderest and quickest of Senses, the
Sight, cannot have any considerable
Operation upon other Bodies. But
I take this to be an error, which,
as it very little becomes Philosophers,
so it has done no little prejudice to
Philosophy it self, and perhaps to
Physick too. And therefore though
the nature of my design at present did
not require it, yet the importance of
the subject would invite me to shew,
That this is as ill-gounded as preju∣dicial
a Supposition.

And indeed if we Consider the
subject attentively, we may observe,
That though it be true, that, caeteris
paribus, the greatness of Bodies doth,
in most cases, contribute to that of
their Operation upon others, yet Mat∣ter
or Body being in its own precise
nature an unactive or moveless Sub∣ject,
one part of the Mass acts upon
another but upon the account of its
Local Motion, whose Operations are
facilitated and otherwise diversified
by the Shape, Size, Situation and
Texture both of the Agent and of the
Page 3

Patient. And therefore if Corpuseles,
though very minute, be numerous
enough, and have a competent degree
of motion, even these small Particles,
especially if fitly shap'd, when they
chance to meet with a Body, which
the congruity of its texture disposes
to admit them at its Pores, and receive
their either friendly or hostile impres∣sions,
may perform such things in the
patient, as visible and much grosser
Bodies, but less conveniently shap'd
and mov'd, would be utterly unable
(on the same Body) to effect.

And that you may with the less
difficulty allow me to say, that the
Effluviums of Bodies, as minute as they
are, may perform Considerable things,
give me leave to observe to you, that
there are at least six ways, by which
the Effluviums of a Body may nota∣bly
operate upon another; namely,
1. By the great number of emitted Cor∣puscles.
2. By their penetrating and
pervading nature. 3. By their cele∣rity,
and other Modifications of their
Motion. 4. By the congruity and incon∣gruity
Page 4

of their Bulk and Shape to the
Pores of the Bodies they are to act
upon. 5. By the motions of one part
upon another, that they excite or oc∣casion
in the Body they work upon
according to its Structure. And 6ly,
By the Fitness and Power they have
to make themselves be assisted, in their
Working, by the more Catholick Agents
of the Universe. And though it may
perhaps be sufficiently proved, that
there are several cases wherein a Body
that emits Particles, may act notably
upon another Body by this or that
single way of those I have been
naming; yet usually the great mat∣ters
are performed by the association
of two, three or more of them, con∣curring
to produce the same Effect.
Upon which score when I shall in the
following Paper referr an Instance or
a Phenomenon to any one of the fore∣mentioned
Heads, I desire to be under∣stood
as looking upon that but as the
Head, to which it chiefly relates, with∣out
excluding the rest.

Page 5
CHAP. II.
TAking those things for granted,
that have, I hope, been sufficiently
proved in the former Tract about the
subtlety of Effluviums, I suppose it will
readily be allowed, That the Ema∣nations
of a Body may be extremely
minute; whence it may be rightly
inferr'd, that a small portion of matter
may emit great multitudes of them.

Now that the great number of
Agents may in many cases compensate
their littleness, especially where they
Act or Resist per modum unius, (as they
speak,) men would perhaps the more
easily grant, if they took notice to this
purpose of some familiar Instances.

We see that not only lesser Land∣floods
that overflow the neighbouring
Fields, but those terrible Inundations
that sometimes drown whole Coun∣treys,
are made by Bodies singly so
so small and inconsiderable as Drops
Page 6

of Rain when they continue to fall in
those multitudes we call Showers.

So the aggregates of such minute
Bodies as grains of Sand being heaped
together in sufficient Numbers, make
Banks wherewith greatest Ships are
sometimes split, nay and serve in most
places for Bounds to the Sea it self.

And though a single Corn of Gun∣powder,
or two or three together,
are not of Force to do much mischief,
yet two or three Barrels of those Corns
taking Fire all together are able to
blow up Ships and Houses, and per∣form
prodigious things.

But instead of multiplying such
Instances, afforded by Bodies of
small indeed but yet visible Bulk,
I shall (as soon as I have intimated,
that the above-mentioned drops of
Rain themselves consist of convening
Multitudes of Vapors most commonly
Invisible in their Ascent,) endeavour
to make out what was proposed, by
two or three Instances drawn from
the Operations of Invisible particles.

And first, we see, that though
Page 7

Aqueous Vapours be look'd upon as
the faintest and least active Effluviums
that we know of, yet when multi∣tudes
of them are in Rainy weather
dispersed thorow the Air, and are
thereby qualified to work on the Bo∣dies
exposed to it, their Operations
are very considerable, not only in
the dissolution of Salts, as Sea-Salt,
Salt of Tartar, &c. and in the putre∣factive
changes they produce in many
Bodies, but in the intumescence they
cause in Oak and other solid Woods;
as appears by the difficulty we often
find in and before Rainy weather, to
shut and open Doors, Boxes, and other
Wooden pieces of work, that were
before fit enough for the Cavities they
had been adjusted to.

I might here urge, that though the
strings of Viols and other Musical
Instruments are sometimes strong e∣nough
to sustain considerable weights,
yet if they be left screwed to their full
tension, (as it frequently happens)
they are oftentimes by the supervening
of moist weather made to break, not
Page 8

without impetuosity and noise. But
it may sute better with my present
aim, if I mention on this occasion,
(what I elsewhere more fully take
notice of:) Being desirous to try what
a multitude even of Aqueous Steams
may do, I caused a Rope that was long,
but not thick, and was in part su∣stained
by a Pully, to have a Weight
of Lead so fastned to the end of it, as
not to touch the ground, and after
the Weight had leisure allowed it to
stretch the Cord as far as it could,
I observed that in the moist weather
the waterish particles, that did invi∣sibly
abound in the Air, did so much
work upon and shorten the Rope, as
to make it lift up the hanging Weight,
which was, if I mis-remember not,
about an hundred Pounds.

The invisible Steams, issuing out
of the Walls of a newly plaster'd or
whited Room, are not sensibly preju∣dicial
to those that do but transiently
visit it, or make but a very short stay
in it, though there be a Charcoal-fire
in the Chimney; but we have many
Page 9

instances of persons, that by lying for
a night in such Rooms, have been the
next morning or sooner found dead
in their Beds, being suffocated by the
multitude of the noxious Vapours
emitted during all that time.

And here I think it proper to ob∣serve,
That it may much assist us to
take notice of the multitude of Effluvia,
and make us expect great matters from
them, to consider, that they are not
emitted from the Body that affords
them all at once, as Hail-shot out of
a Gun, but issue from it as the Va∣porous
Winds do out of an Aeolipil
well heated, or Waters out of a Spring∣head
in continued Streams, wherein
fresh parts still succeed one another;
so that though as many Effluxions of
a Body as can be sent out at one time
were numerous enough to Act but
upon its Superficial parts, yet the
Emanation of the next minute may
get in a little farther, and each smallest
portion of time supplying fresh Re∣cruits,
and perhaps urging on the
Steams already entred, the Particles
Page 10

may at length get into a multitude
of the pores of the invaded Body, and
penetrate it to the very innermost
parts.

CHAP. III.
I Come now to shew in the second
place, That the subtile and pe∣netrating
nature of Effluviums, may
in many cases cooperate with their
multitude in producing notable ef∣fects;
and that there are Effluviums
of a very piercing nature, though
we shall not now enquire upon what
account they are so, we may evince
by several Examples. For not only
the invisible Steams of good Aqua
Fortis and Spirit of Nitre do usually
in a short time, and in the cold, so
penetrate the corks wherewith the
Glasses that contained them were
stop'd, as to reduce them into a yellow
pap; but also the emanations of Mer∣cury
have been sometimes found in
Page 11

the form of coagulated, or even of
running Mercury in the heads or very
bones of those Gilders, or Venereal
Patients, that have too long or too
unadvisedly been exposed to the fumes
of it, though they never took Quick∣silver
in its gross substance. Chymists
too often find in their Laboratories,
that the steams of Sulphur, Antimony,
Arsnick, and divers other Minerals,
are able to make those stagger, or per∣haps
strike them down, that without
a competent wariness unlute the Ves∣sels
wherein they had been distilled or
sublimed; of which I have known
divers sad Examples. And of the Pe∣netrancy
even of animal Steams we
may easily be perswaded, if we consi∣der,
how soon in many Plagues the
contagious, though invisible, Exha∣lations
are able to reach the Heart, or
infect other internal parts; though
in divers of these cases the Blood helps
to convey the infection, yet still the
Morbifick particles must get into the
body before they can infect the mass of
Blood. And in those stupefactions that
Page 12

are caused at a distance by the Terpedo,
the parts mainly affected seem to be the
Nervous ones of the Hand and Arm,
which are of the most retired and best
fenced parts of those members. And
there is a Spirit of Sal Armoniack, that
I make to smell to, whose invisible
Steams, unexcited by heat, are of so
piercing a nature, that not only they
will powerfully affect the Eyes and
Nostrils, and Throats, and sometimes
the Stomachs too (yet without pro∣ving
Vomitive,) of the Patients they
invade, but also when a great cold
has so clog'd the organs of smelling,
that neither sweet nor stinking odours
would at all affect them, these piercing
Steams have not only in a few minutes
both made themselves a way, and
which is more, so open'd the passages,
that soon after the Patient has been
able to smell other things also. And
by the same penetrating Spirit, a per∣son
of Quality was, some time since,
restored to a power of smelling, which
he had lost for divers Years, (if he ever
had it equally with other men.) I could
Page 13

easily subjoyn Examples of this kind,
but they belong to other places. And
here I shall only add, that the steams
of Water it self assisted by warmth,
are capable of dissolving the Texture
of even hard and solid bodies, that
are not suspected to be Saline; as ap∣pears
by the Philosophical calcination
(as Chymists call it) wherein solid
pieces of Harts-horn are brought to
be easily friable into pouder, by being
hung over waters, whil'st their steams
rise in distillation and without the
help of Furnaces. The Exhalations,
that usually swim every night in the
air, and almost every night fall to the
ground in the form of Dews (which
makes them be judged Aqueous,) are
in many places of the Torrid Zone
of so penetrating a nature, that, as
Eye-witnesses have informed me, they
would in a very short time make
Knives rust in their sheaths, and
Swords in their scabbards, nay and
Watches in their cases, if they did not
constantly carry them in their pockets.
And I have known even in England
Page 14

divers hard bodies, into which the
Vapours swimming in the air have
insinuated themselves, so far as to make
them friable throughout. But of the
penetration of Effluviums, I have
given, in several places, so many in∣stances,
that 'tis not necessary to add
any here. And therefore to shew,
that, as I intimated at the beginning
of this Chapter, the Penetrancy and
the multitude of Effluviums may
much assist each other, I shall now
subjoyn; That we must not for the
most part look upon Effluviums as
swarms of Corpuscles, that only beat
against the outsides of the Bodies they
invade, but as Corpuscles, which by
reason of their great and frequently
recruited numbers, and by the Ex∣treme
smallness of their Parts, insi∣nuate
themselves in multitudes into
the minute pores of the bodies they
invade, and often penetrate to the
innermost of them; so that, though
each single Corpuscle, and its distinct
action, be inconsiderable, in respect
of the multitude of parts that compose
Page 15

the body to be wrought on; yet
a vast multitude of these little Agents
working together upon a correspon∣dent
number of the small parts of the
body they pervade, they may well be
able to have powerful effects upon
the Body, that those parts constitute;
as, in the case mentioned in the former
Chapter, the Rope would not pro∣bably
have been enabled to raise so
great a weight, though a vehement
Wind had blown against it, to make
it lose its perpendicular straightness,
but a vast multitude of Watery Par∣ticles,
getting by degrees into the pores
of the Rope, might, like an innume∣rable
company of little wedges, so
widen the pores as to make the
thrids or splinters of Hemp, the Rope
was made up of, swell, and that so
forcibly, that the depending weight
could not hinder the shortning of the
Rope, and therefore must of necessity
be rais'd thereby. And I have more
than once known solid and even
heavy Mineral Bodies, burst in pieces
by the moisture of the Air, though
Page 16

we kept them within-doors carefully
shelter'd from the Rain.

CHAP. IV.
THat the Celerity of the motion
of very minute Bodies, espe∣cially
conjoyned to their multitudes,
may perform very notable things,
may be argued from the wonderful
effects of fired Gunpowder, Aurum
fulminans, of Flames that invisibly
touch the Bodies they work on, and
also Whirlwinds, and those streams
of invisible Exhalations and other
aerial Particles we call Winds. But
because instances of this sort suit not
so well with the main scope of this
Tract, I shall not insist on them, but
subjoyn some others, which, though
less notable in themselves, will be
more congruous to my present De∣sign.
That the Corpuscles whereof
Odours consist, swim to and fro in
the Air, as in a fluid Vehicle, will
Page 17

by most, I presume, be granted, and
may be easily prov'd. But I have else∣where
shewn, That the motion of the
Effluviums of some sufficiently odo∣rous
Bodies, has too little Celerity to
make a sensible impression on the or∣gans
of smelling, unless those Steams
be assisted to beat more forcibly upon
the Nostrils by the Air, which hurries
them along with it, when it enters
the Nostrils in the form of a stream,
in the act of Inspiration. And I have
by familiar observation of Hunters,
Fowlers, and partly of my own
made manifest, that Setting-dogs,
Hounds, Crows and some other ani∣mals,
will be much more affected with
sents, or the odorous Effluvia of Par∣tridges,
Hares, Gunpowder, &c. when
the Wind blows from the object to∣wards
the sensory, than when it sits
the contrary way, which way soever
the Nostrils of the animal be obverted,
so the Air be imbued with the odorous
Steams: And consequently the dif∣ference
seems to proceed from this,
that when the Nostrils are obverted
Page 18

to the Wind, the Current of the Air
drives the Steams forcibly upon the
Sensory, which otherwise it does
not.

That there is a briskness of motion
requisite, and more than ordinarily
conducive to Electrical attractions,
may be argued from the necessity that
we usually find by rubbing Amber,
Jett, and other Electrical bodies, to
make them emit those Steams, by
which 'tis highly probable their action
is performed: And though I have
elsewhere shewn, that this precedent
rubbing is not alwayes necessary to
excite all Electrical bodies; yet in
those that I made to attract without
it, it would operate much more vi∣gorously
after attrition; which I con∣conceive
makes a reciprocal motion
amongst the more stable parts, and
does thereby as 'twere discharge and
shoot out the attracting Corpuscles;
whose real emission, though it may
be probably argued from what has
been already said, seems more strongly
proveable by an Observation that
Page 19

I made many years ago, and which
I have been lately inform'd to have
been long since made by the very
Learned Fabri. The Observation
was this; That if, when we took
a vigorously excited Electrick, we
did at a certain nick of time (which
circumstances may much vary, but
was usually almost as soon as the
body was well rubbed) place it at a
just distance from a suspended Hair
or other light body, or perhaps from
some light powder; the Hair, &c.
would not be attracted to the Ele∣ctrick,
but driven away from it, as
it seem'd, by the briskly moving
steams that issue out of the Amber or
other light body.

This Argument I could confirm by
another Phaenomenon or two of affi∣nity
with this, if I should not borrow
too much of what I have elsewhere
noted about the History of Electricity.

I know a certain substance, which
though made by distillation, does in
the cold emit but a very mild and
inoffensive smell, but when the vessel
Page 20

that holds it is heated, though no
separation of constituent Principles
appear to be thereby made, (the Body
being in all usual tryals homogeneous,)
the Effluviums will be so altered, that
I remember a Virtuoso, that, to satisfie
his curiosity▪ would needs be smel∣ling
to it, when 'twas heated, com∣plain'd
to me, that he thought the
Steams would have killed him, and
that the Effluviums of Spirit of Sal
Armoniack it self were nothing near
so strong and piercing as those.

And even among solid Bodies, I
know some, which, though abounding
much in a substance wherein some
rank smells principally reside, yet (if
they were not chafed) were scarce
at all sensibly odorous; but upon the
rubbing of them a little one against
the other, the attrition making them,
as it were, dart out their Emissions,
would in a minute or two make them
stink egregiously.

And as the Celerity of motion
may thus give a vigor to the Ema∣nations
of Bodies, so there may be
Page 21

other modifications of motion, that
may contribute to the same thing,
and are not to be wholly neglected in
this place. For as we see, that greater
Bodies do operate differingly accor∣ding
to such and such modifications;
as there is a great difference between
the effects of a Dart or Javelin, so
thrown as that its point be alwayes
forwards, and the same weapon if it be
so thrown, that during its progressive
motion the extremes turn about the
Center of gravity or some inward
parts, as it happens when Boyes
throw sticks to beat down fruit from
the tops of trees; so there is little
doubt to be made, but that in Cor∣puscles
themselves 'tis not all one, as
to their effects, whether they move
with or without rotation, and whe∣ther
in such or such a line, and whe∣ther
with or without undulation,
trembling or such a kind of conse∣cution;
and in short, whether the
motion have or have not this or that
particular modification; which how
much it may diversifie the Effects
Page 22

of the Bodies moved, may appear
by the Motion, that the Aerial par∣ticles
are put into by Musical In∣struments.
For, though the effects
of harmony, discord and peculiar
sounds be sometimes very great, not
only in Human bodies, but, as we shall
shew in the following Tract, in Or∣ganical
ones too; the whole efficacy
of Musick and of Sounds that are not
extraordinarily loud and different,
seems, as far as 'tis ascribable to So∣norous
bodies, to depend upon the
different manners of motion where∣into
that Air is put, that makes the
immediate impression on our organs
of hearing.

CHAP. V.
I Should now proceed to shew, how
the Celerity and other modes, that
diversifie the motion of Effluviums,
may be assisted to make them operative
by their determinate sizes and figures,
Page 23

and the congruity or incongruity
which they may have upon that score
with the Pores of the grosser Bodies
they are to work on: But I think it not
fit to entrench upon the
subject of another* Tract,
where the relation be∣tween
the figures of Cor∣puscles
and the Pores of grosser bo∣dies
is amply enough treated of. And
therefore I shall only in this place
take notice of those effects of Light∣ning,
which seem referable, partly
to the Celerity and manner of Ap∣pulse,
and partly to the distinct sizes
and shapes of the Corpuscles that
compose the destructive matter, and
to the peculiar relation between the
particles of that matter and the stru∣cture
of the bodies they invade.
I know that many strange things
that are delivered about the Effects
of what the Latins call Fulmen (which
our English word Lightning does not
adaequately render) are but fabulous;
but there are but too many that
are not so; some of which I have been
Page 24

an Eye-witness of, within less than
a quarter of an hour after that the
things happened. And though it be
very difficult to explicate particularly
many of these true Phenomena, yet it
seems warrantable enough to argue
from them, that there may be Agents
so qualified, and so swiftly moved,
that notwithstanding their being so
exceedingly minute, as they must be,
to make up a flame, which is a fluid
Body, they must in an imperceptible
time pervade solid Bodies, and tra∣versing
some of them without vio∣lating
their Texture, burn, break,
melt, and produce other very great
changes in other Bodies that are fitted
to be wrought on by them. And of
this I must not forget to mention this
remarkable instance; That a person
Curious enough to collect many rari∣ties,
bringing me one day into the
Study where he kept the choicest of
them, I saw there among other things
a fine pair of Drinking-glasses that
were somewhat slender, but extraor∣dinarily
tall; they seem'd to have
Page 25

been designed to resemble one another,
and made for some drinking enter∣tainment.
But before I saw them,
that resemblance was much lessen'd
by the Lightning, that fell between
them in so strange a manner, that,
without breaking either of them, that
I could perceive, it alter'd a little
the figure of one of them, near the
lower part of the Cavity; but the
other was so bent near the same place
as to make it stand quite awry, and
give it a posture, that I beheld not
without some amazement. And I
cannot yet but look upon it as a very
strange thing, and no less considerable
to our present purpose, that Nature
should in the free Air make of Exha∣lations,
and that such as probably
when they ascended were invisible,
such an aggregate of Corpuscles, as
should without breaking such frail
Bodies as Glasses, be able in its
passage thorow them, that is, in
the twinkling of an Eye, to melt
them; which to do is wont even in
our Reverberatory Furnaces to cost
Page 26

that active flames a pretty deal of
time.

And this calls into my memory,
that upon a time, hearing not far off
from me such a clap of Thunder as
made me judge and say, that question∣less
some of the neighbouring places
were thunder-strook, I sent presently
to make inquiry; which having justi∣fied
my conjecture, I forthwith re∣paired
to the house, where the mis∣chief
was done, by something, which
those, that pretended to have seen
it coming thither, affirm'd to be like
a flame moved very obliquely. To
omit the hurt, that seemed to have
been done by a Wind that accompa∣nied
it, or was perhaps produced by
it, to divers persons and cattel; that
which makes me here mention it,
was, that observing narrowly what
had happen'd in an upper room,
where it first fell, I saw, that it had
in more than one place melted the
Lead in its passage, (though that
possibly outlasted not the twinkling
of an Eye,) without breaking to
Page 27

pieces the glass-casements, or burning
(that I took notice of) either the Bed
or Hangings or any other combustible
houshold-stuff; though near the win∣dow
it had thrown down a good quan∣tity
of the solid substance of the Wall,
through which it seem'd to have
made its passage in or out. And that,
which made me the less scruple to
mention this accident, is, that having
curiously pry'd into the Effects of the
Fulmen, not only in that little upper
room, but in other parts of the House,
beneath whose lowermost parts it
seem'd to have ended its extravagant
course, I could not but conclude,
That if so be it were the same Ful∣men,
it must have more than once
gone in and out of the House, and
that the line of its motion was nei∣ther
straight, nor yet reducible to
any curve or mixed line, that I had
met with among Mathematicians;
but that, as I then told some of my
Friends, it moved to and fro in an
extravagant manner, not unlike the
irregular and wrigling motion of
Page 28

those fired Squibs that Boys are wont
to make by ramming Gunpowder
into Quills. But about Thunder more
perhaps elsewhere. I shall here only
add, That whereas 'tis a known Tra∣dition,
which my own Observations
heedfully made seem now and then
to confirm, that vehement Thunder,
if Beer be not very strong, will usually
(for I do not say alwayes) sowre it in
a day or two; if this degeneration
be not one of the consequences of the
great and peculiar kinds of the con∣cussions
of the Air that happens in
lowd Thunder (in which case the
Phenomenon will belong to the next
Discourse,) the effect may probably
be imputed to some subtile Exhala∣tions
diffused thorow the Air, which,
penetrating the pores of the Wooden
vessels, whose contexture is not very
close, imbue the liquor with a kind
of acetous Ferment; which conje∣cture
I should think much confirmed
by a tryal, it suggested to me, if I
had made it often enough to rely
upon it. For considering that the
Page 29

pores of Glass are straight enough to
be impervious (for ought I have
yet observed) to the Steams or spiri∣tuous
parts of Sulphur as well as to
other odorous Exhalations, I thought
it worth trying, whether there be
any sulphureous Steams or other Cor∣puscles
diffused thorow the Air in
time of Thunder, that would not be
too gross to get in at such minute
pores as those of Glass. And ac∣cordingly
having Hermetically sealed
up both Beer and Ale apart, I kept
them in Summer time till there hap∣pen'd
a great Thunder, a day or two,
after which the Beer which we drank,
that was good before, being generally
complained of as sowred by the Thun∣der,
I suffer'd my liquors to continue
at least a day or two longer, that
the sowring Steams, if any such there
were, might have time enough to
operate upon them, and then breaking
the Glasses, I found not that the li∣quors
had been sowred, though we
had purposely forborn to fill the Glas∣ses,
to facilitate the degeneration of
Page 30

the liquors. Perhaps it will be par∣donable
on this occasion to mention
a practice, which is usual in some
places where I have been, and parti∣cularly
employ'd by a great Lady,
that is a great house-keeper, and is
very curious and expert in divers
Physical Observations; for, talking
with her about the remedies of the
Sowring of Beer and other drinks by
Thunder, which is sometimes no
small prejudice to her, she affirm'd
to me, that she usually found the pra∣ctice,
I was mentioning, succeed:
And that before the then last great
Thunder, of which I had observed
the Effects upon Beer, she preserved
hers by putting, at a convenient di∣stance,
under the Barrels, Chaffing-dishes
of Coals, when she perceiv'd
that the Thunder was like to begin,
which practice, if it constantly suc∣ceed,
may put one a considering, whe∣ther
the Fire do not by rarifying the
Air and discussing the sulphureous or
other Steams, by altering them, or
by uniting with them the Exhalations
Page 31

of the Coals, or by some such kind of
way, render ineffectual these sowring
Corpuscles, which perhaps require a
determinate bulk and shape, besides
their being crowded very many of
them together, to have their full
Operation on Barrell'd Liquors. But
these things are but meer Conjectures,
and therefore I proceed.

CHAP. VI.
THE fifth way whereby Efflu∣viums
may perform notable
things, is the Motion of one part upon
another, that they may excite or oc∣casion
in the Body they work on
according to its structure.

I shall in the following Tract have
occasion to say something of the Mo∣tions
into which the Internal parts of
Inanimate Bodies may put one ano∣ther;
but the Examples now produ∣ced
are designed to manifest the Effi∣cacy,
that Effluviums may, on the
Page 32

newly mentioned accounts, have on
Organical and living Bodies. To
which Instances it would yet be pro∣per
to premise, That even Inanimate
and Solid Bodies may be of such a
structure as to be very much alterable
by the appropriated Effluviums of
other Bodies, as may be instanc'd in
the power, that I have known some
vigorous Loadstones to have, of taking
away in a trice the attractive virtue
of an excited Needle, or giving a
verticity directly contrary to the for∣mer
without so much as touching it.

And we may pertinently take no∣tice
of the attractive virtue of the
Loadstone, as that, which may afford
us an eminent Example of the great
power of a multitude of invisible Ef∣fluviums,
even from Bodies that are
not great, upon Bodies that are Inor∣ganical
or liveless: For taking it for
granted, what both the Epicureans,
Cartesians, and almost all other Cor∣puscularian
Philosophers agree in,
that Magnetism is performed by cor∣poreal
Emissions, we may consider,
Page 33

that these passing unresistedly thorow
the pores of all solid Bodies, and even
Glass it self, which neither the sub∣tilest
Odours nor Electrical Exhala∣tions
are observ'd to do, seem to be
almost incredibly minute, and much
smaller than any other Effluviums,
though themselves too small to be
visible; and yet these so incompara∣bly
little Magnetical Effluxions pro∣ceeding
from vigorous Loadstones,
will be able to take up considerable
quantities of so ponderous a Body as
Iron; in so much that I have seen
a Loadstone not very great, that
would keep suspended a weight of
Iron, that I could hardly lift up to it
with one Arm; and I have seen a
little one, with which I could take
up above eighty times its weight.
And these Effluvia do not only for a
moment fasten the Iron to the Stone,
but keep the Metal suspended as long
as one pleases.

This being premised, I come now
to observe, That the chief effects of
Effluvia belonging to the fifth Head
Page 34

are wrought upon Animals, which
by virtue of their curious and elabo∣rate
structure, have their parts so
connected and otherwise contrived,
that the motions or changes that are
produced in one, may have by the
consent of Parts a manifest operation
upon others, although perhaps very
distant from it, and so fram'd as to
declare their being affected by actions
that seem to have no affinity at all
with the Agents that work upon the
part first affected.

I have shewn at large in another
*Treatise, that a Humane
Body ought not to be
look'd upon meerly as an
aggregate of Bones, Flesh,
and other consistent parts, but as
a most curious and a living Engin,
some of whose parts, though so nicely
fram'd as to be very easily affected by
external Agents, are yet capable of
having great Operations upon the
other parts of the Body, they help to
compose. Wherefore without now
repeating what is there already de∣liver'd,
Page 35

I shall proceed to deliver such
Effects as are wrought on Human
Bodies by these Effluviums without
any immediate contact of the Bodies
that emit them.

And first, not to mention Light,
because its being or not being a Cor∣poreal
thing is much disputed even
among the Moderns; 'tis plain, that
our organs of Smelling are sensibly
affected by such minute Particles of
matter as the finest odours consist of.
Nor do they alwayes affect us pre∣cisely
as odours, since we see, that
many persons, both men and women,
are by Smells, either sweet or stink∣ing,
put into troublesom Headaches.

If it were not almost ordinary, it
would be more than almost incredi∣ble,
that the smell of a pleasing Per∣fume
should presently produce in a
Human Body, that immediately be∣fore
was well and strong, such faint∣nesses,
swoons, loss of sensible respi∣ration,
intumescence of the Abdomen,
seeming Epilepsies, and really con∣vulsive
motions of the Limbs, and
Page 36

I know not how many other fright∣full
Symptoms, that by the unskilful
are often taken for the effects of
Witchcraft, and would impose upon
Physicians themselves, if their own
or their Predecessors Experience did
not furnish them with Examples of
the like Phaenomena produc'd by Na∣tural
means. Those Symptoms ma∣nifest,
what the consent of Parts may
do in a Humane Body; since even
Morbifick Odours, if I may so call
them, by immediately affecting the
organs of Smelling, affect so many
other parts of the genus Nervosum, as
oftentimes to produce Convulsive
motions, even in the extreme parts
of the Hands and Feet.

Nor is the efficacy of Effluviums
confined to produce Hysterical fits,
since these invisible Particles may
be able (and sometimes as suddenly
as Perfumes are wont to excite them)
to appease them, as I have very
frequently, though not with never∣failing
success, tryed, by holding
a Spirit, I usually make of Sal Armo∣niack,
Page 37

under the Nostrils of Hysterical
persons. My remedy did not only
often recover, in a trice, those whose
Fits were but ordinary, but did more
than once, somewhat to the wonder
of the By-standers, relieve, within
a Minute or two, persons of diffe∣ring
Ages and Constitutions, that
were suddenly fallen down by Fits,
that the By-standers judg'd Epileptical,
(but I, Hysterical.)

I attribute the good and evil Ope∣rations
of the fore-mentioned Steams,
rather in general to the consent of
the parts that make up the genus
Nervosum, than to any hidden Sym∣pathy
or Antipathy betwixt them
and the Womb, not only for other
reasons, not proper to be insisted on
here, but because I have known
Odours have notable Effects even
upon Men. I know a very eminent
person, a Traveller, and a man of a
strong constitution, but considerably
Sanguine, who is put into violent
Head-aches by the Smell of Musk.
And I remember, that one day being
Page 38

with him and a great many other
men of note about a Publick Affair,
a man that had a parcel of Musk
about him, having an occasion to
make an application to us, this person
was so disordered by the smell, which
to most of us was delightful, that in
spight of his Civility he was reduc'd
to make us an Apology, and send the
perfumed man out of the room, not∣withstanding
whose recess this per∣son
complained to me, a good while
after, of a violent pain in his Head,
which I perceived had somewhat
unfitted him for the Transaction of the
Affair whereof he was to be the chief
manager. I know another person,
whose happy Muse hath justly made
him many Admirers, that is subject
to the Head-ach upon so mild a smell
as that of Damask-Roses, and some∣times
even of Red-Roses, in so much
that walking one day with him in
a Garden, whose Alleys were very
large, so that he might easily keep
himself at a distance from the Bushes,
which bore many of them Red-Roses;
Page 39

he abruptly broke off the discourse
we were engag'd in, to complain of
the harm the Perfume did his Head,
and desired me to pass into a Walk,
that had no Roses growing near it.

If it were not for the Sex of this
person, I could relate an Instance that
would be much more considerable of
the Operation of Roses. For I know
a discreet Lady to whom their smell
is not unpleasing, (for she answer'd
me that 'twas not so at all,) but so
hurtful, that it presently makes her
sick, and would make her swoon if
not seasonably prevented: And she
told me that being once at a Court
in which she was a Maid of Honour,
though she her-self did not know
whence it came, she found her self
extremely ill on a sudden, and ready
to sink down for faintness; but being
then in discourse with a person, whose
High Quality she payd her profound
respect to, her Civility, that kept her
from complaining or withdrawing,
might have been dangerous if not
fatal to her, had not the Princess
Page 40

who was speaking with her, and
who knew her Antipathy to Roses,
taken notice that her Face grew
strangely pale, and was covered with
a cold sweat. For thereby presently
guessing what might be the cause,
which the sick Lady her self did not,
she asked aloud whether some body
had not brought Roses (which were
then in season) into the Bed-chamber,
which question occasioned a speedy
withdrawing of a Lady, that stood
at a distance off, and had about her
Roses, which were not seen by the
Patient, who was by this means pre∣served
from falling into a swoon,
though not from being for a while
very much discomposed.

But this you may tell me was the
case of a Woman, who complain'd her
malady affected her Heart, not her
Head. Wherefore returning to what
I was speaking of before I mention'd
Her, I shall proceed to tell you, that as
Odours may thus give Men the Head∣ach,
so I have often found the smell
of rectified-Spirit of Sal Armoniack
Page 41

to free Men as well as Women from
the Fits of that distemper; and that
sometimes in so few Minutes, that
the person reliev'd could scarcely
imagine, they could so quickly
be so.

To which I shall not add the Tryals
that I have successfully made upon
my self, because being, thanks be to
God, very seldom troubled with that
distemper, the occasions I have had
of making them have not been many.
And though I have not alwayes found
so slight a Remedy to work the de∣sired
Cure, yet that it does it often,
even in Men, is sufficient to shew the
Efficacy of Sanative Effluviums.

Now, to manifest, that Steams do
not Operate only upon Hysterical
Women, or persons subject to the
Head-ach, I will add some Instances
of the Effects they may produce upon
other persons, and parts.

'Tis but too well known an Ob∣servation,
that Women with Child
have been often made to miscarry by
the stink of an ill-extinguisht Candle,
Page 42

though perhaps the smoak ascending
from the Snuff were dissipated into
the invisible Corpuscles, a good while
before it arriv'd at the Nostrils of
the unhappy Woman; and what
violent and straining motions Abor∣tions
are frequently accompanied
with, is sufficiently known already.

I think I have elsewhere men∣tioned,
that a Gentleman of my ac∣quaintance,
a proper and lusty man,
will be put into the fits of Vomiting
by the smell of Coffee, boyl'd in Wa∣ter;
I shall therefore rather mention,
that I know a Physician, who having
been, for a long time when he was
young, frequently compelled to take
Electuarium lenitivum, one of the
gentlest and least unpleasant Laxa∣tives
of the Shops, conceived such a
dislike of it, that still, as himself has
complained to me, if he smell to it,
as he sometimes happens to do in
Apothecaries Shops, it will work
(now and then for several times) up∣wards
and downwards with him.

I know another very ingenious
Page 43

persons of the same faculty, that has
been a Traveller by Sea and Land,
who has complain'd to me, that the
smell of the Grease of the Wheels of
a Hackney-coach, though it do but
pass by him, is wont to make him sick
and ready to Vomit.

Every body knows, that Smoak is
apt to make mens Eyes water, and
excite in the organs of Respiration
that troublesom and vehement com∣motion
we call Coughing. But we
need not have recourse at all to visible
Fumes, for the production of the like
Effects; since we have often observed
them, and repeated Sneezings to boot,
to proceed from the invisible Steams
of Spirit of Sal Armoniack, when Vials
containing that liquor, though they
were perhaps but very small, were
approached too hastily, or perhaps
too near to the Nostrils.

And because in most of the fore∣going
Instances, the chief Effects
seem to be wrought, by the consent
of parts, on the genus Nervosum and
the action of one of them upon the
Page 44

other, and thereby upon several other
parts of the Body, I will subjoyn a
remarkable instance of the Operation
of a mild and grateful Odour upon
the Humors themselves, and that
in a Man.

A famous Apothecary, who is a
very tall and big man, several times
told me, that though he was once
a great lover of Roses, yet having had
occasion to employ great quantities
of them at a time, he was so altered
by their Steams, that now, if he come
among the Rose-bushes, the smell does
much discompose him. And the
odour of Roses, (I mean Incarnate-Roses,
which we commonly call
Damask-Roses, though they be not
the true ones,) makes such a colli∣quation
of Humors in his Head, that
it sets him a coughing, and makes
him run at the Nose, and gives him
a sore throat; and by an affluence
of Humors makes his Eyes sore, in
so much that during the season of
Roses, when quantities of them are
brought into his House, he is oblig'd
Page 45

for the most part to absent himself
from home.

CHAP. VII.
ONE may shew on this occasion,
that as there might be consi∣derable
things performed by Efflu∣viums,
as they make one part of a
living Engine work upon another by
virtue of its structure, so the action
of such invisible Agents may in divers
cases be much promoted by the fa∣brick
and laws of the Universe it self,
upon this account, that, by the Ope∣ration
of Effluvia upon particular Bo∣dies,
they may dispose and qualifie
those Bodies to be wrought upon,
which before they were not fit to be,
by Light, Magnetisms, the Atmo∣sphere,
Gravity or some other of the
more Catholick Agents of Nature, as
the World is now constituted. But not
to injure another Tract, I shall con∣clude
this, when I shall have taken
Page 46

notice, that in the Instances hitherto
produced, there has been a visible
Local distance between the Body that
emits Steams, and that on which they
work. But if I thought it necessary,
it were not difficult to shew, that
one might woll enough referr to the
title of this Tract divers Effects of
Bodies that are applied immediately
to ours; such as are Blood-stones,
Cornelions, Nephritick-stones, Lapis
Malacensis, and some Amulets, and
other solid substances applied by Phy∣sicians
outwardly to our Bodies. For
in these applications the gross Body
touches but the Skin, and the great
Effects, which I elsewhere relate my
self to have sometimes (though not
often, much less alwayes) observed
to have followed upon this External
contact or near application, may
reasonably be derived from the subtle
Emanations, that pass thorow the
Pores of the Skin to the inward parts
of the Body: As is evident in those,
who by holding Cantharides in their
Hands, or having them apply'd
Page 47

to some remote External part, have
grievous pains produc'd in their
Urinary parts, as it has happen'd to
Me as well as to many others. And
to the insinuation of these minute
Corpuscles, that get in at the Pores
of the Skin, seems to be due the Effi∣cacy
of some Medicines, that purge,
vomit, resolve the Humors, or other∣wise
notably alter the Body being
but externally applied; of which I
could here give several Instances, but
that they belong more properly to
another place, and are not necessary
in this, where it may suffice to name
the notorious Power, that Mercurial
Oyntments or Fumes, either together
or apart, have of producing Copious
Salvations, to shew in general, that
both the Steams and the Emanations
of outwardly applied Medicinal Bo∣dies
may have some great Effects on
Human ones.


Page 1
OF THE
Determinate Nature
OF
EFFLUVIUMS.


Page 3
OF THE DETERMINATE NATURE OF EFFLƲVIƲMS.
CHAP. I.
THE Effluviums of Bodies,
Pyrophilus, being for the most
part invisible, have been wont
to be so little consider'd by vulgar
Philosophers, that scarce vouchsafing
to take notice of their Existence, 'tis
no wonder that men have not been
solicitous to discover their distinct
Natures and Differen∣ces.
Only*Aristotle,
and (upon his account)
the Schools, have been pleased to
Page 4

think, that the two grand parts of
our Globe do sometimes emit two
kinds of Exhalations or Steams; the
Earthy part affording those that are
hot and dry, which they name Fumes,
and very often, simply, Exhalations;
and the Aqueous part, others that are
(not as many of his Disciples mistake
him to have taught, Cold and Moist,
but) Hot and Moist*,
which they usually
call Vapours, to discri∣minate
them from the
Fumes (or Exhalations,) though other∣wise,
in common acceptation, those
Appellations are very frequently con∣founded.

But, though the Aristotelians have
thus perfunctorily handled this Sub∣ject,
it would not become Corpuscu∣larian
Philosophers, who attribute so
much as they do to the Insensible
Particles of Matter, to acquiesce in
so slight and jejune an account of the
Emanations of Bodies. And since
we have already shewn, that besides
the greater and more simple Masses
Page 5

of Terrestrial and Aqueous matter
newly mention'd, there are very ma∣ny
mixt Bodies, that emit Effluviums,
which make, as it were, little Atmo∣spheres
about divers of them, it will
be congruous to our Doctrine and
Design, to add in this place, That
besides the slight and obvious dif∣ferences,
taken notice of by Aristotle,
the Steams of Bodies may be almost
as various as the Bodies themselves
that emit them; and that therefore
we ought not to look upon them
barely under the general and confused
notion of Smoak or Vapours, but
may probably conceive them to have
their distinct and determinate Na∣tures,
oftentimes (though not always)
suitable to that of the Bodies from
whence they proceed.

And indeed the newly mentioned
Division of the Schools gives us so
slight an account of the Emanations
of Bodies, that, methinks, it looks
like such another, as if one should
divide Animals into those that are
Horned, and those that have Two Feet:
Page 6

For, besides that the Distinction is
taken from a Difference that is not
the considerablest, there are divers
Animals (as many four-footed Beasts
and Fishes) that are not comprised
in it; and each member of the Divi∣sion
comprehends I know not how
many distinct sorts of Animals, whose
differences from one another are ma∣ny
times more considerable, than
those that constitute the two supreme
Genus's, the one having Bulls and
Goats, and Rhinoceros's, and Deer,
and Elks, and certain Sea-Monsters
whose Horns I have seen; and the
other Genus comprising also a greater
Variety, namely, a great part of
Four-footed Beasts, and, besides Men,
all the Birds (for ought we know)
whether of Land or Water. And as
it would give us but a very slender
Information of the Nature of an Elk
or an Unicorn, to know that 'tis an
Horned Beast; or of the Nature of a
Man, an Eagle, or a Nightingale, to
be told, that 'tis an Horn-less Beast;
so it will but very little instruct a man
Page 7

in the Nature of the Steams of Quick∣silver
or of Opium, to be told, that
they are Vapours Hot (or rather
Cold) and Moist; or of the Steams
of Amber or Cantharides, or Cinnamon,
or Tobacco, to be told, that they are
Hot and Dry. For, besides that
there may be Effluviums, which, even
by their Elementary Qualities, are
not of either of these two supreme
Genus's, (for they may be Cold and
Dry, or Cold and Moist,) these Qua∣lities
are often far from being the
Noblest, and consequently those that
deserve to be most consider'd in the
Effluviums of this, or that, Body;
as we shall by and by have occasion
to manifest.

CHAP. II.
ANd here it may not be impro∣per
to mention an Experiment,
that, I remember, I divers years since
Page 8

employed to illustrate the Subject of
our present Discourse.

I consider'd then, that Fluid Bo∣dies
may be of very unequal density
and gravity, as is evident in Quick∣silver,
Water and pure Spirit of
Wine; which, notwithstanding their
great difference in specifick gravity,
may yet agree in the conditions re∣quisite
to Fluid Bodies. Therefore
presuming, that by what I could make
appear visible in one, what happens
analogically in the other, may be ocu∣larly
illustrated, I took some Ounces
of Roch-allom, and as much of fine
Salt-peter. I took some Ounces of each,
because, if the quantity of the in∣gredients
be too small, the concoagu∣lated
grains will be so too, and the
success will not be so conspicuous.
These being dissolved together in fair
Water, the filtrated solution was set
to evaporate in an open-mouthed
Glass, and being then left to shoot in
a cool place, there were fastned to the
sides and other parts of the Glass seve∣ral
small Crystals, some Octoedrical,
Page 9

which is the figure proper to Roch∣allom,
and others of the Prismatical
shape of pure Salt-peter; besides some
other Saline concretions, whose be∣ing
distinctly of neither of these two
shapes, argued them to be concoagu∣lations
of both the Salts. And this
we did by using such a degree of Ce∣lerity
in Evaporating the liquor, as
was proper for such an effect. For,
by another degree, which is to be
employ'd when one would recover
the Salts more distinctly and mani∣festly,
the matter may (as I found
by tryal) be so ordered, that the alu∣minous
Salt may, for the most part,
be first coagulated by it self, and then
from the remaining liquor curiously
shap'd Crystals of Nitre may be co∣piously
obtained.

Tryals like this we also made with
other Salts, and particularly with Sea-Salt,
and with Allom and Vitriol;
the Phaenomena of which you may
meet with in their due places. For
the recited Experiment may, I hope,
alone serve to assist the imagination
Page 10

to conceive, how the Particles of Bo∣dies
may swim to and fro in a Fluid,
(which the Air is,) and though they
be little enough to be invisible, may
many of them retain their distinct
and determinate natures, and their
aptness to cohere upon occasion; and
others may, by their various occur∣sions
and coalitions, unite into lesser
Corpuscles or greater Bodies differing
from the more simple Particles, that
composed them, and yet not of inde∣terminate
though compounded Fi∣gures.

CHAP. III.
THese things being premis'd, we
may now proceed to the parti∣cular
Instances of the Determinate
Nature of Effluviums; and these we
may not inconveniently reduce to the
three following Heads, to each of
which we shall assign a distinct
Chapter; the first of these I shall
Page 11

briefly treat of in this third Chapter,
and treat somewhat more largely of
the others in the two following.

In the first place then, That the
Effluviums of many Bodies retain
a determinate Nature oftentimes in
an invisible smallness, and oftener in
such a size as makes them little enough
to fly or swim in the Air; may ap∣pear
by this, that these Effluvia being
by Condensation or otherwise reuni∣ted,
they appear to be of the same
nature with the Body that emitted
them. Thus in moist weather, the
Vapours of Water, that wander
invisibly through the Air, meeting
with Marble-Walls or Pavements, or
other Bodies, by their Coldness and
other Qualifications, fit to condense
and retain them, appear again in the
form of Drops of Water; and the
same Vapours return to the visible
form of Water, when they fall out
of the Air in Dews, or Rains.

Quicksilver it self, if it be made
to ascend in distillation with a con∣venient
degree of Fire, will almost all
Page 12

be found again in the Receiver in the
form of running Mercury. Which
strange and piercing Fluid, is in some
cases so disposed to be strip'd of its Dis∣guises,
and re-appear in its own form,
that divers Artificers, and especially
Gilders, have found, to their cost,
that the fumes of it need not be, as
in Distillation, included in close Ves∣sels
to return to their pristine nature,
Mercury having been several times
found in the Heads and other parts
of such People, who have in tract
of time been killed by it, and some∣times
made to discover it self during
the Lives of those that dealt so much
in it; of which I elsewhere give
some Instances. Wherefore I shall
only observe at present, that 'tis a
common Practice, both among Gil∣ders,
and some Chymists, that,
when they have occasion to make
an Amalgam, or force away the Mer∣cury
from one by the fire, they keep
Gold in their Mouthes, which by
the Mercurial fumes, that wander
through the Air, will now and then,
Page 13

by that time 'tis taken out of their
Mouths, be turned white almost, as
if it had been silver'd over.

A mass of purified Brimstone being
sublimed, the ascending fumes will
condense into what the Chymists call
Flores Sulphuris, which is true Sulphur
of the same nature with that, for∣merly
exposed to sublimation; and
may readily by melting be reduced
into such another mass.

And to give you another like Ex∣ample
of dry Bodies; I tryed, that
by subliming good Camphire in close
vessels, it would all, as to sense, be
raised into the upper vessel, or part
of the Subliming-glass in the form of
dry Camphire as it was before.

Nay though a Body be not by Na∣ture,
but Art compounded of such
differing Bodies as a Metal and ano∣ther
Mineral, and two or three Salts;
yet, if upon Purification of the mix∣ture
from its grosser parts, the re∣maining
and finer parts be minute
enough and fitly shap'd, the whole
liquor will ascend, and yet in the
Page 14

Receiver altogether recover its pri∣stine
form of a transparent Fluid,
composed of differing Saline and Mi∣neral
parts. This is evident in the
Distillation of what Chymists call
Butter, or Oyl of Antimony, very well
rectified. For, this Liquor will pass
into the Receiver diaphanous and
fluid, though, besides the Particles
of the Sublimate, (which is it self
a factitious compounded Body) it
abounds with Antimonial Corpuscles,
carried over and kept invisible by the
corroding Salts; whatever Angelus
Sala, and those Chymists that follow
him, have affirm'd to the contrary;
as might be easily here proved, if
this were a fit place to do it in.

I found by inquiring of an Inge∣nious
person, that had an interest in
a Tin-Mine, that I was not deceived
in guessing, that Tin it self, though
a Metal whose Ore is of a very diffi∣cult
fusion, and which I have by it
self kept long upon the Cupel with∣out
finding it to fly away, would yet
retain its Metalline nature in the form
Page 15

of fumes or flowers. For this expe∣rienc'd
Gentleman answer'd me, that
divers times they would take great
store of a whitish Sublimate from the
upper part of the Furnaces or Chim∣nies,
where they brought their Ore
to fusion, or wrought further upon it;
and that this Sublimate, though per∣haps
elevated to the height of an or∣dinary
Man, would, when melted
down, afford at once many Pounds
of very good Tin. On which occa∣sion
I shall add, that I have my self
more than once raised this Metal in
the form of white Corpuscles by the
help of an Additament, that did scarce
weigh half so much as it.

CHAP. IV.
THe second way, by which we
may discover the Determinate
Nature of Effluviums, is, by the
difference that may sometimes be ob∣serv'd
in their Sensible Qualities. For,
Page 16

these Effluviums that are endow'd
with them, proceed from the same
sort of Bodies, and yet those afforded
by one kind of Bodies being in many
cases manifestly differing from those
that fly off from another, this evident
disparity in their Exhalations argues
their retaining distinct natures, ac∣cording
to those of the respective
Bodies whence they proceed.

I will not now stay to examine,
whether in the Steams, that are made
visibly to ascend from the Terrestrial
Globe by those grand Agents and
usual raisers of them, the Sun, and
the agitation of the Air, the Eye can
manifestly distinguish the diversity of
colours: But in some productions
of Art such different colours may be
discovered in the Exhalations, even
without the application of any ex∣ternal
heat to raise them. For, when
Spirit of Nitre, for example, has been
well rectified, I have often observ'd,
that even in the cold the fumes would
play in the unfill'd part of the stop'd
Vials it was kept in, and appear in
Page 17

it of a reddish colour, and, if those
vessels were open'd, the same fumes
would copiously ascend into the Air,
in the form of a reddish or orange-tawny
Smoak. Spirit or Oyl of Salt
also, if it be very well dephlegm'd,
though it will scarce in the cold vi∣sibly
ascend in the empty part of a
Vial, whilst it is kept well stop'd;
yet, if the free Air be allow'd access
to it, it will, in case it be sufficiently
rectified, fly up in the form of a
whitish fume. But this is inconside∣rable
in comparison of what happens
in a volatile Tincture of Sulphur, I
have elsewhere taught you to make
with Quick-lime. For, not only upon
a slight occasion the vacant part of
the Vial will be fill'd with white
fumes, though the Glass be well stop'd;
but upon the opening the Vial these
fumes will copiously pass out at the
neck, and ascend into the Air in the
form of a Smoak, more white than
perhaps you ever saw any. And both
this and that of the Spirit of Salt-peter
do by their operation, as well as smell,
Page 18

disclose what they are; the latter
being of a Nitrous nature, (as is con∣fess'd)
and the former, of a Sulphu∣reous:
In so much that having for
curiosities sake in a fitly shap'd Glass
caught a competent quantity of the
ascending white fumes, I found them
to have conven'd into Bodies transpa∣rent
and Geometrically figur'd, where∣in
'twas easie to discover by their
sensible qualities, that there were store
of Sulphureous particles mixt with
the Saline ones. That the liquors of
Vegetables, distill'd in Balneo or in
Water, are not wont to retain any
thing of the colour of the Bodies that
afforded them, is a thing easie to be
observ'd in Distillations made with∣out
Retorts or the violence of the Fire.
But it may be worth while to make
tryal, whether the Essential Oyl of
Wormwood ascend colour'd like the
Plant, whence 'tis first drawn over
with Water in the Limbec, or recti∣fied
in Balneo. For, I forgot to take
notice of it, when upon some parti∣cularities,
I observ'd in that Plant,
Page 19

my curiosity led me to find, that not
only in the first distillation in a Cop∣per
Limbec, tinn'd on the inside, the
Oyl came over green, but by a recti∣fication
purposely made in a Glass-vessel,
the purified liquor was not de∣priv'd
of that colour.

The mention of these Essential
Oyls, as Chymists call those that are
drawn in Limbecs, leads me to tell
you, that, though these liquors be but
Effluvia of the Vegetables they are
distill'd from, condens'd again in the
Receiver into liquors; yet, as subtile
as they are, many of them retain the
genuine taste of the Bodies, whence
the heat elevated them; as you will
easily find, if you will tast a few drops
of the Essential Oyl of Cinamon, for
example, or of Wormwood dissolv'd
by the intervention of Sugar or Spirit
of Wine in a convenient quantity of
Water, Wine, or Beer. For, by this
means you have the natural taste of
this Spice or Herb. And Wormwood
is a Plant, whose Effluvia do so retain
the nature of the Body that parts with
Page 20

them, that I must not forbear to al∣ledge
here an Observation of mine,
that may shew you, that 'tis possible,
though not usual, that even without
the help of the Fire the expirations
of a Body may communicate its tast.
For, among other things, that I had
occasion to observe about some quan∣tity
of Wormwood laid up together,
I remember, I took notice, and made
others do the like, that coming into
a room, where 'twas kept, not only
the organs of smelling were power∣fully
wrought upon by the Corpuscles
that swarm'd in the Air, but also the
Mouth was sensibly affected with a
bitter tast. Perhaps you will scarce
think it worth while, that after this
instance I should add, that I found
the expirations of Amber, kept a while
in pure Spirit of Wine, tast upon the
tongue like Amber it self, when I
chew'd it between my teeth. But
I choose to mention this instance, be∣cause
it will connect those lately men∣tion'd
with another sort, very perti∣nent
to our present purpose. For,
Page 21

the expirations that I have obtain'd
from Amber, both with pure Spirit
of Wine, and a more piercing Men∣struum,
did manifestly retain in both
those liquors a peculiar smell, with
which I found it to affect the
Nostrils, when, for tryals sake, I
excited the Electrical faculty of Am∣ber
by rubbing. And as for Odours,
'tis plain, that the Essential Oyls of
Chymists, well drawn, do many of
them retain the peculiar and genuine
sent of the Spices or Herbs that af∣forded
them. And that these Odours
do really consist of, or reside in certain
invisible Corpuscles that fly off from
the visible Bodies, that are said to be
endow'd with such Smells, I have
elsewhere prov'd at large; and it may
sufficiently appear from their sticking
to divers of the Bodies they meet
with, and their lasting adhesion to
them.

Other Examples may be given of
the setled difference of Effluviums
directly perceivable by Humane Or∣gans
of Sense, as dull as they are;
Page 22

which last expression I add, because
I scarce doubt, but that, if our Sen∣sories
were sufficiently subtile and
tender, they might immediately per∣ceive
in the size, shape, motion, and
perhaps colour too of some now invi∣sible
Effluviums, as distinguishable
differences, as our naked Eyes in their
present constitution see, between the
differing sorts of Birds, by their ap∣pearances,
and their manner of flying
in the Air, as Hawks, and Partridges,
and Sparrows, and Swallows. To
make this probable I will not urge,
that in fine white Sand, whose grains
by the unassisted Eye are not wont
to be distinguished by any sensible
Quality, I have often observ'd in an
excellent Microscope, a notable dis∣parity
as to bulk, figure, and some∣times
as to colour: And that in small
Cheese-mites, which the naked Eye
can very scarcely discern, so far is it
from discovering any difference be∣tween
them, one may (as was noted
in the last essay) plainly see, besides an
obvious difference in point of bigness,
Page 23

many particular parts, on whose ac∣counts
the structure of those moving
points may difference them from each
other. And I have sometimes seen
a very evident disparity even in point
of shape between the very Eggs of
these living Atoms, (as a Poet would
perhaps stile them.) But these kinds
of proofs (as I was saying) I shall
forbear to insist on, that I may pro∣ceed
to countenance my conjecture
by the effects of the Effluviums, that
are properly so call'd, upon Animals.

And first, though the Touch be
reckon'd one of the most dull of the
five Senses, and be reputed to be far
less quick in Men than in divers other
Animals; yet the gross Organs of
that, may, in Men themselves, even
by accident, be so dispos'd, as to be
susceptible of impressions from Efflu∣via:
Of this in another Paper I give
some Instances. And I know not
whether divers of the Presages of
Weather to be observ'd in some Ani∣mals,
and the Aches and other pains,
that, in many crazy and wounded
Page 24

men, are wont to fore-run great
changes of Weather, do not often
(for I do not say alwayes) proceed
(at least in part) from invisible and
yet incongruous Effluxions, which,
either from the subterraneal parts, or
from some Bodies above ground, do
copiously impregnate the Air. And
on this occasion it will not be imper∣tinent
to mention here what an ex∣perienc'd
Physician being (if I much
misremember not) the Learned Dim∣merbrook,
relates concerning himself,
who having been infected with the
Plague by a Patient that lay very ill
of it, though by Gods blessing, which
he particularly acknowledges, upon
a slight but seasonable Remedy, he
was very quickly cured, and that
without the breaking of any Tumor;
yet it left such a change in some parts
of his Body, that he subjoyns this
memorable passage; Ab illo periculo
ad contagiosos mihi appropinquanti in
emunctoriis successit dolor, vix fallax Pe∣stis
indicium.

Two or three other Observations
Page 25

of the like nature you meet with in
another of my Papers*.
And I shall now add,
that I know an ingeni∣ous
Gentlewoman (Wife to a famous
Physician) who was of a very curious
and delicate complexion, that has seve∣ral
times assur'd me, that she can very
readily discover, whether a person,
that comes to visit her in Winter,
came from some place where there is
any considerable quantity of Snow;
and this she does, (as she tells me) not
by feeling any unusual cold (for if the
ground be frozen but not cover'd
with Snow, the Effect succeeds not,)
but from some peculiar impression,
which she thinks, she receives by the
organs of Smelling. I might add,
that I know also (as I may have for∣merly
told you) a very ingenious
Physician, who falling into an odd
kind of Feaver, had his sense of Hear∣ing
thereby made so very nice and
tender, that he very plainly heard soft
whispers, that were made at a consi∣derable
distance off, and which were
Page 26

not in the least perceiv'd by the
healthy by-standers, nor would have
been by him before his sickness.
Which (sickness) I mention as the
thing, that gave his organs of Hear∣ing
this preternatural quickness, be∣cause
when the Feaver had quite left
him, he was able to hear but at the
rate of other men. And I might tell
you too, that I know a Gentleman
of eminent parts and note, who, du∣ring
a distemper he had in his Eyes,
had his organs of Sight brought to
be so tender, that both his friends
and himself also have assur'd me, that
when he wak'd in the Night he could
for a while plainly see and distinguish
Colours, as well as other objects, di∣scernable
by the Eye, as was more
than once try'd, by pinning Ribbands
or the like Bodies of several colours,
to the inside of his Curtains in the
dark. For if he were awaken'd in
the Night, he would be able to tell
his bed-fellow, where those Bodies
were plac'd, and what colour each of
them was of.

Page 27

I have mention'd these Instances
only to shew you, that if our Senso∣ries
were more delicate and quick,
they would be sufficiently affected by
Objects, that, as they are generally
constituted, make no impressions at
all upon them. For otherwise I know,
that the Species (as they call them) both
of Sounds and Colours, are not held
by many of the Moderns, (from whom
in that I dissent not,) to be so much
corporeal Effluxions, trajected through
the medium, as peculiar kinds of Lo∣cal
Motion convey'd by it. There∣fore
I shall now confirm the conje∣cture
I would countenance by the dis∣crimination
made by the organs of
other Animals of such Effluvia as to
us men are not only invisible but in∣sensible.
And therefore partly to
strengthen what I deliver'd, and
partly to confirm what I am now dis∣coursing
of, it will not be imperti∣nent
to subjoyn two or three Rela∣tions,
that I had from persons of very
good credit, whom I thought likely
to make me no unsatisfactory returns
Page 28

to my Questions about things they
were very well vers'd in.

A person of Quality, to whom I
am near allied, related to me, that to
make a tryal, whether a young Blood-hound
was well instructed, (or as
the Huntsmen call it, made) he caus'd
one of his Servants, who had not
kill'd, or so much as touch'd any of
his Deer, to walk to a Countrey-town,
four Mile off, and then to a
Market-town three Miles distant from
thence; which done, this Nobleman
did, a competent while after, put
the Blood-hound upon the scent of the
man, and caus'd him to be follow'd
by a Servant or two, the Master him∣self
thinking it also fit to go after
them to see the event; which was,
that the Dog, without ever seeing the
Man he was to pursue, follow'd him
by the scent to the above-mentioned
places, notwithstanding the multi∣tude
of Market-people that went along
in the same way, and of Travellers
that had occasion to cross it. And
when the Blood-hound came to the
Page 29

chief Market-town, he pass'd through
the streets, without taking notice of
any of the people there, and left not
till he had gone to the House, where
the Man, he sought, rested himself,
and found him in an upper Room to
the wonder of those that follow'd him.
The particulars of this Narrative the
Nobleman's Wife, a person of great
veracity, that happen'd to be with
him when the tryal was made, con∣firm'd
to me.

Enquiring of a studious person,
that was Keeper of a Red-dear-park
and vers'd in making Blood-hounds,
in how long time, after a Man or
Deer had pass'd by a grassy place, one
of those Dogs would be able to follow
him by the scent? He told me,
that it would be six or seven Hours:
Whereupon an ingenious Gentleman,
that chanc'd to be present, and liv'd
near that Park, assur'd us both, that
he had old Dogs of so good a scent,
that if a Buck had the day before
pass'd in a Wood, they will, when
they come where the scent lies,
Page 30

though at such a distance of time
after, presently find the scent and
run directly to that part of the Wood
where the Buck is. He also told me,
that though an old Blood-hound will
not so easily fix on the scent of a single
Deer, that presently hides himself in
a whole herd; yet if the Deer be
chas'd a little till he be heated, the
Dog will go nigh to single him out,
though the whole herd also be chas'd.
The above-nam'd Gentleman also af∣firm'd,
that he could easily distinguish
whether his Hounds were in chase
of a Hare or a Fox by their way of
running, and their holding up their
Nose higher than ordinary when they
pursue a Fox, whose scent is more
strong. These Relations will not be
judg'd incredible by him that reflects
on some of the Instances that have
already (in the foregoing Essay) been
given of the strange subtilty of Ef∣fluvia:
To which I shall now add,
that I remember, that to try whether
I could in some measure make Art
imitate Nature, I prepared a Body
Page 31

of a vegetable substance, which,
though it were actually cold, and
both to the Eye and Touch dry, did
for a while emit such determinate and
piercing, though invisible, Exhala∣tions,
that having for Tryals sake
applied to it a clear Metalline Plate
(and that of none of the very softest
kind neither) for about one Minute of
an Hour, I found, that, though there
had▪ been no immediate contact be∣tween
them, I having pursposely in∣terposed
a piece of Paper to hinder it;
yet there was imprinted on the sur∣face
of the Plate a conspicuous stain
of that peculiar colour, that the Bo∣dy,
with whose Steams I had imbued
the vegetable substance, was fitted
to give a Plate of that mix'd Metal.
And though it be true, that in some
circumstances, the lately mention'd
Instances about Blood-hounds have
a considerable advantage of this I
have now recited; yet that advan∣tage
is much lessen'd, not to say coun∣tervail'd,
by some circumstances of
our Experiment. For, not to repeat,
Page 32

that the emittent Body was firm
and cold, the Effect produced by the
Effluvium that guided the Setting∣dog,
was wrought upon the Senso∣ry
of a living and warm Animal;
and such an one, whose organs of
Smelling are of an extraordinary ten∣der
Constitution above those of Men
and other Animals, and probably
the Impression was but transient;
whereas in our case the invisible
Steams of the vegetable substance
wrought upon a Body which was
of so strong and inorganical a Texture
as a (compounded) Metal, though it
were fenc'd by being lapt up in Pa∣per,
notwithstanding which these
Steams invaded it in such numbers,
and so notably, as to make their Ope∣ration
on it manifest to the Eye, and
considerably permanent too; since
coming to look upon the Plate after
the third day, I found the induced
Colour yet conspicuous, and not like
suddenly to vanish.

Hitherto in this Chapter I have
argued from the constant and setled
Page 33

difference of the sensible Qualities of
Effluviums, that they do not always
lose their distinct natures, when they
seem to have lost themselves by va∣nishing
into Air. But before I dis∣miss
this Subject, I must consider an
Objection, which I know may be
made against the Opinion we have
been countenancing. For it may be
alledg'd, that there may be many
cases, wherein the Effluviums of Bo∣dies
are, in their passage through the
Air, sensibly alter'd, or do affect the
Organs of sense otherwise than each
kind of them apart would do: Nor
is this difficulty altogether irrational.
For it seems consonant enough to Ex∣perience,
that some such cases should
be admitted, and therefore in the fore∣going
Discourse I have, where I
thought it necessary, forborn to ex∣press
my self in such general and abso∣lute
terms, as otherwise I might have
done. But, as for such cases as I have
insisted upon, and many more, I shall
now represent, that the objected al∣terations
need not hinder, but that
Page 34

Effluviums at their first parting from
the Bodies, whence they take wing
(if I may so speak,) may retain as
much of the nature of those Bodies,
as we have ascribed to them, since
the subsequent change may very pro∣bably
be deduc'd from the combina∣tions
or coalitions of divers Steams
associating themselves in the Air,
and acting upon the Sensory, either
altogether and conjointly, or at least
so near it, that the Sense cannot per∣ceive
their Operations as distinct.
This I shall elucidate, but not pre∣tend
to prove, by what happens in
Sounds and Tasts. For if, by way
of instance, in a Musical instrument,
two strings tun'd to an eight, be
touch'd together, they will strike the
Ear with a sound, that will be judg'd
one, as well as pleasing, though each
of the trembling strings make a di∣stinct
noise, and the one vibrates as
fast again as the other. And if, into
Oyl of Tartar per Deliquium, you drop
a due proportion of Spirit of Nitre,
and exhale the superfluous moisture,
Page 35

the Acid and Alcalizate Corpuscles,
that were so small as to swim invi∣sibly
in those liquors, will convene
into Nitrous Concretions, whose
tast will be compounded of, but very
differing from, both the tasts of the
Acid and Tartareous Particles; which
Particles may yet, for the most part,
by a skilful Distillation, be divorc'd
again. And so, if to a strong solu∣tion
of Pot-ashes or Salt of Tartar
you put as much in weight of Sal
Armoniack, as there is of either of those
fixt Salts contain'd in the liquor;
you may, besides a subtil Urinous
Spirit that will easily come over in
the distillation, obtain a dry Caput
mortuum, which is almost totally a
compounded Salt, differing enough
from either of the ingredients, espe∣cially
the Alcalizate, as well in Tast
as in some other Qualities: This Salt
(free'd from its faeces) being that Di∣uretick
Salt, I several years ago gave
quantities of, to some Chymists and
Physicians, from the most of whom
I received great thanks, accompanied
Page 36

with the (more acceptable) accounts
of the very happy success they had
employed it with, though usually but
in a small Dose, as from six, eight or
ten Grains to a Scruple. But this
being mentioned only upon the by,
I shall proceed to tell you, that, since
I intimated to you already, that I
would mention Examples of Sounds
and Tasts only to illustrate what I
had been delivering; I shall now add
some Instances by way of Proof, of
the Coalition and resulting change
of Steams in the Air. 'Tis easily ob∣servable
in some Nose-gays, where
the differing Flowers happen to be
conveniently mix'd, that in the smell
afforded by it, at a due distance, the
Odours of the particular Flowers are
not perceiv'd, but the Organ is af∣fected
by their joynt-action, which
makes on it a confused but delightful
impression. And so, when in a Ball
of Pomander, or a perfum'd Skin,
Musk, and Amber, and Civet, and
other sweets are skilfully mix'd, the
coalition of the distinct Effluvia of the
Page 37

ingredients, that associate themselves
in their passage through the Air, pro∣duce
in the Sensory one grateful per∣fume,
resulting from all those Odours.
But if you take Spirit of fermented
Urine and Spirit of Wine, both of
them Phelgmatick, and mix them
together, they will incorporate like
Wine and Water, or any other such
liquors, without affording any dry
concretions. But if you expose them
in a convenient Vessel but to the
mild heat of a Bath or Lamp, the
ascending Particles will associate
themselves, and adhere to the upper
part of the Glass in the form of a
white but tender Sublimate, consist∣ing
both of Urinous and Vinous Spi∣rits,
associated into a mixture, which
differs from either of the liquors, not
only in Consistence, Tast and Smell,
but in some considerable Operations
performable by this odd mixture;
which, this is not the place, to take
further notice of. And if Spirit of
Salt and Spirit of Nitre be, by Distil∣lation,
elevated in the form of Fumes,
Page 38

so order'd as to convene into one li∣quor
in the Receiver, this liquor will
readily dissolve crude Gold, though
neither the Spirit of Nitre alone, nor
that of Salt would do so.

And that you may have an ocular
proof of the Possibility of the distinct∣ness
and subsequent Commixture of
Steams in the Air; I shall now
add an Experiment, which I long
since devis'd for that purpose, and
which I soon after shew'd to many
curious persons, most of whom ap∣pear'd
somewhat surpriz'd at it.
The Experiment was; that I took
two small Vials, the one fill'd with
Spirit of Salt, but not very strong,
the other with Spirit of fermented
Urine or of Sal Armoniack very well
rectified: These Vials being plac'd
at some distance, and not being stop'd,
each liquor afforded its own smell,
at a pretty distance, by the Steams it
emitted into the Air, but yet these
Steams were invisible. But when
these Vials, (which should be of the
same size) came to be approach'd
Page 39

very near to each other, though not
so, as to touch; as when the two
liquors are put together in the form
of liquors, they will notably act upon
one another; so their respective Ef∣fluviums
meeting in the Air, would,
answerably to the littleness of their
bulk, do the like, and, by their mu∣tual
occursions, become manifestly
visible, and appear moving in the
Air like a little portion of Smoak or
of a Mist, which would quickly cease,
if either of the Vials were remov'd
half a Foot or a Foot from the other.
And I remember, that, to add to
the oddness of the Phaenomenon, I some∣times
made a drop of the Spirit of
Salt hang at the bottom of a little
stick of Glass or some other conve∣nient
Body, and held this drop thus
suspended in the Orifice of a Vial
that had Spirit of Sal Armoniack in it,
and was furnish'd with a somewhat
long neck; for by this means it hap∣pen'd,
as I expected, that the ascend∣ing
Urinous Particles, though invi∣sible
before, invading plentifully the
Page 40

Acid ones of the drop, produced a
notable Smoak, which, if the drop
were held a little above the neck of
the Glass, would most commonly fly
upwards to the height of a Foot or
half a Yard: But if the drop were
held somewhat deep within the Ca∣vity
of the neck, a good part of the
produced Smoak would oftentimes
fall into the Cavity of the Vial, which
was left in great part empty, some∣times
in the form of drops, but usually
in the form of a slender and some∣what
winding stream of a white co∣lour,
that seem'd to flow down just
like a Liquor from the depending
drop, till it had reach'd the Spirit of
Sal Armoniack; upon whose surface
it would spread it self like a Mist.
But this only upon the by. As for
the main Experiment it self, it may
be, as I have found, successfully try'd
with other Liquors than these; but
'tis not necessary in this place to give
an account of such Tryals; though
perhaps, if I had leisure, it might be
worth while to consider, whether
Page 41

these Coalitions of differing sorts of
Steams in the Air, and the Changes
resulting thence of their particular
precedent Quantities, may not assist
us to investigate the causes of divers
sudden Clouds and Mists, and some
other Meteorological Phaenomena, and
also of divers changes that happen in
the Air in reference to the coming in
and ceasing of several either Epidemi∣cal
or contagious Diseases, and par∣ticularly
the Plague, that seem to de∣pend
upon some occult temperature
and alterations of the Air, which
may be copiously impregnated by the
differing subterraneal (not to add
here, Sidereal) Effluviums, that not
unfrequently ascend into it (or other∣wise
invade it,) with Pestiferous or
other Morbifick Corpuscles, and
sometimes with others of a contrary
Nature, and sometimes too perhaps,
neither the one sort of Steams, which
may be suppos'd to have imbued the
Air, is in it self deleterious; nor the
other salutary, but becomes so upon
their casual coalition in the Air. You
Page 42

will perhaps think this Conjecture of
the resultancy of pestilential Steams,
the less improbable, if I here add that
odd Observation, which was fre∣quently
made in the formerly men∣tioned
Plague at Nimmegen by a Phy∣sician
so Judicious as
*Dimmerbrook, whose
words are these; Illud
notatu dignum saepissime observavimus,
nempa in illis aedibus in quibus nulla ad∣huc
pestis erat, si linteamina sordida
aquâ & sapone nostrate (ut in Belgio mo∣ris
est) illio lavarentur, eo ipso die, vel
interdum postridie, duos tres-ve simul
peste correptos fuisse, ipsique aegri test a∣bantur
faetorem aquae saponatae illis pri∣mam
& maximam alterationem intu∣lisse.
Hoc ipsum quoque in meo ipsius
hospitio infelix experientia docuit, in
quo post lota linteamina statim gravem
alterationem perceperunt plaerique dome∣stici,
& proximè sequenti nocte tres peste
correptae, ac brevi post mortuae fuere.
I omit the Instances he further sets
down to confirm this odd Phaenome∣non,
of which, though perhaps some
Page 43

other Cause may be devised, yet that
I lately assign'd seems at least a pro∣bable
one, if not the most probable;
since, as 'tis manifest by daily expe∣rience,
that the smell occasion'd by
the washing of foul Linnen with the
Soap commonly used in the Nether∣lands,
produces not the Plague; so
by our Learned Author's Observation
it appears, either that there were not
yet any Pestilential Effluxions in the
Air of those places, which on the
occasions of those washings became
infected, or at least that by the addi∣tion
of the fetid Effluvia of the soapy
Water, those Morbifick Particles, that
were dispers'd through the Air be∣fore,
had not the power to introduce
a malignant constitution into the
Air, and to act as truly Pestilential,
till they were enabled to do so by
being associated with the ill-scented
Effluvia of the Soap.

Whether also Salutary, and, if I
may so call them, Alexipharmacal
Corpuscles may not be produc'd in
the Air by Coalition, might be very
Page 44

well worth our Enquiry: Especially
if we had a competent Historical
Account of the yearly ceasing of the
Plague at Grand Cayro. For, as I
have elsewhere noted out of the
Learned Prosper Alpinus, who practis'd
Physick there; and as I have also
been inform'd by some of my Acquain∣tance
who visited that vast City, that
almost in the midst of Summer as
soon as the River
begins to rise*,
the Plague has its
malignity sudden∣ly
check'd, even
as to those that
are already infe∣cted,
and soon af∣ter
ceases; so if
other Circumstan∣ces
contradict not,
one might guess,
that this strange Phaenomenon may be
chiefly occasion'd by some Nitrous
or other Corpuscles that accompany
the overflowing Nile, and by asso∣ciating
themselves with what Hippo∣crates
Page 45

somewhere calls 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,
disable them to produce their wonted
pernicious Effects. To which Hy∣pothesis
suits well what is deliver'd
by more than one Traveller into
Egypt, and more particularly by our
Ingenious Countreyman Mr. George
Sandys, who not only takes notice,
that about the time of the overflow∣ing
of Nilus, whose abounding with
Nitre has been observed even by the
Antients, there is a certain moisten∣ing
Emanation dif∣fus'd
thorow the Air.
To prove, sayes he*,
speaking of the over∣flowing
of Nilus, that it proceedeth
from a natural Cause, this one, though
strange, yet true Experiment will
suffice. Take of the Earth of Egypt
adjoining to the River, and preserve
it carefully, that it neither come to
be wet nor wasted, weight it daily,
and you shall find it neither more nor
less heavy until the seventeenth of
June, at which day it beginneth to
grow more ponderous, and aug∣menteth
Page 46

with the augmentation of
the River, whereby they have an
infallible knowledge of the state of
the Deluge, proceeding without
doubt from the Humidity of the Air,
which having a recourse through all
passible places, and mixing therewith
increaseth the same, as it increaseth
in moisture.

That these Sanative Steams per∣form
their Effects meerly because
they are moist, I presume Naturalists
will scarce pretend; but that they
may be of such a nature as by their
Coalition with the Morbifick Cor∣puscles
to increase their Bulk and
alter their Figure, or precipitate them
out of the Air, or clog their Agility,
or pervert their Motions, and in a
word destroy all or some Tat least of
those Mechanical▪ Affections which
made those Corpuscles Pestilential:
That, I say, these Antidotal Vapours
(if I may so call them) may have
these Effects upon those that formerly
were Morbifick, and that so there
may result from the Association of
Page 47

two sorts of Particles, whereof one
was of a highly noxious nature, a
harmless mixture, might here be made
probable by several things; but that
I hope what I have lately recited
about the Coalitions of the Effluvia
of Spirit of Salt and of Urine (Li∣quors
known to be highly contrary
to each other) is not already forgot∣ten
by you.

And the Experiment with which
I am to conclude this Essay will per∣haps
make you think it possible, that
the Pestiferous Steams that have al∣ready
pass'd out of the Air, and in∣vaded,
but not too much vitiated, the
Bodies of Men, may have their ma∣lignity
much debilitated by the su∣pervening
of these Antidotal Parti∣cles.
For in that Experiment you
will find, that the Steams emitted
into the Air from the Liquor there
described, though that were actually
cold, were able to reach, and mani∣festly
to Operate, (and that probably
by way of Praecipitation,) upon Cor∣puscles
that were fenc'd from them
Page 48

by the Interposition of other Bodies;
not more porous than those of living
Men. Whether the fume of Sulphur,
which by many is extoll'd to prevent
the Infection of the Air, do by its
acid or other Particles disarm, if
I may so speak, the Pestilential ones,
I have not now time to inquire:
No more than whether in Ireland
and some few other Countries, that
breed or brook no poysonous Animals,
that hostility may proceed, at least
in great part, from the peculiar Na∣ture
of the Soyl, which both from its
superficial and deeper parts, con∣stantly
supplies the Air with Corpu∣scles
destructive to venemous Ani∣mals.
And some other Particulars,
that may be pertinently enough consi∣der'd
here, you may find treated on in
other Papers. And therefore at present
I shall only intimate in a word, that
having purposely made a visible and
lasting Stain on a solid Body barely
by cold Effluvia, I did by the invisible
and cold Steams of another Body
make in two or three Minutes a
Page 49

visible change in the colour of that
Stain.

And as for the other part of the
Conjecture, (viz.) That Meteors
may sometimes be produc'd by the
Occursions of Subterraneal Effluvia,
some of them of one determinate Na∣ture,
and some of another, I think
I could, to countenance it, give you
divers Instances of the plentiful Im∣pregnation)
of the Air at some times,
and in some places, with Steams of
very differing Natures, and such as
are not so likely to be attracted by
the Heat of the Sun, as to be sent
up from the Subterraneal Regions,
and sometimes from Minerals them∣selves.
But for Instances of this kind,
I shall, for brevities sake, refer you
to another Paper*,
where I have pur∣posely
treated of this
Subject, and particu∣larly
shewn, That though usually
the Effluxions that come from under
ground are ill-scented, yet they are
not alwayes so; and also that Sul∣phureous
Page 50

Exhalations even from cold,
and, for the most part, Aqueous Li∣quors
may retain their determinate
nature in the Air, and act according∣ly
upon solid Bodies themselves, to
whose Constitution those Effluvia
chance to be proportionate.

But one memorable Story not men∣tion'd
〈…〉 that Discourse is too much
to our present purpose to be here
omitted, especially having met with
it in so approved an Author as the
experienc'd Agricola, who having
mention'd out of antient Historians
the Raining of White and Red liquors,
which they took (erroneously I doubt
not) for Milk and
Blood, subjoyns,
*Ut autem majorèm
fidem habe amus An∣nalium
monumentis facit res illa decan∣tata,
quae Patrum memoriâ (in another
place he specifies the Year of our Lord)
in Suevia accidit; Aer enim ille stillavit
guttas, quae lineas vestes crucibus rubris
quasi sanguineis imbuebant. Which I
the rather mention, because it does
Page 51

not only prove what I alledge it for;
but may keep, what is lately and
very credibly reported to have hap∣pen'd
in divers places of the King∣dom
of Naples soon after the Fiery
Eruption of Vesuvius, from being
judg'd a Phaenomenon either altogether
fabulous, (as doubtless many have
thought it,) or a Prodigie without
all example, as is presum'd even by
those that think it not miraculous.
And to this I add, that 'twill be the
less improbable, that the more agile
Corpuscles of Subterraneal Salts,
Sulphurs and Bitumens, may be rais'd
into the Air, and keep distinct natures
there, if so fixt a Body as common
Earth it self can be brought to swim
in the Air. And yet of this the
worthy Writer newly quoted gives
us, besides what Annals relate, this
Testimony upon
his own know∣ledge:
*Certè hîc
Kempnicii undeci∣mum
abhinc annum mense Septembri
effluxerunt imbres, sic cum terra lutea
Page 52

commisti, ut eâ passim plateas scilicet stra∣tas
viderem conspersas.

And to shew you that in some
cases the Particles even of Vegetable
Bodies may not so soon perish in the
Air as they vanish there, but may
retain distinct natures at a greater
distance, than one would think, from
the Bodies that copiously emit them;
I shall add, that having desir'd an
ingenious Gentleman, that went on
a considerable Employment to the
East-Indies, to make some Observa∣tions
for me in his Voyage; he sent
me among other things this Re∣marque:
That having sayl'd along
the Coast of Ceylon, (famous for Cin∣namon-trees
and well-scented Gums,)
though they Coasted it almost a whole
day, the Wind, that then chanc'd
to blow from the shoar, brought them
a manifestly odoriferous Air from the
Island, though they kept off many
miles (perhaps twenty or twenty∣five)
from the shoar. Nor should this
be thought incredible, because the
diffusion seems so disproportionate to
Page 53

that of other Bodies dissolved by
Fluids; as, for instance, though Salt
be an active Body and resoluble into
abundance of minute Particles, yet
one part of Salt will scarce be tastable
in an hundred parts of Water. For
sensibly to affect so gross an Organ as
that of our Tast, there is usually re∣quired
in sapid Particles a bigness far
exceeding that which is necessary to
the making Bodies fit Objects for the
sense of Smelling, and, which is here
mainly to be considered, there is a
great difference between the power
a Body has to impregnate so thin and
fine a Fluid as Air, whose parts are
so rare and lax, and that which it has
to impregnate Liquors, such as Wa∣ter
or Wine, whose parts are so con∣stipated
as to make it not only visible
and tangible, but ponderous. On
which occasion I remember that
having had a Curiosity to try how
far a sapid Body could be diluted
without ceasing to be so, I found by
Tryal, that one drop of good Chy∣mical,
and, as Artists call it, Essential
Page 54

Oyl of Cinnamon being duly mix'd
by the help of Sugar with Wine, re∣tain'd
the determinate tast of Cinna∣mon,
though it were diffus'd into near
a quart of Wine. So that making
a moderate estimate, I concluded, that
upon the common supposition, ac∣cording
to which a drop is reckon'd
for a Grain, one part of Oyl had given
the specifick Tast of the Spice, it was
drawn from, to near fourteen thou∣sand
parts of Wine. By comparing
which Experiment with what I no∣ted
about the proportion of Salt re∣quisite
to make Water tast of it, you
will easily perceive; that there may
be a very great difference in point of
diffusiveness between the little Par∣ticles
that make Bodies sapid: Which
may serve to confirm both some part
of the first Chapter of the foregoing
Essay of the Subtilty of Effluvia▪ and
what I was lately saying to shew it
possible, that Antimonial Glass might
impart store of Steams to the Eme∣tick
Wine, without appearing upon
common Scales to have lost of its
Page 55

weight; since we see, that one Drop
of so light a Body as Oyl may com∣municate
not insensible Effluvia, but
tastable Corpuscles to near a Quart
of Liquor. But this is not all for
which I mention our Experiment:
for I must now add, that besides the
almost innumerable Sapid parts of
a spicy Drop communicated to the
Wine, it thence diffused a vast num∣ber
of odorous Particles into the Air,
which both I, and others perceived
to be imbued with the distinct scent
of Cinnamon, and which perhaps
the Liquor would have been found
able to have Aromatized for I know
not how long a time, if I had had
leisure to prosecute the Observation.

CHAP. V.
THE third and last way I shall
mention of shewing the Deter∣minate
Nature of Effluviums, is to
Page 56

be taken from the Consideration of
their Effects upon other Bodies than
the Organs of our Senses; (for of
their Operations upon these we have
already spoken in the foregoing Cha∣pter▪)
For the Effects, that certain
Bodies produce on others by their
Effluviums, being constant and de∣terminate,
and oftentimes very dif∣ferent
from those, which other Agents
by their Emissions work upon the
same and other subjects, the distinct
nature of the Corpuscles emitted may
be thence sufficiently gather'd.

We may from the foregoing Tract
of the Subtilty of Effluvia, borrow
some Instances very pertinent to this
place. For the temporary benum∣bedness
or stupefaction, for example,
produc'd in the Fish∣erman's
Foot by the
Effluvia* of the Fish
(Amoreatim) men∣tion'd
by the Ingenious Piso, mani∣fests,
that those stupifying Emana∣tions
retain'd a peculiar and venemous
nature during their whole passage
Page 57

through the Shoe, Stocking and Skin,
interpos'd betwixt the Fish and the
nervous part of the Foot benumb'd
by it. And though there are very
few other Bodies in the World, that
are minute enough to pass through
the pores of Glass, 'tis apparent, by
the Experiment there recited of the
oblong Iron Hermetically seal'd up
in a Glass-pipe, that the Magnetical
Effluvia of the Earth may retain their
peculiar and wonderful nature in a
smallness that qualifies them to pass
freely through the pores of Glass it
self.

But that I may neither repeat
what you have already met with in
the foregoing Tract, nor anticipate
what I have to say in the next; I
will employ in this Chapter some In∣stances
that may be spar'd from both.

That divers Bodies of a Venemous
nature may exercise some such Ope∣rations
upon others by their Efflu∣viums
transmitted through the Air,
as they are wont to do in their gross
substance, is a Truth, whereof though
Page 58

I have not met with many, yet I have
met with some Examples among Phy∣sicians.

The Learned*Sennertus observes
as a known thing,
that the Apprentices
of Apothecaries have
been cast into profound Sleeps, when
in distilling Opiat and Hypnotick Li∣quors
they have received in at their
Nostrils the Vapours exhaling from
those Bodies.

'Tis recorded by the* Writers
about Poysons, that
the root and juyce of
Mandragora casts those,
that take it, into a
deep Sopor not unlike a Lethargy. And
though the Apples of the same Plant
be thought to be much less mali∣gnant;
yet Levinus Lemnius relates
that it happen'd to him more than
once, that having laid some Man∣drake-Apples
in his Study, he was
by their Steams made so sleepy, that
he could hardly recover himself; but
the Apples being taken away he
Page 59

regain'd alacrity, and threw off all
drowsiness.

Among all Poysons there is scarce
any whose Phaenomena are in my opi∣nion
more strange than those that
proceed from a mad Dog; and yet
even this Poyson, which seems to
require Corpuscles of so odd and de∣terminate
a nature, is recorded by
Physicians to have been conveyed by
Exhalations. Aretaeus writes (as a
Learned modern quotes him,) Quòd
à rabido cane, qui in faciem, dum spiri∣tus
adducitur, tantummodò inspiraverit,
& nullo modo momorderit, in rabiem
homo agatur. And as there are rela∣tions,
among Physicians, of Animals,
that have become Rabiosi by having
eaten of the parts or excrements of
rabid Animals; so
*Caelius Aurelianus,
who writes, that some
have been made to run mad, not by
being bitten, but wounded only with
the Claws of a mad Dog, tells us
also of a man, that fell into a Hydro∣phobia
(which is wont to be a high
Page 60

degree of the Rabies, and by some of
the antienter Writers was employ'd
to signifie that Disease) without be∣ing
bitten by a mad Dog, but infected
solo odore ex rabido cane attracto. By
which Odours in this and other
Narratives of Poysons I understand
not a bare Scholastick species, but a
swarm of Effluvia, which most com∣monly
are all or at least some of them
odorous. And though it may justly
seem strange to many, that the Ve∣nom
of a mad Dog should be com∣municated
otherwise than by biting,
which is suppos'd to be the only way
he can infect by, it may appear less
improbable, because Matthaeus de Gra∣dibus
names a person, who, he says,
prov'd infected after many days, by
only having put his Hand into the
Mouth of a mad Dog, who did not
bite him. And the formerly men∣tioned
Matthiolus relates, that he saw
two, that were made rabid without
any would by the slabber of a mad
Dog, with which they had the mis∣fortune
to be besmear'd.

Page 61
*Sennertus himself affirms of a Pain∣ter
of his acquainance,
that, when he had o∣pen'd
a Box, in which
he had long kept included Realgar, a
noxious Mineral, sometimes used by
Painters and not unknown to Chy∣mists,
and had unfortunately snuff'd
in the Steams of it, he was seis'd with
a giddiness in his Head and fainting
fits, his whole Face also swelling,
though by taking of Antidotes he
escap'd the danger.

Divers other Examples we have
met with in the writings of Physi∣cians,
which I forbear to add to these,
because, I confess, I very much doubt
the Truth of them, though the deli∣verers
of some of them be men of
Note. But the probability of most
of the things already cited out of
credible Authors may be strengthned
by what I shall now subjoyn, as a
further proof of the distinct Nature
of Effluvia; of which it will be a
very considerable Proof, if Medi∣cines,
which are of a milder and
Page 62

more familiar nature and operation
than Poysons, shall yet be able in some
cases to retain, in their invisible Par∣ticles
swimming in the Air, the same,
(though not so great) power of Pur∣ging,
which is known to belong to
them when their gross Body is taken
in at the Mouth. Of this I have else∣where,
on another occasion, given
some Examples. To which I shall
now add, that I know a Doctor of
Physick, that is usually Purg'd by the
Odours or Exhalations of a certain
Electuary, whose Cathartick Opera∣tion,
when it is taken in substance,
is wont to be but languid. And ano∣ther
Doctor of my acquaintance,
causing good store of the root of
black Hellebore to be long pounded
in a mortar, most of those, that were
in the room, and especially the party
that pounded it, were thereby purg'd,
and some of them strongly enough.
And the Learned Sennertus some∣where
affirms, that some will be
purg'd by the very Odour of Colocyn∣this.
And 'tis not to be pass'd by
Page 63

unregarded; that in the cases I have
alledg'd, Exhalations, that are en∣dow'd
with Occult Qualities, (for
those of Cathartick Medicines are
reckon'd among such) ascend into
the Air without being forc'd from
the Bodies they belong'd to by an
External heat.

And if I would in this place al∣ledge
Examples of the Operations of
such Effluvia, as do not pass into the
Air, but yet operate only by the con∣tact
of the External parts of the Bo∣dy,
I could give Instances, not only
of the Purgative, but the Emetick Qua∣lities
of some Medicines exerted with∣out
their being taken in at the Mouth,
or injected with Instruments.

There are also other sorts of Exam∣ples
than those hitherto mentioned,
that argue a Determinate Nature in
the Effluxions of some Bodies emitted
into the Air. Approv'd Writers tell
us, that the Shadow of a Walnut-tree
with the Leaves on it is very hurtful
to the Head; and some Instances
they give us of great mischief it has
Page 64

sometimes done. And though the
Shadow, as such, is not likely to be
guilty of such bad Effects; yet the
Effluvia of the neighbouring Plant
may be noxious enough to the Head.
For I, that was not at all prepossess'd
with an opinion that it was so, and
therefore without scruple resorted to
the Shade of Walnut trees in a hot
Countrey, was by experience forc'd
to think it might give others the
Head-ach, since it did to me, who,
thanks be to God, both was, and am
still very little subject to that distem∣per.
And this brings into my mind
an Observation that I have met with
among some ingenious Travellers in∣to
the West-Indies, who observe in
general, and of late a Country-man
of our own affirms it in particular,
of the poysonous Manchinello-tree,
that Birds will not only forbear to
eat of the Fruit of venemous Plants,
but, as to some of them, will not so
much as light on the Trees: Which
I therefore mention, because proba∣bly
Nature instructs them to avoid
Page 65

such Trees by some noxious Smell,
or other Emanation, that offends the
approaching Birds. And I remem∣ber,
that some of our Navigators give
it for a Rule to those that happen to
land in unknown Islands or Coasts,
that they may venture to eat of those
parts of Fruits which they can per∣ceive,
the Birds, like kind Tasters, to
have been pecking at before.

Nicolaus Florentinus (cited by Sen∣nertus)
tells us of a certain Lombard,
that having in a House, that he nam'd,
at Florence, burn'd a great black Spi∣der
at the flame of a Candle, so un∣warily,
that he drew in the Steams
of it at his Nostrils, presently began
to be much disorder'd and fell into
a fainting fit, and for the whole
night had his Heart much disaffected,
his Pulse being so weak, that one
could scarce perceive he had any;
though afterwards he was cured by
Treacle, Diamose, and the powder
of Zedoary mixt together.

And I remember, that being some
years ago in Ireland, I gather'd a
Page 66

certain Plant (peculiar to some parts
of that Countrey) which the Natives
call Maccu-buy, because of strange
Traditions that go about it; the chief
of which I found by tryal not to be
true: But yet being satisfied, that its
Operations were odd and violent
enough, I was willing to gratifie the
chief Physician of the Countrey, who
was desirous I should propose to him
some wayes of correcting it; and
whilst I was speaking of one that re∣quired
the pounding of it, he told
me on that occasion, that intending
to make an extract of it with Vine∣gar,
he caus'd his man to beat it well
in a Mortar, which the man soon re∣pented
he had begun to do: And
the Doctor himself, though at a pretty
distance off, was so wrought upon
by the Corpuscles that issued out into
the Air, that his Head, and particu∣larly
his Face, swell'd to an enormous
and disfiguring bulk, and continued
tumid for no inconsiderable time
after.

I have not leisure to subjoyn many
Page 67

more Instances to shew the Deter∣minate
Nature of Effluviums, small
enough to wander through the Air;
nor perhaps will it be necessary, if
you please but to consider these two
things. The first, that many odorife∣rous
Bodies, as Amber, Musk, Ci∣vet,
&c. as they will, by the adhesion
of their whole substance, perfume
Skins, Linnen, &c. so they will in
time perfume some Bodies disposed
to admit their action, though kept
at a distance from them. And the
other is, that in Pestilential Feavers
and divers other Contagious sicknes∣ses,
as the Plague, Small-pox, or Mea∣sels,
the same determinate Disease is
communicable to found persons, not
only by the immediate contact of the
infected party; but without it, by
the Contagious Steams that exhale
from his Body into the Air. And
having said this and desir'd you to
reflect upon it, I shall conclude this
Chapter with an Experiment, that
possibly will not a little confirm a
great part of it.

Page 68

Considering then with my self,
how I might best devise a way of
shewing to the very Eye, That Ef∣fluvia
elevated without the help of
Heat, and wandering in the Air, may
both retain their own Nature, and
upon determinate Bodies produce Ef∣fects,
that a Vulgar Philosopher
would ascribe to Occult Qualities:
I remember'd, that I had found by
tryals (made to other purposes) that
Volatile and Sulphureous Salts would
so work upon some Acid ones sub∣lim'd
with Mercury, as to produce
an odd diversity of Colours, but
chiefly an Inky one; on which ac∣count
I judg'd it likely that my aim
would by answer'd by the following
Experiment.

I took an Ounce, or better, of
such a Volatile Tin∣cture
of Sulphur, as
I have elsewhere*
taught you to make
of Quick-lime, Sul∣phur
and Sal Armo∣niack,
and stop'd it up in a Vial
Page 69

capable of containing at least twice
as much; then taking a Paper where∣on
something had been written with
invisible Ink, I laid it down six Inches
off of the Vial, which, being un∣stop'd,
began, upon the access of the
Fire, to emit white Fumes into it;
and by these, what was written upon
the Paper, notwithstanding its di∣stance
from the Liquor, quickly be∣came
very legible, though not quite
so suddenly, as if a Paper, written
with the same clear Liquor, were
held at the like distance directly over
the orifice of the Vial. And having
caus'd several pieces of clean Paper
to be written on, with a new Pen
dip'd in the clear Solution of Subli∣mate
made in Water, 'twas pleasant
to see, how divers of the Letters of
several of these Papers, being plac'd
within some convenient distance of
the Vial, would be made plainly legi∣ble,
and some of them more, some
less blackish, according to their di∣stances
from the smoaking Liquor,
and other Circumstances. But 'twas
Page 70

more surprizing to see, that when
I held or laid some of these Papers,
though with the written side up∣wards,
just upon or over the orifice
of the Vial, though the contained Li∣quor
did not by some Inches reach
so high, yet the latent Letters would
become not only legible but conspi∣cuous
in about a quarter of a Minute
of an Hour (measur'd by a good
Watch fit for the purpose, as more
than one tryal assur'd me.) And as
it may be observ'd, that in some Cir∣cumstances
the smoaking Liquor and
the Solution of Sublimate will make
an odd Precipitate almost of a silverish
colour, so in one or two of our Try∣als
we found a like colour produc'd,
by the Steams of that Liquor, in some
of the colourless Ink. Nor is it so ne∣cessary
to employ a visibly smoaking
Liquor for the denigrating of invisi∣ble
Ink at a distance. For I have,
to that purpose, with good success,
though not equal to that I have re∣cited,
employ'd a couple of Liquors,
wherein there was neither Sulphur,
Page 71

nor Sal Armoniack, nor Sublimate.
What other Tryals I made with our
Volatile Tincture of Sulphur, 'tis not
necessary here to relate, only one Ex∣periment,
which you will possibly
think odd enough, I shall not omit;
because it will not only confirm the
precedent Tryals, but also much of
the foregoing Essay, by shewing the
great Subtilty and penetrating power
of Effluviums that seem rather to issue
out very faintly, than to be darted
out with any briskness.

Causing then something to be
written with dissolv'd Sublimate up∣on
a piece of Paper, we folded the
Paper with the written side inwards,
and then inclos'd this in the midst of
six sheets of Paper, laid one upon
another, not plac'd one within ano∣ther,
and folded up in the form of
an ordinary Letter or packet to be
seal'd, that, the edges of the enclosing
Paper being inserted one within the
other, the Fumes might not get into
this written Paper but by penetrating
through the Leaves themselves: This
Page 72

done, that side of the Packet, on which
there was no commissure, and on
which, were it to be sent away, the
Superscription should be written,
was laid upon the orifice of the Vial,
which (as was before intimated) was
some Inches higher than the surface
of the Liquor, and left there about
ten Minutes; after which taking off
the folded Papers, and opening them,
we found, that the Steams had perva∣ded
all the Leaves, in which the writ∣ten
Paper had been enclos'd. For,
though the Leaves did not appear
stain'd or alter'd, yet the formerly
latent Characters appear'd conspi∣cuous.
I have not time to discourse,
whether and how far this Experi∣ment
may assist us to explain some
odd Effects of Thunder, or of that
strange Phaenomenon, (glanc'd at in the
foregoing Chapter,) which is said to
have happen'd lately in the Kingdom
of Naples after the great Eruption of
Vesuvitus, which is said to have been
follow'd by the appearing of the
Crosses formerly mention'd, some of
Page 73

which have been found on the inner∣most
parts of Linnen, that had been
carefully folded up. But of these and the
like things, I say, I have now no time
to discourse, whether any thing de∣rivable
from our Experiment may be
pertinently apply'd to their Explica∣tion.
For which reason I shall add
no more than that afterwards for
further tryal we took a printed Book,
that chanc'd to be at hand, and which
we judg'd the fittest for our purpose,
because the leaves being broad they
might the better preserve a small Pa∣per
to be plac'd in the mid'st of them
from being accessible to the Exha∣lations
sidewise, and having put the
design'd Paper into this Book, and
held it to the orifice of the Vial,
though there were no less than twelve
leaves between them; yet those Let∣ters,
that happen'd to be the most
rightly plac'd, were made inky in
the short space of three Minutes at
the utmost; though this Liquor had
been so long kept and so often un∣stop'd
to try Conclusions with it,
Page 74

that it had probably lost a good part
of the most spirituous and piercing
Particles.


NEW
EXPERIMENTS,
To make the PARTS
OF
FIRE and FLAME
Stable & Ponderable.

BY
The Honorable Robert Boyle.

LONDON:
Printed by WILLIAM GODBID,
for Moses Pitt, at the Sign of the
White Hart in Little Britain. 1673.



A PREFACE; SHEWING The Motive, Design, and Parts of the ensuing Tract.
THE Inducements which put me
upon the Attempt, express'd in
the Title of this Essay, were
chiefly these:

First, I consider'd, that the Inter∣stellar
part of the Universe, consisting of
Air and Aether, or Fluids analogous to
one of them, is diaphanous; and that the
Aether is, as it were, a vast Ocean,
wherein the Luminous globes, that here
and there like Fishes swim by their own
motion, or like Bodies in Whirlpools are
carried about by the Ambient, are but
very thinly dispers'd, and consequently
that the proportion, that the Fixt Stars


and Planetary Bodies bear to the diapha∣nous
part of the World, is exceeding small
and scarce considerable; though we should
admit the Sun and Fixt Stars to be Opa∣cous
Bodies upon the account of their ter∣minating
our sight: Which diffident Ex∣pression
I employ, because I have else∣where
shewn by two or three Experiments,
purposely devised, that a Body may appear
opacous to our Eyes, and yet allow free
passage to the beams of Light.

I further consider'd, that there being
so vast a disproportion between the dia∣phanous
part of the World and the Globes,
about which 'tis every way diffused, and
with which it is sometimes in great por∣tions
mingled, as in the water, which
together with the Earth makes up the
Globe we inhabit; and the nature of Dia∣phanous
Bodies being such, that, when
the Sun or any other Luminous Body
illustrates them, that which we call Light
does so penetrate and mix it self per
minima with them, that there is no
sensible part of the transparent Body un∣inlightned;
I thought it worth the en∣quiry,
whether a thing, so vastly diffused


as Light is were some thing Corporeal or
not? And whether, in case it be, it may
be subjected to some other of our Senses
besides our Sight, whereby we may exa∣mine;
whether it hath any affinity with
other Corporeal beings, that we are ac∣quainted
with here below?

I did not all this while forget, that
the Peripateticks make Light a meer
Quality, and that Cartesius ingeniously
endeavours to explicate it by a modifica∣tion
of Motion in an Aetherial matter:
But I remember'd too, that the Atomists
of old, and of late the Learned Gaffen∣dus,
and many other Philosophers assert
Light to be Corporeal; and that some Tears
since, though I declined to pass my Judge∣ment
about the Question, yet I had em∣ploy'd
Arguments, that appear'd plausible
enough to shew, That 'twas not absurd
to suppose, that the Sun, which is the Fixt
Star most known to us, might be a Fiery
Body. And therefore doubting, whether
the Corporeity of Light would be in haste
Determined by meer Ratiocinations, I
thought it very well worth the endea∣vouring
to try whether I could do any


thing towards clearing the dispute of it
by Experiments; especially being per∣swaded,
that, though such an attempt
should be ineffectual, it would but leave
the controversie in its former state,
without prejudicing either of the con∣tending
Hypotheses; and yet, if it
should prove successful, the consequences
of it would be very great and useful to∣wards
the explicating of divers Phaeno∣mena
in divers parts of Natural Philo∣sophy,
as in Chymistry, Botanicks, and
(if there be any such) the allowable part
of Astrologie. (Nor perhaps would it
be impossible by the help of slight Theori∣cal
alterations; to reconcile the Experi∣ments,
I design'd, to either of the above∣mention'd
Hypotheses, and so as to the
Explication of Light, to one another.)

To compass then, what I aim'd at,
I thought, 'twas fit in the first place to
try, what I could do by the Union of the
Sun-beams, they being on all hands con∣fess'd
to be Portions (as I may so speak)
of true and Celestial Light: And then,
I thought fit to try, what could be ob∣tain'd
from Flame; not only because

that is acknowledg'd to be a Luminary
but because I hoped, the difficulties, I
foresaw in the other Tryals, might be in
some measure avoided in those made with
Flame; and if both sorts of them should
succeed, the later and former would serve
to confirm each other. According to the
Method I proposed of handling these two
Subjects, I should begin with some account
of what I attempted to perform in the
Sun-beams: But the truth is, that
when I chanc'd to fall upon the Enquiry
that occasion'd this Paper, besides that
the time of the Year it self was not
over-favourable, the weather proved so
extraordinary dark and unseasonable that
it was wonder'd at; so that, though I
was furnish'd with good Burning-glasses,
and did several times begin to make tryals
upon divers Bodies, as Lead, Quicksilver,
Antimony, &c. yet the frequent inter∣position
of Clouds and Mists did so dis∣favour
my Attempts, that, however they
were not all alike defeated, yet I could
not prosecute the greatest part of them
to my own satisfaction. And therefore
being unwilling to build on them as yet;


I shall reserve an account of them for
another opportunity; and now proceed to
the mention of that sort of Experiments
which depending less on Casualities, 'twas
more in my power to bring to an Issue.

I know I might have saved both you and
my self some time and pains by omitting
several of these Tryals, and by a more
compendious way of delivering the rest.
But I rather chose the course I have ta∣ken;
partly because the Novelty and
Improbabilities of the Truth I deliver
seems to require, that it be made out
by a good number of Tryals; partly be∣cause
I thought it might not be altoge∣ther
useless to you and your Friends, to
see upon what Inducements the several
steps were made in this Inquiry; partly
because I was willing to contribute some∣thing
towards the History that now per∣haps
will be thought fit to be made of
the Increment or Decrement that parti∣cular
Bodies may receive by being expo∣sed
to the Fire; and partly (in fine)
because the Incongruity of the Doctrine
here asserted to the Opinions of the
Schools, and the general Prepossessions


of Mankind, made me think it fit by
a considerable Variety, as well as num∣ber,
of Experiments to obviate, as far
as may be, the differing Objections and
Evasions wherewith a Truth so paradoxi∣cal
may expect to be encountred.


Page 1
New EXPERIMENTS, To make FIRE and FLAME PONDERABLE.
THough there be among the
following Tryals a Diversity
that invites me, as to rank
them into four or five differing sorts,
so to assign them as many distinct
Sections; yet for the conveniency of
making the References, there will
be occasion to make betwixt them,
I shall wave the Distinction, and set
them down in one continued Series.

And because I am willing to com∣ply
with my hast, as well as to deal
frankly and without Ceremony with
you, I shall venture to subjoyn the
naked Transcripts of my Experi∣ments,
as I had in an artless manner
Page 2

set them down with many others
for my own remembrance among
my Adversaria, without so much as
retrenching some Circumstances that
relate less to my present Argument,
than to some other purposes.

I shall then begin with the men∣tion
of a couple of Experiments,
which though they might conve∣niently
enough be referr'd to another
Paper; yet I shall here set them
down, because it seems very proper
to endeavour to shew in the first place,
that Flame it-self may be as 'twere
incorporated with close and solid Bo∣dies
so as to increase their bulk and
weight.

Page 3
Tryals of the First sort.
EXPERIMENT I.
[A Piece of Copper-plate not near
so thick as a Half-crown,
and weighing two Drachmes and
twenty-five Grains, was so plac'd
with its broad part Horizontal, in
a Crucible, whose bottom had a lit∣tle
hole in it, for Fumes to get out
at, that it could not be removed
from its Position, nor be easily made
to drop down or lose its Level to
the Horizon, though the Crucible
were turned upside down: Then
about an Ounce and half of common
Sulphur being put into a taller and
broader Crucible, that, wherein the
Copper stuck, was inverted into the
orifice of it, that the Sulphur being
kindled, the flame, but not the melted
Brimstone in substance, might reach
the Plate, and have some vent be∣yond
it at the above-mentioned hole.
Page 4

This Brimstone burn'd about two
Hours, in which time it seem'd all
to have been resolved into Flame, no
flowers of Sulphur appearing to have
sublimed into the inside of the upper
Crucible; and though the Copper∣plate
were at a considerable distance
from the ignited Sulphur, yet the
Flame seem'd to have really penetrated
it, and to have made it visibly swell or
grow thicker; which appear'd to be
done by a real accession of substance:
since, after we had wip'd off some
little adhering sordes, and with them
divers particles of Copper that stuck
close to them, the Plate was found
to weigh near two and thirty Grains
more than at first, and consequently
to have increased its former weight
by above a fifth part.]

EXPER. II.
[Having, by refining one Ounce
of sterling Silver with Salt-peter, ac∣cording
to our way reduc'd it to
seven Drachms or somewhat less;
Page 5

we took a piece of the thus purified
Silver, that weighed one Drachm
wanting two Grains, and having or∣der'd
it as the Copper-plate had been
in the former Experiment, after the
flame of above one Ounce and a
quarter of Sulphur, (that Quantity
chancing to be suitable to the Capa∣city
of the Crucible) had for about
an Hour and a half beat upon it, the
Silver-plate seem'd to the Eye some∣what
swell'd, and the lower surface
of it, that was next the flame,
was brought to a great smoothness,
the weight being increas'd to one
Drachm five Grains and three quar∣ters;
which increase of weight fal∣ling
so short of that which was gain'd
by the Copper, I leave it to you to
consider, whether the difference may
be attributed to the closeness and
compactness of the Silver, argued by
its being heavier in specie than Cop∣per;
or to the greater congruity of
the pores of Copper to be wrought
on by the fiery Menstruum; or to
some other cause.]

Page 6

If you should here ask me, by what
Rational inducements I could be led
to entertain so extravagant an ex∣pectation,
as that such a light and
subtile Body as Flame should be able
to give an augmentation of weight
to such ponderous Bodies as Minerals
and Metals; I shall now, to avoid
making anticipations here, or need∣less
repetitions hereafter, return you
only this Answer: That the expecta∣tion
you wonder at may justly be
entertained upon the same or such
like inducements, as you may easily
discover in another Paper, entitled
Corollarium Paradoxum. For, suppo∣sing
upon the grounds there laid,
that Flame may act upon some Bo∣dies
as a Menstruum, it seems no
way incredible, that, as almost all
other Menstruums, so Flame should
have some of its own Particles united
with those of the Bodies expos'd to
its action: And the generality of
those Particles being, (as 'tis shewn
in the Paradox about the Fewel of
Flames,) either Saline, or of some
Page 7

such piercing and Terrestrial nature,
'tis no wonder, that being wedg'd
into the Pores, or being brought to
adhere very fast to the little Parts of
the Bodies expos'd to their action,
the accession of so many little Bodies,
that want not gravity, should, be∣cause
of their multitude, be conside∣rable
upon a Ballance, whereon one
or two, or but few of these Corpuscles
would have no visible Effect.

I could here, if it were expedient,
mention some odd scruples about the
preceding Experiments, and some also
of the subsequent; but, lest you should,
with some other of my Friends, up∣braid
me with being too jealous and
Sceptical, I will not trouble you
with them; but proceed to the next
sort of Tryals, wherein, though the
matter were not always manifestly
beaten on by a shining Flame; yet
it was wrought on by that, which
would be called Flame by those who
take not that word strictly, but in a
latitude, and which this Igneous sub∣stance
may more properly be stiled,
Page 8

than it can be call'd common Fire,
this being visibly harbour'd in burn∣ing
Coals or other gross materials,
from which our Metals were fenc'd.
And I have elsewhere shewn by ex∣periment,
that Visibility is not in all
cases necessary to Actual Flame, par∣ticularly
when the Eye receives a
predominant impression from ano∣ther
Light.

Tryals of the Second sort.
EXPER. III.
INto a Crucible, whose sides had
been purposely taken down to
make it very shallow, was put one
Ounce of Copper-plates; and this
being put into our Cupelling-furnace,
and kept there two Hours, and then
being taken out we weighed the Cop∣per
(which had not been melted)
having first blown off all the ashes,
and we found it to weigh one Ounce
and thirty Grains.

Page 9
EXPER. IV.
[Supposing that Copper, being
reduc'd to filings, and thereby gaining
more of Superficies in proportion to
its bulk, would be more expos'd to
the Action of the Fire, than when
'tis in places as it was formerly; we
took one Ounce of that Metal in
filings, and putting them upon a
very shallow Crucible, and under
a Muffler, we kept them there about
three Hours, (whilst other things
that required so long a time were
Cupelling;) and afterwards taking
them off, we found them of a very
dark colour, not melted but caked
together in one Lump, and increas'd
in weight (the ashes and dust being
blown off) no less than about forty∣nine
Grains. Part of which increment,
above that obtained by the Copper-plates
in the former Experiment, may
not improbably be due to the longer
time that in this Experiment the
fil'd Copper was kept in the Fire.]

Page 10
EXPER. V.
[Being willing to see, whether
calcin'd Harts-horn, that I did not find
easie to be wrought on by corrosive
Menstruums, would retain any thing
of the Flame or Fire to which it
should be expos'd; we weigh'd out
one Ounce of small Lumps of Harts∣horn,
that had been burnt till they
appear'd white, and having put them
into a Crucible, and kept them in
a Cupelling-furnace for two Hours,
whilst some Metals were driving off
there by the violence of the Fire; we
found, that when they were taken
out, they had lost six or seven Grains
of their former weight; perhaps
either because, notwithstanding the
external whiteness of the Lumps, the
internal Parts of some of them might
not be so exquisitely calcin'd, but
retain some Oleaginous or other Vo∣latile
Substance▪ or, because, having
omitted to ignite them well before
they were weigh'd, they may have
Page 11

since their first Calcination imbib'd
some moist Particles of the Air.
Which conjecture seem'd the likelier,
because, having kept them a while
in the Scales they were weigh'd in,
they did within two or three Hours
make it somewhat preponderate. On
which occasion I shall add, that, at
the same time, with the Harts-horn
we put in one Ounce of well-heated
Brick, and kept that likewise in the
Furnace for above two Hours; at
the end of which weighing it whilst
it continued hot, we did not find it
to have either sensibly got or lost;
but, some time after, it seem'd upon
the Ballance to have imbib'd some,
though but very little, moisture from
the Air.]

EXPER. VI.
[Upon a good Cupel we put one
Ounce of English Tin of the better
sort, and having plac'd it in the Fur∣nace
under a Muffler, though it pre∣sently
melted, yet it did not forsake
Page 12

its place, but remain'd upon the con∣cave
surface of the Cupel, till at the
end of about two Hours it appear'd
to have been well calcin'd; and then
being taken out and weighed by it
self, the Ounce of Metal was found to
have gained no less than a Drachm.]

EXPER. VII.
[An Ounce of Lead was put upon
the Cupel, made of calcin'd Harts-horn,
and placed under the Muffler
after that the Cupel was first made
hot and then weighed. This Lead
did not enter into the Cupel, but
was turn'd into a pretty kind of Li∣tharge
on the top of it, and broke
the Cupel, whereby some part of
the Cupel was lost in the Furnace,
and yet the rest, together with the
Litharge, weigh'd seven Grains more
than the Ounce of Lead and the heated
Cupel did when they were put in.]

But because, though this tryal
shew'd that some weight was gain'd
either by the Metal or Cupel, or both;
Page 13

yet it did not by this appear, what
either of them acquir'd; it seem'd
fit to subjoyn a further tryal.

EXPER. VIII.
[We took a Cupel about two
Ounces in weight, made of about ten
parts of Bone-ashes, and one of Char∣coal-ashes,
made up together with
Ale. This was by it self put in a
Cupelling-furnace, under a Muffler;
and the Laborant, well vers'd in
weighing, was order'd to take it out,
when 'twas throughly and highly
heated, and to weigh it whilst 'twas
in that condition (I being then pre∣sent:)
This being done, 'twas forth∣with
plac'd again under the Muffler,
where some Metalline Bodies were
Cupelling, and kept there for about
two Hours; at the end of which
time 'twas taken out red-hot, and
presently put into the same Ballance,
as before, which was already fastned
to a Gibbet; where having caus'd
the adhering ashes to be blown off,
Page 14

I found, that whereas, when 'twas
first taken from under the Muffler,
we had but two Ounces and two
Grains, now the same weight being
put into the opposite Scale, it had
gain'd very near one and twenty
Grains. And here note, that 'twas
not without some cause, that I was
careful to have the Cupel weighed
red-hot. For I had a suspition, that,
notwithstanding the dryness of the
Bone, it might receive some little al∣teration
of weight by imbibing some
little Particles wandering in the Air;
which suspition the event justified.
For leaving the Cupel counterpois'd
to cool in the Ballance, in a short time
it began sensibly to preponderate;
and suffering it to continue there nine
or ten hours, till we had occasion to
use the Ballance, I found it at the
end of that time to be about three
Grains heavier than before.]

This was not the only tryal we
made about the augmenting the
weight of Cupels; but this being
the fairest, and exempt from those
Page 15

mischances, from which the other
were not altogether free; I shall con∣tent
my self to have set down this:
In the mention of which I thought fit
to take notice of the increase of the
weight of the Cupel after it had layn
in the Scales, and also that we weighed
it at first whilst it was throughly hot,
because those Circumstnces, as not
being suspected, may easily be left
unthought on, even by skilful Expe∣rimenters;
and yet the weighing of
the Cupel, when it had been well
neal'd, and the not weighing it soon
enough after 'tis taken from the Fire,
may keep those, that shall reiterate
this Experiment, from making it
cautiously and accurately enough.
For if the former Circumstance be
omitted, that which the Cupel may
seem to have lost of its substance,
was nothing but the adventitious
moisture of the Air; and if the later
Circumstance be neglected, the
weight, it may seem to have gain'd
from the Fire, was indeed due to the
waterish Particles of the Air. I could
Page 16

wish also, that tryal were made,
whether the success would be the
same in Cupels made in differing
sorts of Bone-ashes, and other mate∣rials,
wont to be employed for that
purpose. For That I had not op∣portunity
to do.

EXPER. IX.
Iron being a Metal, that experi∣ence
had inform'd me will more
easily be wrought on by Fluids that
have Particles of a Saline nature in
them, than is commonly believed;
'twas not unreasonable to expect,
that Flame would have a greater
Operation on it, (especially if it were
before-hand reduc'd to small Parts)
than on any of the Bodies hitherto
describ'd. Which supposition will be
confirm'd by the short ensuing Note.

[Four Drachms of filings of Steel
being kept two Hours on a Cupel
under a Muffler, acquir'd one Drachm
six Grains and a quarter increase of
weight.]

Page 17
EXPER. X.
[A piece of Silver, refin'd in our
own Laboratory, being put upon a
Cupel under a Muffler, and kept there
for an hour and half, whilst other
things were refining, was taken out
and weigh'd again, and, whereas
before it weighed three Drachms,
thirty-two Grains and a quarter, it
now weighed in the same Scales
three Drachms, thirty-four Grains
and a half, or but little less.]

Finding this Memorial among
divers others about the Weight of
Bodies, expos'd to the Fire, I thought
it not amiss to annex it in this place;
though finding it to be but single,
I would not have it to be rely'd on
till further tryal have been made to
discover, whether it was more than
a casual and anomalous Experiment;
and if the Silver had not been refin'd,
I should have suspected, that the
Copper, that was blended with it,
as 'tis usually blended with common
Page 18

Silver, might have occasioned the
increased of weight.

(Postcript.)
Since the foregoing Experiment
was first set down, meeting with
an opportunity to reiterate the tryal
once more, we did it with half an
Ounce of filings of Silver, well re∣fin'd
with Lead in our own Labora∣tory,
and kept it about three hours up∣on
the Cupel; after the end of which
time taking it out, we found it to
be of a less pleasant colour than it
was of before, and melted (though
not so perfectly) into a Lump, which
weigh'd four Drachms and six Grains;
and yet, the success being so odd,
and, if it prove constant, of such
moment, I could wish the tryal were
further repeated in differing quanti∣ties
of the Metal.

EXPER. XI.
[We took a Drachm of filings of
Zink or Spelter, and having put it
Page 19

upon a Cupel under a Muffler, we
kept it there in a Cupelling-fire
about three Hours, (having occasion
to continue the Cupellation so long
for other tryals;) then taking it off
the Cupel, we found it to be caked
into a brittle and dark-colour'd Lump,
which look'd as if the filings had
been calcin'd. This being weigh'd
in the same Scales gain'd full six
Grains, and so a tenth part of its first
weight.]

EXPER. XII.
Among our various tryals upon
common Metals, we thought fit to
make one or two upon a Metal
brought us from the East-Indies, and
there call'd Tutenâg, which name
being unknown to our European Chy∣mists,
I have elsewhere endeavoured
to give some account of the Metal it
self; whence I shall borrow the en∣suing
Note, as directly belonging to
our present purpose.

[Two Drachms of filings of Tute∣nâg
Page 20

being put upon a Cupel, and kept
under the Muffler for about two hours,
the filings were not melted into a
Lump of Metal, but look'd as if Ceruss
and Minium being pouder'd had been
mingled together; some of the parts
appearing distinctly white; and others
red: The Calx being put into the Bal∣lance
appear'd to have gained twenty-eight
Grains and a quarter. Another
time the Experiment being reiterated
with the like Circumstances, we
found, that two Drachms of the filed
Tutenâg gained the like increase of
weight, abating less than one Grain.]

So that this Indian Metal seems to
have gain'd more in the fire, in pro∣portion
to its weight, than any we
have hitherto made tryal of.

EXPER. XIII.
[Being desirous to confirm by a
clear Experiment, what I elsewhere
deliver contrary to the vulgar Opi∣nion
of those that believe, that in
all Cupellations almost all the Lead
Page 21

that is employ'd about them, does,
together with the baser Metals that
are to be purg'd off from the Silver
or Gold, fly away in Smoak, as indeed
in some sort of Cupellations a good
proportion may be blown off that
way: We took two Ounces of good
Lead and one Drachm of filings of
Copper, and having caus'd a Cupel
to be ignited, and nimbly taken out
of the Furnace, and weighed, whilst
'twas very hot, 'twas presently put
back, together with the two Metals
laid on it, into the Cupelling-furnace,
where having been kept for about
two hours, it was taken out again,
and 'twas found, ac∣cording
to what (as I
elsewhere* note) uses
to happen in such Cir∣cumstances,
to have nothing on the
surface of it worth weighing distinct∣ly
in the Scales, in which the Cupel
with what was sunk into it amounted
to four Ounces three Drachms and
eleven Grains, which wanted but
nine Grains of the whole weight of
Page 22

the Cupel and the two Metals, when
they were all three together commit∣ted
to the Fire.] So that, though we
make a liberal allowance for the in∣crement
of weight that may with
any probability be supposed to have
been attained by the Cupel and what
was put upon it, yet it will easily be
granted, that very much the greater
part of the Metals was not driven off
in Fumes, but enter'd into the Sub∣stance
of the Cupel.

Tryals of the Third sort.
AFter having shewn that either
Flame or the Analogous Ef∣fluxions
of the Fire will be, what
Chymists would call, Corporified
with Metals and Minerals exposed
naked to its action; I thought it
would be a desirable thing to disco∣ver,
whether this Flame or igneous
Fluid were subtile enough to exercise
any such Operation upon the Light
Bodies shelter'd from its immediate
Page 23

contact by being included in close
Vessels; but it being very difficult
to expose Bodies in Glasses to such
vehement Fires without breaking or
melting the Glass, and thereby losing
the Experiment; I thought fit, first
to employ Crucibles carefully luted
together, that nothing might visibly
get in or out, and of that attempt
I find among my Notes the follow∣ing
Account.

EXPER. XIV.
[We took an Ounce of Steel fresh∣ly
filed from a Lump of that Metal,
that the filings might not be rusty,
and having included them betwixt
two Crucibles, as formerly, kept
them for two hours in a strong Fire,
and suffer'd them to continue there
till the Fire went out; the Crucibles
being unluted, the filings appear'd
hard caked together, and had acquir'd
a dark colour somewhat between
black and blew, and were increas'd
five Grains in weight.]

Page 24

The foregoing Experiment being
the first I mention of this kind, 'twill
not be amiss to confirm it by annex∣ing
the following Memorial.

[An Ounce of filings of Steel be∣ing
put between the Crucibles luted
together, after they had been kept
about an hour and half in the fire,
were taken out, and being weigh'd,
were found to have gained six Grains.]

EXPER. XV.
[Two Ounces of Copper-plate
were put into a new Crucible, over
which a lesser was whelmed, and
the commissures were closed with
lute, that nothing might fall in. Af∣ter
the same manner two Ounces of
Tin were included betwixt Cruci∣bles,
and also two Ounces of Lead;
these being put into the Cupelling∣furnace
were kept in a strong Fire
about an hour and a half, while
something else was trying there. And
then being taken out, the event was,
that the Copper-plates, though they
Page 25

stuck together, were not quite melted,
and seem'd some of them to have ac∣quir'd
scales like Copper put into a
naked Fire, and the two Ounces had
gain'd eight Grains in weight. The
Lead had broke through the bottom
of the Crucible, and thereby hinder'd
the design'd Observation. The Tin
acquir'd six Grains in weight, and
was in part brought to a pure white
Calx, but much more of it was melted
into a Lump of a fine yellow colour,
almost like Gold, but deeper.] The
prosecution of this tryal as to the
Copper-plates you will meet with
in Experim. XXI. to which I there∣fore
referr you.

N. B. Because Lead in Cupella∣tion
enters the Cupel, we were wil∣ling
to try, if we could so far hinder
it from doing so, as to make some
estimate what change of Weight the
Operation of the Fire would make
in it: And therefore being able al∣ready
to make a near guess, how
much a quantity of Tin may gain
by being calcined on a Cupel, and
Page 26

remembring also from some of my
former tryals the indisposition which
Tin gives Lead to Cupellation, we
mixed a Drachm of Tin with two
Ounces of Lead, and exposing the
mixture (in a Cupel) to the Fire
under a Muffler, we first brought it
to fusion, and then it seem'd at the
top dry and swell'd and discolour'd;
notwithstanding which, having con∣tinued
the Operation a good while,
because of other things that were to
be done with the same Fire, we were
not lucky enough to bring the Ex∣periment
to an issue worth the rela∣ting
here, in reference to the scope
above-propos'd, though in relation
to another the success was welcome
enough.]

EXPER. XVI.
[Supposing that if Copper were
beaten into thinner plates than those
we lately us'd, and kept longer in
the fire, this would have a more con∣siderable
Operation upon them, we
Page 27

took one Ounce of very thinly ham∣mer'd
pieces of Copper, and putting
them betwixt two Crucibles (one
whelm'd over another) as in Expe∣rim.
XV. with some lute at the cor∣ners
of the juncture, to keep the fire
from coming immediately at the Me∣tal,
we kept them in the Cupelling-furnace
about three hours, and then
disjoyning the Vessels, we found the
Metal covered with a dark and brittle
substance, like that describ'd in the
above recited Experiment. Which
substance, when scal'd off, disclos'd a
finely colour'd Metal, which, toge∣ther
with these burnt scales, amounted
to one and twenty Grains above the
weight that was first put in.]

If, when these things were doing,
I had been furnished with a very
good Lute, which is no such easie
thing to procure, as Chymists, that
have not frequently employed vulgar
Lutes, are wont to think; I would
have made a tryal of the ensuing Ex∣periment
for a good while in the
naked Fire, notwithstanding that
Page 28

divers Metalline Minerals will scarce
be brought to fusion in Glasses, espe∣cially
without such a Fire, whose
violence makes them break the Ves∣sels.
For I thought, that by making
a fit choice of the Metals to be em∣ployed,
I could prevent that incon∣venience:
But wanting the Accom∣modations
I desir'd, and yet presu∣ming,
that in a Sand-furnace I might
by degrees administer heat enough
to melt so fusible a Metal as fine Tin,
and keep it in fusion; I resolved to
make some tryals, first upon that, and
then upon another Metal. For though
I was not sure of being then able to
prosecute the Experiment far enough;
yet I hoped, I might at least see some
Effects of my first tryal, which would
enable me to guess, what I was to
expect from a complete one.

EXPER. XVII.
[We took then a piece of fine
Block-Tin, and in a pair of good
Scales weighed out carefully half a
Page 29

Pound of it; this we put into a
choice Glass-retort, and kept it for
two days or thereabouts in a Sand∣furnace,
which gave heat enough to
keep the Metal in fusion without
cracking the Glass. Then taking out
the mixture, we carefully weigh'd it
in the same Scales, and found the
superficies a little alter'd (as if it
were dispos'd to calcination) and the
weight to be increased about two
Grains or somewhat better.]

EXPER. XVIII.
[The other Experiment, I tryed
in Glasses, was with Mercury, hoping,
that, if I could make a Precipitate
per se in a Hermetically seal'd Glass,
I should by comparing the weight
of the Precipitate, and the Quick-silver
that afforded it, have a clear
Experiment to my purpose; and I
should have no bad one, if I could
but make it succeed with a Glass,
though not seal'd, yet well stop'd;
instead of those Infernal-glasses (as
Page 30

they call them) which are com∣monly
us'd and wont to be left open
(though some slightly stop them
with a little Paper or Cotton:) But
though, partly that I might a little
diversifie the Experiment, and make
it the more likely to succeed in one
or other of the Glasses, I divided the
Mercury and distributed it amongst
several of them, and but a little to
each, the success did not answer ex∣pectation,
the Hermetically seal'd
Glasses being unluckily broken; and
the Precipitation in the others pro∣ceeding
so slowly, that I was by a
remove oblig'd to leave the tryal im∣perfect;
only I was encouraged, (in
case of a future opportunity) to re∣new
it another time, by finding that
most of the Glasses, though tall, and
stop'd with fit Corks, afforded some
very fair Precipitate, but not enough
to answer my Design.]

Page 31
Tryals of the Fourth sort.
MOst of the Experiments hither∣to
recited, having been made
as it were upon the by with others,
whose exigencies 'twas fit these should
comply with; very few of the ex∣pos'd
Bodies were kept in the Cupel∣ling-fire
above two hours or there∣abouts.
Upon which account I
thought fit to try, how much some
Bodies, that had been already expos'd
to the Fire, would gain in weight by
being again expos'd to it; especially
considering, that most calcinable Bo∣dies,
(for I affirm it not of all) which
yield rather calces than ashes by be∣ing
without additament reduc'd in
the Fire to fine powder, seem'd to be
by that Operation open'd, or (as a
Chymist would speak) unlock'd, and
therefore probably capable of being
further wrought upon and increas'd
in weight by such a Menstruum as
I suppos'd Flame and igneous Ex∣halations
Page 32

to be. And about this
Conjecture I shall subjoyn the en∣suing
Tryals.

EXPER. XIX.
[One Ounce of Calx of Tin, that
had been made per se for an Expe∣riment
in our own Laboratory, being
put in a new Cupel and kept under
the Muffler for about two hours,
was taken out hot and put into the
Scales, where the powder appear'd
to have gain'd in weight one Drachm
and thirty-five Grains by the opera∣tion
of the Fire, which made it also
look much whiter than it did before,
as appeared by comparing it with
some of the Calx that had not been
exposed to the second Fire: No part
of the Puttie was, as we could per∣ceive,
melted by the vehemence of
the Fire, much less reduc'd into
Metal.]

Page 33
EXPER. XX.
[Out of a parcel of filings of Steel,
that had been before expos'd to the
fire and had its weight thereby
increas'd some Grains, not Scruples;
we took an Ounce, and having ex∣pos'd
it at the same time with the
Calx of Tin, and, for the same time,
kept it in the Fire, we took it out
at the two hours end; and found the
weight to be increas'd two Drachms
and two and twenty Grains. The
filings were very hard bak'd toge∣ther,
and, the Lump being broken,
looked almost like Iron.]

EXPER. XXI.
The following Experiment, though
it may seem in one regard but a Con∣tinuation
of the XVth; yet it has in
this something peculiar from all the
foregoing, that not only it affords an
instance of the increase of Weight
obtain'd by a Metal at the second
Page 34

time of its being expos'd to the fire,
but shews also, that such an increment
may be had, though this second igni∣tion
be made in close Vessels.]

[Some of the Copper mention'd
in Experim. XV. being accidentally
lost, one Ounce and four Drachms
of what remain'd was included be∣twixt
two Crucibles and expos'd to
a strong fire for two hours, and suf∣fer'd
to continue there till the fire
went out: When it was taken out,
it appear'd to have gain'd ten Grains
in weight, and to have upon the
superficial parts of the Plates (as
we observ'd) divers dark colour'd
flakes, some of which stuck to the
Metal, but more, upon handling it,
fell off.]

And here I shall conclude One of
the Two Parts of our designed Trea∣tise:
For, though I remember, that
these were not all the Tryals that
were made and set down upon the
Subject hitherto treated of; yet these
are the chief, that having escaped
the mischances, which befel some
Page 35

others, I can meet with among my
promiscuous Memorials; whose num∣ber,
when I drew them together,
I could scarce increase, having by all
these and other Tryals of differing
kinds wasted my Cupels and com∣modious
Glasses, where I could not
well repair my loss. Whether I
should have been able by Reduction,
specifick Gravity, or any other of the
ways, which I had in my thoughts,
to make any discovery of the Nature
of the Substance that made the In∣crement
of Weight in our Ignited
Bodies; the want as well of leisure,
as of accommodations requisite to
go through with so difficult a task,
keeps me from pretending to know.
But these three things, I hope, I may
have gained by what has been deli∣ver'd.
The First, That we shall
henceforth see cause to proceed more
warily in the Experiments we make
with Metals in the Fire, especially
by Cupellation. The next, That it
will justifie and perhaps procure an
easier assent to some passages in my
Page 36

other Writings, that have Relation
to the Substance, what-ever it be,
that we are speaking of. And the
third, (which is the principal,) That
it will probably excite you, and your
inquisitive Friends, to exercise their
sagacious Curiosity, in discovering
what kind of Substance that is,
which, though hitherto overseen by
Philosophers themselves, and, being
a Fluid, far more subtile than visible
Liquors, and able to pierce into the
Compact and Solid Bodies of Metals,
can yet add something to them, that
has no despicable Weight upon the
Ballance, and is able for a conside∣rable
time to continue fixt in the
Fire.

Page 37
Additional Experiments, ABOUT ARRESTING and WEIGHING OF Igneous Corpuscles.
EXperiments to discover the In∣crease
in Weight of Bodies,
though inclos'd in Glasses, be∣ing
those that I considered as likeliest
to answer what I design'd in the
hitherto prosecuted Attempt, and
finding the seventeenth Experiment
as well as the next (try'd upon Mer∣cury)
to be very slow, and its per∣formance
not to be very great, I be∣gan
to call to mind, what, many
years ago, Experience had shewn me
possible to be perform'd, as to the
managing Glass-vessels, even with∣out
coating them, in a naked Fire,
Page 38

provided a wary person were con∣stantly
employ'd to watch them.
And supposing hereupon, that, in no
longer time than a Laborant might,
without being tir'd, hold out to at∣tend
a Glass, a Metal expos'd in it
to a naked fire might afford us a much
more prosperous tryal than that lately
referr'd to, I afterwards resolv'd,
when I should be able to procure
some Glasses conveniently shap'd, to
prosecute my Design; in pursuance
of which though I had not any Fur∣naces
fitted for my purpose, I dire∣cted
a Laborant to make the follow∣ing
Tryals.

EXPER. I.
[We took eight Ounces (Troy
weight) of Block-Tin, which being
cut into bits was put into a good
round Vial with a long neck, and
then warily held over quick Coals
without touching them till it was
melted; after which it was kept al∣most
continually shaken, to promote
the Calcination, near an hour, the
Page 39

Metal being all the while in fusion,
and the Glass kept at some di∣stance
from the throughly kindled
Coals. The most part of this time
the orifice of the Vial was cover'd
with a Cap of Paper (which some∣times
fell off by moving the Glass)
to keep the Air and Steams of the
Coals from getting into the neck.
And at the end of this time, he that
held the Glass being tir'd, and having
his Hand almost scorch'd, the Vial
being remov'd from the fire was bro∣ken,
that we might take out the
Metalline Lump, which had a little
darkish Calx here and there upon the
upper surface, but much more be∣neath,
where it had been contiguous
to the bottom of the Glass; then put∣ting
all this carefully freed from little
fragments of broken Glass into the
same Ballance with the self-same
counterpoise I had us'd before, I found,
according to my Expectation, an in∣crease
of weight, which amounted
to eighteen Grains, that the Tin had
acquir'd by this Operation.]

Page 40
EXPER. II.
[This done we separated the Calx
for fear of losing it, and having
melted the Metal in a Crucible, that
by pouring it out it might be re∣duc'd
to thin Plates capable of being
cut in pieces, and put into such ano∣ther
Vial as the last; we weigh'd it
again together with the ••tely re∣serv'd
Calx, but found, that, notwith∣standing
all our oare, we had lost
three Grains of the eighteen we had
gain'd. This done we put the Me∣tal
into another Vial. But in regard
the neck was shorter than that of
the former, and could not like it be
long held in ones Hand; and because
also I was willing to see what Interest
the shaking of melted Tin has in the
quickness of the Calcination, the
Glass, which had a stopple of Paper
put to it to keep out Smoak and Air,
was held at some distance from the
Coals, only whilst the Tin was
melting; and then was warily laid
Page 41

upon them and kept there for two
hours, at the end of which 'twas
again taken off, and the Metal weigh'd
with the same Counterpoise and Bal∣lance
as formerly; and then it ap∣pear'd
to amount to eight Ounces
twenty-four Grains, and to have
much more separable Calx than at
the first time. Nor did I much won∣der,
that the weight should be in∣creas'd
in this last Operation but
nine Grains in two hours, and in the
former twice so many in half the
time; since, during the two hours,
the Glass was kept in one posture,
whereas in the first Operation, it
was almost perpetually shaken all
the while 'twas kept in fusion. And
'tis observ'd, that the agitation of
melted Minerals will much promote
the Effect of the Fire upon them, and
conduce to their Calcination.]

EXPER. III.
Though these Tryals might well
satisfie a person not very scrupulous,
Page 42

yet to convince even those that are
so, I undertook, in spite of the diffi∣culties
of the Attempt, to make the
Experiment in Glasses Hermetically
seal'd, to prevent all suspition of any
accession of Weight accruing to the
Metal from any Smoak or Saline
Particles getting in at the mouth of
the Vessel. And in prosecution of
this design I thought upon a way of
so Hermetically sealing a Retort, that
it might be expos'd to a naked fire
without being either crackt or burst;
an Account of which Tryal was thus
set down.

[Eight Ounces of good Tin care∣fully
weigh'd out was Hermetically
seal'd up in a new small Retort with
a long neck, by which 'twas held
in ones Hand, and warily approach'd
to a kindled Charcoal-fire, near which
the Metal was kept in fusion, being
also ever now and then shaken for
almost half an hour, in which time
it seem'd to have acquir'd on the sur∣face
such a dark colour as argued
a beginning of Calcination, and it
Page 43

both emitted Fumes that play'd up
and down, and also afforded two or
three drops of Liquor in the neck of
the Retort. The Laborant being not
able to hold the Glass any longer,
'twas laid on quick Coals, where the
Metal continued above a quarter of
an hour longer in fusion; but before
the time was come that I intended
to suffer it to cool in order to the re∣moving
it, it suddenly broke in a
great multitude of pieces, and with
a noise like the Report of a Gun; but
(thanks be to God) it did no harm
neither to me nor others that were
very near it. In the neck we found
some drops of a yellowish Liquor,
which a Virtuoso that tasted it affirm'd
to be of an odious but peculiar Sa∣por;
and as for the Smell, I found it
to be very stinking, and not unlike
that of the distill'd Oyl of Fish.]

But, though our first Attempt of
this kind had thus miscarried, we
were not thereby discourag'd, but in
prosecution of the same design made
the ensuing Tryal.

Page 44
EXPER. IV.
[The Tin which had been before
(in the first or some such Experi∣ment)
partly calcin'd in a Glass, being
melted again in a Crucible, that it
might be reduc'd to pieces small
enough to be put into another Glass,
was put again into the Scales, and
the surplusage being laid aside, that
there might remain just eight Ounces;
these were put into a Bolt-head of
white Glass with a neck of about
twenty Inches long, which being
Hermetically seal'd (after the Glass
had been a while kept over the fire,
lest that should break by the rarefa∣ction
of the Air,) the Metal was kept
in fusion for an hour and a quarter,
as (being hinder'd by a Company of
strangers from being there my self)
the Laborant affirm'd. Being un∣willing
to venture the Glass any
longer, it was taken from the fire,
and when 'twas grown cold, the
seal'd end was broken off; but before
Page 45

I would have the bottom cut out,
I observ'd, that the upper surface of
the Metal was very darkly colour'd,
and not at all smooth, but much and
very odly asperated; and the lower
part had between the bottom and the
lower part of the Lump a pretty deal
of loose dark-colour'd Calx, though
the neighbouring surface and some
places of the Lump it self look'd by
Candle-light (it being then Night)
of a golden Colour. The Lump and
Calx together were weigh'd in the
same Scales carefully, and we found
the weight to have increas'd twenty-three
Grains and better, though all
the Calx, we could easily separate,
being weigh'd by it self amounted not
to four Scruples or eighty Grains.]

For Confirmation of this Experi∣ment
I shall subjoyn another, wherein
but a quarter of so much Metal was
employed with such success as the
annexed Memorial declares.

Page 46
EXPER. V.
[Two Ounces of filings of Tin
were carefully weigh'd and put into
a little Retort, whose neck was after∣wards
drawn slenderly out into a very
small Apex; then the Glass was plac'd
on kindled Coals, which drove out
fumes at the small orifice of the neck
for a pretty while. Afterwards the
Glass; being seal'd up at the Apex, was
kept in the fire above two hours; and
then being taken off was broken at
the same Apex; whereupon I heard the
outward Fire rush in, because when
the Retort was seal'd the Air within
it was highly rarified. Then the body
of the Glass being broken, the Tin
was taken out, consisting of a Lump,
about which there appear'd some
gray Calx and some very small glo∣buls,
which seem'd to have been
filings melted into that form. The
whole weigh'd two Ounces twelve
Grains, the later part of which
weight appear'd to have been gain'd
by the Operation of the Fire on the
Page 47

Metal. In the neck of the Retort,
where it was joyn'd to the body, there
appear'd a yellowish and clammy
substance thinly spread, which smelt
almost like the foetid Oyl of Tartar.]

EXPER. VI.
To vary the foregoing Experiments
by making Tryals on a Mineral that
is held to be of a very Metalline na∣ture,
but is not a true Metal, nor will
be brought to fusion by so moderate
a Heat as will suffice to melt Tin,
and yet has parts less fixt than Tin,
as being far more easily sublimable,
we thought fit to make the following
Experiment.

[We took an Ounce of filings of
Zinke carefully weigh'd, and having
as carefully put them into a round
Bolt-glass, we caus'd the neck to be
drawn out very slender, and then or∣der'd
the Laborant to keep it upon
quick Coals for the appointed time.
Afterwards returning home, I call'd
for the Glass, which he said he had
Page 48

kept four hours upon the Coals; an∣swering
me also, that there did for a
great part of the time Smoak appear
to ascend from the Zink and get out at
the unstopt Apex. And in effect I ob∣serv'd,
that the upper part of the Glass
was lin'd with Flores or Sublimate of a
darkish gray. The Glass being dex∣trously
cut asunder, we took out not
only the filings of Zinke, some of
which were melted into little glo∣buls,
but the Flores too, and yet
weighing all these in the same Scales,
we had us'd before, we found five
Grains and somewhat better wanting
of an Ounce. Which we the less
wonder'd at, because of the conti∣nuance
of the lately mention'd Exha∣lations
emitted by the filed Mineral.]

EXPER. VII.
For more ample confirmation of
the truth discover'd by what I have
been reciting about Tin, I thought
fit to try the like Experiment upon
another Metal, which though of
Page 49

somewhat more difficult fusion than
Tin, I had reason to think might, if
employed in a moderate quantity, and
warily managed, be kept melted in
Glass without breaking it. And ac∣cordingly
having carefully weigh'd
out four Ounces of good Lead cut
before-hand into pieces little enough
for the orifice of the Glass, I caused
them to be put into a small Retort
with a long neck, wherein was after∣wards
left but an orifice not much
bigger than a pins head: Then leaving
directions with the Laborant what
to do, because I was my self call'd
abroad, at my return he brought me
together with the Glass, this Account:
That he had kept it over and upon
the Coals two hours, or better, and
then supposing the danger of breaking
the Glass was over, he had sealed it
up at the little Orifice newly men∣tion'd,
and kept it on the Coals two
hours longer. Before the Glass (which
I found to be well seal'd) was broken,
I perceived the pieces of Lead to have
been melted into a Lump, whose
Page 50

surface was dark and rugged, and
part of the Metal to have been turn'd
into a dark-colour'd Powder or Calx:
All this being taken out of the Re∣tort,
was weigh'd in the same Bal∣lance,
whereon the Lead appear'd to
have gain'd by the Operation some∣what
above thirteen Grains.

EXPER. VIII.
To shew that Metals are not the
only Bodies that are capable of re∣ceiving
an increase of Weight from
the Fire, I thought fit to make upon
Coral a tryal, whereof my Memorial
gives me this Account.

[Little bits of good red Coral be∣ing
Hermetically seal'd up in a thin
bubble of Glass, after two Drachms
of them had been weigh'd out in a
pair of nice Scales, were warily kept
at several times over and upon kindled
Coals, and at length being taken out
for good and all, were found of a very
dark Colour, and to have gain'd in
weight three Grains and about a half.]

Page 51
EXPER. IX.
One Experiment there is, which,
though it might have come in
more properly at another place, is
not to be omitted in this because it
may invite us to consider, whether
in the foregoing Experiments, ex∣cepting
those made on Lead and Tin
in seal'd Vessels, there may not be
more of the Fire adherent to or in∣corporated
with the Body expos'd
to it, than one would conclude
barely from the recited Increments
of their Weight. For having taken
very strong fresh Quick-lime pro∣vided
on purpose for choice Experi∣ments,
and expos'd it, before the Air
had time to slake it, upon the Cupel,
to a strong fire where it was kept
for two hours; I found that it had
increas'd in weight even somewhat
beyond my expectation: For being
seasonably put into the Ballance, the
Lumps that weigh'd, when expos'd,
but two Drachms, amounted to two
Page 52

Drachms and twenty-nine Grains;
which makes this Experiment a pre∣gnant
one to our purpose. For by
this it appears, that notwithstanding
a Body may for many hours, or
even for some days, be expos'd to
a very violent Fire, yet it may be
still capable of admitting and re∣taining
fresh Corpuscles; so that,
though well made Lime be usually
observ'd to be much lighter than the
Stones whereof 'tis made; yet this
lightness does not necessarily prove,
that, because a burnt Lime-stone has
lost much of its matter by the Fire,
it has therefore acquir'd no matter
from the Fire; but only inferrs, that
it has lost far more than it has got.
And this may give ground to suspect,
that in most of the foregoing tryals
the accession of the fiery Particles
was greater (though in some more,
in others less so,) than the Ballance
discover'd; since, for ought we know,
divers of the less fixt Particles of the
expos'd Body might be driven away
by the vehemence of the Heat; and
Page 53

consequently the Igneous Corpuscles
that fastned themselves to the re∣maining
matter might be numerous
enough, not only to bring the acces∣sion
of Weight that was found by
the Scales, but to make amends for
all the fugitive Particles, that had
been expell'd by the violence of the
Fire. And since so fixt a Body as
Quick-lime is capable of being
wrought upon by the Igneous Efflu∣via,
so as that they come to be as
'twere incorporated with it, it may
perchance be worth considering, whe∣ther
in other calcin'd or incinerated
Bodies the remaining Calces or Ashes
may not retain more than the bare
Impression (unless that be stretch'd
to mean some participation of a sub∣stance,)
of the Fire. Whether these
Particles that adhere to or are min∣gled
with the stony ones of the Lime
may have any thing to do in the
Heat and tumult that is produc'd
upon the slaking of Lime, this is not
a fit place to examine. And though
by this Experiment and those made
Page 54

in seal'd Retorts, which shew that
what is afforded by Fire may in a
Corporeal way invade, adhere and
add Weight to even fixt and ponde∣rous
Bodies, there is a large Field
open'd for the Speculative to apply
this Discovery to divers Phaenomena
of Nature and Chymistry; yet I shall
leave this Subject unmedled with in
this place.


A
DISCOVERY
Of the
PERVIOUSNESS
OF
GLASS
TO PONDERABLE PARTS
OF
FLAME.

With some Reflexions on it by way
of COROLLARY.

Subjoyned as an Appendix to his Experiments
about Arresting and Weighing of IGNEOUS
CORPUSCLES,
BY.
The Honorable ROBERT BOYLE.

LONDON:
Printed by W. G. for M. Pitt at the sign of the
White Hart, over-against the little North
Door of St Paul's Church. 1673.


Page 57
A DISCOVERY OF The Perviousness of GLASS TO Ponderable Parts of FLAME.
THAT I might obviate some
needless scruples that may
be entertain'd by suspitious
Wits upon this Circumstance of our
Additional Experiments, That the
Glasses employ'd about them were not
exposed to the Action of mere Flame, but
were held upon Charcoals, (which to
some may seem to contain but a Gros∣ser
kind of Fire:) And that also I
might, by diversifying the way of
tryal, render such Experiments both
more fit to afford Corollaries, and
more serviceable to my other purpo∣ses,
I attempted to make it succeed
with a Body so thin and disingaged
Page 58

from gross matter as mere Flame is
allowed to be, knowing, that by
going cautiously with it to work,
one might handle a Retort without
breaking it, in spite of a violent agi∣tation
of kindled matter.

EXPER. I.
Supposing then that good com∣mon
Sulphur by reason of its great
Inflammability and the vehemency
and penetrancy of its Flame, would
be a very fit fuel for my purpose,
I provided a small double Vessel so
contrived, that the one should contain
as many Coals as was necessary to
keep the Sulphur melted, and that
the other, which was much smaller,
and shap'd like a Pan, should contain
the Brimstone requisite for our Tryal;
and (lastly,) that these two should
be with a convenient Lute so joyned
to one another, that all being clos'd
at the top, save the orifice of the
little Pan, (the fire and smoak of the
Coals having their vent another
Page 59

way,) no fire should come at the Re∣tort
to be employed, but the flame
of the burning Brimstone. Then two
ounces of filings of Tin being heed∣fully
weigh'd out, and put into a
Glass-Retort provided for such Tryals,
and made fit to be easily seal'd up at
the neck, when the time should be
convenient, the Sulphur (which
ought to be of the purer sort) was
kindled, and the Glass by degrees
exposed to it; where it continued,
as the Laborant inform'd me, (the
smell of Brimstone, peculiarly offen∣sive
to me, forbidding me to be pre∣sent,)
near two hours before the
Metal melted; after which he kept
the Retort near an hour and half
more with the Metal melted in it.
Then bringing it me to look upon,
I perceived a pretty deal of darkish
Calx at the bottom, and partly too
upon the surface of the far greater
part of the Metal, which now lay in
one Lump. The part of the Retort
that had been seal'd being broken off,
we first took out the Calx, and then
Page 60

the Lump, and putting them into
the Scales, they had been formerly
weigh'd in, found them to have made
a very manifest acquist of weight,
which, if both the Laborant and I
be not mistaken, (for the paper, which
should inform us, is now missing)
amounted to four grains and a half,
gained by the recited Operation.
Afterwards, we being grown more
expert in making such Tryals, the
experiment was repeated with the
same quantity of filings of the same
Metal: At the end of the Opera∣tion,
(which in all lasted somewhat
above three hours) having broken off
the seal'd neck of the Retort, we
found, that a good proportion of dark∣colour'd
Calx had been produc'd.
This being weighed with the uncal∣cin'd
part of the Metal, the two
ounces we first put in appear'd to
have acquir'd no less than eleven
grains and a half (and somewhat
better.)

Such Superstructures, both for
number and weight, may possibly
Page 61

in time be built on this and the like
Experiments, that I shall venture to
obviate even such a scruple as is like
to be judg'd too Sceptical. But I re∣member,
that, considering upon oc∣casion
of some of the Experiments
formerly recited, that though it were
very improbable, yet it did not ap∣pear
impossible, that the increment
of Weight, acquir'd by Bodies ex∣pos'd
in Glass-vessels to the Fire,
might proceed, not from the Corpu∣scles
of Fire, but from the Particles of
the Glass it self, loosened by the power
of so intense a Heat, and forcibly dri∣ven
into the inclos'd Body; I was
content to take a couple of Glasses,
whereof one was shap'd into a little
Retort, and having weigh'd them,
and then having kept them for a
considerable time upon kindled Coals,
and then weigh'd them again, I
could gather little of certainty from
the Experiment, (the Retort at one
time seeming to have acquir'd above
half a grain in the fire,) save that
there was no likelihood at all, that
Page 62

so considerable an increase of weight,
as we divers times obtain'd in close
vessels, should proceed from the Glass
it self, and not from the Fire.

EXPER. II.
Because it seems evident enough,
that, whatever Chymists tell us of
their Hypostatical Sulphur, common
Brimstone is a body Heterogeneous
enough, having in it some parts of
an oyly or inflammable nature, and
others acid; and very near of kin to
the Spirits of Vitriol; I thought fit
to vary our Experiment, by making
it with a liquor that is generally re∣puted
to be as Homogeneous as Chy∣mists
themselves are wont to render
any, I mean with a Spirit of Wine,
or some such liquor as will totally
flame away without affording Soot,
or leaving any drop of Phlegm be∣hind
it. In prosecution of this de∣sign,
we carefully weighed out an
ounce of filings of Block-Tin, and
put them into a Glass-Retort, fit for
Page 63

the purpose, whose neck was after∣wards
drawn out to a great slender∣ness;
and we also provided a conve∣niently
shap'd metalline Lamp, such
as that the flame of this ardent Spi∣rit
might commodiously burn in it,
and yet not melt nor crack it;
which Lamp, though furnished with
a Cotton wick, afforded no Soot,
because as long as it was supplied
with liquor enough, it remained un∣burnt.
These things being in rea∣diness,
the Retort was warily ap∣proach'd
to the flame, and the Me∣tal
was thereby in a short time mel∣ted.
After which the Glass being
kept expos'd to the same flame for
near two hours in all, the seal'd apex
of the Retort was broken off, and
there appear'd to have been produc'd
a not inconsiderable Quantity of
Calx, that lay loose about the re∣maining
part of the Tin, which, up∣on
its growing cold, was harden'd
into a Lump. This, and the Calx,
being taken out of the Retort with
care, that no little fragment of Glass
Page 64

should at all impose upon us, was
weigh'd in the same Scales as for∣merly,
and found to have gain'd
four grains and a half, besides the
Dust that stuck in the inside of the
Retort, of which we reckon'd
enough to make about half a grain
more; so that of so fine and pure
a flame as of this totally ardent
Spirit, enough to amount to five
grains was arrested, and in good
measure fixt by its operation on the
Tin it had wrought upon.

EXPER. III.
For confirmation of the former
tryal, wherein we had imployed the
Spiritus ardens of Sugar, we made
the like experiment with highly Re∣ctified
Spirit of Wine, only substi∣tuting
an ounce of Lead instead of
one of Tin. The event, in short,
was this; that after the Metal had
been for two hours or better kept in
the flame, the seal'd neck of the Re∣tort
being broken off, the external
Page 65

Air rush'd in with a noise, (which
shew'd the Vessel to have been very
tight,) and we found pretty store of
the Lead; for 'twas above seven scru∣ples,
turn'd into a grayish Calx,
which together with the rest of the
Metal being weigh'd again, there
was very near, if not full, six grains
of increase of weight acquir'd by the
Operation.

1. N. B. The Lump of Lead, that
remain'd after the newly recited
Operation, being separated from the
Calx, was weighed and cut in pieces,
that it might be put into a fresh Re∣tort,
wherein it was again expos'd
to the flame of Spirit of Wine, that
I might satisfie my self, whether pro∣bably
the whole Body of the Lead
might not, by repeated Operations,
or (perhaps by one continued long
enough) be reduc'd to Calx. And
though, after the Retort (whose neck
had been drawn out) had been kept
in the flame for about two hours,
it was, by the negligence of a Foot∣boy,
unluckily broken, and some of
Page 66

the Calx lost; yet we made a shift
to save about five grains of it, (whose
colour was yellowish;) which was
enough to make it likely, that, if
we had had conveniency to pursue
the Operation to the utmost, the
whole Metal might have been cal∣cin'd
by the action of the flaming
Spirit.

2. N. B. And lest you should be
induc'd by some Chymical conceits
to imagine, that the particles that
once belong'd to flame, did make
more than a Coalition with those of
the Lead, and by a perfect Union
were Really transmuted into the Me∣tal
whose weight they increas'd;
I shall add, that (according to a
Method elsewhere deliver'd) I exa∣min'd
the seven scruples of Calx, men∣tion'd
to have been made in the third
Experiment, by weighing them in
Air and Water, and thereby found,
as I expected, that though the abso∣lute
Gravity of the Metal had been
increas'd by the particles of Flame
that stuck fast to it, yet this Aggre∣gate
Page 67

of Lead and extinguish'd Flame
had lost much of its specifick Gravity.
For, whereas Lead is wont to be to
Water of the same bulk, as about ele∣ven
and a half to one, this subtil Calx of
Lead was to Water of the same bulk
little, if at all, more than as nine to one.

These are not the only Experi∣ments
I made of the Operation of
meer Flame upon Bodies inclos'd in
Glasses; but these, I suppose, are
sufficient to allow me to comply with
my present haste, and yet make good
the Title prefixt to this Paper. For,
whence can this increase of absolute
weight (for I speak not of specifick
Gravity,) observ'd by us in the Me∣tals
expos'd to the mere flame, be
deduc'd, but from some pondera∣ble
parts of that Flame? And how
could those parts invade those of
the Metal inclos'd in a Glass, other∣wise
than by passing through the
pores of that Glass? But, because
I judge it unphilosophical, either to
more careful that what one writes
should appear strange, than be true;
Page 68
or to be forward to advance the re∣pute
of Strangeness, to the prejudice
of the Interest of Truth, though it
be perhaps but a remote one, or a
collateral one; I shall deal so impar∣tially,
as to subjoyn on this occasion
two or three short Intimations, that
may prove both seasonable for Cau∣tion,
in reference to the Porousness
of Glass, and give a hint or two in
relation to other Things.

I do not then by the foregoing
Experiments pretend to make out
the Porosity of Glass any farther,
than is exprest in the Title of this
Paper; namely, in reference to some
of the Ponderable parts of Flame.
For otherwise I am not at all of their
mind, that think Glass is easily pe∣netrable,
either, as many do, by
Chymical Liquors; or, as some, by
Quicksilver; or, as others, at least
by our Air: Those opinions not
agreeing with the Experiments I
made purposely to examine them, as
you may find in another Paper.

Again, if we compare the Increase
Page 69

we observe to be made in the Weight
of the Bodies that we expose to the
naked Fire, and those of the same or
the like kinds that we included in
Glasses, or so much as in Crucibles;
it may be worth considering, Whe∣ther
this difference in acquir'd weight
may not give cause to suspect, that
the Corpuscles, whereof Fire and
Flame consists, are not all of the
same size, and equally agitated, but
that the interpos'd Vessel keeps out
the grosser Particles like a kind of
Strainer, though it gives passage to
the minutest and most active?

I offer it also to Consideration,
Whether this perviousness of Glass,
even to the minute particles that per∣vade
it, and their adhesion to the
Metal they work on, does necessarily
imply Pores constantly great enough
to transmit such Corpuscles? or,
Whether it may not be said, that
Glass is generally of a closer Texture,
than when in our Experiments the
pores are open'd by the vehement
Heat of the flame that beats upon it,
Page 70

and in that state may let pass Cor∣puscles
too big to permeate Glass in
its ordinary state; and that this
penetration is much assisted by the
vehement agitation of the Igneous
parts, which by the rapidness of their
motion both force themselves a pas∣sage
through the narrow pores of
the Glass, and pierce deep enough
into those of the included Body to
stick fast there; (as hail-shot thrown
with ones hand against a board, will
pass off from it, but being shot out
of a Gun will pierce it, and lodge
themselves in it?) And I know a
Menstruum that does not work upon
a certain Metal whilst the liquor is
cold, or but faintly heated, and yet
by intending the Heat would be made
to turn it into a powder or Calx,
(for it does not properly dissolve it.)

Perhaps it may not be amiss to
add on this occasion, that though
Glass be generally acknowledged to
have far smaller pores, than any
other matter wont to be implyed to
make vessels, that are to be expos'd
Page 71

to the fire; yet till I be farther satis∣fy'd,
I shall forbear both to determine,
whether the rectitude, that some
Philosophers suppose in the pores of
Glass, as 'tis a transparent body, or
rather in their ranks or rows, may
facilitate the Perviousness we above
observ'd in Glass, and to conclude
from the foregoing Experiments,
that ponderable parts of Flame will
be able as well to pass through the
pores of Metalline vessels as those of
Glass. For though, with a silver
vessel, made merely of plate without
Soder, I made two or three Tryals
(of which you may command an ac∣count)
in order to the resolving of
these doubts; yet by an accident,
which, though it were not a sur∣prizing
one, was unlucky enough
to defeat my endeavours, I was kept,
for want of fit Accommodations,
from bringing my intended tryals to
an issue.

And now having endeavour'd by
the foregoing Advertisements to pre∣vent
the having unsafe Consequences
Page 72

drawn from our Experiments; it
remains that I briefly point at three
our four Corollaries that may more
warily be deduc'd from them. To
which, if I get time, I may subjoyn
a hint or two about further In∣quiries.

COROLLARY I.
Confirming this PARADOX, That Flame may act as a Menstruum, and make Coalitions with the Bodies it works on.
THE Experiments, we have made
and recited of the premeating
of Flame (as to some of its parts)
through Glass-vessels, and of its work∣ing
on included Metals, may much
confirm the Paradox I have elsewhere
propos'd, That Flame may be a
Menstruum, and work on some Bodies
at the rate of being so; I mean not
only by making a notable Commi∣nution
and Dissipation of the parts,
Page 73

but by a Coalition of its own parti∣cles
with those of the fretted Body,
and thereby permanently adding Sub∣stance
and Weight to them. Nor is
it repugnant to Flames, being a Men∣struum,
that in our experiment the
Lead and Tin, expos'd to it, were
but reduc'd to powder, and not dis∣solv'd
in the form of a Liquor, and
kept in that state. For, besides that
the interpos'd Glass hinder'd the Ig∣neous
particles from getting through
in plenty enough; I consider, that
'tis not necessary, that all Menstruums
should be such Solvents, as the obje∣ction
supposes. For whether it be (as
I have sometimes suspected,) that
Menstruums, that we think simple,
may be compounded of very differing
parts, whereof one may precipitate
what is dissolved by the other; or
for some other Cause, I have not now
time to discuss. Certain it is, that
some Menstruums corrode Metals and
other Bodies without keeping dis∣solved
all, or perhaps any considerable
part; as may be seen, if you put Tin
Page 74

in a certain quantity of Aqua fortis,
which will in a very short time re∣duce
it almost totally to a very white
substance, which, when dry, is a
kind of Calx. And so by a due pro∣portion
of Oyl of Vitriol, abstracted
from Quicksilver by a strong fire, we
have divers times reduc'd the main
body of the Mercury into a white
powder, whereof but an inconsidera∣ble
part would be dissoluble in water.
And such a white Calx I have had
by the action of another fretting Li∣quor
on a Body not Metalline.

And having thus clear'd our Para∣dox
of the oppos'd Difficulty, my
haste would immediately carry me on
to the next Corollary, were it not,
that there is one Phaenomenon belong∣ing
to this place that deserves to be
taken notice of. For, whether it be,
as seems probable, from the vehement
agitation of the permeating particles
of Flame, that violently tear asunder
the Metalline Corpuscles, or from the
nature of the Igneous Menstruum,
(which being as 'twere percolated
Page 75

through Glass it self, must be strangely
minute,) 'tis worth observing, how
small a proportion, in point of weight,
of the additional adhering Body may
serve to corrode a Metal, in compa∣rison
of the Quantity of vulgar Men∣struums
that is requisite for that pur∣pose.
For, whereas we are oblig'd to
imploy, to the making the solution
of crude Lead, several times its weight
of Spirit of Vinegar, and (though not
so many times) even of Aqua fortis,
'twas observ'd in our Experiment,
that, though the Lead was increas'd
but six grains in weight, yet above
six score of it were fretted into pow∣der,
so that the Corrosive Body ap∣pear'd
to be but about the twentieth
part of the corroded.

COROLL. II.
Proposing a PARADOX about Calcination and Calces.
Another Consequence, deducible
from our discovery of the perviousness
Page 76

of Glass to Flame, may be this; That
there is cause to question the Truth
of what is generally taken for gran∣ted
about Calcination, and particu∣larly
of the notion, that not only
others, but Chymists themselves, have
entertain'd about the Calces of Metals
and Minerals. For, whereas 'tis com∣monly
suppos'd, that in Calcination
the greater part of the Body is driven
away, and only the Earth, to which
Chymists add the Fixt Salt, remains
behind; and whereas even Mechani∣cal
Philosophers, (for two or three
of Them have taken notice of Cal∣cination,)
are of opinion, that much
is driven away by the violence of the
fire; and the remaining parts by being
depriv'd of their more radical and fixt
moisture are turn'd into dry and brit∣tle
particles: Whereas these Notions,
I say, are entertain'd about Calcina∣tion,
it seems, that they are not well
fram'd, and do not universally hold;
since, at least they are not applicable
to the Metals, our Experiments were
made on. For, it does not appear
Page 77

by our Tryals, that any proportion,
worth regarding, of moist and fugitive
parts was expell'd in the Calcination;
but it does appear very plainly, that by
this Operation the Metals gain'd more
weight than they lost; so that the
main body of the Metal remain'd in∣tire,
and was far from being, either
as a Peripatetick would think, Ele∣mentary
Earth, or a compound of
Earth and Fixt Salt, as Chymists
commonly suppose the Calx of Lead
to be. From which very erroneous
Hypothesis they are wont to inferr the
sweet Vitriol of Lead, which they call
Saccharum Saturni, to be but the sweet
Salt of it extracted only by the Spirit
of Vinegar, which does indeed plen∣tifully
enough concurr to compose it.
Whence I conclude, that the Calx
of a Metal even made (as they speak)
per se, that is, by fire without ad∣ditament,
may be, at least in some
cases, not the Caput mortuum, or Terra
damnata, but a Magistery of it. For,
in the sense of the most intelligible
of the Chymical Writers, that is
Page 78

properly a Magistery wherein the
Principles are not separated, but the
bulk of the Body being preserved, it
acquires a new and convenient form
by the addition of the Menstruum or
Solvent imployed about the prepara∣tion.
And, not here to borrow any
Argument from my Notes about
particular Qualities, you may guess,
how true it is, that the greatest part
of the Body, or all the radical moi∣sture
is expell'd in Calcination, which
therefore turns the Metal into an
arid unfusible powder; by this, That
I have several times from Calx of
Lead reduc'd corporal Lead. And
I remember, that having taken what
I guess'd to be but about a third or
fourth part of the Calx of Lead, pro∣duc'd
by the third Experiment; I
found by a tryal purposely devis'd,
that without any Flux-powder or any
additament, but meerly by the appli∣cation
of the Flame of highly Recti∣fied
Spirit of Wine, there could in
a short time be obtain'd a considera∣ble
proportion of malleable Lead;
Page 79

whereof the part I had the Curiosity
to examine, was true malleable Lead;
so little was the arid powder, whence
this was reduc'd, depriv'd by the
foregoing Calcination of the suppo'sd
radical moisture requisite to a Metal.
The Consideration of what may be
drawn from this Reduction in refe∣rence
to the Doctrine of Qualities
belongs not to this place.

COROLL. III.
One use, among the rest, we may
make, by way of Corollary, of the
foregoing Discovery, which is in re∣ference
to a Controversie warmly
agitated among the Corpuscular Phi∣losophers
themselves. For, some of
them, that follow the Epicurean or
Atomical Hypothesis, think, that when
Bodies are expos'd in close vessels to
the fire, though the Igneous Corpu∣scles
do not stay with the Bodies
they invade, yet they really get
through the Pores of the interpos'd
Vessels, and permeate the included
Page 80

Bodies in their passage upwards;
whereas others, especially favourers
of the Cartesian Doctrine, will not
allow the Atomists Igneous Corpuscles,
which they take to be but vehe∣mently
agitated particles of Terre∣strial
matter, to penetrate such minute
pores as those of Glass; but do sup∣pose
the operation of the fire to be
perform'd by the vehement agitation
made of the small parts of the Glass,
and by them propagated to the in∣cluded
Bodies, whose particles by this
violent Commotion are notably al∣ter'd,
and receive new Textures, or
other modifications.

But our Experiments inform us,
that, though neither of the two Opi∣nions
seems fit to be despised, yet
neither seems to have hit the very
mark; though the Epicurean Hypothesis
comprize somewhat more of the
Truth than the other. For, though
it be not improbable, that the brisk
agitation communicated by the small
parts of the Glass to those of the Body
contain'd in it, may contribute much
Page 81

to the effect of the fire; and though,
by the small increment of weight,
we found in our expos'd Metal, 'tis
very likely, that far the greater part
of the Flame was excluded by the
close Texture of the Glass; yet on
the other side 'tis plain, that Igneous
particles were trajected through the
Glass, which agrees with the Epicu∣reans;
and they, on the other side,
mistook, in thinking that they did
but pass through, and divide and
agitate the included Bodies; to which
nevertheless our Experiments shew,
that enough of them, to be manifestly
ponderable, did permanently adhere.

Whether these Igneous Corpu∣scles
do stick after the like manner
to the parts of meat, drest by the help
of the fire, and especially roast-meat,
which is more immediately expos'd
to the action of the fire, may be a
question, which I shall now leave
undiscuss'd, because I think it difficult
to be determin'd, though otherwise
it seems worthy to be consider'd, in
regard it may concern mens Health,
Page 82

to know, whether the Coction of meat
be made by the fire, only as 'tis a very
hot body, or whether it permanently
communicates any thing of its sub∣stance
to the meat expos'd to it: In
which (last) case it may be suspected,
that not only the degree and manner
of application of a fire, but the nature
of its fuel may be fit to be consider'd.

COROLL. IV.
The Experiments above recited
give us this further Information,
That Bodies very spirituous, fugi∣tive,
and minute, may, by being as∣sociated
with congruous particles,
though of quite another nature, so
change their former Qualities, as to
be arrested, by a solid and ponderous
Body, to that degree, as not to be
driven away from it by a fire intense
enough to melt and calcine Metals.

For, the foregoing Tryals (taking
in what I* lately de∣liver'd
of the lessen'd
specifick Gravity of calcin'd Lead)
Page 83

seems plainly enough to discover,
that even the agitated parts of flame,
minute enough to pass through the
pores of Glass it self, were as 'twere
entangled among the metalline par∣ticles
of Tin and Lead, and thereby
brought to be fixt enough to endure
the Heat that kept those Metals in
fusion, and little by little reduc'd them
into calces: Which is a Phaenomenon that
one would not easily look for, espe∣cially
considering how simple a Tex∣ture
that of Lead or Tin may be sup∣pos'd
to be in comparison of the
more elaborate structures of very
many other Bodies. And this Phae∣nomenon,
which shews us, what light
and fugitive particles of matter may
permanently concurr to the Compo∣sition
of Bodies ponderous and fixt
enough, may perchance afford useful
hints to the Speculative; especially if
this strict Combination of spirituous
and fugitive substance with such, as
being gross or unwieldy, are less fit
than organiz'd matter to entangle
or detain them, be applied, (as it
Page 84

may be with advantage) to those
aggregates of spirituous Corpuscles,
and organical Parts, that make up
the Bodies of Plants and Animals.
And this hint may suggest a main
Inference to be drawn from the Ope∣rations
of the Sun-beams on appro∣priated
subjects, supposing it to
prove like that of flame on Tin and
Lead.

And now having dispatch'd our
COROLLARIES, we might here
inquire, Whether all the particles of
Fire and Flame, that are subtile and
agitated enough to penetrate Glass,
and fasten themselves to included
Bodies, be reduc'd by Ignition to the
same nature, or else retain somewhat
of their proper Qualities? Which
Inquiry I have some cause not to
think so undeterminable, as at first
blush it may appear. For, one of the
ways, that may be propos'd for this
Examen, is already intimated at the
close of the third Experiment, which
shews, that we may compare the
specifick Gravity of the Calces of the
Page 85

same Metal, made in Glasses by the
operation of Flames; whose fuels are
of very differing Natures. And I
said, one of the ways, because 'tis not
the only way I could name, and have
partly tryed. But though I might
say more concerning Expedients of
this kind, and could perhaps pro∣pound
other Inquiries that may rea∣sonably
enough be grounded upon
the hitherto recited Phaenomena (and
those of some other like tryals,) yet
I must not unseasonably forget, that
the pursuit of such Disquisitions
would lead me much farther than
I have now the leisure to follow it.

ERRATA.
Pag. 44. l. 19. r. some Metals work; pag. 1. in
the Discourse about the Determinate Nature of Efflu∣viums,
add the name of the Author, viz. By the
Honorable ROBERT BOYLE.

FINIS.


The Printer to the Reader.
IT hath been thought, it might be the
Interest of the Reader, especially
Foreiners, to be advertised, That these
Essays are already Translating into Latin,
and beginning also to be printed in that
Language; which that it may duly be
done, both as to this and the Au∣thor's
other Writings, to be publisht for
the future, the greater care will be ta∣ken
here, because it hath been several
times found both at home and elsewhere,
that the Versions made of them abroad,
and not in the place, where in case of
any difficulty the Author may be consulted
with by the Latin Interpreters, are often
very defective, and not seldom injurious
to the sense he hath deliver'd them in.
Which being consider'd by those that desire
to know the genuine sense of the Author,
'tis presumed, they will rather choose
those Versions, which are made by per∣sons
that have that advantage of com∣sulting
him in any case of doubt, than


such as shall mis-inform them; notwith∣standing
the pretence of a cheaper rate
of the Book.

Which being thus advertised, the
Printer taketh this opportunity of farther
acquainting the Reader from the Latin
Interpreter, that these Essays, to his
knowledge, were ready and in the Press
several Months before Dr. Thomas
Bartholin's Acta Philosophica & Me∣dica
appear'd in England, in which
there are two or three passages that may
seem of affinity with some to be met
with in the latter part of the Papers
about Experiments of Arresting the
parts of Flame, and of making them
Ponderable.


A Catalogue of the Writings Publisht by The Honorable ROBERT BOYLE.
1. SEraphick Love. London, for Henry Herringman, 1660. in 8o.
2. New Experiments Physico-Mechanical, touching the Spring of the Air, and its Ef∣fects. Oxford, for Thomas Robinson, 1660. in 8o. In Latin: Oxford; for the same, 1661. in 8o.
3. Certain Physiological Essays; to which is added, The Physico-Chymical Essay about the Differing parts, and Redintegration of Salt∣peter; as also, the History of Fluidity and Firmness. London, for Henry Herringman, 1661. in 4o. In Latin; London, by the same, 1661. in 4o.
4. Some Considerations touching the Style of the H. Scriptures. London, for H. Her∣ringman, 1661. in 8o.
5. The Sceptical Chymist. London, for John Crook, 1661. in 8o. In Latin; Lon∣don, for the same, in 8o. 1662.
6. A Defence of the Doctrine touching the Spring and Weight of the Air, against the

Objections of Franciscus Linus. London, for Tho. Robinson, 1662. in 4o.
7. An Examen of Mr. Hobbes his Dialo∣logus Physicus de Natura Aeris; with an Appendix touching Mr. Hobbes his Doctrine of Fluidity and Firmness. London, for Tho. Robinson, 1662. in 4o.
8. Ʋsefulness of Experimental Philoso∣phy. Oxford, for Rich. Davies, 1663. in 4o.
9. Experimental History of Colours. Lon∣don, for H. Herringman, 1664. in 8o. In Latin: London, for the same, 1665. in 12o.
10. History of Cold. To which is ad∣ded, an Examen of Antiperistasis, and of Mr. Hobbes his Doctrine of Cold. London, for John Crook, 1665. in 8o.
11. Hydrostatical Paradoxes. Oxford, for Rich. Davies, 1666. in 8o. In Latin; Oxford, for the same, 1669. in 12o.
12. Origine of Forms and Qualities. Ox∣ford, for Rich. Davies, 1667. in 8o. In Latin; Oxford, for the same, 1669. in 12o.
13. Free Considerations about Subordinate Forms. Oxford, for Rich. Davies, 1667. in 8o. In Latin; Oxford, 1669.
14. Continuation of New Experiments Physico-Mechanical touching the Spring and Weight of the Air, and the Atmosphere of Con∣sistent

Bodies. Oxford, for Rich. Davies, 1669. in 4o.
15. Of the Absolute Rest of Solid Bodies. London, for H. Herringman, 1669. in 4o. In Latin; London, for the same, 1672. in 12o.
16. Several Tracts; viz. An Introduction to the History of Particular Qualities: Of Cosmical Qualities and Suspitions: Of the Temperature of the Subterraneal and Subma∣rine Regions: Of the bottom of the Sea. Oxford, for Rich. Davies, 1671. in 8o. In Latin; London, for the same, 1672. in 12o.
17. Small Tracts; viz. Of a Discovery of the admirable Rarefaction of the Air, even without Heat: New Observations about the Duration of the Spring of the Air: New Ex∣periments touching the Condensation of the Air by meer Cold, and its Compression without Mechanical Engins: The admirably Diffe∣ring Extension of the same Quantity of Air rarified and compressed. London, for H. Her∣ringman, 1670. in 4o. In Latin; Lon∣don, for the same, 1670. in 12o.
18. Of the Vsefulness of Natural Phi∣losophy, Tom. 2. Oxford, for Rich. Davies, 1671. in 4o.
19. An Essay about the Origine and Vir∣tue of Gems. London, for Moses Pitt, 1672. in 8o. In Latin; London, for the same, 1673. in 12o.

20. Several Tracts, containing New Ex∣periments touching the Relation betwixt Flame and Air, and about Explosions: An Hydrosta∣tical Discourse answering some Objections of Dr. Henry More: An Hydrostatical Letter, dilucidating an Experiment about a way of weighing Water in Water: New Experiments of the Positive or Relative Levity of Bodies under Water: Of the Air's Spring on Bodies under Water: About the differing Pressure of Heavy Solids and Fluids. London, for Rich. Davies, 1672. in 8o.
21. Essays, of the strange Subtilty, the great Efficacy, and the Determinate Nature of Effluviums. To which are annext, New Experiments to make Fire and Flame Ponde∣rable; together with a Discovery of the Per∣viousness of Glass. London, for Moses Pitt, 1673. in 8o.
22. A Dialogue concerning the Positive or Privative nature of Cold; by a Member of the R. Society: And a Discourse about the Saltness of the Sea; and another of a Statical Hygroscope; together with some Phaenomena of the force of the Air's Moisture. To which is added a Paradox about the Natural and Praeternatural State of Bodies, especially the Air. London, for Rich. Davies, 1673. in 8o.