Note.
In the last Transactions was also promised an Accompt by the next, of Monsieur Hevelius his accurate Calcul. of the late Solar Eclipses, Duration, Quantity, &c. But this being to be accompanyed with Scheme, the Graving whereof met with a disappointment, it must be still referred to another Opportunity.
An Accompt of some Sanative-waters in Herefordshire.
This account was communicated by Dr. B. in these words.
There are two Springs in Herefordshire, whereof one is within a Bolt, or at least Bow-shoot of the top of the near adjoyning loftie Hill of Malvern, and at great distance from the Foot of the Hill; and hath had a long and old fame for healing of eyes. When I was for some years molested with Tetters on the back of one and sometimes of both my hands, notwithstanding all endeavors of my very friendly and skilful Physitians I had speedy healing from a neighbouring Spring of far less fame. Yet this Spring healed very old and Ulcerous sores on the Legs of a poor Fellow, which had been poyson'd by Irons in the Gaol, after other Chirurgery had been hopeless. And by many tryals upon my hands, and the Tetters; I was perswaded, that in long droughts, and lasting dry Frosts, those waters were more effectually and more speedily healing, than at other times. And not to omit this circumstance, I did hold this water in my mouth, till it was warm, perchance somewhat intermingled with fasting Spittle,
and so dropping it upon the Tetter, I there could see it immediately gather a very thin skin upon the raw flesh, not unlike that which is seen to gather upon Milk over a gentle fire. This skin would have small holes in it, through which a moisture did issue in small drops, which being wip'd away, and the water continued to be dropp'd warm out of the mouth, the holes would diminish, and at last be all quite healed up.
For the Eye-waters, I conceived them more strongly tersive, and clearing the Eyes; and they had a rough smartness, as if they carryed Sand or Gravel into the Eye.
I have known and try'd three or four healing Fountains of late discovery, or of no old fame that I could hear of.
I did once put rich Marle for some days in a vessel of water, to try whether the water would acquire a healing vertue, but my Experiments were interrupted. I had in my thoughts many other ways of Tryal; which I may resume hereafter.
A farther Accompt of the Vitriolate-water, mention'd Num. 18 p. [323]. Together with some other particulars touching waters.
This comes from the same hand as follows;
I formerly mentioned to you, that, if that Pool of Mr. Phillip's, which seems to be of Vitriolate-water, were on my ground, I would drain it, and search the head of the Spring, pursuing the source, till I could well discern, through what lay of Earth or Gravel it does pass. Now I shall tell you, that I have taken order for the further tryal of the said Water, by boiling a greater quantity in a Furnace, &c. But just as we were in readiness for the tryal, a stream of Rain-water fell into the Pool, and so discourag'd us for the present. I have also taken a course to turn the falling Waters aside, and to drain the Pool, that we may see, what the Native Springs (whether one or more) may be. Of which more hereafter.
I wish (so he goes on) we had a full Accompt of our Salt-Springs at Droyt-wych near Worcester, and at Nant-wych in Cheshire (what other Salt-Springs we have in England, I know not:)
It should be inquired, at what distance they are from the Seas, or from Salt-fluxes, from Hills, and how deep in the Vales? What the weight? Whether in droughts or long Frosts the proportion of Salt or weight increaseth? Whether the Earth near the Springs, or in their passage hath any peculiar ferment, or produceth a blackishness, if it rests, after it is well drained.
Inquiries for Turky.
Though many Relations and Descriptions of Turky be extant in Print, yet they leave in many a desire of a fuller information in the following particulars, lately drawn up, for the most part by Mr. H. and recommended to an Ingenious Gentleman, bound for that Country; and desired also to be taken notice of by others, that may have occasion to visit the same.
* Rusma is a kind of Earth, used in Turky to take away hair.
1. In what part of Turky the * Rusma is to be found; and in what quantity? Whether the Turks employ it to any other Uses, besides that of the taking away of Hair? Whether here be differing kinds of it? How it is used to take of hair, and how to get store of it.
2. Whether the Turks do not only take Opium themselves for strength and courage, but also give it to their Horses, Camels and Dromedaries, for the same purpose, when they find them tired and faint in their travelling? What is the greatest Dose, any men are known to have taken of Opium? and how prepared?
3. What effects are observed from their use, not only of Opium (already mention'd) but also of Coffee, Bathing, shaving their Heads, using Rice; and why they prefer that which grows not unless water'd, before Wheat, &c.
4. How their Damasco steel is made and temper'd?
5. What is their way of dressing and making Leather, which though thin and supple, will hold out water?
6. What method they observe in breeding those excellent Horses, they are so much famed for?
7. Whether they be so skilful in Poysoning, as it is said; and how their Poysons are curable?
8. How the Armenians keep Meat fresh and sweet so long, as 'tis said they do?
9. What Arts or Trades they have worth Learning?
10. Whether there be such a Tree about Damascus, call'd Mouslat, which every year about the Month of December is cut down close by the root, and within four or five Months time shoots up again apace, bringing forth Leaves, Flowers, and Fruit also, and bearing but one Apple (an excellent Fruit) at once?
11. Whether about Reame in the Southern part of Arabia Fœlix, there be Grapes without any grains? And whether the people in that Country live, many of them, to a hundred and twenty years, in good health?
12. Whether in Candia there be no poysonous Creatures; and whether those Serpents, that are there, are without poyson?
13. Whether all Fruits, Herbs, Earth, Fountains, are naturally saltish in the Isle of Cyprus? And whether those parts of this Isle, which abound in Cyprus-trees, are more or less healthful, than others?
14. What store of Amianthus there is in Cyprus; and how they work it?
15. Whether Mummies be found in the sands of Arabia, that are the dryed flesh of men buried in those sandy Deserts in travelling? And how they differ in their vertue from the Embalmed ones?
16. Whether the parts about the City of Constantinople or Asia Minor, be as subject to Earth-quakes now, as they have been formerly? And whether the Eastern Winds do not Plague the said City with Mists, and cause that inconstancy of Weather, it is said to be subject to?
17. Whether the Earth-quakes in Zant and Cephalonia be so frequent, as now and then to happen nine or ten times a Month? And whether these Isles be not very Cavernous?
18. What is the height of Mount Caucasus, its position, temper in its several parts, &c.
19. With what declivity the Water runs out of the Euxine-Sea into the Propontis? With what depth? And if the many Tides and Eddies, so famous by the name of the Euripi, have any certain Period?
20. If in the Euxine-Sea there can be found any sign of the Caspian Seas emptying it self into it by a passage under ground? If there be any different Colour, or Temper as to Heat or Cold; or any Current or Motion in the Water, that may give light to it?
21. By what Inland passages they go to China; there being now a passage for Caravans throughout those places, that would formerly admit of no Correspondence by reason of the Barbarisme of the Inhabitants?
22. Whether in the Aquæducts, they make, they line the inside with as good Plaister, as the Ancients did? and how theirs is made?
23. To inquire after these excellent works of Antiquity, of which that Country is full, and which by the ignorant are not thought worth notice or preservation? And particularly, what is the bigness and structure of the Aquaeducts, made in several places about Constantinople by Solyman the Magnificent? &c.
An Observation of Optick Glasses made of Rock-Chrystal.
* It may be queried whether those were true Veins, or only Superficial Strictures, and slight scratches.
This is contained in a Letter of Eustachio Divini, Printed in Italian at Rome, as the 39. Journal des Scavans extracts it, vid.
Though it be commonly believed, that Rock-Christal is not fit for Optick-Glasses, because there are many Veins in it; yet Eustachio Divini made one of it, which he saith proved an excellent one, though full of Veins. *
An Accompt of the Use of the Grain of Kermes for Coloration.
This was communicated by the Ingenious Dr. Croon, as he received it from one Monsieur Verny, a French Apothecary at Montpelier; who having described the Grain of Kermes, to be an excrescence growing upon the Wood, and often upon the
leaves of a Shrub, plentifull in Languedock, and gather'd in the end of May, and the beginning of June, full of a red Juyce; subjoyns two Uses, which that Grain hath, the one for Medicine, the other for Dying of Wool. Waving the first, notice shall only be taken here of the latter, vid. That, for Dying, they take the Grain of Kermes, when ripe, and spread it upon Linnen: And at first, whilst it abounds most in moisture, 'tis turn'd twice or thrice a day, to prevent its Heating. And when there appears red powder amongst it, they separate it, passing it through a Searce; and then again spread abroad the Grain upon Linnen, untill there be perceived the same redness of the powder; and at the end, this red power appears about and on the surface of the Grain, which is still to be pass'd through a Searce, till it render no more.
And in the beginning, when the small red Grains are seen to move (as they will do) they are sprinkled over with strong Vinegar, and rubb'd between ones hands: afterwards little balls are form'd thereof, which are expos'd to the Sun to dry.
If this red powder should be let alone, without pouring Vinegar or some other accid liquor upon it, out of every Grain thereof would be form'd a little Fly, which would skip and fly up and down for a day or two, and at last changing its colour, fall down quite dead, deprived of all the bitterness, the Grains, whence they are generated, had before.
The Grain being altogether emptyed of its pulp or red powder, 'tis wash'd in Wine, and then expos'd to the Sun Being well dryed, 'tis rubb'd in a Sack to render it bright; and then 'tis put up in small Sacks, putting in the midst, according to the quantity, the Grain has afforded, 10. or 12. pounds (for a Quintal) of the dust, which is the red powder, that came out of it. And accordingly, as the Grain affords more or less of the said powder, Dyers buy more or less of it.
'Tis to be noted, That the first red powder, which appears, issues out of the Hole of the Grain, that is on the side, where the Grain adhered to the Plant. And that, which about the end appears sticking on the Grain, hath been alive in the husk, having pierced its covers though the hole, whence it commonly issues, remains close as to the Eye.
An Account of Some Books lately published.
1. PINAX Rerum Naturalium BRITANNICARUM, continens VEGETABILIA, ANIMALIA & FOSSILIA in hoc Insula reperta, inchoatus, Auth. Christophoro Merret, Med. D. & utriusque Societatis Regiæ socio.
The Learned and Inquisitive Author of this Book, hath by his laudable example of collecting together, what Natural things are to be found here in England, of all sorts (which he has done upon his own expences) given an invitation to the curious in all parts of the world to attempt the like, thereby to establish the much desired and highly useful commerce among Naturalists, and to contribute every where to the composing of a genuine and full History of Nature.
In the Preface he intimates, that his stock does still encrease dayly; and that therefore the Reader may expect an Appendix to this collection.
In the Body of the Book, he enumerates all the Species, Alphabetically: And, as to Vegetables, he reckons up about 410 sorts; and gives their Latine and English Names, and the Places and Times of their growth: reducing them afterwards to certain Classes, hitherto used by Botanick Writers in their Histories of Plants: Adding the Etymology of their Generick Names, and a compendious Register of the Time, when and how long the English Plants do shoot and flourish.
As to Animals, he finds of them about 340 kinds in England, whereof the fourfooted are about 50, Birds 170, and Fishes 120. Insects are innumerable, which yet he endeavours to enumerate, and to reduce to certain Classes; into which he also brings the three former kinds.
Concerning Fossils, he first takes notice of the Metals found in English Mines; as Silver, Tin, Copper, Iron, Lead, Antimony, and some Gold extracted out of Tin. Next of the Stones, of which he finds about 70 sorts; & amongst them, Bristol Diamonds, Agates, Hyacinths, Emerods, Loadstones, Toad-stones, (which last yet he affirms to be nothing but the grinding-teeth of the
Fish Lupus) Pearls, Corals, Marble, Alablaster, Emery: To which he adds the various kinds of Coals; as also Bitumens, Turfs and Jets. And thirdly of the various kinds of Allam, Vitriol, Niter, Sea-salt, Pit-salt. But fourthly of the various Earths, of which he reckons up 15. peculiar sorts (besides those that serve for Husbandry, which are not easily numbred;) and amongst them, Read-lead, Black-lead and Fullers-earth.
He concludes all with mentioning the several Meteors appearing in England; and the Hot springs; and Medical Waters; as also, the Salin, Petrifying, and some more unusual Springs: Item, Subterraneous Trees, Subterraneous Rivers, Ebbings and Flowings of Wells, &c.
II. PLACITA PHILOSOPHICA Guarini. The chief subject of this Treatise is Natural Philosophy; upon many important questions whereof it enlargeth, as those of the Motion of the Cœlestial Bodies, of Light, of Meteors, and of the vital and animal functions; leaving sometimes the common opinions, and delighting in the defence of Paradoxes.
E. G. That the material substantial Form, is nothing but mera potentia, and subsists not by it self: by which means the Author judges, he can free himself from many great difficulties touching Generation and Corruption, which do perplex the other Philosophers.
He holds Epicycles to be impossible, and Excentricks, not sufficient to explicate the motion of the Stars; but that all the irregularities of this motion may be salved by the means of certain Spiral Lines; largely proving this Hypothesis, and particularly explicating the motion of each Planet.
He denies the middle Region of the Air to be cold; and believes that cold is not necessary to condense the vapours into Water.
He admits not that received Axiome, That the generation of one Body is the corruption of another; maintaining that there are Generations, to which no corruption ever preceded; and that it may happen, that one Animal without dying may be changed into another Animal.
He alledges several reasons to evince, that the Air breathed in, enters not only into the whole capacity of the Chest, but also into the lower belly.
He is of opinion that the Air, which is commonly believed to corrupt easily, is incorruptible; alledging among other reasons, this for one, that experience shews, that if a Bottle be exactly stop'd, there is never any mixt Body form'd in it; wherefore, saith he, the Air is not corrupted there.
He maintains, that 'tis not the Magnet that draws the Iron, but rather the Iron that attracts the Magnet. To explain which he affirms, that the Load-stone spreads abroad out of it self many corpuscles, which the substance of the Iron imbibes, and that, as dry things attract those that are moist, by the same reason Iron drawn the Loadstone.
He rejects the species intentionales, Vital and Animal Spirits, and holds many other uncommon opinions, touching Light, the Iris, the Flux and Reflux of the Sea, &c.
III. GUSTUS ORGANUM per Laurentium Bellini novissimè deprehensum.
The Author proposing to himself to discover both the principal Organ of the Taste, and the nature of its object, begins with the latter, and examins first, what is Taste? He judges that it is caused by nothing but Salts, which being variously figured, affects the tongue variously: alledging this for his chief reason, that the Salt which is extracted by Chymists out of any mixt body whatever it be, carries away with it all its taste, and that the rest remains tasteless. He adds that the Teeth in grinding the Food, serve much to extract this Salt: And he notes by the by, that the Teeth are so necessary for preparing the aliment, that certain Animals which seem to have none, have them in their stomach; and that nature has put at the entry of the palat of those that are altogether destitute of them, certain moveable inequalities, which are to them instead of Teeth.
But then secondly, concerning the Organ of Taste, he esteems, that 'tis neither the Flesh, nor the Tongue, nor the Membrans, nor the Nerves found there, nor the Glanduls, called Amygdalinæ; but those little eminences that are found upon the tongue of all Animals. To obtain which, he observes,
1. That from the middle of the Tongue to the root, as also towards the tip, there are found innumerable little Risings
called Papillares; but that from the tip of the Tongue unto the string there is observed none at all.
2. He hath experimented, that if you put Sal Armoniack upon the places of the Tongue, where those Eminencies are not, you shall find no Taste; but that you will find it presently assoon as you put any such Salt, where they are to be met with. Ergo, saith he, those Eminencies are the principal Organ of Taste.
3. He assures, that with a Microscope, may be seen in those Risings many little holes, at the bottom whereof there are small nerves, terminating there: But he directs, to observe this in live and healthy, not in dead or sick Animals.
Having laid down these Observations, he concludes, that the manner, after which Taste is perform'd, is this, That the particles of Salt passing through those pores, which pierce the Papillary Eminences, and penetrating as far as to the nerves, that meet them there, do by the means of their small points prick them; which pricking is called the Taste.
In the mean time he acknowledges, that before him Signior Malphigi, Professor at Messina, had made some of these discoveries.
The notice of these two last Books we owe to the French Journal.
Correct in Number. 19.
Page, [342]. line, 33. read mixt Ores, in stead of, mixt with Ores.
London, Printed for John Martin, Printer to the Royal Society, and are to be sold at the Bell a little without Temple-Bar.
Numb. 21.
PHILOSOPHICAL
TRANSACTIONS.
Munday, January 21. 1666.