Micrographia Part 15

If it be continued to be look'd on a little longer with a _Microscope_, it will within a little while begin to wreath it self again, and soon after return to its former posture, bending it self again neer the middle, into a kind of knee or angle.

Several of those bodies I examin'd with larger _Microscopes_, and there found them much of the make of those two long wreath'd cylinders delineated in the second Figure of the 15. _Scheme_, which two cylinders represent the wreathed part broken into two pieces, whereof the end AB is to be suppos'd to have join'd to the end CD, so that EACF does represent the whole wreath'd part of the Beard, and EG a small piece of the upper part of the Beard which is beyond the knee, which as I had not room to insert, so was it not very considerable, either for its form, or any known property; but the under or wreathed part is notable for both: As to its form, it appear'd, if it were look'd on side-ways, almost like a Willow, or a small tapering rod of _Hazel_, the lower or bigger half of which onely, is twisted round several times, in some three, in others more, in others less, according to the bigness and maturity of the Grain on which it grew, and according to the driness and moisture of the ambient Air, as I shall shew more at large by and by.

The whole outward Superficies of this Cylindrical body is curiously adorned or fluted with little channels, and interjacent ridges, or little _protuberances_ between them, which run the whole length of the Beard, and are streight where the Beard is not twisted, and wreath'd where it is, just after the same manner: each of those sides is beset pretty thick with small Brides or Thorns, somewhat in form resembling that of _Porcupines_ Quills, such as _aaaaa_ in the Figure; all whose points are directed like so many Turn-pikes towards the small end or top of the Beard, which is the reason, why, if you endeavour to draw the Beard between your fingers the contrary way, you will find it to stick, and grate, as it were, against the skin.

The proportion of these small conical bodies _aaaaa_ to that whereon they grow, the Figure will sufficiently shew, as also their manner of growing, their thickness, and neerness to each other, as, that towards the root or bottom of the Beard, they are more thin, and much shorter, insomuch that there is usually left between the top of the one, and the bottom of that next above it, more then the length of one of them, and that towards the top of the Beard they grow more thick and close (though there be fewer ridges) so that the root, and almost half the upper are hid by the tops of those next below them.

I could not perceive any _transverse_ pores, unless the whole wreath'd part were separated and cleft, in those little channels, by the wreathing into so many little strings as there were ridges, which was very difficult to determine; but there were in the wreathed part two very conspicuous channels or clefts, which were continued from the bottom F to the elbow bow EH or all along the part which was wreath'd, which seem'd to divide the wreath'd Cylinder into two parts, a bigger and a less; the bigger was that which was at the _convex_ side of the knee, namely, on the side A, and was wreath'd by OOOOO; this, as it seem'd the broader, so did it also the longer, the other PPPPP, which was usually purs'd or wrinckled in the bending of the knee, as about E, seem'd both the shorter and narrower, so that at first I thought the wreathing and unwreathing of the Beard might have been caus'd by the shrinking or swelling of that part; but upon further examination, I sound that the clefts, KK, LL, were stuft up with a kind of Spongie substance, which, for the most part, was very conspicuous neer the knee, as in the cleft KK, when the Beard was dry; upon the discovery of which, I began to think, that it was upon the swelling of this porous pith upon the access of moisture or water that the Beard, being made longer in the midst, was streightned, and by the shrinking or subsiding of the parts of that Spongie substance together, when the water or moisture was exhal'd or dried, the pith or middle parts growing shorter, the whole became twisted.

But this I cannot be positive in, for upon cutting the wreath'd part in many places transversly, I was not so well satisfy'd with the shape and manner of the pores of the pith; for looking on these transverse Sections with a very good _Microscope_, I found that the ends of those transverse Sections appear'd much of the manner of the third Figure of the 15.

_scheme_ ABCFE, and the middle of pith CC, seem'd very full of pores indeed, but all of them seem'd to run the long-ways.

This Figure plainly enough shews in what manner those clefts, K and L divided the wreath'd Cylinder into two unequal parts, and also of what kind of substance the whole body consists; for by cutting the same Beard in many places, with transverse Sections, I found much the same appearance with this express'd; so that those pores seem to run, as in most other such Cany bodies, the whole length of it.

The clefts of this body KK, and LL, seem'd (as is also express'd in the Figure) to wind very oddly in the inner part of the wreath, and in some parts of them, they seem'd stuffed, as it were, with that Spongie substance, which I just now described.

This so oddly const.i.tuted Vegetable substance, is first (that I have met with) taken notice of by _Baptista Porta_, in his _Natural Magick_, as a thing known to children and Juglers, and it has been call'd by some of those last named persons, the better to cover their cheat, the Legg of an _Arabian Spider_, or the Legg of an inchanted _Egyptian fly_, and has been used by them to make a small Index, Cross, or the like, to move round upon the wetting of it with a drop of Water, and muttering certain words.

But the use that has been made of it, for the discovery of the various const.i.tutions of the Air, as to driness and moistness, is incomparably beyond any other, for this it does to admiration: The manner of contriving it so, as to perform this great effect, is onely thus:

Provide a good large Box of Ivory, about four Inches over, and of what depth you shall judge convenient (according to your intention of making use of one, two, three, or more of these small Beards, ordered in the manner which I shall by and by describe) let all the sides of this Box be turned of Basket-work (which here in _London_ is easily enough procur'd) full of holes, in the manner almost of a Lettice, the bigger, or more the holes are, the better, that so the Air may have the more free pa.s.sage to the inclosed Beard, and may the more easily pa.s.s through the Instrument; it will be better yet, though not altogether so handsom, if insteed of the Basket-work on the sides of the Box, the bottom and top of the Box be join'd together onely with three or four small Pillars, after the manner represented in the 4. Figure of the 15. _Scheme_. Or, if you intend to make use of many of these small Beards join'd together, you may have a small long Case of Ivory, whose sides are turn'd of Basket-work, full of holes, which may be screw'd on to the underside of a broad Plate of Ivory, on the other side of which is to be made the divided Ring or Circle, to which divisions the pointing of the Hand or Index, which is moved by the conjoin'd Beard, may shew all the _Minute_ variations of the Air.

There may be mult.i.tudes of other ways for contriving this small Instrument, so as to produce this effect, which any one may, according to his peculiar use, and the exigency of his present occasion, easily enough contrive and take, on which I shall not therefore insist. The whole manner of making any one of them is thus: Having your Box or frame AABB, fitly adapted for the free pa.s.sage of the Air through it, in the midst of the bottom BBB, you must have a very small hole C, into which the lower end of the Beard is to be fix'd, the upper end of which Beard ab, is to pa.s.s through a small hole of a Plate, or top AA, if you make use onely of a single one, and on the top of it e, is to be fix'd a small and very light _Index_ fg, made of a very thin sliver of a Reed or Cane; but if you make use of two or more Beards, they must be fix'd and bound together, either with a very fine piece of Silk, or with a very small touch of hard Wax, or Glew, which is better, and the _Index_ fg, is to be fix'd on the top of the second, third, or fourth in the same manner as on the single one.

Now, because that in every of these contrivances, the _Index_ fg, will with some temperatures of Air, move two, three, or more times round, which without some other contrivance then this, will be difficult to distinguish, therefore I thought of this Expedient: The _Index_ or _Hand_ fg, being rais'd a pretty way above the surface of the Plate AA, fix in at a little distance from the middle of it a small Pin h, so as almost to touch the surface of the Plate AA, and then in any convenient place of the surface of the Plate, fix a small Pin, on which put on a small piece of Paper, or thin Past-board, Vellom, or Parchment, made of a convenient cize, and shap'd in the manner of that in the Figure express'd by ik, so that having a convenient number of teeth every turn or return of the Pin h, may move this small indented Circle, a tooth forward or backwards, by which means the teeth of the Circle, being mark'd, it will be thereby very easie to know certainly, how much variation any change of weather will make upon the small wreath'd body. In the making of this Secundary Circle of Vellom, or the like, great care is to be had, that it be made exceeding light, and to move very easily, for otherwise a small variation will spoil the whole operation. The Box may be made of Bra.s.s, Silver, Iron, or any other substance, if care be taken to make it open enough, to let the Air have a sufficiently free access to the Beard. The _Index_ also may be various ways contrived, so as to shew both the number of the revolutions it makes, and the _Minute_ divisions of each revolution.

I have made several trials and Instruments for discovering the driness and moisture of the Air with this little wreath'd body, and find it to vary exceeding sensibly with the least change in the const.i.tution of the Air, as to driness and moisture, so that with one breathing upon it, I have made it untwist a whole bout, and the _Index_ or _Hand_ has shew'd or pointed to various divisions on the upper Face or Ring of the Instrument, according as it was carried neerer and neerer to the fire, or as the heat of the Sun increased upon it.

Other trials I have made with Gut-strings, but find them nothing neer so sensible, though they also may be so contriv'd as to exhibit the changes of the Air, as to driness and moisture, both by their stretching and shrinking in length, and also by their wreathing and unwreathing themselves; but these are nothing neer so exact or so tender, for their varying property will in a little time change very much. But there are several other Vegetable substances that are much more sensible then even this Beard of a wilde _Oat_; such I have found the Beard of the seed of Musk-gra.s.s, or _Geranium moschatum_, and those of other kinds of _Cranes-bil_ seeds, and the like. But always the smaller the wreathing substance be, the more sensible is it of the mutations of the Air, a conjecture at the reason of which I shall by and by add.

The lower end of this wreath'd Cylinder being stuck upright in a little soft Wax, so that the bended part or _Index_ of it lay _horizontal_, I have observ'd it always with moisture to unwreath it self from the East (For instance) by the South to the West, and so by the North to the East again, moving with the Sun (as we commonly say) and with heat and drouth to re-twist; and wreath it self the contrary way, namely, from the East, (for instance) by the North to the West, and so onwards.

The cause of all which _Phaenomena_, seems to be the differing texture of the parts of these bodies, each of them (especially the Beard of a wilde _Oat_, and of _Mosk-gra.s.s_ seed) seeming to have two kind of substances, one that is very porous, loose, and spongie, into which the watry steams of the Air may be very easily forced, which will be thereby swell'd and extended in its dimensions, just as we may observe all kind of Vegetable substance upon steeping in water to swell and grow bigger and longer. And a second that is more hard and close, into which the water can very little, or not at all penetrate, this therefore retaining always very neer the same dimensions, and the other stretching and shrinking, according as there is more or less moisture or water in its pores, by reason of the make and shape of the parts, the whole body must necessarily unwreath and wreath it self.

And upon this Principle, it is very easie to make several sorts of contrivances that should thus wreath and unwreath themselves, either by heat and cold, or by driness and moisture, or by any greater or less force, from whatever cause it proceed, whether from gravity or weight, or from wind which is motion of the Air, or from some springing body, or the like.

This, had I time, I should enlarge much more upon; for it seems to me to be the very first footstep of _Sensation_, and Animate motion, the most plain, simple, and obvious contrivance that Nature has made use of to produce a motion; next to that of Rarefaction and Condensation by heat and cold. And were this Principle very well examin'd, I am very apt to think, it would afford us a very great help to find out the _Mechanism_ of the Muscles, which indeed, as farr as I have hitherto been able to examine, seems to me not so very perplex as one might imagine, especially upon the examination which I made of the Muscles of _Crabs_, _Lobsters_, and several sorts of large Sh.e.l.l-fish, and comparing my Observations on them, with the circ.u.mstances I observ'd in the muscles of terrestrial Animals.

Now, as in this Instance of the Beard of a wilde _Oat_, we see there is nothing else requisite to make it wreath and unwreath it self, and to streighten and bend its knee, then onely a little breath of moist or dry Air, or a small _atome_ almost of water or liquor, and a little heat to make it again evaporate, for, by holding this Beard, plac'd and fix'd as I before directed, neer a Fire, and dipping the tip of a small shred of Paper in well rectify'd spirit of Wine, and then touching the wreath'd _Cylindrical_ part, you may perceive it to untwist it self; and presently again, upon the _avolation_ of the spirit, by the great heat, it will re-twist it self, and thus will it move forward and backwards as oft as you repeat the touching it with the spirit of Wine; so may, perhaps, the shrinking and relaxing of the muscles be by the influx and evaporation of some kind of liquor or juice. But of this Enquiry I shall add more elsewhere.

Observ. XXVIII. _Of the Seeds of _Venus_ looking-gla.s.s, or _Corn_ Violet._

From the Leaves, and Downs, and Beards of Plants, we come at last to the Seeds; and here indeed seems to be the Cabinet of Nature, wherein are laid up its Jewels. The providence of Nature about Vegetables, is in no part manifested more, then in the various contrivances about the seed, nor indeed is there in any part of the Vegetable so curious carvings, and beautifull adornments, as about the seed; this in the larger sorts of seeds is most evident to the eye; nor is it lest manifest through the _Microscope_, in those seeds whose shape and structure, by reason of their smalness, the eye is hardly able to distinguish.

Of these there are mult.i.tudes, many of which I have observ'd through a _Microscope_, and find, that they do, for the most part, every one afford exceeding pleasant and beautifull objects. For besides those that have various kinds of carv'd surfaces, there are other that have smooth and perfectly polish'd surfaces, others a downy hairy surface; some are cover'd onely with a skin, others with a kind of sh.e.l.l, others with both, as is observable also in greater seeds.

Of these seeds I have onely described four sorts which may serve as a _specimen_ of what the inquisitive observers are likely to find among the rest. The first of these seeds which are described in the 17. _Scheme_, are those of Corn-Violets, the seed is very small, black, and s.h.i.+ning, and, to the naked eye, looks almost like a very small Flea; But through the _Microscope_, it appears a large body, cover'd with a tough thick and bright reflecting skin very irregularly shrunk and pitted, insomuch that it is almost an impossibility to find two of them wrinkled alike, so great a variety may there be even in this little seed.

This, though it appear'd one of the most promising seeds for beauty to the naked eye, yet through the _Microscope_ it appear'd but a rude mishapen seed, which I therefore drew, that I might thereby manifest how unable we are by the naked eye to judge of beauteous or less curious _microscopical_ Objects; cutting some of them in sunder, I observ'd them to be fill'd with a greenish yellow pulp, and to have a very thick husk, in proportion to the pulp.

Observ. XXIX. _Of the Seeds of _Tyme_._

These pretty fruits here represented, in the 18. _Scheme_, are nothing else, but nine several seeds of Tyme; they are all of them in differing posture, both as to the eye and the light; nor are they all of them exactly of the same shape, there being a great variety both in the bulk and figure of each seed; but they all agreed in this, that being look'd on with a _Microscope_, they each of them exactly resembled a Lemmon or Orange dry'd; and this both in shape and colour. Some of them are a little rounder, of the shape of an Orange, as A and B, they have each of them a very conspicuous part by which they were join'd to their little stalk, and one of them had a little piece of stalk remaining on; the opposite side of the seed, you may perceive very plainly by the Figure, is very copped and prominent, as is very usual in Lemmons; which prominencies are express'd in D, E and F.

They seem'd each of them a little creas'd or wrinckled, but E was very conspicuously furrow'd, as if the inward make of this seed had been somewhat like that of a Lemmon also, but upon dividing several seeds with a very sharp Pen-knife, and examining them afterward, I found their make to be in nothing but bulk differing from that of Peas, that is, to have a pretty thick coat, and all the rest an indifferent white pulp, which seem'd very close; so that it seems Nature does not very much alter her method in the manner of inclosing and preserving the vital Principle in the seed, in these very small grains, from that of Beans, Peas, &c.

The Grain affords a very pretty Object for the _Microscope_, namely, a Dish of Lemmons plac'd in a very little room; should a Lemmon or Nut be proportionably magnify'd to what this seed of Tyme is, it would make it appear as bigg as a large Hay-reek and it would be no great wonder to see _Homers Iliads_, and _Homer_ and all, cramm'd into such a Nutsh.e.l.l. We may perceive even in these small Grains, as well as in greater, how curious and carefull Nature is in preserving the seminal principle of Vegetable bodies, in what delicate, strong and most convenient Cabinets she lays them and closes them in a pulp for their safer protection from outward dangers, and for the supply of convenient alimental juice, when the heat of the Sun begins to animate and move these little _automatons_ or Engines; as if she would, from the ornaments wherewith she has deckt these Cabinets, hint to us, that in them she has laid up her Jewels and Master-pieces. And this, if we are but diligent in observing, we shall find her method throughout.

There is no curiosity in the Elemental kingdom, if I may so call the bodies of Air, Water, Earth, that are comparable in form to those of Minerals, Air and Water having no form at all, unless a potentiality to be form'd into Globules; and the clods and parcels of Earth are all irregular, whereas in Minerals she does begin to _Geometrize_, and practise, as 'twere, the first principles of _Mechanicks_, shaping them of plain regular figures, as triangles, squares, &c. and _tetraedrons_, cubes, &c. But none of their forms are comparable to the more compounded ones of Vegetables; For here she goes a step further, forming them both of more complicated shapes, and adding also mult.i.tudes of curious Mechanick contrivances in their structure; for whereas in Vegetables there was no determinate number of the leaves or branches, nor no exacly certain figure of leaves, or flowers, or seeds, in Animals all those things are exactly defin'd and determin'd; and where-ever there is either an excess or defect of those determinate parts or limbs, there has been some impediment that has spoil'd the principle which was most regular: Here we shall find, not onely most curiously compounded shapes, but most stupendious Mechanisms and contrivances, here the ornaments are in the highest perfection, nothing in all the Vegetable kingdom that is comparable to the deckings of a Peac.o.c.k; nay, to the curiosity of any feather, as I elsewhere shew; nor to that of the smallest and most despicable Fly. But I must not stay on these speculations, though perhaps it were very well worth while for one that had leisure, to see what Information may be learn'd of the nature, or use, or virtues of bodies, by their several forms and various excellencies and properties. Who knows but _Adam_ might from some such contemplation, give names to all creatures? If at least his names had any significancy in them of the creatures nature on which he impos'd it; as many (upon what grounds I know not) have suppos'd: And who knows, but the Creator may, in those characters, have written and engraven many of his most mysterious designs and counsels, and given man a capacity, which, a.s.sisted with diligence and industry, may be able to read and understand them. But not to multiply my digression more then I can the time, I will proceed to the next, which is,

Observ. x.x.x. _Of the Seeds of _Poppy_._

The small seeds of Poppy, which are described in the 19. _Scheme_, both for their smalness, multiplicity and prettiness, as also for their admirable soporifick quality, deserve to be taken notice of among the other _microscopical_ seeds of Vegetables: For first, though they grow in a Case or Hive oftentimes bigger then one of these Pictures of the _microscopical_ appearance, yet are they for the most part so very little, that they exceed not the bulk of a small Nitt, being not above 1/32 part of an Inch in Diameter, whereas the Diameter of the Hive of them oftentimes exceeds two Inches, so that it is capable of containing near two hundred thousand, and so in all likelihood does contain a vast quant.i.ty, though perhaps not that number. Next, for their prettiness, they may be compar'd to any _microscopical_ seed I have yet seen; for they are of a dark brownish red colour, curiously Honey-comb'd all over with a very pretty variety of Net-work, or a small kind of imbosment of very orderly rais'd ridges, the surface of them looking not unlike the inside of a Beev's stomack. But that which makes it most considerable of all, is, the medicinal virtues of it, which are such as are not afforded us by any Mineral preparation; and that is for the procuring of sleep, a thing as necessary to the well-being of a creature as his meat, and that which refreshes both the voluntary and rational faculties, which, whil'st this affection has seis'd the body, are for the most part unmov'd, and at rest. And, methinks, Nature does seem to hint some very notable virtue or excellency in this Plant from the curiosity it has bestow'd upon it. First, in its flower, it is of the highest scarlet-Dye, which is indeed the prime and chiefest colour, and has been in all Ages of the world most highly esteem'd: Next, it has as much curiosity shew'd also in the husk or case of the seed, as any one Plant I have yet met withall; and thirdly, the very seeds themselves, the _Microscope_ discovers to be very curiously shap'd bodies; and lastly, Nature has taken such abundant care for the propagation of it, that one single seed grown into a Plant, is capable of bringing some hundred thousands of seeds.

It were very worthy some able man's enquiry whether the intention of Nature, as to the secundary end of Animal and Vegetable substances might not be found out by some such characters and notable impressions as these, or from divers other circ.u.mstances, as the figure, colour, place, time of flouris.h.i.+ng, springing and fading, duration, taste, smell, &c. For if such there are (as an able _Physician_ upon good grounds has given me cause to believe) we might then, insteed of studying Herbals (where so little is deliver'd of the virtues of a Plant, and less of truth) have recourse to the Book of Nature it self, and there find the most natural, usefull, and most effectual and specifick Medicines, of which we have amongst Vegetables, two very n.o.ble Instances to incourage such a hope, the one of the _Jesuite powder_ for the cure of _intermitting Feavers_, and the other of the juice of _Poppy_ for the curing the defect of sleeping.

Observ. x.x.xI. _Of _Purslane-seed_._

The Seeds of _Purslane_ seem of very notable shapes, appearing through the _Microscope_ shap'd somewhat like a _nautilus_ or _Porcelane_ sh.e.l.l, as may be seen in the XX. _Scheme_, it being a small body, coyl'd round in the manner of a Spiral, at the greater end whereof, which represents the mouth or orifice of the Sh.e.l.l, there is left a little white transparent substance, like a skin, represented by BBBB, which seems to have been the place whereunto the stem was join'd. The whole surface of this _Coclea_ or Sh.e.l.l, is cover'd over with abundance of little _prominencies_ or b.u.t.tons very orderly rang'd into Spiral rows, the shape of each of which seem'd much to resemble a Wart upon a mans hand. The order, variety, and curiosity in the shape of this little seed, makes it a very pleasant object for the _Microscope_, one of them being cut asunder with a very sharp Penknife, discover'd this carved Casket to be of a brownish red, and somewhat transparent substance, and manifested the inside to be fill'd with a whitish green substance or pulp, the Bed wherein the seminal principle lies _invelop'd_.

There are mult.i.tudes of other seeds which in shape represent or imitate the forms of divers other sorts of Sh.e.l.ls: as the seed of _Scurvy-gra.s.s_ very much resembles the make of a _Concha Venerea_, a kind of Purcelane Sh.e.l.l; others represent several sorts of larger fruits, sweat Marjerome and Pot-marjerome represent Olives. Carret seeds are like a cleft of a Coco-Nut Husk, others are like Artificial things, as Succory seeds are like a Quiver full of Arrows, the seeds of _Amaranthus_ are of an exceeding lovely shape, somewhat like an Eye: The skin of the black and shrivled seeds of Onyons and Leeks, are all over k.n.o.bbed like a Seals skin. Sorrel has a pretty black s.h.i.+ning three-square seed, which is picked at both ends with three ridges, that are bent the whole length of it. It were almost endless to reckon up the several shapes, they are so many and so various; Leaving them therefore to the curious observer, I shall proceed to the Observations on the parts of Animals.

Observ. x.x.xII. _Of the Figure of several sorts of _Hair_, and of the texture of the _skin_._

Viewing some of the Hairs of my Head with a very good _Microscope_, I took notice of these particulars:

1. That they were, for the most part, _Cylindrical_, some of them were somewhat _Prismatical_, but generally they were very neer round, such as are represented in the second Figure of the 5. _Scheme_, by the _Cylinders_ EEE. nor could I find any that had sharp angules.

2. That that part which was next the top, was bigger then that which was neerer the root.

3. That they were all along from end to end transparent, though not very cleer, the end next the root appearing like a black transparent piece of Horn, the end next the top more brown, somewhat like transparent Horn.

4. That the root of the Hairs were pretty smooth, tapering inwards, almost like a Parsneb; nor could I find that it had any filaments, or any other vessels, such as the _fibres_ of Plants.