Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society Part 10

_Numb._ 6.

PHILOSOPHICAL _TRANSACTIONS._

Monday, _November_ 6. 1665.

The Contents.

_An Account of a not ordinary _Burning Concave_, lately made at _Lyons_, and compared with several others made formerly. Of Monsieur _Hevelius_ his promise of communicating to the World his Invention of making _Optick Gla.s.ses_; and of the hopes, given by Monsieur _Christian Hugens_ of _Zulichem_, to perform something of the like nature; as also of the Expectations, conceived of some Persons in _England_, to improve _Telescopes_. An intimation of a way of making more lively Counterfeits of Nature in _Wax_, then are extant in _Painting_; and of a new kind of _Maps_ in a low _Relievo_, or _Sculpture_, both practised in _France_.

Some _Anatomical_ Observations of Milk found in Veins instead of Blood; and of Gra.s.s found in the Wind-pipes of some Animals. Of a place in _England_, where, without Petrifying Water, Wood is turned into Stone.

Of the nature of a certain Stone, found in the _Indies_ in the head of a _Serpent_. Of the way, used in the _Mogol's_ Dominions, to make _Salt-petre_. An Account of _Hevelius_ his _Prodromus Cometicus_, and of some Animadversions made upon it by a _French_ Philosopher; as also of the Jesuit _Kircher_'s _Mundus Subterraneus_._

_An Account of a not ordinary _Burning Concave_, lately made at _Lyons_, and compared with several others made formerly._

An opportunity being presented to revive the publis.h.i.+ng of these Papers, which for some Moneths hath been {96} discontinued by reason of the great Mortality in _London_, where they were begun to be Printed; it hath been thought fit to embrace the same, and to make use thereof for the gratifying of the Curious, that have been pleased to think well of such Communications: To re-enter whereupon, there offers it self, first of all a Relation of an uncommon _Burning-gla.s.s_, not long since made in _France_, in the City of _Lyons_, by one called Monsieur _de Vilette_, as it was sent to the Publisher of these Tracts, in two Letters, whereof the one was in _Latine_, the other in French, to this effect.

Concerning the Efficacy of Monsieur _de Villete_ his Burning Gla.s.s, all what the _P. Bertet_ hath written of it, is true. We have seen the effects of it repeated over and over again, in the Morning, at Noon, and in the Afternoon, alwaies performing very powerfully; burning or melting any Matter, very few excepted. The _Figure_ of it is round, being thirty Inches, and somewhat better in _Diameter_. On one side it hath a Frame of a Circle of Steel, to the end that it may keep its just Measure: 'Tis easie to remove it from place to place, though it be above an hundred weight, and 'tis easily put in all sorts of postures. The _burning Point_ is distant from the Centre of the Gla.s.s, about three Feet. The _Focus_ is about half a _Louys d'or_ large. One may pa.s.s ones hand through it, if it be done nimbly; for if it stay there the time of a second Minute, there is danger of receiving much hurt.

_Green wood_ takes fire in it, in an instant, as do also many other Bodies.

A small peice of _Pot-Iron_ was melted, and _Seconds_ ready to drop down, in 40.

A _Silver Peice_ of 15 _Pence_ was pierced, in 24.

A _gross Nail_ (called _le Claude paisan_) was melted, in 30.

The end of a _Sword-blade_ of _Olinde_, was burn'd, in 43.

A _Bra.s.s Counter_ was pierced, in 06.

A piece of _red Copper_ was melted ready to drop down, in 42.

{97} A peice of a _Chamber Quarry-stone_ was vitrified, and put into a Gla.s.s-drop, in 45.

_Steel_, whereof Watch-makers make their springs, was found melted, in 09.

A _Mineral-Stone_, such as is used in Harquebusses _a rovet_, was calcin'd and vitrified, in 1. _just._ A peice of _Morter_ was vitrified, in 52.

In short, there is hardly any Body, which is not destroyed by this Fire. If one would melt it by it any great quant.i.ty of Mettal, that would require much time, the Action of Burning not being perform'd but within the bigness of the _Focus_, so that ordinarily none but small pieces are exposed to it.

One Mounsieur _de Alibert_ buys it, paying for it Fifteen hundred Livers.

Since this Information, there were, upon occasion given from thence, upon the same subject, further communicated from _Paris_ the following Particulars.

I see by two of the Letters, that you incline to believe, the Gla.s.ses of _Maginus_ and _Septalius_ do approach to that of _Lyons_: But I can a.s.sure you, they come very far short of it. You may consult _Maginus_ his Book, where he describes his; and there are some persons here that have seen one of his best, which had but about twenty Inches Diameter; so that this of _Lyons_ must perform at least twice as much. As to _Septalius_, we expect the Relations of it from Intelligent and Impartial men. It cannot well be compared to that of _Lyons_: but in bigness; and in this case, if it have five _Palms_ (as you say) that would be about 3 feet _French_, and so it were a Foot bigger, which would make it half as much greater in surface: But as to the Effects, seeing it burns so far off, they cannot be very violent. And I have heard one say, that had seen it, that it did not set Wood on Fire but after the time of saying a _Miserere_. You may judge of the difference of the Effects, since that of _Lyons_ gathers its Beams together within the s.p.a.ce of seven or eight _Lines_; {98} and that of _Septalius_ must scatter them in the compa.s.s of three Inches. Some here do intend to make of them yea and bigger ones; but we must stay till they be done, &c.

Of _Monsieur _Hevelius_'s Promise of imparting to the World his Invention of making _Optick Gla.s.ses_; and of the hopes given by Monsieur _Hugens_ of _Zulichem_, to perform something of the like nature; as also of the Expectations, conceived of some Ingenious Persons in _England_ to improve_ Telescopes.

That eminent Astronomer of _Dantzick_, Monsieur _Hevelius_, writes to his Correspondent in _London_, as followeth:

What hath been done in the grinding of Optick-gla.s.ses in your parts, and how those beginnings, mentioned by you formerly, do continue and succeed, I very much covet to hear, 'Tis now above Ten Years, since I my self invented a peculiar way of grinding such Gla.s.ses, and reduced it also into practice; by which 'tis easie, without any considerable danger of failing, to make and polish Optick-gla.s.ses of any _Conick_ Section, and that (which is most notable) in any dish of any Section of a _Sphere_: which Invention I have as yet discovered to none, my purpose being, for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, to describe the whole method thereof in my _Celestial Machine_, and to propose it to the Examination and Judgment of the _Royal Society_; not doubting at all, but they will find the way true and practicable, my self having already made several Gla.s.ses by it, which many Learned Men have seen and tryed.

Monsieur _Hugens_, inquiring also in a Letter, newly written by him to a Friend of his in _England_, of the success of the attempts made by an ingenious _English_ Man for perfecting such Gla.s.ses, and urging the prosecution of the same, {99} so as to shew by the effects the practicableness of the Invention, mentions thereupon, That he intends very shortly to try something in that kind, of the success whereof he declares to have good hopes.

Monsieur _du Son_, that excellent Mechanician, doth also at this very present employ himself in _London_, to bring _Telescopes_ to perfection, by grinding Gla.s.ses of a _Parabolical_ Figure, by the means whereof he hopes to enable the Curious to discover more by a Tube of one Foot long, or thereabouts, furnished with Gla.s.ses thus figured, then can be done by any other Tubes of very many times more that length: The success hereof will ('tis thought) shortly appear.

_An Advertis.e.m.e.nt of a way of making more lively Counterfeits of Nature in _Wax_, then are extant in _Painting_: And of a new kind of _Maps_ in a low _Relievo_. Both practised in_ France.

This was communicated by the Ingenious Mr. _John Evelyn_, to whom it was sent from _Paris_ is a Letter, as followeth.

Here is in our Neighbourhood a _French-man_, who makes more lively Counterfeits of Nature in _Wax_, then ever I yet saw in _Painting_, haveing an extraordinary address in modelling the Figures, and mixing the Colours and Shadows; making the Eyes so lively, that they kill all things of this Art I ever beheld; He pretends to make a visit into _England_ with some of his Peices.

I have also seen a new kind of _Maps_ in low _Relievo_, or Sculpture; For example the Isle of _Antibe_, upon a square of about eight Foot, made of Boards, with a Frame like a Picture: There is represented the Sea, with s.h.i.+ps and other Vessels Artificially made, with their _Canons_ and Tackle of Wood fixed upon the surface, after a new and most admirable manner. The Rocks about the Island exactly form'd, {100} as they are upon the Natural Place; and the Island it self, with all its Inequalities, and Hills and Dales; the Town, the Forts, the little Houses, Platform, and Canons mounted; and even the Gardens and Platforms of Trees, with their green leaves standing upright, at if they were growing in their Natural Colours: in _fine_, Men, Beasts, and whatever you may imagine to have any protuberancy above the level of the Sea. This new, delightful, and most instructive form of _Map_, or _Wooden Country_, you are to look upon either _Horizontally_, or _side-long_, and it affords equally a very pleasant object.

_Some _Anatomical_ Observations of Milk found in Veins, instead of Blood; and of Gra.s.s, found in the Wind-pipes of some _Animals_._

A curious Person wrote not long since from _Paris_, that there they had, in the house of a Physitian, newly open'd a Mans Vein, wherein they found _Milk_, instead of _Blood_. This being imparted to Mr. _Boyle_ at _Oxford_, his Answer was, That the like Observation about _White Blood_, had been made by a Learned Physitian of his acquaintance, and the thing being by him look'd upon as remarkable, he was desirous to have it very circ.u.mstantially from the said Physitian himself, before he would say more of it. The next Moneth may bring us in this Account.

The other Particular, mention'd in the t.i.tle of this Head, came in a Letter sent also by Mr. _Boyle_, in these words:

I shall acquaint you, That Two very Ingenious Men, Dr. _Clark_, and Dr.

_Lower_, were pleased to give me an account of a pretty odd kind of Observation: One of them a.s.suring me, That he had several times, in the _Lungs_ of _Sheep_, found considerable quant.i.ty of Gra.s.s in the very Branches of the _Aspera Arteria_: And the other relating to me, That a few Weeks since, he, and a couple of {101} Physitians, were invited to look upon an Ox, that had for two or three daies almost continually held his Neck streight up, and was dead of a Disease, the owner could not conjecture at; whereupon the parts belonging to the Neck and Throat, being open'd, they found, to their wounder, the _Aspera Arteria_ in its very Trunk all stuff'd with Gra.s.s as if it had been thrust there by main force: which gives us a just cause of marvelling and inquiring, both how such a quant.i.ty of Gra.s.s should get in there; and how, being there, such an Animal could live with it so long.

_Of a place in _England_, where, without petrifying Water, Wood is turned into Stone._

The same Searcher of Nature, that was alledged in the immediately precedent Observations, did impart also the following, in another Letter from _Oxford_, where he saith,

I was a while since visited by a Gentleman, who tells me, That he met with a place in these parts of _England_, where, though there be no petrifying Spring (for that I particularly asked) Wood is turned into Stone in the _Sandy Earth_ it self, after a better manner then by any Water I have yet seen: For I had the Curiosity to go to look upon peices of Wood, he brought thence, and hope for the opportunity of making some tryals to examine the matter a little further, then I have yet been able to do. _Thus far that Letter._

Since which time, He was pleased to give this further Information of the same matter, with a _Mantissa_ of some other Particulars, belonging to this Subject, in these Words.

I was lately making some Tryals with the Petrifyed Wood I told you off, which I find to be a very odde substance, wonderfully hard and fixed. If I had opportunity to Re-print the _History of Fluidity_ and _Firmness_, I could add divers things about _Stones_, that perhaps would not be disliked; and I hope, if G.o.d vouchsafe me a little leisure, {102} to insert several of them in fit places of that _History_, against the next Edition. Here is a certain Stone, that is thought to be Petrifyed Bone, being in shap'd like a Bone, with the Marrow taken out; but with a fit _Menstruum_, I found that I could easily dissolve it, like other soft Stones: and possibly it may prove as fit as _Osteocolla_, for the same Medicinal uses.

_Of the nature of a certain Stone, found in the _Indies_, in the head of a _Serpent_._

There was, some while ago, sent by Sir _Philiberto Vernatti_, from _Java major_, where he resides, to Sir _Robert Moray_, for the Repository of the _Royal Society_, a certain Stone, affirmed by the presenter to be found in the Head of a _Snake_, which laid upon any Wound, made by any venomous Creature, is said to stick to it, and to draw away all Poyson: and then, being put in Milk, to void its Poyson therein, and to make the Milk turn blew; in which manner it must be used, till the Wound be cleansed.

The like Relations having been made, by several others, of such a Stone, and some also in this City affirming, to have made the Experiment with success, it was thought worth while, to inquire further into the truth of this Matter: since which time, nothing hath been met with but an Information, delivered by that Ingenious _Parisian_, Monsieur _Thevenot_, in his second _Tome_, of the _Relations of divers considerable Voyages_, whereof he lately presented some Exemplars to his Friends in _England_. The Book being in French, and not common, 'tis conceived it will not be amiss to insert here the said Information, which is to this effect:

In the _East Indies_ and in the Kingdom of _Quamsy_ in _China_, there is found a Stone in the Head of a certain _Serpent_ (which they call by a name signifying _Hairy Serpents_) which heals the bitings of the same Serpent, that else would kill in 24 hours. This Stone is round, white in the middle and about the {103} edges blew or greenish. Being applyed to the Wound, it adheres to it of it self, and falls not off, but after it hath sucked the Poyson, then they wash it in Milk, wherein 'tis left awhile, till it return to its natural condition. It is a rare Stone, for if it be put the second time upon the Wound, and stick to it, 'tis a sign it had not suck'd all the Venome during its first application, but if it stick not, 'tis a mark that all the Poyson was drawn out at first. So far our _French_ Author: wherein appears no considerable difference from the written Relation before mentioned.