Now, that salt spirits have a power to congeal and coagulate unctuous bodies, is evident in chymical operations; in the distillations of arsenick, sublimate, and antimony; in the mixture of oil of juniper with the salt and acid spirit of sulphur; for thereupon ensueth a concretion unto the consistence of birdlime; as also in spirits of salt, or aqua fortis poured upon oil of olive, or more plainly in the manufacture of soap. And many bodies will coagulate upon commixture, whose separated natures promise no concretion. Thus, upon a solution of tin by aqua fortis, there will ensue a coagulation, like that of whites of eggs. Thus, the volatile salt of urine will coagulate aqua vita, or spirits of wine; and thus, perhaps, as Helmont excellently declareth, the stones or calculous concretions in kidney or bladder may be produced, the spirits or volatile salt of urine conjoining with the aqua

article appears nearly in its former state;—some paragraphs omitted, but no addition-no correction--no remodelling.

Patrin supposes it to be honey, gradually bitumenized by the action

of certain mineral acids.

One of the most celebrated modern experimental philosophers, Sir David Brewster, from a series of experiments on the optical properties of amber, has arrived at a conclusion precisely in accordance with the opinion of the ancients, viz. that it is "beyond a doubt an indurated vegetable juice;" and he observes, "that the traces of a regular structure, indicated by its action upon polarised light, are not the effect of the ordinary laws of crystallisation by which mellite has been formed, but are produced by the same causes which influence the mechanical condition of gum arabic, and other gums which are known to be formed by the successive deposition and induration of vegetable fluids.”

An interesting addition to the above authorities, in support of the vegetable origin of amber, occurs in a paper of Dr. Mac Culloch's, in the Quarterly Journal of Science, &c. vol. xvi. p. 41. His leading object is to point out the readiest mode of distinguishing those specimens of gum copal, animi, and perhaps other resins enclosing insects, which are sometimes offered for sale as amber. On the fact of insects being often found in amber, Dr. M. mainly insists, as the proof of its vegetable origin, especially when viewed in connection with similar enclosures in unfossilized resins. He proceeds to a chemical examination and comparison of amber with similar bodies, and ends by saying, "from these analogies we may, perhaps, safely conclude, that amber has been a vegetable resin converted to its present state during the same time and by the same causes which have converted common vegetable matter into jet, and, perhaps, ultimately into coal.”

aqua vita.] Some March beere or very stale wil turne aqua vitæ into the shape of whey.-Wr.

vite potentially lying therein; as he illustrateth from the distillation of fermented urine; from whence ariseth an aqua vite or spirit, which the volatile salt of the same urine will congeal, and finding an earthy concurrence, strike into a lapideous substance.

Lastly, we will not omit what Bellabonus, upon his own experiment, writ from Dantzick, unto Mellichius, as he hath left recorded in his chapter De Succino, that the bodies of flies, pismires, and the like, which are said ofttimes to be included in amber, are not real, but representative, as he discovered in several pieces broke for that purpose. If's f so, the two famous epigrams hereof in Martial are but poetical, the pismire of Brassavolus, imaginary, and Cardan's mausoleum for a fly, a mere fancy. But hereunto we know not how to assent, as having met with some whose reals make good their representments:7

** 7 representments.] Avicen affirms that ambar appeares plentifully in hot countries (as the south parts of Arabia Felix, neare the sea), especially after great earthquakes, which makes good the assertion [that itt is most usually collected on the sea shore]. Whence itt is most probable that at the eruption thereof, itt might involve and consequently intumulate Martial's viper and Cardan's flye.-Wr.

The dean's fancy seems to have been running upon a mineral rendered fluid by heat; it might have occurred to him, that "Messrs. the viper and flye," would, in such a bath, have been more than intumulated ;they would have suffered incineration! There is, however, no accounting for the fables of antiquity, or the fancy of poets. The fabulous origin of amber, from the tears of the sister of Phaeton, lamenting his fate on the banks of Eridanus, is celebrated in Martial's Epigram on the bee in amber. But unfortunately for the poet, no authentic instance is said to have occurred of that insect having been found in amber. Sir Thomas, however, is quite correct in asserting the reality of man specimens of insects, &c. which have been found in it

CHAPTER V.

Compendiously of sundry other common tenets concerning minerals and terreous bodies, which, examined, prove either false or dubious.—That a diamond is softened or broken by the blood of a goat; that glass poison, and that it is malleable; of the cordial quality of gold; that a pot full of ashes will contain as much water as it would without them; of white powder that kills without report; that coral is soft under water, but hardeneth in the air; that porcelain lies under the earth an hundred years in preparation; that a carbuncle gives a light in the dark; of the eagle stone; of fairy stones; with some others.

1. AND, first, we hear it in every mouth, and in many good authors read it, that a diamond, which is the hardest of stones, not yielding unto steel, emery, or any thing but its own powder, is yet made soft, or broke by the blood of a goat. Thus much is affirmed by Pliny, Solinus, Albertus, Cyprian, Austin, Isidore, and many christian writers: alluding herein unto the heart of man, and the precious blood of our Saviour, who was typified by the goat that was slain, and the scapegoat in the wilderness: and at the effusion of whose blood, not only the hard hearts of his enemies relented, but the stony rocks and vail of the temple were shattered. But this, I perceive, is easier affirmed than proved. For lapidaries, and such as profess the art of cutting this stone, do generally deny it; and they that seem to countenance it have in their deliveries so qualified it, that little from thence of moment can be inferred for it. For first, the holy fathers, without a further enquiry, did take it for granted, and rested upon the authority of the first deliverers. As for Albertus, he promiseth this effect, but conditionally, not except the goat drink wine, and be fed with siler montanum, petroselinum, and such herbs as are conceived of power to break the stone in the bladder. But the words of Pliny, from whom most likely the rest at first derived it, if strictly considered, do rather overthrow, than any way advantage this effect. His words are these: Hircino rumpitur sanguine, nec aliter quàm recenti, calidoque macerata, et sic quoque multis ictibus, tunc etiam præterquam eximias incudes malleosque ferreos frangens. That is, it is broken with goat's blood, but not except it be fresh and

warm, and that not without many blows, and then also it will break the best anvils and hammers of iron. And answerable hereto is the assertion of Isidore and Solinus. By which account, a diamond steeped in goat's blood rather increaseth in hardness, than acquireth any softness by the infusion, for the best we have are comminuible without it, and are so far from breaking hammers, that they submit unto pistillation, and resist not an ordinary pestle.8 Upon this conceit arose, perhaps, the discovery of another. -that the blood of a goat was sovereign for the stone; as it stands commended by many good writers, and brings up the composition in the powder of Nicolaus,* and the electuary of the queen of Colein. Or rather, because it was found an excellent medicine for the stone, and its ability commended by some to dissolve the hardest thereof, it might be conceived by amplifying apprehensions to be able to break a diamond; and so it came to be ordered that the goat should be fed with saxifragous herbs, and such as are conceived of power to break the stone. However it were, as the effect is false in the one, so is it, surely, very doubtful in the other. For, although inwardly received, it may be very diuretic, and expulse the stone in the kidneys, yet how it should dissolve or break that in the bladder, will require a further dispute; and, perhaps, would be more reasonably tried by a warm injection thereof, than as it is commonly used. Wherein, notwithstanding, we should rather rely upon the urine in a castling's bladder, a resolution of crabs' eyes, or the second distillation of urine, as Helmont hath commended; or rather (if any such might be found) a chylifactory menstruum or digestive preparation, drawn from species or individuals whose stomachs peculiarly dissolve lapideous bodies.

2. That glass is poison, according unto common conceit, I know not how to grant. Not only from the innocency of

8

* Pulvis Lithontripticus.

1. And first, &c.] Nothing can put Ross out of conceit with "the ancients." Though he admits the fact that diamonds are mastered by hammers, and not, as asserted by the ancients, softened by goat's blood; yet doth he not a whit the less believe this assertion as applied to adamant, of which, he says, there were divers kinds.-Arcana, p. 196.

its ingredients, that is, fine sand, and the ashes of glass-wort or fern, which in themselves are harmless and useful, or because I find it by many commended for the stone, but also from experience, as having given unto dogs above a dram thereof, subtilely powdered in butter and paste, without any visible disturbance.9

it

The conceit is surely grounded upon the visible mischief of glass grossly or coarsely powdered, for that indeed is mortally noxious, and effectually used by some to destroy mice and rats; for, by reason of its acuteness and angu larity, it commonly excoriates the parts through which it passeth, and solicits them unto a continual expulsion. Whereupon there ensue fearful symptoms, not much unlike those which attend the action of poison. From whence. notwithstanding, we cannot with propriety impose upon that name, either by occult or elementary quality, which he that concedeth will much enlarge the catalogues or lists of poisons. For many things neither deleterious by substance or quality, are yet destructive by figure, or some occasional activity. So are leeches destructive, and by some accounted poison; not properly, that is, by temperamental contrariety, occult form, or so much as elemental repugnancy; but because, being inwardly taken, they fasten upon the veins and occasion an effusion of blood, which cannot be easily staunched. So a sponge is mischievous, not in itself, for in its powder it is harmless; but because, being received into the stomach it swelleth, and occasioning a continual distention, induceth a strangulation. So pins, needles, ears of rye or barley may be poison.2 So Daniel destroyed the

9 without any visible disturbance.] Edit. 1646 adds, "And the trial thereof we the rather did make in that animal, because Grevinus, in his Treatise of Poisons, affirmeth that dogs are inevitably destroyed thereby."-p. 84.

1 So a sponge is mischievous, &c.] As to a dog, soakt in butter or grease.-Wr.

2

ears of rye or barley, &c.] A very remarkable and affecting proof of the truth of this observation occurred a few years ago in the family of the present Earl of Morley. His lordship's eldest son, Lord Boringdon, then in the twelfth year of his age, in the course of an evening walk with his father and brother, on the 17th of July, 1817, put an ear of rye into his mouth; and it appears that within a few seconds afterwards, it had become out of the power of man to save his life.