An Accompt of Some Books

Clariss. Vir, Accipi nuperrimè à Te transmissam D. Leibnitii Theoriam Motus Abstracti, de qua judicium meum petitur. Duo autem sunt quæ suadeant ne illud praestem. Alterum, quod res invidiosa videatur de aliorum scriptis censuram agere: Alterum, quod occupatisimo tempore huc advenerit, quo agrè vacavit semel atque iterum attentius perlegere, ne dum omnia pensculatus considerare. Qasnam verò Tu id exspectis, hæc paucæ dicam. Multæ scil. inibi contenta Ego planè approbo, ut subtiliter & solidè dicta, quæque Virum curiosum & cogitabundum indicant. Si pausa sint quibus non statim assentiar, ignoscet, spero, vir humanissimus. Et speciatim, fateor, mihi nondum satisfæcum esse, ut, primis saltem cogitationibus, statim assentiar, Cohesionem omnem ex continuo celerique sed inobservabili particularum motu fieri (quod ille Theoriæ motus Concreti fundamentum ponit;) ut nec pridem, cum ante aliquot annos, similem Quietis & Cohesionis causam assignaverat Nelius noster. Quid olim aliquando futurum sit, post rem accuratiùs perspensam, nec disce possum nec prævidere. Interim ego ænìxω, nec quicquam in aliorum præjudicium pronuntio; quin liberum cuique sit, eam quam ratione magis consentaneam judicaverit sententiam amplæcti. Vale. Tuus JOH. WALLIS. An Accomp of some Books. I. A Discourse touching the ORIGINALL OF HUMAN LITERATURE, both PHILOLOGY and PHILOSO- PHY; in two Parts: By Theoph. Gale M. A. Oxford,1669. and 1671. in 4°. The Business of this Book is, to derive Human Arts and Sciences from the Jewish Church; for the doing of which the Author professeth he hath been encouraged by considerable hints and assistances of the Scaligers, and of Grotius, Vossius, Bochartus, Selden, Usher, Preston, and others, besides the concurrent testimonies of many of the Ancients. In the First part he endeavours to prove, that all Languages have their origin and rise from the Hebrew; instan- cing particularly in the Oriental Tongues, as the Pheni- cean, Coptic, Chaldaic, Syriac, Arabic, Persian, Samaritan and *Ethiopic*; and then in the *European*, especially the *Greek*, *Latin*, the old *Gallic* and *Britannic*. To which he adds a deduction, importing, that the Pagan Theology, Physick, Politicks, Poetie, History, Rhetoric, are traduced from Sacred Names, Persons, Rites and Records; and shewing withal, How the Jewish Traditions came to be corrupted and mistaken by *Pagans*. In the Second part he maketh it his business to evince, that *Philosophy* also hath its Original from the *Jewish Church*; beginning to shew this of the *Barbaric Philosophy*, under which he comprehends the *Egyptian*, *Phenician*, *Chaldean*, *Persian*, *Indian*, *Ethiopic*, *Scythian*, and *Britannic*; and thence proceeding to the *Grecian*, and chiefly to the *Ionic*, and *Italic* or *Pythagorean*; where he shews great reading and learning, while he deduceth this doctrine of Judaic Origin from the Testimonies of Heathen, Jewish, and Christian, both Ancient and Modern, Authors; passing through all the particular *Seats* of Philosophers with great solicitude and industry; and promising at the end of this Work, that he is willing to undertake another Treatise, to shew both the *Mischief* of *Vain*, and the *Usefulness* of Sound Philosophy to Christian Religion, if this Historical Accompt, deliver'd in these two Parts, (and mainly designed in Order thereunto) find any such reception, as may give encouragement to such Labours. II. Joh. Joachimi Becheri Spirensis Med. Doct. EXPERIMENTUM CHYMICUM NOVUM, quo Artificialis & Instantanea Metallorum Generatio & Transmutatio ad oculum demonstratur. Francfurti, A. 1671. This Tract was written by the Author as a Supplement to his *Physica Subterranea*, likewise printed at Frankford, about two years since, though yet but in part, there being hitherto extant only the first Book of the two, of which it is to consist: which First part (to give some accompt of it on this occasion) undertaketh to explain both the abstruse Generation of Subterraneous things, and the admirable Fabric of the Super-terraneous and Subterraneous complex Globe of Earth, Air and Water. Water: Promising to deliver hereafter in the Second Book, the particular Nature of under-ground Bodies, and withal to teach the Resolution of them into parts and the proprieties of those parts; together with an Appendix that shall contain a great number of Chymical Mixtures, never seen before, and grounded upon numerous Experiments. We cannot forbear giving the Reader, of that great variety of matter and Trials, contain'd in the said First Book, one very considerable Experiment, said to have been actually made by the Authour himself, and which seems worth repeating for further observation and improvement. It is in short this, as it may be found p. 170, 171. Physicae Subterraneae. Having a mind, for a certain end, to melt a Jasper, he faith, he put it into a crucible, and actually melted it by an intense fire, and some other requisites necessary to the operation. But to the end that no coals might fall into the past, he cover'd and luted the crucible, which was about half fill'd with Jasper-stone: which being now melted, he open'd the crucible when cool, and, to his great wonder, found at the bottom the Jasper melted together into one Mass, as hard as before, but Milk-white and half opaque, resembling a natural White Agat; but the cover, and the upper parts of the crucible, that were un-fill'd, and could not be touched by the Jasper in the melting, were tinged with the natural colour of the Jasper; inasmuch that if there had been the hardness of a Jasper and the colour not superficial only, the fragments of the crucible might have been sold for the best and most polish'd Jasper, having here and there greenish streaks and specks, the rest being red and yellowish; all so beautiful, that a good Painter would scarce have been able to imitate those various colours. Of this, the Author faith, he keepeth still the pieces in his Laboratory at Munchen in Bavaria, as a very extraordinary treasure; esteeming that those upper parts were tinged by the anima of the Jasper, driven up by the force of the fire from its inferior part, and adhering to the body of the crucible. Having thus related this uncommon experiment, we shall proceed to say something of the Contents of this Supplement, which occasion'd that relation. It seems then, that the learn'd Dr. Rolfink, Professor of Physick in the University of Jena in Upper Saxony, in his Book, entitled, Chymia in Artis formam redacta, affirms, that the current Mercury of Bodies is a Non-Ens: which our Author looking upon as an ungrounded and precarious Assertion, labours in this Tract to confute it, from Authority, Reason and Experiment, as may be seen pag. 81, &c. That which we shall take here particular notice of, is that Chymical Experiment, which giveth the Title to the Book, and is called New, alleged to prove the real and sudden Generation and Transmutation of Metals. You may take it thus, if you please; He took common Brick-earth, dry'd it in the Air that it might be sifted; then poured so much Linseed-oil upon it as that he might role it into little balls, of the size of the Retort's neck, which they were to be put into, to the end, that the distillation being made, he needed not to break his retort for the taking out of the Caput mortuum, but might reserve it for other use. That the fire might the more forcible penetrate those globules, than if the matter were in one Mass, he filled the Retort with them, and by degrees distill'd them with an open fire, during an hour or two. This distillation being finish'd, he found in the Recipient an Oyl almost like that, which he faith is improperly call'd Oleum Philosoporum; then the Retort being cool'd, he took the little balls out of it, which not being found red, by so strong a fire, but very black, he suspected that blackness proceeded from the Oyl, some terrestrial parts of which, being fix'd and sever'd by virtue of the Brick-earth, might there have assumed a Body; which of what kind it was, was now further to be examin'd by trial. Having therefore beaten small these black globules, and sifted them, he put them into a dish, and having powr'd some common water upon it, he stirr'd it; then being grown turbid, he gently powred it off, and powred on fresh clear water, still stirring the matter: which he so often repeated and continued, till the water came clear away, and there there remain'd at the bottom of the dish a ponderous black sediment, which from its weight and sudden subsidence, as also from its dark colour he suspected to be of a Metallic, and indeed of an Iron nature; which being dry'd upon paper, upon the application of a Load-stone, was thereby attracted in several grains, which by all proofs he found to be very good Iron. Esteeming hence, that sulphureous Spirits may be fixed by a certain Earth as their Matrix; he faith, that he employ'd the same method with all Minerals, Sulphurs, and Mercury itself, and accordingly melted various Minerals with various Earths and Clays; whereby he discovered many Truths & Transmutations. And to convince his Readers of the reality of this Experiment, he spends a whole Chapter to prove the truth of the matter of fact, and of the genuineness of the Iron produced; examining withal, whether that Iron thus produced had not been latent either in the Earth, or in the Oyl, and so might have impos'd upon him; and having found, it had not, he inquircth, what may be the Metallic cause in general in this Experiment; and in particular, what the Ferrifick (if we may be allow'd to frame such a word) or the Iron-making Principle, &c. III. De ABSYNTHIO Analecta, per Job. Michael Febr., M. D. Lutse 1663 in 8°. Several Learn'd men in Germany, having associated themselves, some years since, into a Company under the Name of Academia Naturae Curiosorum, resolved to undertake, each of them, the Description of some particular substance in Nature, considering with themselves how long the world had been fruitlessly amused with Generals: Of those particulars we only named some in Numb.68. p.2078. but shall now endeavour to give an accompt in the remainder of this Tract, of some performances of these undertakings; Beginning here with the Treatise concerning Wormwood, which but very lately came to our hands. In it the Author describeth first its Nature, enumerateth its differences, observeth its virtues, teacheth divers preparations, and delivers its manifold Uses, especially in strengthening and recovering covering the stomack and all the parts of the lower Belly; in curing the Colick, Scurvy, Jaundies, Dropsie, &c. in opening the Obstructions of the Liver and Spleen; in expelling Worms, and driving away Moths, and other like vermin, &c. After this, he endeavors to solve divers Questions proposed upon this subject, as, 1. Whether the bitterness may be taken away from Wormwood without destroying its virtues? which is resolved in the Negative. 2. Whether the Salts, called Essential, have the same virtue with their Simples? Answ. in the Affirmative. 3. Whether the Resuscitation of Plants be naturally possible? Affirm'd, as to their representation, &c. Lastly, he concludeth with an Enumeration of Bitter things; which are found among Roots, Herbs, Stalks, Leaves, Flowers, Seeds, Berries, Fruits, Barks, Wood, Gums, Juices, Oils, Extracts, Powders; observing withal, that generally all Bitter things have the power to comminute, to be astringent, opening, and purgative, more or less. CROCOLOGIA. Auth. Job. Ferdinando Hertodt M.D., Jena 1671. in 8°. This Author giveth us the Anatomy of Saffron, and having described it, and assigned its differences from its different nature, time of production, colour, flower, leaves; and withal found the several Country's of its growth, and shew'd the way of its Culture and Propagation: He proceeds to relate its Vertues and Uses; in the doing of which he recommends it, and the several preparations thereof (of which he sets down not a few,) against the Head-ache, Palpy, Vertiginous distempers, Epilepsy, Lethargy, Intercepted Respiration (call'd the Incubus,) Phrensic, Inflammations and Suffusions of the Eyes, Tingling of the Ears, Squintancy, Cough, Pleurisy, Palpitation of the Heart, Nauseoulness, Hemorrhoids, Dysenteries, Diarrhaea's, Colicks, Inflammation of the Liver, Dropsie, Jaundies, Obstructions of the Liver and Spleen, Hypochondrical distempers, the Stone, the difficulty of Excretion by Siege or Urine, the Green sickness, Infecundity, Suppression of the Menstrua, Hysterick passions, Hard Travel, Inflammation of the Breasts, Burnings, Gangrens, the King's Evil, &c. This Enumeration being made, and a great number of Receipts, of which Saffron is the chief Ingredient, interspersed, there are subjoined several Queries, viz. 1. Whether Saffron be an Antidote to the poyson of Napellus? It being affirmed so to be, the Author adds a Relation of a considerable Physitian concerning the Polanders frequent and harmless eating of Napelins in their Salats; the reason whereof is ascribed to the common use of Saffron by that people. 2. Whether Saffron removeth or causeth a surfeit? This is treated as disputable. 3. Whether it induceth sleep or wakefulness? And this question is here debated, pro and con, yet so as that the Author endeavours to reconcile the disputing parties. 4. Whether Saffron tingeth the Fetus in the womb? Here are alleged several Experiments for the affirmative, of which the Author saith to have made one upon a Bitch with puppy, which brought her young ones forth yellowy-colour'd, after he had given her, for a good part of her bearing time, all her meat and drink tinged with Saffron, and for three days, immediately before her whelping, put some drachms of Saffron in her broth. There are also inserted some Mechanical uses of this Vegetable for tinging of Hair yellow; for making a liquor to write golden-colour'd Letters with; and gilding of Leather, &c. IV. De LAUDANO OPIATO, Auth. Matth. Tillingio M D. Francofurti, 1671, in 8°. This Treatise hath four Parts. The first contains the Origin of the Opiat Laudanum, and the Praises of its Usefulness in general; together with a disquisition of its Temperament, and whether Opium be poysonous in its self, and may be used uncorrected, &c? The latter part of which question is here resolved in the Negative. The Second treats of the genuine correction of Opium; delivers several descriptions of the Opiat Laudanum, much esteem'd both by Galenic and Chymical Physitians; prescribeth the Dose and way of using it; and withal anatomizeth and strictly examins his own preparation of this Medicin; adding some cautions to be observed in the Use thereof. The Third contains various Compositions of Opiat Medicines, or such as have Opium or the Opiat Laudanum for their chief Ingredient; together with an enumeration of their particular Vertues. The Fourth specifies those Maladies and distempers, in which this Laudanum is singularly beneficial, made out both by Reason and the observation of the Authour aswell as of many other famous and worthy Physitians. Here are reckon'd up Head-aches, Sleeplesness, Phrenies, Giddiness, the Falling-sickness, Haemorragies, Pleurities, Blood-spitting, Coughs, Consumptions, Painings, tings and Soundings, Feavers, Colicks, Fluxes, virulent Gonorrhœa's, Hysterical distempers, &c. As to the ill success which at times hath attended the taking of Laudanum, our Author ascribeth that either to the unskilful preparation, or the unseasonable and indiscreet exhibition of it. In the preparation he observeth, that the malignity that is in Opium, is best corrected by Alcaly's, as having the force of taming that Narcotic sulphur, contain'd in it; agreeing herein with Heimont's Maxim, Omne Narcoticum perit in Alcaly. Advertisements. Since the printing of the foregoing particulars, there came to hand the New Observations above mentioned, of the Spots of the Sun, in Print, made at the Royal Academy in Paris, the 11th, 12th, and 13th of August, 1671. (ft. n.) by Signor Cassini; who intimateth at the end of his French Narrative concerning the same (which is intended to be English'd for the next Tract,) that from about Sept. 4th, until Sept. 18. (ft. n.) it will be worth while to observe, whether the same Spots after they have passed over the upper Hemisphere of the Sun, which is hidden to us, will not return again and appear in its apparent Disque. The same Spots have been observed, as by a Letter from Dr. Fogelius at Hamburg we were also very lately inform'd, at Sea near the Tiefel, by Mr. Picard, one of the Royal Parisian Philosophers, namely Aug. 3. (ft. n.) and some of the following days; as also at Hamburg the 7th, 8th, 9th of August, (ft. n.) Of which more also by the next opportunity. What we have to add now (which must not be defer'd) is the Prediction, made by the same Signor Cassini, of the Eclipses of the Satellites of Jupiter, calculated for Uraniburg, and annexed here, to the end that our Astronomers, having reduced them to our Latitude and Longitude, may also observe the same. The Immersions of the Satellites of Jupiter into its shadow, visible at Uraniburg, 4. 1671. | Date | Time | |------------|--------| | Sept. 25 | Immersion 1st mane h. 4. 16' | | Oct. 11 | Immersion 2nd h. 4. 26' | | Nov. 7 | Immersion 3rd h. 4. 37' | | Nov. 10 | Immersion 1st h. 4. 51' | | Nov. 12 | Immersion 2nd h. 4. 18' | | Nov. 14 | Immersion 3rd h. 6. 37' | | Nov. 17 | Immersion 1st h. 6. 49' | | Nov. 19 | Immersion 1st h. 1. 20' | | Nov. 26 | Immersion 1st h. 3. 10' | Errata. In Numb. 73, p. 2202, l. ult. r. secunda, p. 2204, l. 24, r. pauci res, p. 2205, l. 38, r. ne 2 ad vs. -1. p. 2206, l. 42, r. NK ad Md. p. 2207, l. II, r. (pag. 49, l. 22.) ibid. l. 29, r. quippe qui vs. p. 2208, l. 41, r. mendal. 43, r. erant, p. 2214, l. 8, instead of Bodleian R. Boecklini, for it was in Dr. Jacob's own Library. In this Numb. 74, p. 2224, l. 10, show for here, p. 2226, l. 9, r. thence he, p. 2228, l. 3, r. quod eis, p. 2222, l. 16, quis fecerit, ib. l. 19, coincidit. London, Printed for J. Martyn, Printer to the Royal Society, 1671.