An Account of the Rise and Attempts, of a Way to Conveigh Liquors Immediately into the Mass of Blood

to drive 3 Mills not far from its source. The Inhabitants call it the Bolderborn, as if you should say, the Boisterous Spring. The same Person, having mentioned the many Salt-Springs in Germany, as those at Lunenburg, at Hall in Saxony, at Saltzwedel in Brandenburger Mark, in Tyrol, &c. observes, that no Salt-water, which contains any Metal with it, can well be sodden to Salt in a Vessel of the same Metal, which it self contains, except Vitriol in Copper Vessels. He adds, that, to separate Salt from Salt-water, without Fire, if you take a Vessel of Wax, hollow within, and everywhere tight; and plunge it into the Sea, or into other Salt-water, there will be made such a separation, that the vessel shall be full of sweet water, the Salt staying behind: but, though this water have no saltish taste, yet, he saith, there will be found a Salt in the Essay, which is the Spirit of Salt, subtile enough with the water to penetrate the Wax. An Account of the Rise and Attempts, of a Way to convey Liquors immediately into the Mass of Blood. Whereas there have lately appeared in publick some Books, printed beyond the Seas, treating of the Way of Injecting liquors into Veines; in which Books the original of that Invention seems to be adscribed to others, besides him, to whom it really belongs; It will surely not be thought amiss, if something be said, whereby the true Inventor's right may beyond exception be asserted & preserved; To which end, there will need no more, than barely to represent the Time when, and the Place where, & among whom it was first started and put to tryal. To joyn all these circumstances together, 'Tis notorious, that at least six years since (a good while before it was heard off, that any one did pretend to have so much as thought of it) the Learned and Ingenious Dr. Christopher Wren did propose in the University of Oxford (where he now is the worthy Savilian Professor of Astronomy, and where very many Curious Persons are ready to at- test this relation) to that Noble Benefactor to Experimental Philosophy, Mr. Robert Boyle, Dr. Wilkins, and other deserving Persons, That he thought, he could easily contrive a Way to convey any liquid thing immediately into the Mass of Blood; videl: By making Ligatures on the Veins, and then opening them on the side of the Ligature towards the Heart, and by putting into them slender Syringes or Quills, fastened to Bladders (in the manner of Clyster-pipes) containing the matter to be injected; performing that Operation upon pretty big and lean doggs, that the Vessels might be large enough and easily accessible. This Proposition being made, Mr. Boyle soon gave order for an Apparatus, to put it to Experiment; wherein at several times, upon several Doggs, Opium & the Infusion of Crocus Metallorum were injected into that part of the hind-legs of those Animals, whence the larger Vessels, that carry the Blood, are most easy to be taken hold of: whereof the success was, that the Opium, being soon circulated into the Brain, did within a short time stupify, though not kill the Dog; but a large Dose of the Crocus Metallorum, made another Dog vomit up Life and all: All which is more amply and circumstantially delivered by Mr. Boyle in his Excellent Book of the Usefulness of Experimental Philosophy, Part. 2. Essay 2. pag. 53. 54. 55. Where'tis also mention'd, that the same of this Invention and of the succeeding Tryals being spread, and particularly coming to the knowledge of a foreign Ambassador, that was Curious, and then resided in London, it was by him tried with some Crocus Metallorum, upon a Malefactor, that was an inferior Servant of his; with this success, that the Fellow, as soon as ever the Injection began to be made, did, either really or craftily, fall into a swoon; whereby, being unwilling to prosecute so hazardous an Experiment, they desisted, without seeing any other effect of it, save that it was told the Ambassador, that it wrought once downwards with him. Since which time, it hath been frequently practised both in Oxford & London; as well before the Royal Society, as elsewhere. And particularly that Learned Physician, Physitian, Dr. Timothy Clerk, hath made it part of his business, to pursue those Experiments with much industry, great accurateness, and considerable observations thereon; which above two years since, were by him produced and read before the Royal Society, who thereupon desired him, as one of their Members, to compleat, what he had proposed to himself upon that subject, and then to publish the same: the Effect whereof 'tis hoped, will now shortly appear, and not prove unwelcome to the Curious. Some whereof, though they may conceive, that liquors thus injected into Veines without preparation and digestion, will make odde, eomotions in the Blood, disturb Nature, and cause strange Symptoms in the Body, yet they have other thoughts of Liquors, that are prepared of such things, as have passed the Digestion of the Stomach; for example, of Spirit of Urine, of Harts-horne, of Blood &c. And they hope likewise, that besides the Medical Uses, that may be made of this Invention, it may also serve for Anatomical purposes, by filling, after this way, the vessels of an Animal as full, as they can hold, and by exceedingly distending them, discover New Vessels, &c.: But not now to enlarge upon the Uses, the Reader may securely take this Narrative, as the naked real Matter of Fact, whereby 'tis as clear, as Noon-day (both from the Time, and irrefragable Testimony of very many considerable Persons in that University, who can jointly attest it; as well as from that particular unquestionable one of Mr. Boyle and his worthy Company, who were the first Eye-witnesses of the Tryals made, that to Oxford, and in it, to Dr. Christopher Wren, this Invention is due; and consequently, that all others, who discourse or write of it, doe either derive it from Him, or are fallen upon the same Devise several years after Him. Published with License. Oxford, Printed by A: & L: Lichfield, for Ric: Davis. 1665.