An Accompt of Some Books

An Accomp of some Books. I. The DIVINE HISTORY of the GENESIS of the WORLD, explicated and illustrated, London 1670. This Author (not thinking fit to give us his Name) taketh no small pains to explain in this his Book the Genesis of the World, as 'tis delivered by Moses, esteemed by him the only true Philosopher. In doing which, he yet professes, that he dissents not from the Pagan Philosophy out of a Spirit of Contradiction, or to flatter Christianity, but retains whatever of truth he hath found therein, and all the aids of the same, whether they be Platonical Speculations, Peripatetical Ratiocinations, or Epicurean Sensations, and even Sceptical Caution itself; affirming, that he is Dogmatical only in such Positions, as he proves by the concurrence of Divine Authority, Human Argument, and Sensible Experiment. In his Preface he seems not to be a little displeased to hear some Christian Philosophers affirm, that the very Essences and Formalities of all Elementary, Vegetative and Sensitive Natures, are only Matter and Motion. In the Body of the Book he endeavors to demonstrate, that the World had a Beginning, and labors to disprove the possibility of the Worlds being ab aeterno. Then, he attempts to give us from the first Chapter of Genesis a Body of Natural Philosophy, discoursing of the Chaos, the Four Elements, Quantity, Number, Time, Extention, Figure, Potosity, Density, Rarity, Gravity, Levity, Rest, Motion, Place, Space, and Vacuity, (which last he rejects, shewing himself withal a great friend to Motion of Union;) further of Generation and Corruption and the Process thereof, together with a Scale and Order of all Generable and Corruptible Natures. Then he proceeds to treat of Heat, Light, Colours, the Air and its Elasticity; where he examines the Torricellian Experiment, not admitting that to be an Instance of Vacuity, but esteeming, that a great force of Introuction (so he calls it) makes temporary pores and pervious passages; by which the Air passes through the Body of Mercury itself into the Tube, and thereby is so very much expanded. After this he considers Cold, Sound, Meteors, Water, Odors, Savors, the Flux and Reflux of Waters, presenting withal his Hypothesis of Tydes, and assigning certain Criteria, to try its truth by; which done, he goes on to treat of the Earth, and of what is contained in the Bowels thereof; handling also of Drinels, Consistence, Magnetisme, and Electricity: Further he shews himself a great Favorer to the Rest of the Earth; and having taken great pains to assert the same (how successfully, good good Astronomers may judge) he passes on to discourse of Vegetables; then of the Celestial Bodies, and among them of Comets, which he supposeth to be made up of the Æthereal Effluvia of the Luminaries, or the Confluvia of the Æthereal matter; as Aereal Meteors are made of Vapors. Further, he discourses of the Formation of Fishes and Fowls; then, of Sensation, Imagination, Appetite, Beasts, Man, Human Body, Human Body, Human Spirit, the Image of God in Man, and the Immortality of the Human Soul: where he represents Man as the Centrick Orbe of the whole World, making him the Abstract thereof, and that one Nature, which all other Creatures do circumferentially respect, relating to him one way or another, as so many lines in a Circle to the Center. In the Closer, he observes two things: 1. The Symmetrical and Uniform Chorography of the whole Masse of Matter, and of the several parts thereof, exactly adjusted according to the more or less Density of their Matter, and the more or less Activity of their Qualities; viz. the Super-ether (as he terms it) or the utmost Circumference of the World; and within that, the Æther; and within this, the Air; and within them all, the Terraqueous Globe, and inmost Center thereof. 2. The easie Comprehension of the Age of the World, according to the Mosical Chronology: there being in that not above 150 Generations between Us and Adam, in regard that that Sacred Writing enumerateth, from Adam to Christ inclusively, no more than 76 Generations; and allowing 4 Generations to every Century since the Nativity of Christ, the Total will not exceed the number above-specified. II. FRANC. TRAVAGINI, Super Observationibus a se factis tempore ultimorum Terræ-Motuum, ac potissimum Ragusiani, PHYSICA DISQUISITIO, seu, GYRITERAE DIURNI INDICIUM. Lugduni Batavorum, 1669. in 4o. This Venetian Philosopher acquaints the Curious in this Book with some Observations, made by himself in two late Earth-quakes, and by others also, in the last about Ragusa, whence he thinks an Argument may be drawn to confirm, among other proofs, the Diurnal Motion of the Earth. His Observations are, that in those Earth-quakes himself did find, besides a subsulting perpendicular motion, found by others, a concomitant Lateral one, from West to East; which latter he conceives was not caused by the former, (which he also endeavors to prove) but only discovered by it: just as the progressive Motion of a Boat, carried with a still stream, is not produced, but only made sensible, from an accidental check, to a person, that shall have been put in irasleep, when it was at rest, but awakens, after it was made to swim down a still River; who will think himself un-moved, till the Boat meet with some stop, whereby for the time its course will either be hindered, or disturbed, and he made sensible of his being in motion. He alledges divers other Observations, made of Rivers, suspended Bells, and Church-Lamps, which were all observed by himself and many others to have likewise the said lateral and vibrating motion. Whereupon he admonisheth his Readers, that they would, on the like occasions, take very particular notice of all the several motions in Earthquakes; and then consider with themselves, whether from such Observations, universally made, importing, that the Earth in Earth-quakes is vibrated towards the East, and that that Vibration cannot proceed from its succussion; (which is onely able to cause a perpendicular motion in the trembling Earth,) it may be validly inferred, that the Earth hath a Diurnal Progressive Motion from West to East. III. QUAESTIO TRIPLEX De ANNO MENSE & DIE CHRISTI NATI, BAPTISTATI & MORTUI. Auth. R. P. Michaelis Senefallos & S. J. Leodii, 1670. in 4o. This Author undertaketh to prove in this Chronological Treatise not only the Year and Month, but also the Day and Hour of the Nativity of Christ, and of his Baptisme and Death. In the doing of which he maketh diligent research of all Writers of Chronology in general, and then examins particularly the Variety of their Opinions concerning the Subject under Consideration; discovering much Industry and Learning in all these Inquiries. IV. HERMANNI GRUBE, M. D. Commentarius de Modo SIMPLICIUM MEDICAMENTORUM FACULTATES cognoscendi. Hafniae & Francofurti, 1669. in 8o. To this Treatise is prefixed an Epistle of Doctor Thomas Bartholin concerning this very Book and Argument; by which it appeareth, that this Author is not contented with Aristotle to enquire, Why bitter or strong-scented Medicaments and Plants do mostly purge, and fragrant ones provoke to urine; nor with Galen, to find out their Vertues by the Colour, Smell and Taste, but proceeds to particular Experiments, and examines also, How and upon what account the Vertues of Plants are discoverable by the Smell and Taste; descending to the consideration of the several Particles, Figures, and Pores, upon which the diversity of those Sensations depends; and super-adding the Experiments of sober Chymists, and the Principles of the Cartesian Philosophy, to those of Aristotle and Galen. Mean while the Learned Bartholin commends very much the knowledge and use of simple Native Medicins, especially prepared of Domestique Plants, and directs to such at home, as may perform the part of Exoticks. Where he specifies the use of European Dock instead of Rhubarb; of Elder instead of Senna; of Cimphry instead of Mechoacan; of Iris instead of Jalap, &c. For Purgatives he finds at home Green Barley, the Powder of St. John's Wort, &c. He taketh our Wallnuts to be a Succedaneum to Nutmegs; the Root of Angelica to Costus; Scordium or Penny-Royal to the Diffamme of Crete; the Sip of Fine, to Opopallamum; the Geranium Moschatum, or sweet-scented Cranes-Bill, to the Indian Musk, &c. Having done this, he maketh a Reflection on the Indicatures taken from Plants by their Taste, and observeth, that though much may be thence collected, yet Experience is the Chief Master of all; where he diddains not to recommend even to great Physicians. Helans the use of simple Medicins made of Herbs, used by plain Country-men, Nurses, Farriers, &c. affirming, that the chief of the Ancient Physicians, as Celsus, Scribonius, Marcellus, Dioscorides and others have done so. He taketh notice, First, That the external likenesses in some Plants is not to be altogether despised; affirming, that from thence it was discovered, that our Ashwoods, like to Guaiacum, is conducive to the Lues Venerea, and other Maligne Diseases. Secondly, That neither the outward Signature is to be totally neglected; since the Antients thereby did first discover, that Hypericum was good for wounds; Pulmonaria for the Lungs; Saxifraga, for the Gravel; Walnuts for the Distempers of the Head. Where he notes, that these signes do not so much respect the parts of the Body, as their Distemper. He concludes with observing, that those Plants which afford Salts of the like Figure, seem to evince a likeness in their Vertues. Upon this account he compareth together Wormwood and Pellitory on the Wall; Balm and Fennel; Licorish and Capillus Verbena; Rosemary and Eug. o. &c. The Treatise itself, to which this Epistle is an Introduction, is directed to Medical Practice, and enlarged with divers useful Observations for the sake of young Physicians. V. DE LACTE LUNAE Dissertatio Medica, Johannis Danielis Majoris, Ph. & M.D. Kiloni 1667 in 40. This Book came but very lately to our view; And that the extravagant Name of its Subject may not take off sober men from considering it, we shall at the very first tell them, that by this affected word of Lac Lunae nothing else is meant here, than Flores Argenti, or a fine white porous and friable Earth, insipid and without scent, dissoluble in water, and tinging it with a milky colour, and sometimes raising a kind of ebullition in it; found commonly in Silver-Mines, and in them sublimed and sticking to the roots of the rocky Hills; having a drying and absterive quality, and therefore good against the afflux of sharp humors in ulcerated parts; serving also for an excellent Cosmetick. All which particulars are at large deduced and discoursed upon by the Author; who observeth, first, That Gmelin in his Book of Fossils taketh good notice of this Mineral Earth; and affirms it to be found in the Mountains of Helvetia, especially that, which is called Mount Pilat. From whom he thinks that others, as Bochini a Boot, Olaus Wormius, Aldrovandus, Calcotarius, and others, have taken the hint. Secondly, He maketh the matter of this Earth to be the Metallick Vapors of Silver-Ore, by some fermentation raised and sublimed, and then condensed. Thirdly, Having commended its Absterive and Cosmetique quality, he giveth this following Recipe; Lact. Luna Drachm. VII. Laccæ Virginian. vel Florentin. Drachm. I. Moschi optim. gran. II. vel III. Misc. exadie. fiat pulvis subtilis. which Powder, he saith, when 'tis to be used for the face or hands, may, for more convenience, be moistened with some Essence of Benzoin, Rose-water, or Orange water; whereby the skin shall acquire a natural and florid whiteness, without any danger of mischief. Fourthly, Inquiring into the particular places of the Generation of this Earth, he affirms it to be found, as in the above-named Mountains of Helvetia, so in the Mines of New Spain, and about the Mexican Bay, as also about Perugium in Italy, in an Isle near Hamborough, called Heilige Land, belonging to the Duke of Holstein, and in Silisia near Bruinix. Errata, In Numb. 58. p. 1186. l. 17. r. to remove, p. 1192. l. 12. r. at Franchin. p. 1200. l. 16.r. before noon. In Numb. 59. p. 1041. l. 19. r. Pupilla which dilates, p. 1045. l. 20.r. pipe, I took. LONDON, Printed by T. N. for John Martyn Printer to the Royal Society, 1670.