An Accompt of Some Books

kable Accident usually happening at those Seasons.) Of these different Seasons at Chepstow bridge from those of Rumney Marsh, I gave you my remarks in a Letter of mine to you in March following. And the like differences, I suppose, will be observable on other Coasts, according as their positions be advantageous or disadvantageous to the one or the other of the two Causes, on which this Phenomenon depends. But since it is not yet (it seems) agreed, Whether such an Annual Phenomenon do happen; or, if so, not at that time; (so that, for ought yet appears, it may be at the Seasons I design, that is, between the Winter-Solstice and the two Equinoxes on either side of it; though, on several Coasts, severally remote,) I think it best to let this part of the Hypothesis stand as it is, unrevoked, as that, which, when it shall be discovered and agreed on, stands ready enough to give a rational account of it, and, in the mean time, does no hurt. And in such a Complication of Causes so abstruse, scarce anything but Observation will determine, which of the Causes, and in what degree, is to be Judged predominant. And if to this of the Sun's or Earth's, be added that of the Obliquity and Eccentricity of the Moon's Orbit. (of which, for the reason above-mentioned, I had taken so little notice,) it will, if it do no good, at least do no hurt. And I the rather think, it may be considerable, because the Earth and Moon's Appropinquation and Elongation, doth really alter the Distance of the Common Center of Gravity (of the Earth and moon) from the Earth (rendering the Earth's Epicycle Elliptical;) and much favors what M. Childrey observes of the Moon in Perigee. And this is the sum of what I thought proper to return you, upon those Animadversions, being, &c. An Accomp of some Books. I. DISSEXTATIONES MEDICAE TRES: 1. De Causis fluxus Menstrui Mulierum. 2. De Sympathia variarum Corporis partium cum Utero. 3. De Uso Lactis ad tabidos reficiendos, & de immediato Corporis Alimento. Auth. Francisco Bayle, Doct. Medico. Tolosae, 1670. in 4°. His Ingenious Author to prepare his Reader to a candid reception of these Discourses, represents in the Preface, how much mischief and prejudice hath been done to knowledge both by by intemperate and blind Love of Novelty, and by a sullen and fervile addiction to bare Antiquity; and esteems him to be truly wise, who neither admits Falsities upon the sole account of being Ancient, nor excludeth Truths because of Novelty, but giveth honor to the Fathers of Sciences, with safety to Truth, as the thing which the authority both of the Ancients and Moderns ought to stoop to. Upon which ground he proceeds, sometimes dissenting from Galen in these Essay's alledging, that Authors own advise and practise for so doing; and deploring the unhappiness of the state of Physick because of the too great servility of adhering to former attainments. Having premised this, he doth in the First Dissertation examine and reject the opinion of Galen and others concerning the Periodicalness or Stated returns of that Flux; esteeming, that that Author and his Followers do only dis- course of what is obvious in this Argument, and leave that un- explained what is not so; as, from what cause, by what organs, and why at stated times that Evacuation is raised and performed. And having shew'd, that the common Doctrine concerning this Effect in Women contains nothing, which may be acquiesced in, he proceeds to declare and prove his opinion concerning the same, viz. That, as in the Earth (the fruitfull womb of all Seeds of Plants,) so in all the Wombs of Animals, fit for Conception, there concur chiefly three things: A benigne Heat to cherish; a due Fer- mentation to agitate and dilate; and a due portion of Moisture, to enter with ease into the passages open'd by that Fermenting mo- tion. This he maketh out both in Oviparous and Viviparous Ani- mals, and teacheth, that the blood being agitated and rarified by that Effervescence, swells and opens the vessels, and breaks out into a Profluvium; Dumque hoc fervore dilatatur uterus, aperiuntur viae inconspicuae, quibus semen masculinum interius excipitur, quippe quod non haeret in uteri cavitate (in qua Harvæus & alii illud frustra qua- sivere) sed in ipsius substantiam imbibitur, ubi seminei seminis per- missione turgescit, radices agit, quibus delatum per apertos fervore meatus succum nutritium accipit: deinde ut in Terra solent Plantarum semina, caulem profert carneum, Placentam scil. uterinam, ex qua fra- gus instar erumpit Ovum, cui ex germine, liquamini innatante, ad- nascitur alia planta mox migratura in animal, tandem in hominem, si ex humano semine fuerit excitata. After this, he inquireth into the Cause of that Incafe- cence, and its Periodical vicissitudes; as also, why 'tis found in Mulieribus &c. Si Agis, eum Equae, Canes, Vaca, &c. non nisi serofum quid idque panicum ab alto uteri fervore profundant. The Cause of this Fervor he maketh to be a Nitrous Salt collected in the Body. The reason of the Periodical returns he assigns to be this, that the Uterus, like the Earth, having been throughout fermented and dilated by the nitrous particles and the orifices of the Tubuli, which pass into the cavity of the same, opened, the attenuated blood rusheth into it, indeque foras effunditur. Ubi vero sanguis liberè fluit, col.lectum fermentum abstergit quemadmodum aqua è Terra, quam abluit, Nitrurn ejicit. Restituto deinde in statum pristinum Utro idem fermentum colligitur eodem modo quo prius, &c. quid obsetet, spatia aquali, pari quantitate congestum, & ad similem exaltationem evectum, novam efficit in Utro fermentationem. And this is to our Author the cause of that constant Circuit: For the Illustration of which, he delivers many particulars concerning the collection of Salt in the Uterus, and its Fermentative power, and the Fecundity of Egyptian Women by reason of their drinking the Nitrous water of the Nile, &c. To which he annexes an accompt, Quare ab Utro Fervore plereque Animantes tantum serofum quid & panicum, Mulieres vero sanguinem profundant? Quare etiam illæ periodi in aliis Mulieribus sint longiores, in aliis breviores? Ex quo fonte Menstrua purgationes supprimantur vel perperam procedant? Quæ mulieres careant Menstruis sine noxa? & quam vegetum robur, quamq. vite longevitas inde consequatur? Quanam immodica vacuationis Cause? &c. In the second Dissertation concerning the Consent of many parts of the Body with the Womb, he first declareth, that he understands by this Consent nothing else, but that the parts are at once affected together from one part principally affected, and communicating that affection to others. Then having exploded the common opinions touching the Causes of this Sympathy, he offers his own, viz. the Vicinity of the parts, and the Community and Structure of the Vessels, by which the vitiated liquors of the body being conveyed from one part to another, may there excite the same or different affections. But because this way of Sympathising by vessels hath many considerable and un-obvious varieties, he takes pains to examine them at large and to give a Scheme of the whole Oeconomy of the Body of the perfecter Animals, considering the diversity and various uses of the Vessels, and the necessity of Motion and Sense, depending from the Brain, the Animal Spirits, and the System of the Nerves, which, being dispersed through the whole Body, Body, cannot but produce this Consent of parts: For the clearer Explication of which, he gives an Accompt of the Order and Dependency of the Vessels, by which the various Juyces are distributed through the Body; and from all these together, (taking in the Structure of the parts) he deduceth first in General, the manner, How any one part, being affected, communicateth its affection to others; and then in Particular, How the Scituation, and the Connexion of the Womb, with other parts, is subject to produce the like effects: Where he expatiateth to declare, How that from the depravation of the Uterine ferment and blood, so many, so various, and so horrid Diseases and Symptoms arise: To all which he adds the solution of these two Questions; 1. Why Sweet smells raise Hysterique passions; and foetid ones, remedy the same? 2. Why there is so special a consent of the Womb with the Breasts? Concerning both which we refer the Reader to the Author himself, and proceed to the Third Dissertation, in which he inquires, Whence it is, that Milk is the best Aliment of the Body? And to satisfy this Inquiry; he presupposeth, that the proxime nourishment is to be as like as may be to the Body to be nourished, and that we subsist by the same things, of which we are generated, and that the Foetus is fed in the womb, not with Blood, but a Milky Juice, taken in at the Mouth, and sever'd from the Blood in the Uterus by the Placenta, as a Strainer; as 'tis in the Breasts by the Glanduls and Tubes designed for the same purpose. And having concluded thereupon, that Meats do not nourish before they are converted into a Milky liquor; he Analyseth Milk, and finding, that its fatty, terrestrial, and serous parts may be easily mixed, separated again, and made a fit matter for the different parts of the Body, the Serous part thereof (which is also Nitrous) being a very proper Vehicle to convey it thorough the vessels; he infers; that it is the most convenient Food, not for Children only, but for Grown people also. But because he was aware of divers Objections against this Doctrine, especially those two, that are taken from the double Principle of our Generation, the Blood, and the Genital seeds; and from the two sorts of Parts of the Body, Spermatick and Sanguineous: He endeavors to remove both, as may be seen in the Book itself; where do occur sundry curious and considerable Anatomical Observations and Experiments, grounded upon the Learned Dr Whartons Book of Glanduls, and proving, that the Maternal Blood is neither the matter of the Aliment of the Fetus, nor that, of which it is first formed: all which is illustrated and confirmed from the Phenomena in Oviparous Animals, whose young ones, bred in Eggs, receive no blood at all from their Dams. But as to the successive Changes made in Meats, fit for Nutrition and the production of various Juices; he represents them thus: After that the Chyle, produced out of meat and drink in the stomach, hath passed to the Heart, then the finest and most Spirituous parts thereof are changed into the red part of the Blood; such portions as are disposed next, are turned into Bile, and other humors; the remainder is by iterated fermentations with the Blood in the Heart further digested, and perfected, and by being in many places percolated, and leaving behind its serosity, acquireth a glutinous and fibrous nature, like Milk, fittest for Nutrition. So that he concludes upon the whole, That there being no part of the Body, which is not generated of the Seed, and consequently the Seminal matter being the nearest Aliment of the same, and nothing, of things outwardly taken in, having a greater cognation with it, than Milk, this Liquor is to be esteem'd the best Aliment, and the properest to repair tabid and decayed Persons. II. HISTORICÆ GENERALIS INSECTORUM, Joannis Swammerdani, Pars prima. Ultrajecti A. 1669. in 4°. This Curious and Philosophical Book, written in the Belgick Tongue, treateth chiefly of these three things. First, It lays down the Ground of all Natural Changes in Insects; declaring, that by the word Change, is nothing else to be understood but a gradual and natural Evolution and Growth of the parts; not any Metamorphosis or Transformation of them: which Growth is here made to resemble, not only the Increase of other Animals, but also the Budding, Knitting and Spreading of Plants. And here the Author, having taken notice, that, whereas Antient and Famous Writers have esteem'd and called the Nympha, among Insects, the Change of that Worm, which carries the proper shape of the future little Animal; and the Chrysalis or Aurelia the Change of that Caterpillar, which shews no parts at all of the Animal to come; having, I say, noted this, desires the Reader to observe, that, whereas he is able to discern and to shew all the parts or members of the future Animalcle, as well in the Chrysalis, as the Nympha, he makes no other difference amongst them, but this, That since the the parts in a Chrysalis, are not so plainly discernable to our view, as those in a Nympha, and because a Chrysalis does sometimes appear of a Gilt-colour, which he hath not hitherto observ'd in a Nympha, he calls the Nympha, barely by the name of Puppet, and the Chrysalis by that of Gilt-puppet: the distinction of which is made very clear by the neat and accurate Cuts annexed, and their Explication. In this First part is set forth the manner, how the Worms and Caterpillars turn into Puppets; and shewed, that some Insects come perfect out of the Egg, and never out of a Puppet; that the principal difference of the Worm-animalcula, that turn into Puppets, consists in this, that some have feet, some have none; that the breast of the feetless Worms is never changed; that the fix fore-feet of the Worms with many or few feet are never changed or transposed; that the Wings, Horns, Feet, &c. grow up under the skin by degrees; that in all Worms he can easily shew the said parts under the skin, affirming, to have done it actually in the presence of Seigneur Magalotti, and Monsieur Thevenot, Two very Intelligent and Cautious persons; and that even a Frog comes forth into a Puppet. Secondly, This Book undertaketh to make it out, How the true Ground of the Natural Changes, or the Knowledge of the Nympha and Aurelia hath been obscured and marred; shewing withal, how it is to be cleared and restored again. Where he affirms, that Monset and others do err about the Aurelia, making it neither an Egg, nor an Animal; and that Harvey mistaketh, calling the Aurelia (which indeed is the Animal itself,) an Egg, and affirming, that Bloudleffe Animalcula are produced out of Aurelia's by Transformation; whereas the Change, happening in the Puppets, is nothing else but an Evaporation of the superfluous moisture. Further, that Goedartus erres, holding, that a Caterpillar may change before her time; and that, if she so changes, she then produceth another Animal: Contrary whereunto our Author affirms, that these Animalcula, which the said Goedartus mentions, as changing against the order of nature, do always come forth in that manner, viz. The Male with wings, and the Female without them: Observing further, That Caterpillars early forbearing to eat, come only to turn into smaller bodied Animals; and adding, that they may change when they will; and that the Animals, when once changed, do never grow bigger. And from the knowledge of the propagation of these Animalcula, he is of opinion, that we may arrive to that of the Propagation of the rest of Animals; where he declareth his sentiment, that there is no Generation in Nature, but only a Production by the Growing of parts; adding this assertion, that he is able both to shew all the parts of a Butterfly in a Caterpillar, and to make the change of the Caterpillar to proceed leisurely, and so to stop it in its change, that it shall appear half Caterpillar, and half Aurelia; which he faith, he hath actually performed before the now Great Duke of Tuscany. Thirdly, This Author reduceth all Changes of Insects, (some few excepted, which he acknowledgeth he doth not yet well understand,) into Four Classes or Ranks; which are discriminated by four different ways of Production. Production, Change and Growth. The first Rank, by him called Nympha-Animal, hath a little Animal fully formed in the Egg, which after the evaporation of the superfluous moisture, comes forth perfect and so groweth up; such as the Louse and Flea &c. The second called Nympha-Vermiculus, hath the parts of the Insect imperfectly shaped in the Egg, and after hatching acquires its perfection visibly by outward food; such as the Locust and Cricket, &c. The third, called Nympha-Chrysalis or Aurelia, obtains after hatching, its perfection darkly, and not till the last casting of the skin; such as the Emmet, and Night-butterfly: So that in the second and third Classis not a perfect Animal, but a Worm, precedes the growing up of the parts; yet with this difference, that in the second, the little Creature groweth up manifestly; which in the third is done obscurely: The fourth, called Nympha-vermiformis, remains always shut up in the skin of the Worm, without a possibility of discerning the parts, till casting both skins at once, it becomes capable of generation; such as the Fly. In the Explication and Deduction of all which differences, the Author taketh notice of many remarkable particulars: E.g. That the Insects, which come perfect out of their Eggs, change only by casting their skin, and those that come forth imperfect, do, besides skin-casting, grow up by food, to become Nympha's or Puppets: That those, which come perfect or imperfect out of the Egg, are in the Egg first like Puppets, and undergo, both of them in the Egg, all the alterations, which any Insect undergoeth in the Puppet: That the parts of Puppets protuberate, much like the Budding of Flowers: That the Caterpillar is the Butterfly itself, only covered over with a mantle, whereby the parts are kept from our discerning: That the doctrine of Seigneur Malpighi, in his Dissertation de Bombyce (dedicated to the R. Society,) concerning the Change of Butterflies, is true: That innumerable Insects fly about and feed by night, as well as others do by day: That Snails discharge their excrements by the neck, and are each of them, both Male and Female: That from Caterpillars, feeding on such and such plants, conjectures may be drawn concerning the agreement of the respective qualities of them; it being very probable, that, if those Creatures do eat of several plants (each sort of those Insects being esteem'd, to feed but on one sort of Vegetables) those Plants do agree in their nature and virtues, &c. Those Insects, which the Author can as yet reduce to no Classis, are: | Cicindela. | Scarabaeus pilularius. | |-----------|-----------------------| | Scolopendra. | Hydrocantharis. | | Julius. | Hydrocantharis minimus. | | Curculio. | Scorpio. | III. The C R E E D of M. H O B B E S, Examined by M. Tenison. London, 1670. in 8°. Passing by the several particulars, which concern Morality and Policy, discussed in this Book, as not belonging to these Tracts, which are principally principally designed to give an Accompt of such Occurrences as are of a Physical and Mathematical nature; We shall only take notice of the Ingenious Confutation, made by this Author, of what M. Hobbes hath delivered concerning the Rational Soul, and Perception in Matter; Where (in my opinion) it is strongly evinced, That the Soul of man is something else, than the Organized Body in due motion; and that 'tis altogether unconceivable and therefore most unphilosophical, that Matter should be capable of Perception, Cogitation, and Discourse. In the doing of which, our Author descends to particulars, making it out, that Sensation is not made by Motion or Reaction in meer Matter; nor that Imagination, Memory, much less Reason, are merely Mechanical; refuting also that Dogma, which maketh Reason nothing but an apt joining of Names. All which seems to be performed with so much force, that it appeares not, what in reason can be rejoyned thereto; which yet is not said without a ready submission to better judgments. IV. FRANCISCI JOSEPHI BURRHI Epistle dua ad Thomam Bartholinum. Hafniæ, 1669. in 4°. This small Tract being but very lately sent out of Denmark to the Publisher, he thought fit to give forthwith the following Accompt of it. These two Letters of Signeur Burrhi are an Answer to two others, which M. Bartholin had written to him touching sundry considerable and curious Subjects of Natural Philosophy and Medicine. In the former he endeavours to explain, How the Brain is formed, and what kind of Substance it is: In the doing of which he observeth, That as many Salts, dissolved together in common water, are sever'd by a simple Distillation; and as divers Metals melted together into one mass are un-mixed from one another, when a certain degree of heat is given them; so the different parts, which constitute the Seed, although they be so blended together that 'tis impossible to distinguish them, do disengage themselves from one another when they are agitated by a competent Heat; and taking the situation which is natural to them, give rise to the several Organs of the Body. The direct and the most mastly, by their weight going to the Center, form the Heart; the spongyous, the Lungs; the bituminous, the Liver, and the fatty and oily, as the highest, rising above the rest, form the Brain, &c. Where he takes notice, that Hippocrates holds the Brain to have little of Oylines in it, because it will not flame; whereas he assures, that having distilled the Brain of a Calf, he drew from it a considerable quantity of Oyl: which (to note that by the by) being applyed outwardly, is by him recommended as excellent to appease the pains of the Gout. In the same Letter he affirms, that in the Brain there is made a certain very subtile and well-scented liquor, which he believes to be the Seat of the Reasonable Soul; and that the Wit of men depends on the Temper of this Liquor, rather than from the Conformation of the Brain: Which he confirms by the Example of one, who by taking great store of Tobacco, had so dried up his Brain, that after his death there was found in his Head but a very small black clod, composed of sundry membranes; and yet his Soul had not been wanting to perform her functions to the last. He also takes occasion to discourse of Respiration, adventuring to affirm, that Respiration is caused by divers liquors, which rising through the Veins into the Heart, and there fermenting, send to the Lungs such Vapors as attract the Air: For illustration whereof, he saith, That, if to a Glass-bowl, hollow and with a small hole, you sodder divers Pipes of Glass half full of different strong Liquors, the Vapours, elevated from those Pipes in the glass-bowl, will draw the Air after the same manner as it is drawn into the Lungs by Respiration. In the other Letter, he treats of the way of curing several Distempers of the Eyes, and particularly of some surprizing ones, cured by himself. Where he affirms, that having cut asunder the Apple of the Eye of divers Animals, and squeezed out the humors even the Chrystillin itself, he hath restored the sight to those Animals; and that the Eyes of those Birds, on which he had made this Experiment, looked better and more vivid than before; and that he had performed this operation upon many persons with so much success, that in their Eyes there remained not the least appearance of a Scar. After this relation he is not shy to teach the way of making this Operation, adding the cautions to be observed therein, and withall the Remedy itself; which consists chiefly in a certain Water of Celondine, and a Phlegme of Vitriol of Mars. On the occasion of teaching the Preparation of this remedy, he taketh notice of several particulars, perhaps not to be despised: First, That if about a pint of Water be poured on ten pounds of Filings of Iron, fresh and fine, and after having well stirk'd it with one's hand, you cover the vessel, wherein it is, and wrap it about with some dry stuff, these Filings will, within the space of an hour and an half, ferment and grow hot, like Calx viva. Secondly, That having often quenched in Water an Ingot of fine Gold, heated red hot, he hath found the weight of that Gold notably diminish't; and having afterwards suffered the Water to evaporate, drawn a little Gold thence; which (he saith) shews, that the most subtile parts of the Gold pass into the liquors, wherein it is quenched; whence it is (he adds) that such liquors have admirable vertues, to cure many Diseases: And amongst others he pretends, that in Dysenteries there is no better Remedy, than Rose-water, wherein Gold hath been quenched. Thirdly, That in the Resolution of Simples, an excellent means of preserving their proper vertues is, instead of using Fire or any other strange Heat, which might alter their vertues, to employ only the Warmth of an Hot-bed made of the Putrefaction of the Herbs of the same Species with those you would Distil. LONDON, Printed for John Martyn, Printer to the Royal Society.