A Continuation of the Experiments Made by Monsieur Hugens, and M. Papin, in the Air Pump; Which are about the Preservation of Bodies

A Continuation of the Experiments made by Monsieur Hugens, and M. Papin, in the Air Pump; which are about the Preservation of Bodies*. * Compare Mr. Boyles New Experiments about the Preservation of Bodies in Vacuo Boyliano, printed, together with other Tracts, A.1674. To know, whether the Vacuum would be of use to the Preservation of Bodies, I took an Apple, and included it with such a Cover, as is described formerly in our Method of taking away an exhausted Recipient from off the Engin. The Apple I chose, had a little speck of rottenness, and I did purposely include some water in the same Recipient, thereby to promote the corruption in case any should come to pass. But I have not found that any change happened to this Apple since the third of April, 1673, which was the day on which I included it*. * These Experiments were printed at Paris in French, in the year 1674. The seventh of June I included in a Receiver two Nosegays of Roses, one suspended at the top, the other having its tail in a little Vessel full of water. I also put in the same Receiver a Gage four Inches long, to know whether any Air would be there produced. Two days after I found my Roses a little wither'd, and the water already risen to eight or ten lines, near the top of my Gage; and after that, the changes of these Flowers became still less, so that at this present time they are not much more wither'd, and the water of the Gage is by three or four lines near the top. The Roses which lye dipt in the water are as much wither'd as the others, and as soon. I shall keep them in this condition as long as I can. Other Roses which I had included at the same time, but with Air, grew mouldy in less than eight days. At another time I included one single Rose-button in a very little Glass, to learn, whether it would keep its Scent. At the end of fifteen days it look'd a little less fresh, but was not at all wither'd; and having taken it out, I found, it had still its good smell; but after that, it lost all both colour and smell in less than two hours. I must also add, that its leaves did not appear moist in the vacuum, but they looked all moist as soon as they were in the Air. Which shews, that the parts of the leaves had acted as Springs, like as Spunges do, and that the weight of the Air coming to press upon them, did did express the humidity which had insinuated itself between the parts thus expanded. I did also include some Gilliflowers, which changed but very little; only they looked as if they had been dipped in water. Having included some Strawberries, at the end of two days they look'd less fresh; but after that, seeing they changed no more, I took them out of the vacuum, after they had been there fifteen days. They had still the smell and taste of Strawberries; but they had also contracted a very ungrateful taste of the cement which I then employed to close them up with. At another time, I put up some Strawberries without cement, making use of a skin after the manner described formerly, and I then observ'd nothing new, except that their taste kept good, but was a little sourish, and that they yielded a little water. The 24th of June I included some Cherries, to the number of 25 or 30, in a Receiver which was almost filled with them. They all burst but two. Two days after they had a little changed their colour, and those two that before remain'd whole, were now burst like the rest. After that, I observ'd no more change in them, and I shall keep them also as long as I can. The 26th of July, I included in the vacuum one Cherry with eleven great Corants. The Cherry burst presently, and after that, I found it not changed, only it appear'd turn'd, as the Corants also did: This is a beginning of putrefaction, which may be imputed to the Air that remains in the Receivers. These fruits I shall also keep as long as may be. The 27th of July, I included in the vacuum four Raspberries and three Corants. The latter appear'd also to be turn'd, and the Raspberries looked less fresh than they were. But 'tis now more than five months that I perceive no change in them. I mean to keep them likewise as long as I can. Hitherto I had employed none but small Receivers, which did just hold that little fruit I put in them, and the red Corants seem'd to keep well enough; so that one day I filled a great Glass (of the figure of Cupping-glasses) with them, hoping to keep that as well as the small Receivers. But I was surprized, five days after, to see that bubbles were formed in the Turpentin which I had put about the said great Glass in the place where it was fastned to its cover, and that these bubbles were burst outwards; and afterwards, having seen that the cover held fast to the Bolt head no longer, I made no doubt of the Corants having produced Air enough to lift up the said great Glass, and to form in the Turpentine the bubbles I had seen. I was confirmed in this thought, when I found by the smell that they had fermented. They were yet good, except some that had lost almost all their taste, and all their acidity. The same thing happened to me with a very small Receiver, that could hold no more than one Cherry (of that kind we call Bigar- reaux) and one red Corant. These fruits yielded also Air enough to lift up their Receiver seven days after they had been included therein. And having reiterated this Experiment, I found the same success; only this second time the Receiver was not lifted up till the eleventh day. This effect is rather to be ascribed to the Cher- ry than the Corant; because I have kept Corants to the number of eleven in a small Glass, and they did not raise it up. Whence it fol- lows, that these Bigareaux yield much more Air than Acid fruit. Another time I included some of the same kind of Cherries a whole great Glass full, and found, that from the second day they had yielded Air enough to lift up the cover. I took away part of the Cherries, and included the rest again. This second time they did not raise the Glass till the eighth day. The Cherries looked fair, but they had lost much of their taste, and afterwards they were spoiled in less than an hour. I did also one day include three Pears, of that sort we call Rouf- felet, in a like figured Glass, which could hold no more. They lifted up the Glass at the end of five days, and they were not changed, on- ly one of them was a little softer. Another time I put a Peach in such a Glass emptied of Air, with a Gage to it; and I found, that the first six hours the Quicksilver in the Gage was risen about an inch. Yet it was not till the thir- teenth day that the Glass was lifted up; and the Peach appeared to have kept very well till then; but after that, it rotted in a very lit- tle time. I did once put up some Bread with a Gage; but I found not that for the space of a whole month it had yielded any Air; so that I took it out, and found it yet good; only it had a little taste of mustiness, which yet appeared not at all to the Eye, and whereof the cause may be ascribed to that little Air that might rest in the Receiver. One day I included a piece of roasted Mutton with a Gage, and found, that in four days it had yielded no Air; but after my absence of six weeks I saw the Mercury was risen to the middle of the Gage; and having taken out the meat, I found it of a very ill smell. Two days after, I included a piece of raw Beef and a Gage with it, and I saw, that in two days the Quicksilver was risen an inch in the Gage; and after six weeks absence, I found, the Mercury was got almost to the top of the Gage, and that this meat had contracted a much worse smell than that which had been roasted. I also kept for fifteen days a piece of fresh Butter in vacuo, and I found, that it smelt more strong than when I first put it in: But yet it could be still eaten upon bread; whereas another piece of Butter, which at the same time I had kept in the Air, was altogether unfit to be eaten. These are almost all the Experiments I have made touching the Conservation of Bodies in vacuo. The Gentlemen of our Royal Academy, who saw most of them July last, thought them worthy to be entered in their Register, esteeming, that besides the consequences they might afford for Natural Philosophy, some other utilities might also be drawn thence. For, since that some Bodies do better keep there than others, some may possibly be found, that will keep there altogether well, and others that will there keep well enough to be transported into places where they could not be had else. A Letter of Mr. Flamsteed, Professor Regius of Astronomy in London, to Sir Jonas Moor Knight, &c. containing his Observations of the late Lunar Eclipse, on Decemb. 21. 1675. Iustri Viro Domino Jonæ Moor, Equiti Aurato, Rei Tormentaria per Angliam & Hiberniam Supervisori Generali, Joh. Flamstedius, Bene agere & recè va'ere. Nisi Calum à Meridie, hunc Defectum precedente, nubibus densissimis, pluvia continuâ, & vento validissimo inhorrifecens, omnem fere spem optatæ serenitatis absulisset, itérque huc per flumen adnavigantibus periculo sum admodum readidisset, plus tibi propter Mini-