Two Instances of Something Remarkable in Shining Flesh, from Dr. J. Beal of Yeavel in Somersetshire, in a Letter to the Publisher

PHILOSOPHICAI TRANSACTIONS. May 22. 1676. The CONTENTS. Two Instances of something very remarkable in Shining Flesh, from Dr. J. Beal. A Discourse concerning the Spiral, instead of the hitherto supposed Annular, structure of the Fibres of the Intestins; discover'd and shewn by Dr. William Cole to the R. Society. Monsieur Bullialdus and Monsieur Richel's account of the Lunar Eclipse of Januar. i. 1676. Æ.novo. An Account of five Books: I. Nic. Mercatoris INSTITUTIONUM ASTROMOMICA- RUM Libri duo, &c. II. Observations sur les FALX MINER- ALES de plusieurs Provinces de France, faites en l'Academie Royale des Sciences à Paris par le Sieur du Clos, &c. III. COCHLEARIA CURIOSA, written in Latin by Dr. Molimbrochius, and English'd by Dr. Sherly. IV. Two Treatises; the one, Medical, of the GOUT, by Herman Buschof; the other, partly Chirurgical, partly Medical, concerning some Extraordinary Cases of Women in travel, and some other uncommon Cases of Diseases in both Sexes, by Henry van Roonhuyse: English'd out of Dutch. V. New and Curious Observations of the Art of curing the Venereal Disease: English'd out of French by Dr. Wall Harrys. Two Instances of something Remarkable in Shining Flesh, from Dr. J. Beal of Yeavel in Somersetshire, in a Letter to the Publisher. SIR, After you have been tired with the noise of a piece of Fresh Beef, which shined in the Strand in London, within few hours after it was bought in the Market; it may seem superfluous, or tedious, to discourse more of such matters. But for something, which I have not seen formerly remarked, and which fell out in this Town, and in the House where I dwell, within my own knowledge, I shall give you the Instances, as briefly as I can. 1. Upon Friday (Febr. 25, 1675) a Woman of this Town bought in the Market a Neck of Veal, which seemed well coloured, and well conditioned in every respect: The Calf, a cow-calf, was killed in the evening the day before; it was hung to a Shelf in a little Chamber, where she and her Husband lay: Upon the following Saturday, about 9 in the night, the Neck of Veal shined so bright, that it did put the Woman into a great affrightment. She calls up her Husband; he hastens to the Light, as fearing fire and flames, and seeing the light come only from the Flesh, he caught the Flesh in his left hand, and beat it with his right hand, as endeavouring to extinguish the flame, but without effect. The Flesh shined as much, if not more, than before, and his hand, with which he did beat the Flesh, became all in a flame, as bright, and vivid, as the Flesh of the Veal was, and so it continued, whilst he went from place to place, shewing it to others. Then he thrusts his blazing hand into a pail of pure water; this could not extinguish the flame at all, but his hand shined through the water: at last he took a napkin, and wiped his hand, till he wiped off all the Light. The next day (being Febr. 27) the Veal was dressed, and some of the Neighbours, who saw it shining, were invited to eat of it; all esteemed it as good, as any they had eaten. A part of it was kept for Febr. 28, and 29, in which time it lost nothing of its sweetness. Other circumstances I omit for brevity. 2. And now I want not a parallel in consort for that part of this Relation, which seemeth strangest: For on Tuesday (being Apr. 4, 1676) a fat Pork was killed for my Family; within two days, the Guts, or (as some call them) the Chitterlings, and feet of the Pork were boiled, and after they were thoroughly cold, they were put, in due order, in sauce-drink, or pickle, in a low room, on the North-side, which had little light at mid-day, and was very dark, as soon as night began. Apr. 8, all those parts of the guts, and the claws of the feet, which floated on the top of the pickle, began to shine, and the parts immersed under water gave no light; the light increased daily more and more in all the parts that floated. Apr. 13, the light seem'd as bright as the brightest Moon-shine; thus it continued to shine (but fainter and fainter, and in fewer parts) almost a week longer; for, being often tumbled up and down, by slow degrees all sunk into the pickle, and then all the light expired. Whilst the light was vivid, I caus'd a Maid-servant to rub one of her hands upon the shining part; after which, she came through three rooms, into the the place where I sate, between a great fire on one side, and a candle or two on a Table near at hand, on the other side; and in this place she shew'd me her hand, all over shining, as bright as Moon-shine; one indeed stood between her hand and the fire, another between her and the candles. Thence I went into another room, where there was but a small fire, and no candle, but (at that time) a little Moon-shine through a window, there the shining parts of her hand, or indeed her hand all over appear'd to me very bright flames. Then I caused some of the shining Pork to be brought into the same room, and examined, whether the pickle did not shine, and so might give the flaming tincture to the Maid's hand; but by wiping the Pork diligently with a napkin, till it was perfectly dryed, we found, that the flame of the Pork was rather increased, (as we all thought) than diminished. Then I desired all the company, (whereof some were young children, which have the tenderest touch) to try, whether the most flaming parts had any perceptible degree of tepidity; all agreed, that they could feel no warmth. But I continued to direct them all to compare the dark parts with the most luminous, by that part of their fore-fingers, which hath the most tender perception; after 3 or 4 trials, all agreed still, that all parts of the Pork were manifestly gelid; but some thought, they perceived the luminous parts less gelid than the dark parts, others denied it: for my own part, I found not so much difference, as could clear me from suspecting a prepondering fancy. After these Tryals, the Maid wiped off the light from her hand, by rubbing her hand strongly with a napkin, three or four times over. 3. Then I suffer'd my Servants to call in several Neighbours to see it, night after night, and particularly the Mother and Sister of the Woman, which had the shining Veal. This I did partly to prevent, that they might not raise stories of Ghosts in my House; yet some were forward at it. If we had had a mind to a Pageantries, or to spread a story of Goblins, you see how easily it might have been done, by smearing ones hands and face all over with the tincture of light, which adhered so permanently. And besides, I noted, that by this acquired blaze, the face and hands would appear a great deal larger than they were, and the manner how it was done being concealed, the learned and ingenious might be at a loss to discover what it might be. 4. If others think fit to vilifie these Observations, yet I must acknowledg, That I never heard nor read of the like, till Honourable Mr. Mr. Boyle was pleas'd to oblige us with an accurate account of a Neck of Veal, and a Pullet, which were luminous, as you have published it in N.89. of your Tracts, p.5107. Histories report of a sudden and short fulgor about the countenance of the living, which they interpreted to presage something extraordinary, by which those persons became illustrious; but of dead carcasses, which became thus luminous, I have read nothing in old Records. That Mackrels, in their pickle, did cast a shining blaze, some days before they were ill tasted, or ill fented, I gave you notice May 5. 1665, as 'tis in your First Vol. n.13. p.226. Since which time I tried often to obtain the like, but without success, though I know not what circumstance was wanting. The pickle in which the Pork was put, was made only of pure Water, Bran, and bay-Salt, and was far from shining: It quenched the light by degrees of the shining Flesh. The Mackrel-pickle (which was boil'd with a mixture of sweet herbs) by a little stirring became so luminous, that a drop of it in the palms of children's hands appeared as broad as a shilling, or broader, so that a wash of it might too fitly serve for imposture. 5. For the difficulty of obtaining the same, and for many other considerables, I refer to Mr. Boyle's Pneumatical Experiment 37. by him observ'd about 18 years ago. And I think, shining Worms are seldom found in Oysters, as was observ'd by Monsieur Auzout, in your n.12. p.203. And perhaps one may wait a long day, before he shall see such a long-lasting Light in the Irish Seas, as was remarked in your Vol.9. n.111. p.240. So that I cannot wonder, if expert Chymists do by some Chance obtain more, than by Art and much diligence they can repeat again, since they deal with such fickle agents, as Fire and Flame. I have heard of some Dews on Meadows, shining in the early morning, before day-light; but those more frequently. These and much better, some of Mr. Boyle's Instances in your forementioned Experiment 37. and more in his Discourse of Luminous Gems at the end of his elaborate Treatise of Colors, may, at least, by resemblances, instruct us to apprehend the nature of some shining Meteors among the Clouds, or in our lower Region, of which, they say, some have a singing heat, and do blast, and that some are to the touch gelid, yet do poison or corrupt our flesh. And I have read in our Chronicles, That in England, for many days together, there hath been a fiery incandescence with light, as if all the air had been in a flame. Thus we have flaming Air, and flamin ming Water, in Seas, and in Clouds, and in Pickle; yet not so frequent, as to escape always the suspicion of being Prodigies. But in the foresaid references more is said of Light, than I am able to express; I shall only add, That I gave full warning to observe, whether the Light in my two Instances had any blewish or greenish tincture; all that saw both, affirmed the Light to be as clear as the brightest Moon-shine, and so it appeared to my own eyes; and I can perfectly remember, that I really thought the beams which came from the Mackrel, and the stirred pickle, to be bright Moon-shine, till a Servant brought me to the Vessel, to see the contrary. Postscript. We had the report here (whether true or false, you may best know) of the shining Beef in the Strand, about the same time, when the Neck of Veal, first mention'd, shined here. And it was here observed, That the Stars had that night a glaring brightness and largeness, more than ordinary, and for some months before, and ever since, the weather hath been more gentle, warm, and dry, than is usual in those months; but 'tis above my skill to demonstrate, how this belongs to the matter in hand. Note, that the Mackrel-pickle was thick and not transparent, till it was stirred and flaming; the Pork-pickle was clear, or transparent, yet shined not in any part. A Discourse concerning the Spiral, instead of the supposed Annular, structure of the Fibres of the Intestins; discover'd and shown by the Learn'd and Inquisitive Dr. William Cole to the R.Society. Discoursing (near two years since) with a very ingenious Person, concerning the Mechanical reason of the Peristaltick motion of the Intestines, which is by Anatomists deduced principally from Annular fibres, constituting, according to the received doctrine (with the right fibres immediately investing them, though, by the by, I take these to make a distinct coat) one of the coats of them; his sense was (which he told me was that likewise of some others of his acquaintance) that they might be rather numerous, though small, Sphincter-muscles, than single fibres, to which that motion is to be attributed; Muscles being in most, if not all, other instances owned to be the adequate instruments of motions analogous to this; and fibres, though absolutely necessary, yet being no otherwise so, than as (a number of them being collected, and fitly disposed) they constitute a Muscle. The Conjecture seemed to me more probable than the vulgarly received