An Account of Two Books

Experiments and Considerations about the POROSITY of BODIES, in two Essays by the Honourable Robert Boyle Esq; Fellow of the Royal Society Lond. in 8° 1684. The Honourable Author, continuing his endeavours to establish a solid and rational Philosophy, does in this book discourse of the small Pores of Bodies, a subject of very great importance towards an intelligible account of Occult Qualities. The Book consisting of two Essays, the former of them treats of the Porousness of Animal Bodies, and shews that the parts of Animals (especially whilst these are alive) are furnished with numerous pores; which is deduced from the Frame or Constitution, of the stable parts of the bodies of Animals; From the nature of nutrition in Animals; for that requires, that the body abound with Pores, into which congruous particles may be admitted, for the natural increase of the part. From the great plenty of matter daily carried off by sweat, and insensible transpiration; by which, and several other arguments, he proves the porousness of the Skin; he proves the same thing in the membranes, that invest the internal parts; in the urinary bladders of dead animals; and in the Films that line the shells of Eggs. From the entrance of Effluvia into Animals; evident from the operation of some plasters, and vegetable ointments; from the effects of Pericarpia, or wrist-bands; and from Cantharides used in blistering plasters; and effecting the urinary passages even before the skin of the blister is broke: And these Effluvia may be barely Fumes. Thus the Fumes of the permeating Menstruum have ting'd a piece of silver coin through a moistened urinary bladder. der; and a medicated liquor, injected into the thorax of a Person of Quality, gave him the tast and smell of the drugs, wherewith the liquor had been impregnated. From the bringing off the matter of an Apites by seige, or urine: From the staining Ivory Purple with a solution of Gold in Aqua Regia; blackish with silver, and blewish with copper, dissolved in Aq. Fortis. For proving the Porosity of Bones, he urges their specific Levity; that Blood vessels pass them; that they imbibe exhalations from the Air, and emit them again (as appears from the weighing bones at several seasons of the year;) and that Mercury has been found in the bones of some persons, who have taken of it. The other Essay is concerning the porousness of solid bodies, which the Author proves, first a priori, from the Origine, and Formation of divers hard bodies; from the great disparity that may be found in the specific gravities of such bodies, as the Eye does not perceive to be Porous; from the frame, and constitution of solid bodies; for even they consist of particles which cannot be supposed to touch one another so exactly, as not to leave any Pore between them. Secondly a posteriori, from some experiments, and observations, arguing the Porousness of wood, Earthen vessels, stones, metals, and even glass itself, concerning which last the Author says, First, 'tis very probable that Glass may be pierc'd into, to some distance, even by visible and tangible bodies. Secondly, common Glass is not ordinarily permeable by Chymical liquors, tho strong and subtil, nor by the directly visible, or odorible expirations of Bodies, tho absolutely speaking it be pervious to some corporeal substances. Joh. Dolæi M. D. Consiliarii ac Archiatri Hasso-Cassellani ENCYCLOPÆDIA MEDICINÆ THEORETICO-PRACTICÆ, &c. Francofurti ad Mœnum An. 1684. 4°. The account of this book will best begin with the division of it into its six parts: The first treats of the diseases of the head; the second, of those of the Thorax; the third, of those of the Abdomen; the fourth, of Feavors; the fifth, of those incident to Women; the sixth and last, of those of Infants and Children. This Author justifies the title he gives his book by accounting for diseases both as to their causes, and cure, according to the opinions of all Physicians both antient and modern; particularly of those who have given name to a Sect. He begins with the Galenists, whose opinions he faithfully relates: after them come Paracelsus, Helmont, Willis, Sylvius and Cartesius, whose natural philosophy hath laid the foundation of a party, though he himself was no Physician. Having related these opinions as an Historian, (for he does not argue either for or against) he adds his own theory & practice. The Anima Brutorum with him is called Microcosmeter, which presides over the whole body; the other subordinate faculties, have their distinct names given them, and are described as Vice-royes residing in the principal viscera as in Provinces: Cardimelech in the heart; Gastranax in the stomach, and so of the rest. In relation to these he describes the diseases in terms altogether political, and conformable to the general Metaphor of his Hypothèses. His Practice is mostly Chymical, and seems to be carefully chosen; in which he gives a great deference to Ettmuller and Sydenham. He seems much inclined to transfusion transfusion, and injection of medical liquors into veins, and quotes his own experience for it, in madness and some other diseases of the brain. And that there might be nothing wanting to his *Encyclopædia*, at the latter end of each chapter, he has collected Empirical remedies out of diverse Authors. Disquisitio de Magia divinatrice & operatrice &c. Auctore Francisco Moncaeo & Francofurti & Lipsiae 1683. In the General handling of Magick, he gives the several divisions Authors have made use of, different according to the divers conceptions they had of its parts. He makes it first, either Humane, or Diabolical with their respective Species. Secondly, Natural, or Transnatural, under which last he comprehends the Transmutation of metalls; under Natural come all the surprizing effects of Art, such as Artificial fires, malleable glasse, incombustible linnen, cures of Diseases by magnetism or Transplantation, Strange effects in Chymistry, and Mathematicks &c. After this general account, follow's a very particular enumeration of its species to the number of about Sixty nine, alphabetically placed, together with the Authors that treat of them; out of all which the Author singles Aleatoryomancy for the subject of this book. He thinks that the strange antipathy (if true) between a cock and Lion may be accounted for, either from the disproportion of the sound to the Lion's ear, as the grating of knives upon stone is unpleasant to us; or as the noise of bells, or singing, sets dogs an howling; or because in Africa there are no cocks, or lastly, because though in other countries, as in Thessaly and Macedonia there are cocks, yet they never crow. The Auguries taken from the crowing of cocks, according to him, depend chiefly on the time, whether it happen before noon or after, and accordingly portend either good or bad success; to which some add the sign of the zodiac, and the motion of the Moon. Taking notice of Plato's definition of a Man, till the Cynicks real animal, spoil'd the philosopher's Idea, he gives an account out of Dan: Major, of the head of an old man with a Turban on, which directly loo't on, appears such, but if you turn it on one side, it gives you the shape of a Cock. From this prescience of birds he takes occasion to discourse about the winter quarters of the Storks, whether or no they go to, and come from distant regions as the seasons of the year require, and that so exactly (as some assert) as to observe the latitude of places, and the precession of the Equinoctial points. But having confuted this opinion by the inequality of their appearance, several instances of which he gives; concludes they do not fly to warmer climates, but, like other animals, both birds and beasts, come from hidden places in the same county, where during the cold they lie asleep. And afterwards gives as many reasons for it, as there are letters in Hibernaculum Ciconiarum, and that too too in the Acrostick way, each sentence beginning with a letter of those words, according to their order. Then he mentions some other observation concerning them, viz: that they will not build upon a Jeweshoute; that they have been seen industrious in quenching fires by taking water up in their bills, and emptying them into the flames &c. together with some guesses how Swallows, and other birds which disappear in winter, do live. He gives the original of the names of some families, and people, particularly of the Gauls, who, he is willing to think, were called so, from some good or bad property of this bird, and tells out of Petrus Gregorius and Merkerus that on the outside of the brain of a Cock, Lillies are drawn, or imagined to be drawn, alwaies one, and sometimes to the number of three. The original of the Cock on towers he deduces from the Goth's, they making use of it much, both as an Emblem of vigilancy in peace, and of courage in war, some people are reported to have used them as clocks, they being supposed to crow every third hour, and when they are irregular, then they foretell change of weather. He gives an account particularly of that sort of Aletryomancy which cost so many men their lives, under the Emperour Valens, whose names began with ΘΕΟΔ, those letters the Cock having pitcht upon, for the Initials of the name of his successor. From the consideration of the Cocks being moved thus by enchantment, he takes occasion to discourse of all sorts of motions which he reckons up to the number of 19. Beginning with Artificial motion, here he considers the astrologers opinion of what we call Freewill, how it is mechanically caused by the unequal motion of the stars, rather than from any determination from within; as also Cartesius his mechanical animal, Coskinomancy also, and all other sorts of Legerdemain. Under the Motus Belialis comes the Incubus, together with the manner of driving it away; as all sorts of Apparitions, and the Imaginary journeys of witches. So under his sympathetick motion he comprehends the Divining wand, the Remora, the Torpedo and the Helictrope: and after all, his accounts of the various sorts of unlawful motions, he asks this question, viz: what excuse the pretenders to these superstitions can make; and reckons up their answers according to the order and number of the letters, in Praestigiarum Satanæ excussatio, all which he confutes. Under the internal force of words, is comprehended the Cabala with all sorts of Signatures and Talisman's, as also the art of resolving Questions by mixing the twenty four letters; and explaining doubts by verses of Ovid and Virgil, &c. As likewise some account of that natural language Adam was supposed to have had, by the very elocution of which alone, he exercised the dominion nion over the rest of the Creation. How Bears in Norway are called out of their dens by bad language: of breaking open doors by the word hephatha, the force of Musick &c. And ends, with reflections on a discourse of Marcus Marci in his philosophia restituta, wherein is endeavoured to be proved, that all effects how surprizing soever, are merely natural. OXFORD, Printed at the THEATER, and are to be sold by Moses Pitt, at the Angel, and Samuel Smith, at the Princes Arms in St. Paul's Church-yard LONDON. 1684.