Experimenta & observationes physicæ wherein are briefly treated of several subjects relating to natural philosophy in an experimental way : to which is added, a small collection of strange reports / by the Honourable Robert Boyle ...

The I. PENTADE.

EXPERIMENT I.

A very Tall and well Set Gentleman, Aged about 24 years, by a Fall from his Horse, had

his Skull broken in several places, and being a Person of good Estate, had several Chirurgeons to attend him in the course of his Sickness; during which he was divers times Trepan'd, and had several pieces of his Skull taken off, which left great Chasms (that I have seen and felt) between the remaining Parts. Within about three days after his Fall, this Knight (for so he now is) was taken with a Dead Palsey on his Right Side, which did not equally affect his Arm and his Leg: The use of the latter being somtimes suddenly Restor'd to him in some measure, and (tho seldom) after a while al∣most as suddenly Lost: But his Arm and Head were constantly Paralytical, being wholly depriv'd of Motion; and having so little Sense, that it would sometimes lye under his Body without his Feeling it. But if his Hand were prick't with a Pin, he could take notice of it. This Palsey con∣tinu'd

during almost the whole time of the Cure, which lasted 23 or 24 Weeks. And when the Chi∣rurgeons were going to close up his Head, as having no more to do; one of them who was an In∣genious Man, and Tenant to this Gentleman, oppos'd all the rest, alledging, that, if they did no more, the Gentleman would lead an Useless and very Melancholy Life; and that he was confident, the Palsey was some way or other occasion'd by the Fall, which had left somthing in the Head that they had not yet discover'd. And the Knight himself agreeing to this Man's motion, his Head was further laid open; and at length, under a piece of proud Flesh, they found, with much ado, a Splin∣ter, or rather Flake, of a Bone, that bore hard upon the dura ma∣ter, and was not pull'd out with∣out a great Hemorrhage, and such a stretch of the Parts, as made the Patient think his Brain it self

was tearing out. But this Mis∣chief was soon Remedy'd, and his Hurts securely Heal'd up; and he is now a Strong Healthy Man, and finds no Inconvenience by having so broad and various a Callus instead of the Skull; save that he is a little obnoxious to take Cold in his Head. But the memorable Circumstances, for whose sake I mention this Narra∣tive, were these: When I ask'd him how big the Bone was, that was last taken out? He told me, that it was less than half the Nail of one of his Fingers (not his Thumb) and that it was al∣most as thin, being in size and shape like the Scale of a Fish: But that it did not in his Head lye flat, but bore hard upon the dura mater. When I ask'd him how long after it was taken out, he began to feel some Relief, as to his Paralytic Distemper? He re∣ply'd, That in less than five hours he found himself, to his great

joy, able to move his little Fin∣ger; and (tho this happen'd in the Evening) he was the next morning able to move all his Fin∣gers, and within 2 or 3 days after to lift up his Arm: By which it seem'd manifest, that so little a Body as the Splinter lately men∣tion'd, produc'd in so robust a Per∣son, a Palsey of the whole side it lay on. For when I particularly ask't him, Whether, after the tak∣ing away of the proud Flesh that encompass'd the little Bone, he did not find, if he found none be∣fore, some Relief as to his Palsey? He answer'd, that he found none at all, till the Bone had been pull'd out, which was not till a good while after the Chirurgeon had been by degrees eating off the proud Flesh that, grew about it. But there was in this case another Phoenomenon that I thought little less considerable than the former. For, remembring the important controversie, that is agitated a∣mong

modern Physicians and Ana∣tomists, about Nutrition by the Nerves, and having thereupon ask'd this Knight, whether he did not find an Atrophy in the Limbs of his Body that were affected? He told me, that when he began to be Paralytic on that side, it by degrees much wasted, and the Paralytic Leg was very much Ex∣tenuated: But the Arm and Hand much more, seeming nothing but a System of Bones, with the Skin pasted on them. And when I further ask'd, if upon the re∣moval of the Bony Splinter above∣mentioned, the Atrophy of the Parts did not also begin to lessen; he answered affirmatively, and told me, that in no very long time his Leg and Arm recover'd their wonted Dimensions; and in effect I (some days since) saw the restor'd Arm well plump'd up with mus∣culous Flesh, tho the Weather were exceeding Cold. And he further told me, that he found

no difference between the Limbs that had been Paralytic, and the others, except that they would grow sooner and more sensibly cold in Sharp or Frosty Weather.

This Gentleman answer'd me, to add that upon the by, that, during the course of his Cure, he was very frequently (almost every second day) let Blood; that he wanted not Appetite to his Meat; that for the most part he slept in∣different well; and, which was more remarkable, upon so great a Hurt of the Head he did not Vomit, not had afterwards any Convulsions.

II. Among other Instances I have met with, that shew the great Power which sudden Pas∣sions of the mind may have upon the Body, I remember that a Wo∣man of middle Age, complain'd sadly to me of the mischief, a Fright had done her; for she re∣lated to me, that having taken along with her to a Meadow by a

River-side, a little Boy that she was dotingly fond of, whilst she was busie about the work she came thither for, the Child stole away from her, and went along the Bank, to delight himself with the View of the Stream; but being heedless, it seems by Circumstan∣ces, that he set his Foot upon some piece of Ground that the Water had made hollow; upon which account, the Earth failing under the weight of the Boy's body pressing it, that, and he fell toge∣ther into the River: In the mean time the poor Mother casually missing her Child, hastily cast her Eyes towards the brink of the River, and not being able to see him there, she presently concluded him to be Drown'd, and was struck with so much horrour up∣on the sudden accident that tore from her a favorite Son, that a∣mong other mischiefs, she fell in∣to a Dead Palsy of her right Arm and Hand, which continu'd with

her in spight of what she had done to remove it, till the time she complain'd of it to me, who had not opportunity to know what became of her afterwards.

III. On the other side, to show that Violent Passions, and even Frights may sometimes, tho very seldom, do good, as well as harm; I shall here add a Relati∣on that was circumstantially made me by the learned Person himself, to whom the Accident happen'd. I familiarly knew a Gentleman that liv'd to be an Eminent Vir∣tuoso, and to oblige many by his useful Writings, who when he was a Youth, fell into a violent and obstinate Sciatica, which con∣tinu'd with him so long, that it left him little hope of Recovery; but the Devotion of this Young man's Friends invited them to make him be carry'd, since he could not go, to Church upon Sundays; and there it happen'd, that the Town being a Frontier

Garrison, the Guards were so neg∣ligent, that there was occasion given to a very hot Alarum, that the Enemy was got into the Town, and was advancing towards the Church to Massacre all that were in it. This so amaz'd and terrifi'd the People, that in very great and disorderly hast, they all ran out of the Church, and left my Relator in his Pew upon a Seat that they plac'd him, and whence he could not remove without help: But he being no less fright∣ed than the rest, as they forgot him, he forgot his Disease, and made a shift to hamper off the Pew, and follow those that fled; but it quickly appearing, that the Alarum had been a false one, his Friends began to think in what a condition they had left him, and hasten'd back to help him out of the Pew, which whilst they were going to do, they, to their great surprise found him in the way upon his feet, and walk∣ing

as freely as other Men. And when he told me this Story, he was above forty years Elder than when he was thus strangely res∣cu'd, and in all that time, never had one Fit of the Sciatica.

ADVERTISEMENT.

'Tis easy to be observ'd, that of the two kinds into which Chy∣mists may be conveniently enough sorted; the Number is greater of those that are not Profest Phy∣sicians, than of those that are: And yet several of the former sort are led by their more free Curi∣osity, or their particular Designes, to allow a large scope to their Try∣als; and so in their Experiments upon various Bodies, to operate upon some of those that may be reduc'd (either directly, or by sit applications) to the Materia Medi∣ca, and afford uncommon Prepa∣rations: Which tho design'd for other purposes, may by a skilful

Physician, with a light Variation, and perhaps without any, be made to afford good Medicines: And therefore I think it may be no inconsiderable service to the Publick, if by the leave and assist∣ance of the Authors, divers Chy∣mical Experiments that are not directly useful to their immediate purpose, were not, (as is usual) thrown away, but put into the hands of some Sagacious Physi∣cian.

Upon these grounds, I thought my self little less than oblig'd, to set apart now and then an Ex∣periment that contain'd some un∣common Preparation, which seem'd applicable to Medicine; and to try whether, tho, being in the Country or in some other inconvenient Circumstances, I had not opportunity to prove it my self, the notice given of it, might not happen to be of use to a skil∣ful Physician.

I shall therefore partly in this Chapter, and partly (if God per∣mit) in some following Chapters and other Writings, tender to such a one, some few of the Ex∣periments of this sort, that I late∣ly lighted on among my Adversa∣ria, and that seem'd not uncapa∣ble to be made of some service to the Physician's Art.

Of the good and bad effects of these, I shall be glad to be in∣form'd, that they may be either us'd more freely and improv'd, or corrected and quite laid aside; and I desire that this short Pre∣amble may serve for a general one to all the other design'd Chymi∣cal Medicins that I shall venture to propose hereafter.

A Design'd Chymical Medi∣cine.

IV. I know how much Men are prejudic'd in some whole Coun∣tries, against Vomitive Medicines: and I remember we have had here in London a Physician of great Fame and Practice, that would turn over a Patient to an∣other Doctor, if the Case were such that the Patient would needs make use of Emeticks. And I readily acknowledg that they are edg'd Tools, that require a Skil∣ful Hand, to imploy them with∣out danger of doing more harm than good: But since Experience shews that where the Patient can bear them, and the Disease requires them, they act more speedily and effectually than other evacuating Medicines: And since the genera∣lity of our Physicians, not ex∣cepting some that are justly re∣puted

very Cautious, do not scruple frequently to make use of the Infusion of Crocus Metallorum, tho it do not seldom prove a Re∣medy harsh enough; I shall ven∣ture in compliance with some in∣genious Physicians, and others that have often made use of a Me∣dicine, that goes under the name of my Emetick Drops, to com∣municate the Preparation of them; without pressing the use any other∣wise than by confessing that divers Practitioners of Physick of differ∣ing Sentiments, agree in assuring me, that they have not yet found any Emetick to work so effectu∣ally, nor with more ease and safe∣ty, than this Liquor; which some of them prefer by much to other Antimonial Vomits; and especial∣ly to the Infusion of Crocus Metal∣lorum.

In preparing my Vomitive Li∣quor, I have not always imploy'd the same proportion of the Ingre∣dients 'tis made of, nor did I find

it necessary to be nice in that mat∣ter. But the proportion I some∣what prefer, is to take two Parts of well chosen and finely powder'd Antimony, and on these to pour three Parts of the Menstruum, viz. Sp.; which ought to be rather moderately strong, than too much rectified. These are to be distill'd together in a Glass Retort fitted with a Receiver not very small, till there come over a great part of the Menstruum, which will usu∣ally towards the close be accom∣pany'd with Red Flores, (some times copious enough) which be∣ing separated by filtration through Cap-paper, the clear transmitted Liquor is to be put into a Glass, not newly wash'd, but dry on the inside, and to be kept close stopt from all Intercourse with the Air.

The Dose is usually to a Man or Woman, especially at the first time, from 4 or 5, to 7 or 8 Drops: But I know an Ingenious Physician

that gives to 10 or 12, or a few more Drops, if the Case be ur∣gent; and by that means he told me, that with a small Button-Bot∣tle, that I chanc'd to give him a little before, he did in 2 or 3 hours rescue three Gentlemen, that by a bad Surfet with very bad Circumstances, were suddenly brought into great danger of spee∣dy Death, and carry'd to a neigh∣bouring Tavern, as being too ill to be carry'd home.

The Vehicle may be a Spoonful or two of Wine, or Black-Cherry Water, or (which divers Persons chuse rather) of Spring-Water, Drinking up the Liquor immedi∣ately after, because there will some Precipitation be made; and then taking 2 or 3 Spoonfuls of the same Vehicle to wash it down. It usually begins to work early, and does it without causing near so much straining as vulgar Eme∣ticks, and yet makes Copious E∣vacuations; and sometimes so

Eradicative of the Morbifick mat∣ter, that the Physician lately men∣tion'd, who Cur'd the three Gen∣tlemen, having a poor Patient who had Conflicted for above three Years with an Ague in se∣veral Types, but most commonly Quartanary, perfectly Cur'd him with two Doses of these Drops, and a Julap made chiefly of the Distill'd Water of a common Vi∣triolick Mineral. And this Cure seem'd therefore to me, when the Physician gave me an account of the Drops he had from me, the more considerable, because the Patient had made use of great Variety of Remedies; and parti∣cularly he devour'd great store of the Jesuits Bark, or Cortex Peru∣vianus, (perhaps because it was not well Condition'd, or skilful∣fully Administer'd) which some∣times alter'd the Type of his Ague, turning it to a single or a double Tertian, and sometimes kept off the Fits for a while, when

'twas a Quartane, but never Cur'd him quite; and left him in a de∣plorable estate, wherein the Eme∣tick Drops found him.

Tho I sent this Medicine to se∣veral Patients, in whom, thanks be to God, it succeeded more than ordinarily well, yet I durst not venture to give it to Chil∣dren, or to very young Persons; but having gratifi'd an Ingenious Surgeon of good Practice, with a stock of it, the Tryals he made upon divers Persons, with great Success on other Patients, im∣bolden'd him to give it to Boys and Girls, and afterwards even to several Children, whereof he gave me a good Account, only he discreetly took care to pro∣portion his Doses to the Age and Strength of his Patients, and not to give the whole Dose at once, but divide it into 2 or 3 parts, that if the first should work with∣in half an hour or less, the second should not be given, or lessen'd in

quantity. And if neither the se∣cond did work within about an hour, he added the third. And by this Cautious Method, he as∣sur'd me that he had suddenly re∣liev'd several Children in bad Cases, and found not any mischief or danger ensue upon the admini∣stration of it. But Children be∣ing tender Creatures, this is to be further and cautiously try'd.

POSTSCRIPT.

Having had occasion to keep by me some Vials furnish'd with the Emetick Drops, longer than I thought I should need to do so: I observ'd that in tract of time, there, began to subside a white Powder, wherein a good part of the Emetick faculty of the Medi∣cine may be suppos'd to reside; therefore 'twill be best either to imploy the Liquor in no long time after 'tis made, or if one has not leisure or conveniency to do so, to

shake the Vial well (that the Powder may be rais'd and we'l dis∣pers'd through it) just before it be administer'd.

A Design'd Chymical Medi∣cine.

There are many that having a high Esteem for Chalybeate Wa∣ters, such as those of the Spaw and Tunbridg, which yet in many places are not to be had at all, and in few to be had well condition'd, are very Solicitous to find Suc∣cedaneums to them. To gratify some Ingenious Persons of this sort (and improve a casual hint taken from a Book of a somewhat like Preparation propo••••ded for another purpose) I remember, I Employ'd a way of Aemulating such Waters that answer'd the outward Phaenomena of Colour and Taste, and seem by the pau∣city and harmlesness of their In∣gredients

like to be innocent Me∣dicines; I had no opportunity to make tryal of them in Physick, but finding that some Inquisitive Cultivaters of that Art, valu'd them more than I did, I commit∣ted the Experiment to Paper, and now suffer it to come abroad, that it may be try'd by Physicians, and either rejected or made use of, as success shall direct. The Experi∣ment as I made it, was this.

We took one part of very good Fylings of ♂; and ten parts of good Distill'd Vinegar. These we put into a Bolt-head, and shop'd it well, and then in a mild heat of Sand we digested them for about two days, and afterwards aug∣mented the Heat till the Liquor appear'd of a deep Orange Colour, but yet transparent. Part of this Tincture we pour'd off, and kept well stop'd by its self, because tho by a longer digestion and a great∣er heat, we obtain'd a very red Tincture, yet we did not so much

value it, because when the Men∣struum is over Impregnated, the Metal usually precipitates, and the fine Colour is destroy'd. Of the first reserv'd Tincture, we let fall 4 Drops into ℥ VIIIss, (8 ℥ss) of clear common Water, whose Colour was not thereby sensibly alter'd; and the Vial containing this Mixture being well shaken, that the Tincture might diffuse it self the more thorowly, we kept it carefully stop'd for use, as being our Factitious or Counterfeit Spaw. A Spoonful or somewhat more of this, with about a quar∣ter of a Grain, or less, of good fresh Powder of Gauls, would presently afford a Purplish Tinct∣ure, like that of Natural Springs impregnated with Mars, such as the Water of the German Spaw, or of Tunbridg in Kent; if ones Mouth were Wash'd with it, 'twas found to have like those Natural Chalybeat Waters, a manifestly faeruginous tast. N. B. These Ar∣tificial

Acidulae are to be Admi∣nister'd in no long time after they are made; for Experience has in∣form'd me, that (at least some∣times) when I kept them too long, within not many days after they were made, they would lose much, if not most of their Briskness and Force. And I sometimes perceive that there would subside to the bottom a certain red or reddish Substance, as it were Oker, which was a token of the Degeneracy of the Liquor; and some such thing I have observ'd in some Na∣tural Chalybeat Waters too long or negligently kept. But our Aci∣dulae may be so soon and so cheap∣ly made freshly, that the above mention'd Inconveniency will scarce to the Skilful seem conside∣rable.