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 II. PENTADE.

EXPERIMENT II.

Because it may be on some occa∣sions of use to a Physician, to have ways of Discovering the Adulterateness of Bezoar Stone, which for its dearness is often Counterfeited, and not easily dis∣cern'd to be so by the common ways of Exploring, which use to be uncertain enough; it may not be amiss to Communicate a new way of Tryal, which 'tis unlike that Impostors have dream'd of, or if they should know it, can easily elude. And this I am the rather willing to do, because the propos'd way may afford an useful hint to the Sagacious Inquirers in∣to the Nature, and some of the Preparations that may be made, of the Bezoar Stone; which tho it be a Drug too much Magnify'd by some Physicians, especially

those that depend on it, against the true Plague; yet a Physician of great Experience, and rather a severe, than any ways a partial Judg of it, allows it to be an ex∣cellent Remedy even in Malignant and ill-condition'd Fevers, at least if they be not truly Pestilential. One of the ways I imploy'd, in treating the Bezoar Stone, may be easily gather'd from the ensuing Transcript of one of my register'd Experiments.

We took 40 or 50 Grains of choice Oriental Bezoar Stone re∣duc'd to Powder, and in a Bolt∣glass pour'd on it. ʒVI of good Spirit of Niter, as well to try whether this Liquor would prove a fit Menstruum for: this Stone, as we found it to be for the Calculus Humanus, as for other purposes. And tho this Affusion being pur∣posely made in the Cold, the Li∣quor did not seem at first to work on the Stone; yet soon after it fell violently upon it, and dissolv'd the

greater part of it, not without noise and a Notable Effervescence. The Solution was almost Red, and the Glass being put in a digestive Furnace, the whole Powder was not only dissolv'd, but being left a night or two in a North Window, it afforded divers Saline Concreti∣ons, much larger than could well have been expected from so small a quantity of matter; and these Crystals, whilst they were yet in the Glass, might easily be taken for Crystals of Salt-peter, so great was their resemblance.

To manifest how much the fa∣culties of loosening and binding, are relative things, and depend upon the Disposition of the Body to be wrought upon, and so upon the Congruity betwixt the Agent, and the Patient, I know an In∣genious Gentlewoman, on whom Cinnamon, which generally is a considerable Astringent and Sto∣machick Medicine, has a quite con∣trary Operation, and that in a

strange degree, insomuch that having found by 2 or 3 acciden∣tal Tryals, that a very little Cin∣namon seem'd to disorder her Sto∣mach and prove Laxative, she re∣solv'd once to satisfy her self, whe∣ther those Discomposures came by Chance, or no; and having strew'd some powder'd Cinnamon upon a Tost, she was going to put into her Ale, upon eating the Tost she was copiously Purg'd for two days together, and that with such violence, that it put her in∣to Convulsion Fits, and a kind of Spasmus Cynicus, which she could never be perfectly freed from, be∣ing troubled with from time to time for. 3 Years, as was the other day averr'd to me, and divers others that know her, by her Hus∣band who is himself a Learned Man and a profest Physician.

A prosperous Physician, to whom I had recommended some things relating to his Profession whilst he practis'd it with Success

in the Capital City of Ireland, where at that time there rag'd a new and violent Fever, whereof Multitudes Dy'd, very few Pati∣ents Recovering of it, happily lighted on a Method that prov'd, through God's Blessing, very Pros∣perous. This Doctor returning into Ireland sometimes before, hav∣ing been desir'd by me to send me an account of some things relating to Natural Philosophy and Phy∣sick that I nam'd to him, wrought to me in answer to some of my Enquiries a Letter, out of which I thought fit to make this Extract, because I know not but that it may give good hints towards the Cure of some other ill-condition'd Fevers.

Dublin, Feb. 27. 1682.

I Have imployed Ens Veneris for the removal of a Subsultus Ten∣dinum, in a Person dangerously Sick of a Febris Petechialis (a Dis∣case fatal to very many here for these 12 or 14 Months) and found that it answer'd my hopes in 3 or 4 Hours after I gave it in Conserve of Borrage Flowers.

I have, since I came from Eng∣land, thought of a Method of Curing the aforesaid Fever, which has not once fail'd me, tho I made of it for 16 or 18 several Persons, many of which would certainly Dye, if treated after the usual manner in this case. If I should tell you from what Observations and Reasonings I came to alter the Method of Cure, I should be very tedious. I shall therefore at present wave that, and proceed to tell you, That when first I come

to any Sick of this Disease, if I find Costive (as generally they are) I prescribe a Glister, and after that an Episplastick Plaister 6 or 7 Inches broad, and 8 or 9 Inches Long, to be apply'd between the Shoulders; the Blister being well rais'd, I order to be Dress'd care∣fully, stripping off the Cuticula. This continues running till the Fe∣ver is gone off; which is most com∣monly in 10 or 12 days, if they have not kept up too long with it, and then we cannot certainly foretel the time of the Fever's de∣clination; for the whole time till the going off of the Fever, I Pre∣scribe Emulsions of Aq. Aronis, Card. Bened. Citrij totius & Syr. Granatorum cum Aceto; I allow of Orange and Butter-milk Pos∣sets, of roasted Apples, Flumme∣ry, or any other light and cool∣ing thing they call for.

By this Method I keep the Genus Nervosum and Brain from being Affected, and consequently

secure my Patients; for as many as I have ever known of them Dye, that were troubled with this Disease, Dy'd of a disorder of those Parts. I do not defer the Blister∣ing Plaisters, as others do, till I find my Patients Delirous, Lethar∣gick, Convulsive, or otherwise af∣fected in their Heads and Nerves, finding by the Experience of others that then they most com∣monly prove ineffectual, because of some Morbifick Matters being too deeply lodg'd in these parts. I do not prescribe, except upon some extraordinary occasions, any Volatile Salts or Spirits, or any thing too apt to quicken the al∣ready over-brisk Circulation of the Blood, having Experimental∣ly Learn'd that by these often us'd, the Brain and Nerves become sooner than ordinary affected, for as much as they deeply insinuate themselves, and drive with them some Morbifick Matter into the Brain and Nerves. I find Bleeding

bad, being generally Fatal. If I doubt of the Recovery of any of my Patients Sick of this Disease, 'tis only when I find that they have been let Blood, or lain for 8 or 9 days before I come to them; tho I have brought through it, even Persons in those Circumstan∣ces.

A Design'd Chymical Medi∣cine.

I shall not, because I need not, Discourse of the Medicinal Vertues of Steel in a City where many Learned Physicians do so much esteem and imploy Chalybeate Me∣dicines as they do in London, and therefore I shall content my self at this time to offer you a couple of Preparations of Steel that possibly you have not met with or thought of.

1. Considering that most of the ways made use of by Chymists to

prepare Steel, tend by dividing it into very Minute parts, to make it more lyable to be wrought on by the Liquors of the Stomach, and some other parts of the Body, and that the generality of these Cha∣lybeate Preparations are wont to be made only with Acids, whe∣ther manifest, as Oyl of Vitriol, Spirit of Vinegar, &c. or Occult, as Brimstone, which tho insipid in its Natural State, when it comes to be Melted, discloses its hidden Salt, and works on ♂ by a sharp Acidity; considering this, I say, and that Men have con∣fin'd themselves to Acids in work∣ing on Steel, because they sup∣pos'd Instruments of that kind were necessary to dissolve that Metal, I thought it might do you, and some Ingenious Men of your Profession, some little Ser∣vice, if I propos'd to you a way of Opening the Body of Steel, that tho I gave a hint of it di∣vers Years ago, is, for ought I know, yet unpractis'd.

We took then several Ounces of highly rectify'd Spirit of ferment∣ed (or putrify'd) Urine made per se, and consequently without Quick∣lime, and pour'd it upon as much Filings of Steel freshly made, to be sure, not to have any Rusty ones, as we guest, would at least suffice to satiate it fully. These we put in a moderately warm place, where the Menstruum wrought on the Metal for divers hour to∣gether, and Dissolv'd a conside∣rable part of it. This Solution we set to filter, and found it of a Taste considerably strong, but ve∣ry different from any of the Cha∣lybeat Preparations, we remem∣bered, that were seen made with Acids. The Liquor being kept in a stopt Viol for some days near a Window, did in the Cold let fall by degrees a considerable quantity of Powder of a deep Green Colour, which surpriz'd some Virtuosi, to whom I shew'd it, especially because the Liquor

it self was not of that Colour; tho at least the superficial part of what remain'd (in plenty) in the Filter, did also in the Air acquire a Green Colour. But tho our So∣lution pour'd off from the subsid∣ed Powder, was warily and slowly evaporated, yet we did not find it would well Crystallize What use may be made in Physick, of Preparations of this kind, I leave to you, whose Profession as well as Curiosity will ingage you to consider. I do not presume to tell you, but in general it seems that Steel Prepar'd with Volatile Spi∣rits of the Animal Kingdom that are wont to be friendly to Nature, and are very contrary to Acids, may have new qualities very dif∣fering from those of Steel Prepar'd with Acids, and may be more safe in some Cases and to some Patients. With what other Volatile Menstru∣ums I have dissolv'd Mars, and what Phaenomena some Tryals I made with that Metal open'd by

such Salts, you may command an Account of, if you think it worth desiring.

A Design'd Chymical Medi∣cine.

Another Experiment that I made on Steel, was design'd to make as much of it Volatile, as I could with a Menstruum, not so Corrosive or Dangerous to the Body as Oyl of Vitriol, or Spirit of Niter, which, especially the former, are imploy'd by divers Chy∣mists to make Chalybeat Prepara∣tions that yet are not Volatile. The Medicinal Scope I had in my Eye, for I had also a Chymical one (that belongs not to this place) was to try if I could by it obtain any Sulphur of Mars, which the Commendations that some, even of those Chymists, whether Adepti or not, whose Authority I most regard, represent

as an excellent Medicine, especi∣ally in Cases that require Anody∣nes, and which the others, or the same speak of as a graduatory Substance (as to some Metals) or both: If you should ask me, why I did not make use of the common Vitriolum Martis, which is easy to be had in the Shops of Chy∣mists? I answer, That my design being to try whether or no I could obtain a Sulphur, that might pro∣perly enough (tho not in the ut∣most rigor) we call Sulphur of Mars, that which is made the common way, would not answer my end, since tho I should be able from this Vitriol to obtain a real Sulphur; yet I should not think it safe thence to conclude, that it came from the Metal, and not from the Menstruum; because I have several times from Oyl of Vitriol it self, obtain'd no contemptible proportion of Yellow and Com∣bustible Sulphur. To which I add, that the acquisition of a Metalline

Sulphur, tho it was not the only thing that I aim'd at in this Pre∣paration, for I presum'd, that at least I should make a very great Comminution of the parts of Steel, which is one of the main things aim'd at by the more Rational Physicians in the Preparations of that Metal.

Upon these and the like grounds, I pitcht upon good Spirit of Sea-Salt as a Menstruum, much fitter for my purpose than either Oyl of Vitriol or the Acid part of Sul∣phur; and accordingly in a good many Ounces of this Menstruum, we dissolv'd as much as we easily could of choice Filings of fine Steel, and having filter'd the Green Solution, we very slowly Evapo∣rated it in a Glass Vessel, and took such care not to spoil the matter, that we had store of fine Green Crystals that were not very small, and lookt prettily; most of these we put into a strong, but small Re∣tort, and by degrees of Fire, and a

strong one, for the last hours; we obtain'd divers Ounces of a Li∣quor that came over in white Fumes, like Mists driven by the Wind, and afforded a Sulphureous Smell: This Liquor we rectify'd, and had a Yellow Ponderous Spi∣rit, that seem'd to be much more of Kin to the Spirit of Sea-Salt, than to the common Oyl of Vitriol; especially since being mixt with Aqua-fortis, it would, like Spirit of Salt, make it a Menstru∣um, that would even in the Cold Dissolve Gold in thin Leaves. Which last words I add, because having put into a little of it alrea∣dy made Yellow, by having dis∣solv'd Leaf-Gold a very thin Plate, but a pretty deal thicker than a Leaf of Hammer'd Gold, the Men∣struum made it look all over white, almost like Silver, which seem'd to argue, that this Vitriolate Men∣struum differ'd from common Spi∣rit of Salt. And however, it may be worth taking notice of by the

By, that not only Vitriols Blue, as is well known to Chymists, but that Vitriols of one of those Co∣lours, and whereof the same Me∣tall is the basest, may differ much from one another on the score of the various, and to us perhaps, un∣known Menstruum that dissolves the Metal, since our Green Vitri∣ol yeilds Liquors very different from common English Vitriol of Mars made with Oyl of Vitriol, tho all the three be green. Which may give us some Reason of the uncertainty, whereof Vitriol is mainly imploy'd; and 'tis perhaps worth remarking, that tho we did not find the Vitriol of Mars made the common way, nor even Roman Vitriol to dissolve in a Vinous Spirit totally Inflammable, yet it would easily enough Dissolve our Saline Vitriol, (if I may so call it) which Solution to hint that in Transitu, you may perhaps see cause to im∣ploy as a Medicine in several Cases, and particularly as a Styptic in

Wounds, since its Tast is very A∣stringent, its Parts very Subti, and made fit by the Vinous Spirit, to prevent Corruption; especially in those Clymates where Chirurge∣ons complain. That they can scarce prevent the Breeding of Worms in Wounds, unless they do betimes Dress them with Spir. of Wine or Brandy.

But that which we chiefly aim'd at in this Operation, was the dry part, of what was Elevated by the force of the Fire. This we found to be distinguishable, partly by its Situation, and partly by more du∣rable Accidents, into three kinds of Substance, whereof one was almost like a Powder, which after the Contact of Air, did in a while come over to be of a Yellow Co∣lour, almost like Sulphur, but it was not indeed truly Combustible Sulphur. The other Substance consisted of larger parts, and was of a deep Colour, between Read and Brown. But the third, which

seem'd the most Copious of all, was made up of fine parts, larger than the former, of a deep Reddish Colour, and adorn'd with a fine Gloss, like that of Scales of Fishes, that look'd very prettily.

The Caput Mortuum was found to be of a Texture that would have surpriz'd most Men; for a great part of it appeared to be turn'd into a Talky Substance, consisting of pretty broad and very thin Plates, smooth and glossy, that lay upon, and against one another, like those that make up Muscovia-Glass, when the pieces are more thick than large.