Naturall philosophie reformed by divine light, or, A synopsis of physicks by J.A. Comenius ... ; with a briefe appendix touching the diseases of the body, mind, and soul, with their generall remedies, by the same author.

Of watery (oncretes.

XLVII Watery concretes are: a bubble, foame, ice, and severall appearances in the wa∣ter: also the saltnesse of the sea, spring wa∣ters, and medicinall waters.

XLVIII A bubble is a thin watery skin, filled with air.

It is made when a small portion of air thrust down below the water is carried up∣wards: which the water, being somwhat fat∣ter in its superficies, suffers not presently to flie out, but covers it with a thin skin, like a little bladder. By how much the more oily the water is, by so much the longer the bubbles hold: as it is to be seen in those ludicrous round bubbles, which boyes are wont to blow out of water and sope, (which flie a great while through the air unbro∣ken.) From the bubble we learn, to what a subtilty water may be brought. For the skin of a bubble is a thousand times thinner then the thinnest paper.

XLIX Foame is a company of very small bubbles, raised by the sudden falling of water into water.

The beating of the water into small parts causes whitenesse in the foam; even as ice, waxe, pitch, and other things are whitish when they are beaten. The durability also of the foam is more in an oily liquour, as in beer, &c.

L Ice is water hardened together with cold.

LI Watery impressions are images of clouds, of birds flying over, of men, of trees, and of any things objected.

It is known, that water is the first mir∣rour, receiving the images of all things: which is by reason of the evennesse of its superficies. For light coloured with things falling upon the water, cannot (as it comes to passe in another body of a rough superfi∣cies) be dispersed, but by reason of its ex∣ceeding evennesse is intirely reflected, and presents it selfe whole with that image to the eye of the beholder. This is the ground of all mirrours. But let us come to reall concretions in the water.

LII The saltnesse of the sea, is from the subterrane fire, which heating a bituminous matter, spreadeth salt exhalations through the sea.

Saltnesse something bitter, with a kind of oleosity was given to the sea. 1 That the waters might not putrifie. 2 For the more convenient nutriment of fishes. 3 For strength to bear the burdens of ships. Now the sea is salt, not (as Aristotle thought) by reason of the sun beams, extracting the thinner parts of the waters, and scorching the rest. (For our fire would do the same, and the sun in lakes and pooles, neither of which is done: yea, by how much the more, salt water is heated with our fire, the salter it is; but fresh water is so much the fresher) but by reason of the heat in∣cluded within the bowels of the earth, and of the deep; which when it cannot exhale, it scorcheth sharply the humour that there is, so that it turnes to urine: The very same we see done in our own body (and all li∣ving creatures) For urine and sweat are alike salt.

LIII Spring waters are made of vapours condensed in the cavernes of the earth; after the same manner, as drops are gathered together upon the covers of pots.

It is certain that under the earth there lies a great deep, Gen. 7. 11. That is a migh∣ty masse of waters, diffused through the

hollows of the earth; which that it joynes with certain gulfes of the Ocean, this is an argument that the depth of the sea in some places is altogether insearchable. Therefore as vapours ascend out of the o∣pen sea into the air, which being resolved into drops distill rain: so the subterrane waters, being attenuated by the subterrane heat, send forth vapours, which being gathered together in the hollowes of the earth, and collected into drops, flow out which way [passage] is given them. And this is it which the Scripture saith, All ri∣vers enter into the sea, and the sea runneth not over: unto the place from whence the rivers come they returne, that they may flow again. Eccles. 1. v. 7. Whence it is understood why springs yield fresh water, though they come from those bitter, and salt waters of the sea? namely, because they come by distillati∣on to the spring head. For they say, that the sea water being distilled (that is resolved first into vapours, then into drops in an Alembick) looseth its saltnesse: by the same reason then the deep under ground, evapo∣rating salt waters sendeth them fresh out of fountains neverthelesse. And what need words? For clouds gathered of the vapours

of the sea: send down fresh showers. S•• how excellently the truth of things agree with it selfe still.

LIV Medicinall waters are made of the va∣rious tinctures of the metals and juices of the earth, (from which they receive the virtue 〈◊〉〈◊〉 healing and savour.)

For example, hot waters or baths, a•• made of bitumen burning within: There∣fore they exhale sulphur manifestly; b•••• sharpish waters relish of iron, coper, vitrio••allom, &c. of which earthly concretes it wil•• be now time to speak.