Experimental notes of the mechanical origine or production of fixtness.

EXPER. XI.

With fixt Metals, and Bodies either in∣odorous or stinking, to produce strong and pleasant smells, like those of some Vegetables and Minerals.

THat Gold is too fixt a body to emit any odour, and that A∣qua Regis has an odour that is very strong and offensive, I think will be easily granted. But yet Aurum ful∣minans being made (as 'tis known) by precipitating with the inodorous Oil of Tartar the Solution made of the former in the latter, and this Precipitate being to be farther pro∣ceeded with in order to another Ex∣periment; we fulminated it per se in a Silver Vessel like that, but bet∣ter

contrived, that is (if I misremem∣ber not) somewhere described by Glauberus. And among other Phae∣nomena of this operation, that belong not to this place, we observed with pleasure, that, when the fulmination was recently made, the steams, which were afforded by the metal that had been fired, were endowed with a de∣lightful smell, not unlike that of musk. From which Experiment and the foregoing we may learn, that Art, by lucky Contextures, may imitate the odours that are presumed to be natural and specifick; and that Mi∣neral and Vegetable Substances may compound a smell that is thought to be peculiar to Animals.

And as Art sometimes imitates Na∣ture in the production of Odours, as may be confirmed by what is above related concerning counterfeit Ras∣berry-Wine, wherein those that drank it be∣lieved they did not onely tast, but smell the Ras∣berry; so sometimes Nature seems

to imitate her self, in giving like o∣dours to bodies extreamly differing. For, not yet to dismiss the smell of Musk, there is a certain Seed, which, for the affinity of its odour to that perfume, they call the Musk-seed; and indeed, having some of it presented me by a Gentleman, that had newly brought it from the West-Indies, I found it, whilst 'twas fresh, to have a fragrancy suitable to the name that was given it. There is also a sort of Rats in Muscovy, whose skins, whereof I have seen several, have a smell that has procured them the name of Musk-Rats. To which I know not, whether we may not add the mention of a certain sort of Ducks, which some call Musk-Ducks, because at a certain season of the year, if they be chaf'd by violent motion, they will under the wing emit a musky in stead of a sweaty sent; which upon trial I perceived to be true. On the other side, I have known a certain Wood growing in the Indies, which, especially when the sent is excited by

rubbing, stinks so rankly and so like Paracelsus's Zibetum Occidentale, (stercus Humanum,) that one would swear it were held under his Nose. And since I have been speaking of good sents produced by unlikely means, I shall not pretermit this Ob∣servation, that, though generally the fire impresses a strong offensive smell, which Chymists therefore call Em∣pyreumatical, upon the odorous bo∣dies that it works strongly on; yet the constitution of a body may be such, that the new Contexture that is made of its parts, even by the vi∣olence of the fire, shall be fit to af∣ford Effluviums rather agreeable to the organs of smelling, than any way offensive. For I remember, that, ha∣ving for a certain purpose distilled Saccharum Saturni in a Retort with a strong fire, I then obtained, (for I dare not undertake for the like suc∣cess to every Experimenter,) besides a piercing and Empyreumatical Li∣quour that was driven over into the Receiver, a good Lump of a Caput

Mortuum of a grayish colour, which, notwithstanding the strong impressi∣on it had received from the fire, was so far from having any Empyreuma∣tical sent, that it had a pleasing one, and when 'twas broken, smelt almost like a fine Cake new baked, and bro∣ken whilst yet warm. And as the fire, notwithstanding the Empyreuma it is wont to give to almost all the bodies it burns, may yet be reduced to confer a good smell on some of them, if they be fitted upon such a contexture of their parts to emit steams of such a nature, (whatever were the efficient cause of such a con∣texture;) so we observe in the Musk animal, that Nature in that Cat, or rather Deer, (though it properly be∣long to neither kind,) produces Musk by such a change, as is wont in other Animals to produce a putrefactive stink. So that, provided a due con∣stitution of parts be introduced into a portion of matter, it may on that account be endowed with noble and desirable Sents, or other Qualities,

though that Constitution were intro∣duced by such unlikely means, as Combustion and Putrefaction them∣selves. In Confirmation of which, I shall subjoyn in the insuing account a notable, though casual, Phaenome∣non, that occurr'd to a couple of Virtuosi of my Acquaintance.

An eminent Professor of Mathe∣maticks affirmed to me, that, chan∣cing one day in the heat of Summer with another Mathematician (who I remember was present when this was told) to pass by a large Dunghil that was then in Lincolns-Inn-fields, when they came to a certain distance from it, they were both of them surprized to meet with a very strong smell of Musk, (occasioned, probably, by a certain degree or a peculiar kind of Putrefaction,) which each was for a while shy of taking notice of, for fear his Companion should have laughed at him for it; but, when they came much nearer the Dunghill, that pleasing smell was succeeded by a stink proper to such a heap of Ex∣crements.

This puts me in mind of adding, that, though the excrements of Animals, and particularly their sweat, are usually foetid; yet, that 'tis not the nature of an excrement, but the constitutions, that usually belong to them, make them so, hath seemed probable to me upon some Observations. For, not to mention, what is related of Alexander the Great, I knew a Gentleman of a very happy Temperature of body, whose sweat, upon a critical exami∣nation, wherein I made use also of a surprize, I found to be fragrant; which was confirmed also by some Learned men of my acquaintance, and particularly a Physician that lay with him.

Though Civet usually passes for a Perfume, and as such is wont to be bought at a great rate; yet it seems to be but a clammy excrement of the A∣nimal that affords it, which is secreted into Bags provided by Nature to receive it. And I the rather men∣tion Civet, because it usually affords

a Phaenomenon that agrees very well with the Mechanical Doctrine con∣cerning Odours, though it do not de∣monstrate it. For, when I have had the curiosity to visit divers of those Civet-Cats, (as they call them) though they have heads liker Foxes than Cats; I observed, that a certain de∣gree of Laxity (if I may so style it) of the odorous Atmosphere was requisite to make the smell fragrant. For, when I was near the Cages, where many of them were kept to∣gether, or any great Vessel full of Civet, the smell (probably by the plenty, and perhaps the over-brisk motion of the effluvia,) was rather rank and offensive than agreeable; whereas, when I removed into the next room, or to some other conve∣nient distance, the steams (being less crowded, and farther from their foun∣tain,) presented themselves to my Nostrills under the notion of a Per∣fume.

And, not to dismiss this our Eleventh Experiment without touching once

more upon Musk, I shall add, that an Ingenious Lady, to whom I am near∣ly related, shewed me an odd Monkey, that had been presented her as a ra∣rity by the then Admiral of England, and told me, among other things, that she had observed in it, that, being sick, he would seek for Spiders as his pro∣per remedies, for some of which he then seemed to be looking, and thereby gave her occasion to tell me this; which when he had eaten, the alteration it made in him would sometimes fill the room with a musky sent: But he had not the good luck to light on any whilst my visit lasted.

Notes

• See in the Paper of Tasts, Exper. XII.