The works of the Honourable Robert Boyle, Esq., epitomiz'd by Richard Boulton ... ; illustrated with copper plates.

CHAP. VI. Of the determinate Nature of Effluviums.

* 1.1THO' Aristotle and his followers, have on∣ly distinguished the Exhalations of this Globe into those which he calls fumes, and which rising from the Earth, he terms hot and dry; and those Vapours which rise from the Water, which he calls hot and moist, in these words, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; yet besides these slight differences, since the Earth contains several Bodies, which have each of them distinct Atmosphere, we may probably conceive them to have their distinct and determinate natures; and even in fluid Bo∣dies Heterogeneous Parts may swim, which notwithstanding their fluidity may retain their determinate Nature, since Rock-Allom and Salt-Petre being dissolved together in Water, upon a gentle Evaporation, will each of them shoot into Crystals of their respective and de∣terminate Natures.

And that Effluvia retain their determinate natures, tho' so small as to swim in the Air or Water, appears, since upon their Re-union they are of the same Nature with the Body that emitted them; as Water raised in Va∣pours condenses again into drops of Water: And Quick-Silver in Distillation, if it be raised with a convenient fire, will almost all be found in the Receiver, in the form of running Mercury: And if when Chymists are either making an Amalgama, or forcing the Mercury

away from it by the fire; they hold a piece of Gold in their Mouths, it will be white as if it were Silvered over. And not only Sul∣phur, but Camphire sublimed in close Vessels, unites into a Substance of the same Nature as the other, and tho' a Body be compounded of a Metal and another Mineral, and two or three Salts; yet upon the Purification of the Mixture from its grosser Parts, if the remain∣ing and finer Parts be minute enough and fine∣ly shaped, the wholy Liquor will ascend; and yet in the Receiver altogether recover its pristine form of a transparent fluid, compo∣sed of differing Saline and Mineral Parts, which is evident in the Distillation of Butter or Oyl of Antimony very well rectify'd; for this Liquor will pass into the Receiver dia∣phanous and fluid, tho', besides the Particles of the sublimate, it abounds with Antimonial Particles, carried over and kept invisible by the corroding Salt: And I am told, that Tin will retain its own Nature in the form of fumes or flowers, which is evident, since that white sublimate which is gathered above the Furnaces where the Ore is brought to Fu∣sion being melted down, will yield store of Tin.

And besides these ways, the determinate natures of Effluviums, may be distinguished by their sensible Qualities, since the Exhalations which rise from several Bodies produced by Art, appear to be of different colours; tho' no external Heat is employed to raise them; for the fumes of Spirit of Nitre well rectify'd, when cold and stopped up, appear in the

Vial to be of a redish colour; and when the Vessel is unstopped they will ascend in the form of a redish, or Orange tawny Smoak. And Spirit of Salt or Oyl, will when exposed to the open Air, ascend in the form of a white Smoak; and so will a Volatil Tincture of Sulphur made with Quick-lime; and both this and that of Salt-Petre do by their smell, as well as operation, discover of what Nature they are; and I have observed, that the essenti∣al Oyl of Wormwood, being drawn off in a Copper Alembick Tinned, was not only green, but retained that colour when rectify'd in a Glass-Vessel; and tho' these essential Oyls be but the condensed Effluvia of Vegetables, yet they retain the genuine taste of the Bo∣dies from whence they were drawn. And not only Wormwood but Amber may com∣municate their taste, by Effluvia raised with∣out the help of Heat; for Wormwood having been kept in a close Room, not only affected the Nostrils strongly, but the Tongue with a bitter taste, and Amber kept in Spirit of Wine impregnated it sufficiently to give it a genuine taste, as well as smell; and that most essential Oyls retain their genuine Odours is very evi∣dent.

And that the Effluvia of Bodies may affect even the Touch of Animals, may not only be argued from the effects perceived by some People upon changes of Weather, but by that memorable passage related by Diemerbroeck, who after he was cured of the Plague, it left such a change in some Parts of his Body, that he says, Ab illo periculo ad contagiosos mihi ap∣propinquanti

in emunctoriis successit dolor, vix fallax Pestis indicium. To which I shall add, that I knew one who could hear very soft whispers when ill of a Feaver, tho' the sound and healthful standers by could not; and I was told by a Lady, that she could tell by her smell, whether one that came to visit her had been in any place where the Ground was co∣vered with Snow. And I knew a Gentleman, whose Eyes were so tender during a Distem∣per he had in them, that he could discern and distinguish colours in the dark. And I am told, that a Blood-Hound found out a Man barely by scent, tho' he had passed through a Market Town, and several Crouds of People. And further instances may be brought from Obser∣vations made on Blood-Hounds, some of which will scent a Deer twenty four hours after. And a Gentleman told me, that he knew when his Dogs were in pursuit of a Fox or a Hare, because they ran with their Noses nearer the Ground after the latter, the scent of it not be∣ing so strong. And I prepared a Body of a Vegetable Substance, which, tho' actually cold, would impart its colour to a Metalline Plate; tho' separated from it by the interposition of a piece of Paper.

But perhaps it may be Objected by some, that these Effluviums may be altered by unit∣ing with each other in the Air. To which it may be answered, That they may nevertheless reserve their determinate natures, tho' they act conjointly or so near it, that their distinct Operations cannot be perceived; as when two strings of a Musical Instrument are struck at the

same time, they both of them seem to make only one Impression upon the Ear. And if Spirit of Nitre be dropped into Oyl of Tartar per deliquium, upon an Evaporation of the su∣perfluous moisture, the Acid and Alkalious Particles will form Nitrous Concretions, whose taste will be different from that of either of the separate Ingredients: And so if an equal pro∣portion of Sal-Armoniack, be added to a strong solution of Pot-ashes or Salt of Tartar, a subtil urinous Spirit will come over in Distil∣lation; and also a Caput Mortuum, which is almost wholly a compounded Salt, differing enough from either of the Ingredients, especi∣ally the Alkalizate, in taste and other Quali∣ties. And to these Instances I shall add, that several flowers being aptly mixed in a Nose∣gay, and held at a distance they make a confused and joynt impression upon the Organ of smell∣ing; and so do Perfume made up of several In∣gredients; and Spirit of fermented Urine, and of Wine being well dephlegmed, will incorpo∣rate like Wine and Water, without affording the least dry Sediment; but if in a convenient Vessel, they be exposed to a moderate Heat, the ascending fumes will adhere to the upper part of the Glass, in the form of a white but tender Sublimate, different from either of the Liquors not only in consistence but taste and smell. And if Spirit of Salt and Nitre, be elevated by Distillation in the form of fumes, the condensed Liquor will dissolve Gold, tho' neither Spirit of Nitre nor of Salt would do so. And to demonstrate the Coalition of steams in the Air, I shall add, that having filled two

Vials, the one with Spirit of Salt, and the o∣ther with Spirit of Sal-Armoniack well rectify'd, the ascending fumes which before were invisi∣ble, working one upon another in the Air, form∣ed visible steams, which appeared like Smoak, but when they were removed a greater distance from each other, the separate and invisible steams were no longer discernable. And one thing relating to this Experiment which was remarkable was, that a drop of Spirit of Salt hanging at the end of a Glass stick, being held over the Orifice of a Vial with a long Neck, the ascending Vapours of Sal-Armoniack would form a Smoak, which would be visible till it was a quarter of a yard above the Glass; but if the drop was held within the Neck of the Vial, the aforementioned fumes would fall in∣to the Ball of the Glass, like a stream of Li∣quor, and spread it self like a mist upon the Surface of the Sal-Armoniack. Which Experi∣ment may help us to account for the sudden Invasion of Meteors and Clouds, especially in reference to the coming in or ceasing of seve∣ral Epidemical diseases; and more particu∣larly the Plague, which seems to depend on the Occult temper, and alterations of the Air, differently impregnated with subterrane∣al Effluvia.

An Instance of which is related by Diemer∣broeck, who tells us of a Plague occasion'd by washing of foul Linnen with Soap, the Fumes of the Smoak uniting with other Effluvia in the Air, causing that Effect; to which might be added, what is observed about the ceasing of the Plague at Grand Cayro in Egypt, but enough of

that having been already delivered in another Place; I shall add here, that I have made a stain upon a Body by the invisible steams and Effluvia of another cold Body; I altered the Colour of that Stain by the invisible and cold steams of a Third.

And to countenance my Conjecture of the Cause of Meteors, besides what hath been said of subterraneal Effluvia in another Place, I shall add the following Citation from Agrico∣la; who having mention'd, out of Ancient Hi∣storians, the raining of White and Red Li∣quors, subjoins. Ʋt autem majorem fidem habea∣mus Analium monumentis facit res, res illa de∣cantata, quae Patrium memoria in Suaevia acci∣dit; Aer enim ille stillavit guttas, quae lineas ve∣stes crucibus rubris, quasi sanguineis imbuebant. And it will not be thought strange that subter∣raneal Salts, Bitumens and Sulphurs, may be raised into the Air, if so fixed a Body as com∣mon Earth may, which the newly cited Author testifies. And that the odoriferous Particles of Plants reserve their determinate Nature much longer than we are wont to imagine, may appear; since one drop of Oyl of Cin∣namon, gave not only a taste to 14000 times its Bulk of Water, but withal, diffused a great number of odoriferous Particles through the ambient Air.

The Last way we shall mention to evince the determinate Nature of Effluviums, is from their Effects on other Bodies. As the stupefying Ef∣fluvia of the Fish Amoreatim mentioned by Pi∣so. The effects of Opium and Hypnoticks upon a Boy, who whilst he was distilling them, cast

him into a sleep. And the Root and Juice of Mandragora is said to cast those that take it in∣to a deep Sopor like a Lethargy; and Levinus Lemnius tells us, that the Apples of the same Plant being laid in his Study, made him so slee∣py, that he could scarce recover himself: Au∣relaeus tells us, that the Poison of a Mad Dog hath been convey'd to one in the form of Ef∣fluvia; and Calius Aurelianus acquaints us, That some have become mad by being wounded only by the Claws of a mad Dog; and that one fell into an Hydrophobia, solo odore ex rabido cane attracto. And Matthiolus tells us of one who was poisoned only by putting his Hand into the Mouth of the mad Dog, without being bit; and to this I shall add, that Sennertus relates, that a Painter having opened a Box, in which Realgar had been contained, the Fumes being snussed up his Nostrils, presently caused a giddi∣ness in his Head, and fainting Fits.

To these Instances I shall add, That several have been purged by the smell of Black Helle∣bore; and as Sennertus witnesses by the O∣dor of Coloquintida; and there are several other Things which purge when only externally applyed: And it is attested by approved Wri∣ters, that the Shadow of a Wallnut-Tree, with the Leaves on it, is very hurtful to the Head. And it is not only observed, That Birds will not so much as light upon those Poysonous Trees in the West Indies, called the Manchinello-Tree; and it is looked upon as safe for Men to eat of Fruit found in a strange Country, if it appears that the Birds have been pecking at them before. And Nico∣laus

Florentinus tells us of one, who drawing in∣to his Nostrils the Smoak of a burnt Spider, he was much disordered, and fell into a faint∣ing Fit, and was much disordered about the Heart, his Pulse being likewise weak; tho' after he was cur'd by a mixture of Treacle, Diamosc. and the Powder of Zedoary. And I saw a Berry called Maccu-buy in Ireland, which being pounded in a Mortar, caused the Head and Face of one that stood hard by, to swell enormously. And,

To what hath been delivered of the deter∣minate Nature of Effluviums, I shall add, that Amber, Musk, Civet, &c. will communicate a Perfume to Gloves, tho at a distance off them; and contagious Distempers, as the Plague, Small-Pox, or Measles, may not only be communicated by immediate Contact, but by steams which issue from the Body of the sick Person.

But to conclude this Chapter, I shall add the following Experiment, Viz. Having shut up an Ounce of a Volatile Tincture of Sulphur in a Vial, capable of holding at least twice as much, and having placed a Paper at some distance, and unstopped the Vial, the spreading Fumes presently caused what was writ with invisible Ink to become legible. And so would several Letters writ with a Solution of Sublimate in Water, some of them being more, and others less Black, according to their distances from the smoaking Liquor and other Circumstances: And when the Paper thus writ upon, was held over the Orifice of the Vial, tho' the Let∣ters were on the upper side, yet in a quar∣ter

of an Hour, they became legible; and as in some cases, this smoaking Liquor, with a solution of Sublimate, will produce a Precipi∣tate of a Silver Colour, so in some of the Co∣lourless Ink we found the like Colour. And I have performed the like with a couple of Li∣quors, wherein was neither Sulphur nor Sal-Ar∣moniac, nor Sublimate. And as a farther Proof of the great penetrancy of Effluviums, I shall add, that having a Paper which was writ on with this invisible Ink, betwixt six folds of Paper, these Fumes penetrated it in Ten Mi∣nutes, and turned the Ink Black; and another piece of the same Inked Paper, being placed betwixt the Leaves of a Book, the steams pe∣netrated Twelve in three Minutes, and turn∣ed the Ink blackish.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Of the de∣terminate Nature of Effluviums.