to a great Distance: So that some Bodies, according to _Bartholine_, may, by means of the Atoms they emit, propagate the Sphere of their sympathetic Actions, to the Distance of a Thousand Miles. About the _Equinoxes_, and _Solstices_, the sudden Changes of the State of the _Atmosphere_, and the Variety of Vapours exhaled from the Earth, produce surprizing Alterations in Health. And these Exhalations rise sometimes in such large Quantities, as to be condensed, and by their own Weight to fall down, in the Form of sulphureous Showers: A memorable Instance of this we had in _Norway_, where, on _May 19, 1665_, a violent Tempest, accompanied with uncommon Thunder, and thick Clouds, broke out: During this Storm, there fell from the Clouds, a Substance, highly similar to Sulphur, which not only floated on the Water, but also seemed to cover the Earth. When _Stobæus_ subjected this Matter to an Examination, he found, after drying, and passing it through a Sieve, that when it was become moderately warm, on an heated Tile, it emitted a fetid Smoak of the same Colour with that of the Spirit of _Nitre_, in Distillation. But this Matter could not be fused by the strongest Fire; by which Means, however, it became inodorous, and like small Sand, though before it resembled a fetid, coarse Sulphur, reduced to Powder. The same Author, in his Letters also, informs me, that, when about as much of the recent Matter, as would lie on the Point of a Knife, was laid upon a red hot Tile, it was spontaneously kindled, made a Kind of Noise, and emitted a reddish fetid Smoak. Next Day _Stobæus_ endeavoured to sublime this crude and sulphureous Matter, by itself, without any Addition, in order to discover, whether Flowers of Sulphur could be obtained from it; but his Labour was in vain; for though the Matter became red hot by due Degrees of Fire, yet no Flowers appeared; only the first Steam, which, in the Alembic, appeared reddish, in the Water, assumed a dark ferruginous Colour: Then, by augmenting the Fire, a whitish Spirit appeared, which gave a similar Colour to the Water. This Steam and Spirit appeared in Distillation to be of an acrid Taste; so that _Stobæus_ justly concluded them to contain a volatile Salt, of a particular Kind. The same Author informs me, in his Letter, that the Rain which fell, during the Thunder, smelled of Sulphur: And from this Observation, he thinks, the Chemists Doctrine, concerning the Generation of Thunder, may be confirmed. As every Substance does not act upon every other Substance, nor sulphureous Things on those of the same Nature, he put this Matter into Spirit of _Turpentine_, and digested it by a gentle Fire; by which Means, it gave the Liquor a a yellowish Colour, and a Smell, very like that of Balsam of _Sulphur_: But of these I shall not treat at greater Length, since I am perswaded that Miracles have ceased, and that Providence disposes of second Causes according to wise and stated Laws.