Micrographia: Some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies Made by Magnifying Glasses with Observations and Inquiries ThereuponHooke, Robert
History
Micrographia: Some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies Made by Magnifying Glasses with Observations and Inquiries Thereupon
Hooke, Robert
Magnifying glasses -- Early works to 1800; Microscopy -- Early works to 1800; Natural history -- Pre-Linnean works
So that according to the above mentioned _Cartesian_ principles there
should be generated no colour at all in a Ball of Water or Glass by two
refractions and one reflection, which does hold most true indeed, if the
surfaces be plain, as may be experimented with any kind of prisme where the
two refracting surfaces are equally inclin’d to the reflecting; but in this
the _Phænomena_ are quite otherwise.
The cause therefore of the generation of colour must not be what _Des
Cartes_ assigns, namely, a certain _rotation_ of the _Globuli ætherei_,
which are the particles which he supposes to constitute the _Pellucid
medium_, But somewhat else, perhaps what we have lately supposed, and shall
by and by further prosecute and explain.
But, First I shall crave leave to propound some other difficulties of his,
notwithstanding exceedingly ingenious _Hypothesis_, which I plainly confess
to me seem such; and those are,
First, if that light be (as is affirmed, _Diopt._ cap. 1. §. 8.) not so
properly a motion, as an action or propension to motion, I cannot conceive
how the eye can come to be sensible of the _verticity_ of a _Globule_,
which is generated in a drop of Rain, perhaps a mile off from it. For that
_Globule_ is not carry’d to the eye according to his formerly recited
Principle; and if not so, I cannot conceive how it can communicate its
_rotation_, or circular motion to the line of the _Globules_ between the
drop and the eye. It cannot be by means of every ones turning the next
before him; for if so, then onely all the _Globules_ that are in the odd
places must be turned the same way with the first, namely, the 3. 5. 7. 9.
11, &c. but all the _Globules_ interposited between them in the even
places; namely, the 2. 4. 6. 8. 10. &c. must be the quite contrary, whence,
according to the _Cartesian Hypothesis_, there must be no distinct colour
generated, but a confusion. Next, since the _Cartesian Globuli_ are
suppos’d (_Principiorum Philosoph._ Part. 3. §. 86.) to be each of them
continually in motion about their centers, I cannot conceive how the eye is
able to distinguish this new generated motion from their former inherent
one, if I may so call that other wherewith they are mov’d or _turbinated_,
from some other cause than refraction. And thirdly, I cannot conceive how
these motions should not happen sometimes to oppose each other, and then,
in stead of a _rotation_, there would be nothing but a direct motion
generated, and consequently no colour. And fourthly, I cannot conceive, how
by the _Cartesian Hypothesis_ it is possible to give any plausible reason
of the nature of the Colours generated in the thin _laminæ_ of these our
_Microscopical Observations_; for in many of these, the refracting and
reflecting surfaces are parallel to each other, and consequently no
_rotation_ can be generated, nor is there any necessity of a shadow or
termination of the bright Rays, such as is suppos’d (_Chap._ 8. §. 5. _Et
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