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
That it neither receives from any of its parts, or from other bodies; nor
communicates to any of its parts, or to any other body, any impulse, or
motion in a direct line, that is not of a determinate quickness. And that
when the motion is of such determinate swiftness, it both receives, and
communicates, or propagates an impulse or motion to any imaginable distance
in streight lines, with an unimaginable celerity and vigour.
That all kind of solid bodies consist of pretty massie particles in respect
of the particles of this fluid _medium_, which in many places do so touch
each other, that none of this fluid _medium_ interposes much after the same
manner (to use a gross similitude) as a heap of great stones compose one
great _congeries_ or mass in the midst of the water.
That all fluid bodies which we may call _tangible_, are nothing but some
more subtile parts of those particles, that serve to constitute all
_tangible_ bodies.
That the water, and such other fluid bodies, are nothing but a _congeries_
of particles agitated or made fluid by it in the same manner as the
particles of _Salt_ are agitated or made fluid by a parcel of water, in
which they are dissolv’d, and subsiding to the bottom of it, constitute a
fluid body, much more massie and dense, and less fluid then the pure water
it self.
That the air on the other side is a certain company of particles of quite
another kind, that is, such as are very much smaller, and more easily
moveable by the motion of this fluid _medium_; much like those very subtile
parts of _Cochenel_, other very deep tinging bodies, where by a very small
parcel of matter is able to tinge and diffuse it self over a very great
quantity of the fluid dissolvent; or somewhat after that manner, as smoak,
and such like minute bodies, or steams, are observ’d to tinge a very great
quantity of air; onely this last similitude is deficient in one propriety,
and that is a perpetuity or continuance in that state of commixture with
the air, but the former does more nearly approach to the nature and manner
of the air’s being dissolv’d by this fluid or _Æther_. And this Similitude
will further hold in these proprieties; that as those tinctures may be
increased by certain bodies, so may they be precipitated by others, as I
shall afterwards shew it to be very probable, that the like accidents
happen even to the Air it self.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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