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 ’tis very evident, there may be a good as well as an evil
application of this Principle. And the ingenious Invention of that
Excellent person, Doctor _Wren_ of injecting liquors into the veins of an
Animal, seems to be reducible to this head: I cannot stay, nor is this a
fit place, to mention the several Experiments made of this kind by the most
incomparable Mr. _Boyle_, the multitudes made by the lately mention’d
_Physician_ Doctor _Clark_, the History whereof, as he has been pleas’d to
communicate to the _Royal Society_, so he may perhaps be prevail’d with to
make publique himself: But I shall rather hint, that certainly, if this
Principle were well consider’d, there might, besides the further improving
of Bathing and Syringing into the veins, be thought on several ways,
whereby several obstinate distempers of a humane body, such as the Gout,
Dropsie, Stone, &c. might be master’d, and expell’d; and good men might
make as good a use of it, as evil men have made a perverse and Diabolical.
And that the filling of the pores of the skin with some fluid _vehicle_, is
of no small efficacy towards the preparing a passage for several kinds of
penetrant juices, and other dissoluble bodies, to insinuate themselves
within the skin, and into the sensitive parts of the body, may be, I think,
prov’d by an Instance given us by _Bellonius_, in the 26. _Chapter_ of the
second Book of his _Observations_, which containing a very remarkable Story
I have here transcrib’d: _Cum Chamæleonis nigri radices_ (says he) _apud
Pagum quendam Livadochorio nuncupatum erui curaremus, plurimi Græci & Turcæ
spectatum venerunt quid erueremus, eas vero frustulatim secabamus, & filo
trajiciebamus ut facilius exsiccari possent. Turcæ in eo negotio occupatos
nos videntes, similiter eas radices tractare & secare voluerunt: at cum
summus esset æstus, & omnes sudore maderent, quicunque eam radicem manibus
tractaverant sudoremque absterserant, aut faciem digitis scalpserant,
tantam pruriginem iis locis quos attigerant postea senserunt, ut aduri
viderentur. Chamæleonis enim nigri radix ea virtute pollet, ut cuti
applicata ipsam adeo inflammet, ut nec squillæ, nec urticæ ullæ centesima
parte ita adurent: At prurigo non adeo celeriter sese prodit. Post unam aut
alteram porro horam, singuli variis faciei locis cutem adeo inflammatam
habere cæpimus ut tota sanguinea videretur, atque quo magis eam
confricabamus, tanto magis excitabatur prurigo. Fonti assidebamus sub
platano, atque initio pro ludicro habebamus & ridebamus: at tandem illi
plurimum indignati sunt, & nisi asseverassemus nunquam expertos tali
virtute eam plantam pollere, haud dubie male nos multassent, Attamen nostra
excusatio fuit ab illis facilitus accepta, cum eodem incommodo nos affectos
conspicerent. Mirum sane quod in tantillo radice tam ingentem efficaciam
nostro malo experti sumus._
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