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
He that shall diligently examine the _Phænomena_ of this Experiment, will,
I doubt not, find cause to believe, that the reason I have heretofore given
of it, is the true and genuine cause of it, namely, That _the Spark,
appearing so bright in the falling, is nothing else but a small piece of
the Steel or Flint, but most commonly of the Steel, which by the violence
of the stroke is at the same time sever’d and heat red-hot, and that
sometimes to such a degree, as to make it melt together into a small
Globule of Steel; and sometimes also is that heat so very intense, as
further to melt it and vitrifie it; but many times the heat is so gentle,
as to be able to make the sliver only red hot, which notwithstanding
falling upon the tinder_ (that is only a very curious small Coal made of
the small threads of Linnen burnt to coals and char’d) _it easily sets it
on fire_. Nor will any part of this _Hypothesis_ seem strange to him that
considers, First, that either hammering, or filing or otherwise violently
rubbing of Steel, will presently make it so hot as to be able to burn ones
fingers. Next, that the whole force of the stroke is exerted upon that
small part where the Flint and Steel first touch: For the Bodies being each
of them so very hard, the puls cannot be far communicated, that is, the
parts of each can yield but very little, and therefore the violence of the
concussion will be _exerted_ on that piece of Steel which is cut off by the
Flint. Thirdly, that the filings or small parts of Steel are very apt, as
it were, to take fire, and are presently red hot, that is, there seems to
be a very _combustible sulphureous_ Body in Iron or Steel, which the Air
very readily preys upon, as soon as the body is a little violently heated.
And this is obvious in the filings of Steel or Iron cast through the flame
of a Candle; for even by that sudden _transitus_ of the small chips of
Iron, they are heat red hot, and that _combustible sulphureous_ Body is
presently prey’d upon and devoured by the _aereal_ incompassing
_Menstruum_, whose office in this Particular I have shewn in the
Explication of Charcole.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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