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
Further, in this Production of Colours there is no need of a determinate
Light of such a bigness and no more, nor of a determinate position of that
Light, that it should be on this side, and not on that side; nor of a
terminating shadow, as in the Prisme, and Rainbow, or Water-ball: for we
find, that the Light in the open Air, either in or out of the Sun-beams,
and within a Room, either from one or many Windows, produces much the same
effect: only where the Light is brightest, there the Colours are most
_vivid_. So does the light of a Candle, collected by a Glass-ball. And
further, it is all one whatever side of the coloured Rings be towards the
light; for the whole Ring keeps its proper Colours from the middle outwards
in the same order as I before related, without varying at all, upon
changing the position of the light.
But above all it is most observable, that here are all kind of Colours
generated in a _pellucid_ body, where there is properly no such refraction
as _Des Cartes_ supposes his _Globules_ to acquire a _verticity_ by: For in
the plain and even Plates it is manifest, that the second refraction
(according to _Des Cartes_ his Principles in the _fifth Section of the
eighth Chapter of his Meteors_) does regulate and restore the supposed
_turbinated Globules_ unto their former uniform motion. This Experiment
therefore will prove such a one as our _thrice excellent Verulam_ calls
_Experimentum Crucis_, serving as a Guide or Land-mark, by which to direct
our course in the search after the true cause of Colours. Affording us this
particular negative Information, that for the production of Colours there
is not necessary either a great refraction, as in the Prisme; nor Secondly,
a determination of Light and shadow, such as is both in the Prisme and
Glass-ball. Now that we may see likewise what affirmative and positive
Instruction it yields, it will be necessary, to examine it a little more
particularly and strictly; which that we may the better do, it will be
requisite to premise somewhat in general concerning the nature of Light and
Refraction.
And first for Light it seems very manifest, that there is no luminous Body
but has the parts of it in motion more or less.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account