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silver, which is the metal that in nature symbolizeth most with gold; put in also with the silver, a tenth part of quicksilver, and a twelfth part of nitre, by weight; both these to quicken and open the body of the metal and so let the work be continued by the space of six months at the least. I wish also, that there be at sometimes an injection of some oiled substance; such as they use in the recovering of gold which by vexing with separations hath been made churlish and this is to lay the parts more close and smooth, which is the main work. For gold, as we see, is the closest, and therefore the heaviest, of metals; and is likewise the most flexible and tensible. Note, that to think to make gold of quicksilver, because it is the heaviest, is a thing not to be hoped; for quicksilver will not indure the manage of the fire. Next to sil ver, I think copper were fittest to be the material.

Experiment solitary touching the nature of gold.

328. GOLD hath these natures; greatness of weight; closeness of parts; fixation; pliantness, or softness; immunity from rust; colour or tincture of yellow, Therefore the sure way, though most about, to make gold, is to know the causes of the several natures before rehearsed, and the axioms concerning the same. For if a man can make a metal that hath all these properties, let men dispute whether it be gold or no,

Experiments in consort touching the inducing and accelerating of putrefaction.

THE inducing and accelerating of putrefaction, is a subject of a very universal inquiry: for corruption is a reciprocal to generation: and they two are as nature's two terms or boundaries; and the guides to life and death. Putrefaction is the work of the spirits of bodies, which ever are unquiet to get forth and congregate with the air, and to enjoy the sun-beams, The getting forth, or spreading of the spirits, which is a degree of getting forth, hath five differing opera tions. If the spirits be detained within the body, and move more violently, there followeth colliquation,

as in metals, etc. If more mildly, there followeth digestion, or maturation; as in drinks and fruits. If the spirits be not merely detained, but protrude a little, and that motion be confused and inordinate, there followeth putrefaction; which ever dissolveth the consistence of the body into much inequality; as in flesh, rotten fruits, shining wood, etc. and also in the rust of metals. But if that motion be in a certain order, there followeth vivification and figuration; as both in living creatures bred of putrefaction, and in living creatures perfect. But if the spirits issue out of the body, there followeth desiccation, induration, consumption, etc. as in brick, evaporation of bodies liquid, etc.

329. THE means to induce and accelerate putrefaction, are, first, by adding some crude or watery moisture; as in wetting of any flesh, fruit, wood, with water, etc. for contrariwise unctuous and oily substances preserve,

330. THE second is by invitation or excitation; as when a rotten apple lieth close to another apple that is sound or when dung, which is a substance already putrified, is added to other bodies. And this is also notably seen in church-yards where they bury much, where the earth will consume the corpse in far shorter time than other earth will.

331. THE third is by closeness and stopping, which detaineth the spirits in prison more than they would; and thereby irritateth them to seek issue; as in corn and clothes which wax musty; and therefore open air, which they call aër perflabilis, doth preserve: and this doth appear more evidently in agues, which come, most of them, of obstructions, and penning the humours, which thereupon putrify.

332. THE fourth is by solution of continuity; as we see an apple will rot sooner if it be cut or pierced; and so will wood, etc. And so the flesh of creatures alive, where they have received any wound.

333. THE fifth is either by the exhaling or by the driving back of the principal spirits which preserve the consistence of the body; so that when their govern

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ment is dissolved, every part returneth to his nature or homogeny. And this appeareth in urine and blood when they cool, and thereby break: it appeareth also in the gangrene, or mortification of flesh, either by opiates or by intense colds. I conceive also the same effect is in pestilences; for that the malignity of the infecting vapour danceth the principal spirits, and maketh them fly and leave their regiment; and then the humours, flesh, and secondary spirits, do dissolve and break, as in an anarchy.

334. THE sixth is when a foreign spirit, stronger and more eager than the spirit of the body, entreth the body; as in the stinging of serpents. And this is the cause, generally, that upon all poisons followeth swelling and we see swelling followeth also when the spirits of the body itself congregate too much, as upon blows and bruises; or when they are pent in too much, as in swelling upon cold. And we see also, that the spirits coming of putrefaction of humours in agues, etc. which may be counted as foreign spirits, though they be bred within the body, do extinguish and suffocate the natural spirits and heat.

335. THE seventh is by such a weak degree of heat, as setteth the spirits in a little motion, but is not able either to digest the parts, or to issue the spirits; as is seen in flesh kept in a room, that is not cool: whereas in a cool and wet larder it will keep longer. And we see that vivification, whereof putrefaction is the bastard brother, is effected by such soft heats; as the hatching of eggs, the heat of the womb, etc.

336. The eighth is by the releasing of the spirits, which before were close kept by the solidness of their coverture, and thereby their appetite of issuing check ed; as in the artificial rusts induced by strong waters in iron, lead, etc. and therefore wetting hasteneth rust or putrefaction of any thing, because it softeneth the crust for the spirits to come forth.

337. THE ninth is by the interchange of heat and cold, or wet and dry; as we see in the mouldering of earth in frosts and sun; and in the more hasty rotting of wood, that is sometimes wet, sometimes dry.

388. THE tenth is by time, and the work and procedure of the spirits themselves, which cannot keep their station; especially if they be left to themselves, and there be not agitation or local motion. As we see in corn not stirred; and mens bodies not exercised.

339. ALL moulds are inceptions of putrefaction; as the moulds of pies and flesh; the moulds of oranges and lemons, which moulds afterwards turn into worms, or more odious putrefactions: and therefore, commonly, prove to be of ill odour. And if the body I be liquid, and not apt to putrify totally, it will cast up a mother in the top, as the mothers of distilled I waters.

340. Moss is a kind of mould of the earth and ■ trees. But it may be better sorted as a rudiment of germination; to which we refer it.

Experiments in consort touching prohibiting and preventing putrefaction.

It is an inquiry of excellent use, to inquire of the means of preventing or staying putrefaction; for therein consisteth the means of conservation of bodies for bodies have two kinds of dissolutions; the one by consumption and desiccation; the other by putrefaction. But as for the putrefactions of the bodies of men and living creatures, as in agues, worms, consumptions of the lungs, impostumes, and ulcers both inwards and outwards, they are a great part of physic and surgery; and therefore we will reserve the inquiry of them to the proper place, where we shall handle medicinal experiments of all sorts. Of the rest we will now enter into an inquiry: wherein much light may be taken from that which hath been said of the means to induce or accelerate putrefactions : for the removing that which caused putrefaction, doth prevent and avoid putrefaction.

341. THE first means of prohibiting or checking putrefaction, is cold: for so we see that meat and drink will last longer unputrified, or unsoured, in winter than in summer: and we see that flowers and

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fruits, put in conservatories of snow, keep fresh. And this worketh by the detention of the spirits, and constipation of the tangible parts.

342. THE second is astriction: for astriction prohibiteth dissolution: as we see generally in medicines, whereof such as are astringents do inhibit putrefaction and by the same reason of astringency, some small quantity of oil of vitriol will keep fresh water long from putrifying. And this astriction is in a substance that hath a virtual cold; and it worketh partly by the same means that cold doth.

343. THE third is the excluding of the air; and again, the exposing to the air: for these contraries, as it cometh often to pass, work the same effect, according to the nature of the subject matter. So we see, that beer or wine, in bottles close stopped, last long; that the garners under ground keep corn longer than those above ground; and that fruit closed in wax keepeth fresh; and likewise bodies put in honey and flour keep more fresh: and liquors, drinks, and juices, with a little oil cast on the top, keep fresh. Contrariwise, we see that cloth and apparel not aired, do breed moths and mould; and the diversity is, that in bodies that need detention of spirits, the exclusion of the air doth good; as in drinks and corn: but in bodies that need emission of spirits to discharge some of the superfluous moisture, it doth hurt, for they require airing.

344. THE fourth is motion and stirring; for putrefaction asketh rest: for the subtle motion which pu trefaction requireth, is disturbed by any agitation; and all local motion keepeth bodies integral, and their parts together; as we see that turning over of com in a garner, or letting it run like an hour-glass, from an upper-room into a lower, doth keep it sweet; and running waters putrify not: and in mens bodies, exercise hindreth putrefaction; and contrariwise, rest and want of motion, or stoppings, whereby the run of humours, or the motion of perspiration is stayed, further putrefaction; as we partly touched a little before.

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