343

Iune 26. 1679.

Sr. Chr. Wren vice president tooke the chaire
The minutes of the 5th. & 12th. of Iune were read
wherevpon occasion was giuen to Discourse further about the
china Ink. wch. some supposed an of inspissated Iuice but Sr Chris
wren affirmed it to be only Lamp black very finely ground and made
vp in cakes. -

The was also a Discourse about the way of softning bones
by mor. Pappin, Concerning wch. Sr. chr. wren, queryd whether -
the way of softning them did not hint by a contrary processe
a way of hardning Either the same or other bones not soft
=ned first. To wch. mor. Pappin gaue noe positiue answer
hauing not yet Discouerd to the Society his way of doing
that operation.
mr. Hooke produced an intire Coco nut wch. was newly brought
from the Barbadoes. he caused it to be cutt asunder and powred
out of the middle of it a glasse full of liquor conteining about
1/3 part of a pint. this Liquor was something whitish and tasted
something sweet & pretty pleasant like an emulsion. twas conteined
in the cauity of the kernell wch might be capacious enough to
hold about a pint. the kernell was about 3/4 of an inch thick, lining
the Inside of the inside of the shell which was about 1/8 of an inch
thick and very hard. The kernall was much of the same tast wth
the liquor but pretty hard & tuff to bite. -

Dr. Clench was introduced by . Dr Tison /He addressed himself to the vice president &/      in order to presentd
the society wth. a certaine Root Lately brought out of China
called Ginsing or nisi. of Great esteem in china for its virtue in
Restoring Consumptiue and Persons Emaciated wth. Long sickness
to their former helth & strength. tis valued in china at twice
its weight in siluer, tis shaped like a briony Root but is hardly
soe big as a Skirret. tis white of colour like a parsnep. Its tast
is very bitter and somewt hott vpon the tongue somewt. like Genti=
=na, and seems vpon the same account to be a very good stomackick
Dr. Clench Deliuerd some of it for the Repository wrapped vp in china Paper

Ref: CELL/RS/HF_345  © Centre for Editing Lives and Letters