Royal Society EL/A/30

The Minutes of the Dublin Philosophical Society and Covering Letter, July/August 1685

On the 12th August St George Ashe sent William Musgrave in Oxford the minutes of the Dublin Society for the previous 6 weeks. He apologised for the quality of the report, but people were so distracted by the political situation that attendance at their meetings was poor and he expected the Society to adjourn for the rest of the summer at their next meeting.

1. George Tollet presented a proposition in gunnery from Edmund Halley.
2. A letter from Narcissus Marsh, bishop of Ferns and Leighlin, was read concerning how insects should be classified.
3. The remainder of John Wallis's discourse on weather was read.
4. A letter from William Musgrave dated 21st June and containing the minutes of the Oxford Society for May/June was read. Several members undertook to find out whether shells like that which contained the purple fish was found in Ireland and that sent by Musgrave was added to the Society's repository.
5. Ashe presented a report on the weather observations for the previous month.
6. A letter from Sir Richard Bulkeley was read, including a description of a new caless (calash or light, low wheeled carriage) designed by Mr Clinett.

On 13th July the meeting was adjourned, because of an act at Trinity College.

1. A letter from Musgrave containing Robert Plot's Desiderata in Chemistry (requested on 11th May) was read and committed to Drs Silvius and Mullen to investigate.
2. Dr Mullen presented a number of experiments showing the effect of spirit of wine on various types of water, plantain water, spirit of sulphur, syrup of violets, cornu cervi (hartshorn) and milk.

1. It was observed that a lighted candle applied to the top of a barometer caused the mercury to drop.
2. Discourses by John Ray and Dr Tancred Robinson received from Musgrave on the subject of scoter ducks and hot springs were read. Mr Acton related relevant observations from various authors, including Strabo and the description of the scoter was read from Francis Willughby's Ornithology.
3. Mr Smyth presented a piece of Loughneagh stone found on the shore, showing the grain of the wood and the cut marks.

1. Ashe presented the weather observations, which disproved Dr Garden's contention that the level of the mercury was directly related to wind direction.
2. A letter from Musgrave dated 16th July was read, containing drawings of the incombustible clock and an Indian honeycomb, which was found to resemble that of the humble bee.
3. An extract from Mr Leigh of Lancashire was communicated, which gave accounts of a buck found buried underground but uncorrupted, a calf with an inverted skin and of a kind of peat that burned with particular strength. These observations gave rise to various queries.
4. A sample of black stone, with shiny particles and a sulphurous smell was presented and Dr Mullen was asked to investigate it.
5. Ashe showed 10 pieces of ancient British coin found within a rock.

1. Two letters from Musgrave were read concerning the observations of convulsive disorders made by Dr Cole of Worcester. Dr Mullen described a similar case from his own practice.
2. Dr Mullen described an experiment in distilling scurvy grass steeped in brandy.

© AHRB Centre for Editing Lives and Letters, 2005  Reference: CELL/Early Letters of the Royal Society Catalogue EL.A.30