The Minutes of the Dublin Society from July the 6th to August the 10th (85)
July the 6th (85)
Mr Tolet brought in a proposition in Gunnery sent from Mr Edm: Halley with its construction & rule, but without a demonstration, he shew'd the construction to hold true in all cases, but deduced another rule from thence.
A Letter from the right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Leighlin dated June the 19th was read, containing severall curious observations which his Lordship has made concerning insects; two things he wou'd yet have further inquired into, in their history, 1st how to rank them according to their follicles, which some weave of thread, others (the hairy ones) make of hair, others of earth, crums of leaves, wood, moss &c and some make none at all but suspend themselves against a tree or wall by a single thread drawn across their bodies & fastned at both ends to the wall. 2ly how to range them according to their chrysalis, or Aurelia's; both which he conceives wou'd conduce as much to the well understanding their natures, as the knowledge of plants by their cods & seeds (or the seeds & their caps or covers) & of birds by their nests & eggs (the former which do much discover their segacity and many other properties) can conduce to the right understanding of theirs; the folliculi of Insects being answerable to the nests of birds, & to the Cods or Seed cases in plants; & their chrysalises corresponding to the Eggs of those, & to the seeds of these, whence imediatly do spring the living creatures. the thanks of the S. ordered to be return'd for this letter.
The remianing part of Dr Wallis's very rationall ingenious discourse concerning weather was read, & our thanks ordered to be returned.
A letter from Mr Musgrave dated June the 21th containing the minutes of the Oxford society from May the 26 to June the 16th was read; Severall of the members promised to inquire diligently whether such shells as that which contains the purple fish, be found on our Shores; the thanks of the S. ordered to be returned Mr Musgrave for his present, & that it be carefully laid up in our repository. An account of the wind, weather, height of the Mercury &c. for the month of June brought in by Mr Ashe. A letter from Sir Richard Bulkely with a description & tryall of a new Caless invented by Mr Clinett was read.
July the 13th (85)
We adjourn'd our meeting, because of the Philologicall Act at the Colledge.
July the 20th (85)
A letter from Mr Musgrave containing Dr Plots desiderata in Chymistry was read, & committed to Dr Sylvius & Dr Mullen, who from some hints therein, proposed to make a few experiments & to give the S. their thoughts; they also mentioned some further Arcana to be added to this catalogue.
Dr Mullen shew'd the following Experiments before the S. an equall quantity of River water mix'd with spirit of wine caused a great many bubbles which lasted long, was but milkwarm, & pellucid. pump water with spirit of wine made greater fermentation, the bubbles soon disappeared, 'twas warmer than the first & turn'd wheyish. rain water with spirit of wine caused a fermentation & heat like the 1st with no alteration of colour; the like also happened in Plantain water pour'd into spirit of wine, but spirit of wine pour'd into the distill'd water produced a greater fermentation. Spirit of sulphur per Campanam mix'd with spirit of wine fermented more slowly, but became bloodwarm, that is much warmer than the rest. Syrup of violets with spirit of wine made small fermentation with a few bubbles, it turn'd of a greenish colour; Cornu Cervi ustum upon Syrup of violets turn'd green, upon which spirit of sulphur per Campanam changed it to red with a great fermentation. Milk drop'd into spirit of wine presently coagulated.
A lighted candle applied to the top of a Barometer, made the Mercury subside considerably.
July the 27th (85)
A discourse of Mr Ray's concerning the Macreuse or Scoter, & also one of Dr Tancred Robinson on the same subject, concerning boyling & other fountains communicated by Mr Musgrave was read; & our thanks ordered to be returned; they gave occasion to Mr Acton to discourse of somewhat relating to them, mentioned in ould authors; & of the account Strabo gives of the Lake Avernus which mentions the reason why even in his time it had lost its infectious mortall effluvia. The description likewise of this bird was read out of Mr Willoughby's ornithology, which agrees indifferently to a Sea foul frequently taken near the Island call'd Irelands Eye. A large peice of Loughneagh stone found on the shore was given by Mr Smyth, having the exact grain of wood & the mark of cutting.
August the 3rd (85)
An account of the wind weather height of the Mercury &c is brought in by Mr Ashe; what Dr Garden affirms that when the wind turns to north, NE or NW the mercury allways rises was not found true. A letter from Mr Musgrave dated July the 16th was read, containing the draught of the incombustible clock & the figure & description of An Indian Honey comb which severall affirmed to be so like that of our common humble bee, its honey likewise being much more limpid than that of other bees, & its lodgings in trees & other cavities that it may well deserve further inquiry. An extract also of a letter from Mr Leigh of Lancashire was communicated, which gave an account of a buck found intirely whole & uncorrupted under ground, Quaere whether the hoofs as well as horns were soft, & grew hard when exposed to air ? of a Calf whose skin was inverted, Quaere, whether 'twas brought forth alive, & whether the skin hung loose or was fastened the hairy part to the fleshy pannicli ? of Peates which burn so violently, as to melt down gold, Quaere of what sort of earth they are made ? because somewhat like this was affirmed of a kind of Irish Turf of a wound out of which there came daily a peice of Fat as big as a Nut, which was friable & would blaze in a fire A peice of blackstone full of shining particles, & of a sulphurous smell was presented, taken out of a quarry near Maryborough in the Queens County; Dr Mullen was desired to examine it 10 peices of old british coin found in the middle of a rock were shewn by Mr Ashe.
August the 10th (85)
A Letter from Mr Musgrave read containing a very odd and remarkable relation of one who for many years has had constant obstinate convulsions every Sunday by Dr Cole of Worcester.
Another letter also from Mr Musgrave communicating a like relation by the same Dr of periodicall convulsive motions returning every 5th day which the Dr cured the thanks of the S. ordered to be returned for these considerable communications.
Dr Mullen gave a relation of a Gentlewoman a patient of his who had four cold fits of an ague & as many hot ones every 24 hours, the fits came so thick on one another that there was but very small intermissions for presently after she cool'd out of her hot fitt she fell into a cold one thus she was for 4 or 5 days before he was sent for, but in two days she recovered by a method he uses for the cure of that distemper.
He also acquainted the S. that he order'd a quantity of scurvy grasse to be bruised in a stone mortar and to be putt up in a convenient vessell, which, having first pour'd enough of strong brandy on it to cover it, he clos'd very well and soe kept it for a moneth & then distill'd in a Limbick and gott a good quantity of a very pungent spirit, much insipid phlegme & last of all an oyle as insipid as sallet oyle, which he was surpriz'd att, having expected the most pungent acrimonious oyle that he knew any vegetable to yeild when he saw that the scurvy grasse yielded any. But having repeated the experiment (though the fermentation or maceration was continued but for 4 or 5 days) he had reason to think that there were two oyls in it, one a very pungent piperine one, & the other wholy insipid for he separated a small quantity of the former along with the spirit, & the latter he separated along with the insipid phlegme he is therefore induc'd to believe that the volatile aetheriall piperine oyle in the first parcell of scurvy grasse was changed into a spirit there being neither oyle nor milkiness to be seen in what came over the helm, finding that in the later parcell both was to be found and over and above some of the pungent oyle:
Honoured Sir
I am ashamed I can make no better a return for your very acceptable communications, our company has of late been very thin, & people's heads so much diverted with Politicks, that next meeting I believe we shall adjourn till the term; However, if any thing worth acquainting you with happen in the mean time, I will not fail to give you a punctuall account thereof. I am
(Honoured Sir)
your most humble servant
St. Geo: Ashe
Trin: coll: Aug: the 12th 85
I am just now inform'd of a girl who has severall horns in many parts of her body; of this you shall have an account by the next.
Read Nov 18: 85:
Ent'd LB 10:242:3
Addressed to 'Mr Willm. Musgrave, Fellow of New Colledge'