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Effects of Aurum Potabile.

impetuofity the matter of the lime, which is extremely dry, difengages the parts of the fire from the more compact matter and from the air, and furnishes them with the neceflary degrees of force. The parts of the lime feparate entirely, and dart about on all fides without being entirely diffipated, because the external ambient air restrains them; and hence we perceive an effervefcence, a fenfible heat, a flame that gliftens before the eyes. We may reafon in the fame manner on the experiments of other apparently contrary effects, and the ingenious naturalift will always find refources for their explanation.

Ice will produce fire, if fair water is made to boil for half an hour to make the air pafs out of it. Two inches of this water muft afterwards be exposed to a very cold air, and when it is frozen, the extremities of the ice are to be melted before a fire, till the ice acquires a convex fpherical figure on both fides. Then with a glove this kind of burning mirror being prefented to the fun, and the rays being affembled by refraction in a common focus, will fet fire therein to fome fine gunpowder.

If a phial of round glafs, and full of water, is expofed to the fun, when it is very hot, as in fummer, from nine o'clock in the morning till three in the afternoon, it will fet fire to fine gunpowder placed in the focus of this burning mirror made of water. Thofe experiments fhew clearly that the rays of the fun lofe nothing of their nature, by piercing and paffing through the pores of water and ice.

We may have fome difficulty in imagining that common water can become a burning phosphorus; yet we find in the Memoirs of Trevoux, May 1721, that a fhip on a voyage to the EastIndies, having taken in very good water, this water was found to be in flames fome time after, on opening the barrel it was contained in. It was probably impregnated with air, and a great quantity of fulphur; and this fulphur had its cells full of fubtile matter violently agitated, but imprifoned, and waiting only for the opening of the

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barrel, and the subtile action of the external air, to be in a condition to break out of its little prifons, to dart about with the help of the internal air the parts the fubtile matter was furrounded with, and thereby to caufe that flame, which was feen to gufh out fuddenly from the midft of the water.

If hay, ftill moift, is made up, the terreftrial fpirits with which it is greatly impregnated, difengaging themselves more and more, by means of the fpring of the internal air, and the fhock of the fubtile matter, come at last to float freely in that matter; and being carried away by its rapid motion, they break, drive, and diffipate all the small parts of the hay, whereupon the hay catches fire.

Compofition 'and effects of Aurum Potabile ant Pulvis Fulminans, or thundering gold and powder.

AURUM Fulminans is made of filings of gold put into a phial, into which is poured three times as inuch of Aqua Regalis. When the diffolution is made, fix times the quantity of common water is added thereto : afterwards on this mixture, is thrown fome oil of tartar, or volatile fpirit of falt armoniac. The powder that precipitates to the bottom, being left to dry of itself, is what is called fulminating gold.

Aurum fulminans produces a much ftronger effect than gunpowder.

Twenty grains of it make a louder report, and act more violently, than half á pound of gunpowder: and two grains laid on the point of a knife, and fet fire to by a lighted candle, fulminate ftronger than a musket fhot.

The pulvis fulminans is prepared with less expenee, but produces nearly the fame effect. Being heated in a fpoon to the amount of fixty grains, it makes as loud a report as a cannon when fired off.

The fulminating powder is compofed of three parts of nitre, two parts of tartar, and one part of fulphur, pounded and mixed together.

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THE QUERIST. No IV.

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WE muft all be aware, that the human body is affected by what Shakefpeare terms, the "fkiey influences," which it is the bufinefs of Aftrology to explain and determine. That the Moon has a fecret fuperintendancy over the brain, not only of man, but of all other animals, is obvious enough, even to those who profefs the contrary opinion; and that it is more apparently fenfible of its power than any of the other parts; for it fwells and abates, it increases and diminishes, proportionably to the increase or decrease of that planet. Hence it is that the science of Medicine, upon a certain knowledge of thefe changes, takes care, that, when the trepan is prefcribed, it fhould be performed with the greater precaution in the full moon; in regard the phyficians know, that then the brain is alfo in its full, and that caufing the membranes, which encompass it, to rife nearer the bone, it expofes them to the danger of being the more eafily touched by the inftrument. Thus far is reafonable, and may be admitted as truth; and, in fact, I must confefs, is but one of the many reafons adduced by the learned Sir Christopher Heyden, in his ingenious defence of Judicial Aftrology. Now, if this be true, as reafon and experience has always and frequently confirmed, we may naturally conclude, that the Sun and the other planets, have also their particular influences, and, as well as the Moon, have the government of the human body, as the ingenious Mr. Butler, a divine of the laft age, fully proves, in his learned Defence of the Sacred Science of Aftrology.

But there cannot be a greater demonftration of the connection and fympathy which exifts between the human frame and the planetary fyftem, than that the difeafes of the parts have their rife, re

miffion, and crifis, according to the courfe of the afflicting planets which govern the disorder, even though they are under the horizon, as Salmon and Culpepper both agree in demonftrating.

It has been cbferved, that thofe who are fick, fuffer an extraordinary weaknefs in eclipfes of the Sun, and even that thofe who are of a more delicate complexion, fenfibly feel, in themfelves, the effect of that confteilation. To this may be added, that the vital faculty becomes. languifhing and weak, during the time of the Solitices and the Equinoxes; and when any malignant ftars rife with the fun, Hippocrates hath forbidden the use of ftrong alterative medicines, till ten days are paft.

Much more might be brought here in fupport of the affirmative; but there are fome people, who are fo inconfiftent as to difbelieve a thing in one shape, which they are for ever afferting to be true in another.-This anfwer is almoft literally taken from Salmon's Soul of Aftrology.

ANSWER TO QUERY II. BY B.

THE fhort answer to the question, "Why is the Bible called the Teftament?" is

Because it teftifies the mind or will of GOD.

But, as not only the English and Roman law confine the word Teftament to a difpofition of goods, made previous to death; but the Apoftle Paul alfo exprefsly applies it in the fame sense to the Scriptures, Heb. ix. 16. I apprehend it would not be quite fatisfactory to your theological readers, to leave them with only the plain English of the word Tel

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New Queries.

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prefsly, on the ground of its PERISHABILITY-but yet, perishable for a ment only, that it may revive to eternity; for, in 1 Cor. xv. 36. it is laid down as a principle extending from a grain of wheat to CHRIST *, that, that which is fown, is not quickened, except

it die.

Next, Chriftianity is the fphere, which iffued from Chrift, before his final feparation from the earth. Now, the atmosphere must certainly gradually diffipate, after the removal of the body, from whence it proceeded. Some may fay, Is not this philofophifing contradicted by the promise, concluding St. Matthew's gofpel" I am with you always, unto the end of the world ?". I anfwer, The world ceases when Chriftianity, its vital principle, its truth, order, cement, ceafes. But the unlearned ought to know, that the promise literally is this- -"I am with you alway, unto the confummation of the age."

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WOOD being an electric fubstance, and therefore attracting the fluid, it is certainly better to open the doors, lest the iron hinges, and the wood, attracting the lighting, fplit the door, and make it enter with greater force. This is exemplified by its being fafer, when caught in a ftorm, in a field, to go on, or lay down flat, than to fhelter under trees: but glafs being a non-electric fubftance, over which the fruid paffes, it is fafer to fhut clofely the windows.

See the beginning of my General Effay on Magic, in this Magazine. Sec alfo Wii

dom xii. I.

QUERY IV.

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ATTEMPTED BY BEN

ROW.

THIS Query, perhaps, you may be told, is not new; at the fame time, I can fay, it never has been folved but by offer it to the Conjuror's Magazine. mistaken notions, which induced me to another fays, it proceeds from the treadle One tells you, 'tis in the yelk of the egg; of the cock, fituated towards the big end: air contained under a film, or thin fkin, at a third favs, there is a bubble of the large end; to which caufe they attri

bute it all which are miflaken notions;

but through the medium of your entertaining and inftructive publication, I wish to communicate my fentiments on the bufinefs.

First, then, I affert, that it is contained entirely in the fhell, independent of any other part of the egg; for rotten or addled eggs poffefs it nearly in the fame degree as found ones; and if you break an egg in halves, and drain it clean, both ends perfectly clean, ftill the

fenfation remains in the fhell, and will continue about the time of incubation, but fainter, and fainter, till at last it totally expires.This seems to be one of the profound, fecrets of Nature, into which it is impoffible for mortals to pry.

و

N. B. Boiling inftantly deftroys it.

QUERIES.

QUERY I. BY BEN ROW.

A Demonstrative proof is required, fupported by refpectable authorities, whether ftones grow or not?

QUERY II. BY THE SAME.

and diffipate in a remarkably rapid The excrements of animals exude manner. What reafon, then, can be given, that the foeces of a dog confolidate inftead of diffipate?

QUESTIONS

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ANTIQUITY OF THE OFFICE.

THE conveniency arifing from this mode of writing, is, principally, the eafe refulting from the liberty the writer can take with his authorities, in chufing just fuch as fuit his prefent turn; while, in the more elaborate way of fyftem and form, he muft find himfelf often confined to order and chronology; circumftances very inimical to the range of fancy.

Thus far we think neceffary, by way of apology, for the occafional deviations we have, or may hereafter make, from the regular form of hiftory.

The Augur, among the Romans, was an officer of very great refpect, not only on account of his capacity for divination, but for the foreknowledge of future events, which was attributed to him. There was a college or community of them, confifting originally of only three members, but afterwards the number was increafed to nine; four of whom were Patricians, and fi e Plebeians. Their infignia was an augural staff, or wand, denoting their authority; and their dignity, according to Bishop Godwin, was fo much refpected, that they were

never depofed, nor any fubftituted in their room, though they fhould be convicted of the moft enormous crimes. Mankind have, at all periods and con- . ditions, been avidioufly fond of penetrating into the fecrets of futurity, and removing the veil which is placed between them and the time to come: therefore it is no wonder if the myf teries of Arufpicy were much encou raged and patronifed in rude uncivilized nations.

Hefiod, a very ancient poet, reports, that husbandry was in part regulated by the coming and retiring of birds; and moit probably it had been in ufe long before his time, as Aftronomy was then in its infancy. In the courfe of time, thefe animal motions feem to have gained a very wonderful authority, till, at last, no affair of confequence, either of private or public concern, was undertaken without confulting them. They were looked upon as the interpreters of the gods; and thofe who were qualified to underftand their oracles, were held among the chief men in the Greek and Ro man ftates, and became the affeffors of kings, and even Jupiter himself. However abfurd fuch an inftitution as a College of Augurs may appear in our eyes, yet, like all other extrava→

gancies

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