14 



PROTOPLASM 



MiCROCRAPHlA, 113 



Obfcrv. X V 1 1 ] . Of the Schcmacifme cr Texture cf Cork, and 

 of the Cells and Pores (f fome other fuch frothy Bodies. 



J Took a good clear piece of Coik, and with a Pen-knife (harpen'd as 

 kccnasa Razor, I cut a piece of it off, and thereby left thcfu.'arcQf 

 it exceeding fmooth, then examining it very diligently with a Aficrp- 

 fopc, mc thought I could perceive it to appear a little porous ^ but I 

 could not fo plainly diftinguifh them, as to be furc that they were pores, 

 much icfs what Figure they were of: But judging from thelightnefsand 

 yielding quality of the Coik, iliat certainly the texture could not be fo 

 curious, but that poflibly, i( I could ufc fonic further diligence, I might 

 tiiul it to be difccrnablc with a Microfcopc, I with the fame (harp Fen- 

 kniil'^cutofl from the former fmooth (urface an cxcecdinj' thin piece of 

 it, and placing it on a black objtft Plate, bccaufc it was it fclf a white 

 body, and calling the light on it with a deep flano-convcx Ohfs, I could 

 exceeding plainly perceive it to be all perforated and porous,much like 

 a Honey-comb,but that the pores of it were not regular; ytt it was not 

 unlike a Honey-comb in thefe pni ticulars. 



Kirft, in that it had a very little folid (ubftance, incompaiifonof the 

 empty cavity that wascontain'd!)etween,asdoes more m.inifeftly appear 

 bythcFigure A and B oiihcW.Scheutc, for the Iiilcrjiitia, or walls 

 (as I may fo calj them) or partitions of thole pores were ncer as thin in 

 pro[>ortion to their pores, as iholc thin hims ofWaxina Honey-comb 

 (which cnctofeand conftitute iUcfcxatrgiilar cells') -.wc to theirs. 



Next, in that thefe porci, or cells, were not very deep, but confifVed 

 of a great many little Boxes, feparated out of one continued long pore, 

 by cei tain Z)M//.r.jg/;//, as is vilible by the Figure B, which reprefents a 

 fight ot thole pores fplir the long-ways. 



I nofoonerdilcern'dthefe cwhich were indeed the firft m'nrofcofkal 

 p(>rcs I ever law, and perhaps,that were ever feen, for I had not met with 

 any Writer or Perfon, that had made any ihention of them before this) 

 but mc thought I had with the difcovcry of them, prefently hinted to me 

 the true and intelligible reafon of all the VhtnomcnaoS.Q,ax)f^--, As, 



i-'irft, if I enquir'd why it was fo exceeding light a body? my Mcro- 

 fflpe could prefently inform mc that here was the lame reafon evident thai 

 there is found for the lightnels of froth, an empty Honey-comb, Wool. 

 aSpunge, a Pumice-flone, orthclike^namely, a very fmall quantity of a 

 folid body, extended into exceeding large dinienfions. 



Next, it feem'd nothing niore ditficult to give an intelligible reafon, 

 why Cork is a body fo very unapt to fiick and drink in Water, and con- 

 Icquently prelerves it felf, floating on the top of Water, though left on it 

 never fo long: and why it is able to ftop and holdairinaBottle,though 

 ir be there very much eondens'd and confequently prellcs very ftrongly 

 to get a paflage out, without fuffering the leafl bubble to pafs through 

 !is fubftancc. For, astothcfirft, finceouri'I//Vr^<>/itr informs us that the 

 fubflance of Cork is altogether fill'd with Air, and that that Air isper- 

 feftly cnclofed in little Boxes or Cells diftinft from one another. It feems 

 very plain, why neither the Water, nor any other Air can eafily infinu- 

 ate it felf into them, fince there is already within thctn an intm exijicns, 

 and confequently, why the pieces of Cork become fo good floats for 

 Nets, and floppies for Viols, or other clofe Veflels. 



And thirdly, if wc enquire why Cork has fuchafpringinefs andfwel- 

 ling nature whem comprels'd i* and how it comes to fuficr (b great a com- 

 preflion, or (ccming penetration of dimenfions, fo as to be made a fub- 

 Hance as heavic again and more, bulk for bulk, as it was before com pref- 

 fion,andyet fuffer'd to return, is found to extend it fclf again into the 

 (ame Ipacc ? O.iur Alicrofiofe will eafily inform us, that the whole mats 



R confift'J 



Fig. 7. — Parts of pages from Robert Hooke's " Micrographia " (1665). 



