The Seventeenth Century 105 



cury. These are the vain notions of Agyrtae and strolling quacks. I, 

 indeed, in order that I might find the truth, made test of everything 

 and tested each point individually, but I could not extract one drop of 

 liquid even from fifty animals; nay, rather this very little bit of liquid, 

 when it is separated from the animal, perishes along with it, and I dis- 

 covered that scarcely any trace of its light remains: I observed thus that 

 the liquid offered no traces of light except in that place in which nature 

 had implanted it for definite purposes, but outside of the place that was 

 natural to it, it perished completely. 



There is no doubt of Kircher's views on a liquor lucidus but 

 perhaps the most interesting aspect of his presentations is the revolt 

 from authority. Kircher, as contrasted with Gesner, is definitely 

 skeptical of the statements of the ancients and also of Porta, only a 

 generation before him. Moreover, he used the experimental method 

 to refute extravagant statements while at the same time introducing 

 teleological ideas of his OAvn. Kircher was always searching for a 

 purpose for the light. 



In a section on the light of marine animals, Kircher described 

 the luminous humors of the Dactyli and the Medusae which he 

 believed to have been " implanted for no other reason than for 

 enabling the animals to acquire the necessities of life." He noted 

 that " nature has endowed these animals [pholades] with a liquid 

 so luminous that in darkness it shines no differently than fire." He 

 then continued: 



Mention should be made here of another marvel of the sea, which, 

 although it is nearly the lowliest and most despised of blood-containing- 

 animals, yet has not a little nobility by virtue of its innate light. Some 

 call it the Puhno marinus [sea lung], others Urtica [sea nettle], because its 

 private parts in some marvelous way affect the hands with a burning itch. 

 I have found the humor of this animal, or zoophyte, so similar to the 

 liquid implanted in the Dactylus that there is scarcely any effect pro- 

 duced by the latter that cannot be produced also by the former. But 

 it is a marvel that the liquid of this Piilmo when rubbed on black sticks 

 and certain other things causes them to shine in darkness no differently 

 than fire: I discovered this by experiment, first at Aquae Martiae near 

 Marseilles, and then again I remember having observed it at Bellonium. 

 Twigs and sticks, when smeared, glowed at night like torches. After 

 this, I discovered that traces of this liquid that is luminous by its own 

 light are implanted in nearly all " fish," but especially in soft Crustacea 

 and testacea. I think that this is the reason why nature wanted to 

 imbue these animals with light: namely, that they should not live in 

 perpetual darkness and seem to have been provided with eyes by nature 

 in vain, since they live in the depths of the sea and cling to sticks, but 

 the depths of the sea are dark and are not reached by the rays of the 



