Chemiluminescence 431 



surface of the oil luminous, often accompanied by flashes of light in 

 the bottle. Solution in spirit of wine led to " A way of suddenly 

 producing light in common water, by the help of another non- 

 luminous liquor." The alcohol solution of the noctiluca showed no 

 light until mixed with water, when the drops were 



kindled by the cold water, and afford little flashes of light, which was 

 more vivid than the noctiluca itself, affording a splendor, that made not 

 only the brims of the cup, but divers of the neighboring objects mani- 

 festly visible, not to say conspicuous. But these coruscations had the 

 property of other lightning, to vanish almost as soon as they appeared, 

 nor would the water that produced them, by being agitated, shine; . . . 

 It seemed not very improbable, that these sudden and vanishing flashes 

 might, at least in great part, proceed from the quick disengagement and 

 extrusion of the noctilucal particles, made by the water, which, diluting 

 the vinous spirit, disabled them from retaining with them the luciferous 

 particles. 



Boyle then compared the effect to camphor dissolved in alcohol, 

 which is separated as a white powder on mixing with water. 



In " Experiments discovering a strange subtilty of parts in the 

 glacial noctiluca," Boyle showed that " if the whole grain of icy 

 phosphorus had been dissolved at first in the spirit of wine, it would 

 have impregnated above six hundred thousand times its weight of 

 water, sufficient to make it shine." He compared this dilution with 

 the great dilution in which the red of cochineal is visible. This phos- 

 phorus experiment appears to be the first to recognize that chemi- 

 luminescence can be detected when minute amounts of material are 

 present. 



Finally Boyle experimented on the inflammability " of the nocti- 

 luca itself and its ability to set things afire. He told of flames set in 

 his laboratory and also how his 



laborant, who was very helpful to me in varying the preparation of the 

 phosphorus, had a worse misadventure not long after; for bringing me 

 some newly distilled grains of our noctiluca, covered with some of the 

 shining water, that came over with it, he unluckily broke the glass in 

 his pocket; whereupon the heat of his body, increased by the motion his 

 long walk had put into it, did so excite the matter, that was fallen out 

 of the broken vial, that it burned two or three great holes in his breeches, 

 before he could come to me to relate his misfortune, the recent effects 

 of which I could not look upon without some wonder as well as smiles. 



When phosphorus was melted under water and consequently at 

 the higher temperature, " as soon as the air came to touch the 



^° Krafft had fired gunpowder with his material but Boyle found that this was not 

 easy, although he could ignite sulphur. 



