134 NOVUM ORGANUM 



the circumstances in which they are placed, such as violent 

 exercise and fevers. 



Here, again, there is scarcely a negative instance. I 

 might add that the excrements of animals, even when they 

 are no longer fresh, possess evidently some effective heat, as 

 is shown by their enriching the soil. 



Such liquids (whether oily or watery) as are intensely 

 acrid exhibit the effects of heat, by the separation and burn 

 ing of bodies after some little action upon them, yet they 

 are not at first warm to the touch, but they act according to 

 their affinity and the pores of the substances to which they 

 are applied; for aqua regia dissolves gold but not silver 

 on the contrary, aqua fortis dissolves silver but not gold; 

 neither of them dissolves glass, and so of the rest. 



Let spirits of wine be tried on wood, or butter, wax, or 

 pitch, to see if this will melt them at all by their heat; for 

 the twenty-fourth instance shows that they possess proper 

 ties resembling those of heat in causing incrustation. Let 

 an experiment also be made with a graduated glass or calen 

 dar, 23 concave at the top, by pouring well-rectified spirits of 

 wine into the cavity, and covering -it up in order that they 

 may the better retain their heat, then observe whether their 

 heat make the water descend. 



Spices and acrid herbs are sensibly warm to the palate, 

 and still more so when taken internally; one should see, 

 therefore, on what other substances they exhibit the effects 

 of heat. Now, sailors tell us that when large quantities of 

 spices are suddenly opened, after having been shut up for 

 some time, there is some danger of fever and inflammation 

 to those who stir them or take them out. An experiment 



33 See No. 28 in the table of the degrees of heat. 



