256 NOVUM ORGANUM 



in many cases, the desire of avoidance appears to be more 

 marked than that of union. . 



It is very conspicuous in the excrements of animals, 

 nor less, perhaps, in objects odious to particular senses, 

 especially the smell and taste; for a fetid smell is rejected 

 by the nose, so as to produce a sympathetic motion of ex 

 pulsion at the mouth of the stomach; a bitter and rough 

 taste is rejected by the palate or throat, so as to produce 

 a sympathetic concussion and shivering of the head. This 

 motion is visible also in other cases. Thus it is observed 

 in some kinds of antiperistasis, as in the middle region of 

 the air, the cold of which appears to be occasioned by the 

 rejection of cold from the regions of the heavenly bodies; 

 and also in the heat and combustion observed in subter 

 ranean spots, which appear to be owing to the rejection of 

 heat from the centre of the earth. For heat and cold, when 

 in small quantities, mutually destroy each other, while in 

 larger quantities, like armies equally matched, they remove 

 and eject each other in open conflict. It is said, also that 

 cinnamon and other perfumes retain their odor longer when 

 placed near privies and foul places, because they will not 

 unite and mix with stinks. It is well known that quick 

 silver, which would otherwise reunite into a complete mass, 

 is prevented from so doing by man s spittle, pork lard, tur 

 pentine and the like, from the little affinity of its parts with 

 those substances, so that when surrounded by them it draws 

 itself back, and its avoidance of these intervening obstacles 

 is greater than its desire of reuniting itself to its homoge 

 neous parts; which is what they term the mortification of 

 quicksilver. Again, the difference in weight of oil and 

 water is not the only reason for their refusing to mix, but 

 it is also owing to the little affinity of the two; for spirits 



