276 NOVUM OROANUM 



ing to become condensed or soft, except by mixtures, and, 

 as it were, spurious methods. Instances of cold, therefore, 

 should be searched for most diligently, such as may be 

 found by exposing bodies upon buildings in a hard frost, 

 in subterraneous caverns, by surrounding bodies with snow 

 and ice in deep places excavated for that purpose, by let 

 ting bodies down into wells, by burying bodies in quick 

 silver and metals, by immersing them in streams which 

 petrify wood, by burying them in the earth (which the 

 Chinese are reported to do with their china, masses of 

 which, made for that purpose, are said to remain in the 

 ground for forty or fifty years, and to be transmitted to 

 their heirs as a sort of artificial mine) and the like. The 

 condensations which take place in nature, by means of cold, 

 should also be investigated, that by learning their causes, 

 they may be introduced into the arts; such as are observed 

 in the exudation of marble and stones, in the dew upon the 

 panes of glass in a room toward morning after a frosty 

 night, in the formation and the gathering of vapors under 

 the earth into water, whence spring fountains and the like. 

 Besides the substances which are cold to the touch, 

 there are others which have also the effect of cold, and 

 condense; they appear, however, to act only upon the 

 bodies of animals, and scarcely any further. Of these we 

 have many instances, in medicines and plasters. Some 

 condense the flesh and tangible parts, such as astringent 

 and inspissating medicines, others the spirits, such as 

 soporifics. There are two modes of condensing the spirits, 

 by soporifics or provocatives to sleep; the one by calming 

 the motion, the other by expelling the spirit. The violet, 

 dried roses, lettuces, and other benign or mild remedies, by 

 their friendly and gently cooling vapors, invite the spirits 



