170 NOVUM ORGAN UM. 



the mixture of spirits, which are invisible bodies. There ap 

 pears to be some relation between bodies and their sources 

 or support. Now, the source of flame seems to be oil and 

 fat; that of air, water, and watery substances; for flame 

 increases over the exhalation of oil, and air over that of 

 water. One must therefore consider the mixture of oil and 

 water, which is manifest to the senses, since that of air and 

 flame in general escapes the senses. But oil and water 

 mix very imperfectly by composition, or stirring, whilst 

 they are exactly and nicely mixed in herbs, blood, and the 

 , parts of animals. Something similar therefore may take 

 place in the mixture of flame and air in spirituous sub 

 stances, not bearing mixture very well by simple collision, 

 whilst they appear, however, to be well mixed in the spirits 

 of plants and animals. 



Again, if the inquiry do not relate to perfect mixtures of 

 spirits, but merely to their composition, as whether they 

 easily incorporate with each other, or there be rather (as an 

 example) certain winds and exhalations, or other spiritual 

 bodies, which do not mix with common air, but only adhere 

 to and float in it in globules and drops, and are rather broken 

 and pounded by the air, than received into, and incorporated 

 with it ; this cannot be perceived in common air, and other 

 aeriform substances, on account of the rarity of the bodies, 

 but an image, as it were, of this process, may be conceived 

 in such liquids as quicksilver, oil, water, and even air, when 

 broken and dissipated it ascends in small portions through 

 water, and also in the thicker kinds of smoke; lastly in 

 dust, raised and remaining in the air, in all of which there 

 is no incorporation : and the above representation in this 

 respect is not a bad one, if it be first diligently investigated, 

 whether there can be such a difference of nature between 

 spirituous substances, as between liquids, for then these 

 images might conveniently be substituted by analogy. 



And although we have observed of these supplementary 

 instances, that information is to be derived from them, 

 when appropriate instances are wanting, by way of refuge, 

 yet we would have it understood, that they are also of 

 great use, when the appropriate instances are at hand, in 

 order to confirm the information afforded by them; of 

 which we will speak more at length, when our subject leads 

 us, in due course, to the supports of induction. 



43. In the twentieth rank of prerogative instances we 

 will place Lancing instances, which we are also wont (but 

 for a different reason) to call twitching instances. We 



