410 PHYSIOLOGICAL REMAINS. 



THE LORD VERULAM S INQUISITION CONCERNING THE 



VERSIONS, TRANSMUTATIONS, MULTIPLICATIONS, 



AND EFFECTIONS OF BODIES, 



Written by him originally in English, though not hitherto 

 published in that language. 1 



EARTH by fire is turned into brick, which is of the 

 nature of a stone, and serveth for building, as stone 

 doth : and the like of tile. Qu. the manner. 



Naphtha, which was the bituminous mortar used in 

 the walls of Babylon, grows to an entire and very hard 

 matter like a stone. 



In clay countries, where there is pebble and gravel, 

 you shall find great stones, where you may see the peb- 

 bles or gravel, and between them a substance of stone 

 as hard or harder than the pebble itself. 



There are some springs of water, wherein if you put 

 wood, it will turn into the nature of stone : so as that 

 within the water shall be stone, and that above the 

 water continue wood. 



The slime about the reins and bladder in man's body, 

 turns into stone : and stone is likewise found often in 

 the gall ; and sometimes, though rarely, in vend portd. 



Quaere, what time the substance of earth in quarries 

 asketh to be turned into stone ? 



Water, as it seems, turneth into crystal, as is seen in 

 divers caves, where the crystal hangs in stillicidiis. 



Try wood, or the stalk of herbs, buried in quicksil- 

 ver, whether it will not grow hard and stony. 



They speak of a stone engendered in a toad's head. 



There was a gentleman, digging in his moat, found 



i Baconiana, p. 129. 



