462 KOVUM ORGANUM. [boOK U. 



t^-ont to Lappen, is not yet sufficiently investigated to enable ub 

 to suljoin a negative instance to the affirmative. 



AU liame is constantly more or less warm, and this instance is 

 not altogether negative ; yet it is said that the ignis fatuus (as 

 it is called), and which sometimes is driven agamst walls, has 

 but little heat ; perhaps it resembles that of spirits of wine, 

 which is mild and gentle. That flame, however, appears yet 

 milder, which in some well authenticated and serious histories is 

 said to have appeared round the head and hair of boys and vir- 

 gins, and instead of burning their hair, merely to have played 

 about it. And it is most certain that a sort of flash, without any 

 evident heat, has sometimes been seen about a horse when 

 sweating at night, or in damp weather. It is also a well known 

 fact,* and it was almost considered as a miracle, that a few years 

 since a girl's apron sparkled when a little shaken or rubbed, 

 which was, perhaps, occasioned by the alum or salts with which 

 the apron was imbued, and which, after having been stuck 

 together and incrusted rather strongly, were broken by the fric- 

 tion. It is well known that all sugar, whether candied or plain, 

 if it be hard, will sparkle wlien broken or scraped in the dark. 

 In like manner sea and saltwater is sometimes found to shine at 

 night when struck violently by the oar. The foam of the sea 

 when agitated by tempests also sparkles at night, and the Spa- 

 niards call this appearance the sea's lungs. It has not been 

 sufficiently ascertained what degree of heat attends the flame 

 which the ancient sailors called Castor and Pollux, and the 

 moderns call St. Ermus' fire. 



Every ignited body that is red-hot is always warm, although 

 without flame, nor is any negative instance subjoined to this 

 affirmative. Eotten wood, however, approaches nearly to it, for 

 it shines at night, and yet is not found to be warm ; and the 

 putrefying scales of fish which shine in the same manner are not 

 warm to the touch, nor the body of the glowworm, or of the fly 

 called Lucciola.* 



The situation and nature of the soil of natural warm baths has 

 not been sufficiently investigated, and therefore a negative in- 

 stance is not subjoined. 



To the instances of warm liquids we may subjoin the negative 

 one of the peculiar nature of liquids in general'; for no tangible 

 liquid is known that is at once warm in its nature and constantly 

 continues warm; 'but their heat is only superinduced as an 

 adventitious nature for a limited time, so that those which are 

 extremely warm in their power and effect, as spirits of wine, 

 chemical aromatic oils, the oils of vitriol and sulphur, and the 



* Was it a silk apron which exhibited electric sparks ? Silk was thou 

 SCM'ce. ^ The Italian fire-fiv« 



