74 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1666. 



A Relation of an Accident by Thunder and Lightning at Oxford. By 



Dr. IFallis. N" 13, p. 222. 



Two scholars of Wadham College being in a boat, without a waterman, and 

 having just pushed off from shore at Medley to return home, were by a stroke 

 of lightning, as they stood at the head of the boat, both forced out of the boat 

 into the water. One of them was instantly struck dead, no appearance of life 

 being discernible in him, though he was taken out of the water after he had 

 been scarcely a minute in it. The other was stuck fast in the mud (with his 

 feet downwards and his upper parts above water) like a post, not able to help 

 himself out ; but, except a present stunning or numbness, had no other hurt, 

 but was so confused, that he knew not how he came there out of the boat, and 

 had no recollection of the thunder and lightning. He was very feeble and faint, 

 and though he was immediately put into a warm bed, he had not thoroughly 

 recovered by the next night ; and whether he afterwards recovered or not, was 

 not known. — The body of him who was killed was examined the next morning 

 by Dr. Willis, Dr. Mallington, Dr. Lower, and myself, with some others. We 

 found no wound at all in the skin ; the face and neck were swart and black, but 

 not more than might be ordinary by the settling of the blood. On the right 

 side of the neck was a little blackish spot about an inch long, and about -i- of 

 an inch broad, and was as if it had been seared with a hot iron ; and as I re- 

 member, one somewhat bigger on the left side of the neck, below the ear. 

 Straight down the breast, but towards the left side of it, was a large place about 

 three quarters of a foot in length, and about two inches in breadth, in some 

 places more, in some less, which was burnt and hard like leather burnt with the 

 fire, of a deep blackish red colour, not much unlike the scorched skin of a 

 roasted pig. On the forepart of the left shoulder there was a similar spot about 

 the size of a shilling, but that in the neck was blacker, and seemed more 

 seared. From the top of the right shoulder, sloping downwards towards that 

 place in his breast, was a narrow line of the like scorched skin, as if somewhat 

 had come in at the neck and had run down to the breast, and there spread 

 broader. The buttons of his doublet were for the most part torn off, and the 

 collar thereof just over the forepart of the left shoulder was quite broken asunder, 

 as if cut or chopped with a blunt tool. His hat was strangely torn, not just on 

 the crown, but on its side and brim. The hole made on its side was large 

 enough to admit one's fist, being gashed and torn as if cut with a dull tool. 



The night following the three doctors above mentioned and myself, with some 

 surgeons (besides a multitude of others) were present at the opening of the 



