VOL. VII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 31 



So7ne Observations about Shining Flesh, made by Mr. Boyle, March 15, 1 67 1-72, 

 in a Letter to the Editor. N° 89, p. 5108. 



Mr. Boyle observed a neck of veal to shine in as many as 20 places, though 

 not all alike, as rotten wood or stinking fish do. The size of these lucid parts was 

 considerably different; nor were their figures uniform ; some being round, others 

 almost oval, but for the most part very irregularly shaped. The parts that 

 shone most, were some gristly or soft parts of the bones, where the butcher*s 

 cleaver had passed ; though they were not the only parts that were luminous; 

 for by moving to and fro the spinal marrow, a part of it emitted light ; and he 

 perceived one place in a tendon to afford some light; and lastly, three or four 

 spots in the fleshy parts, at a good distance from the bones, were plainly disco- 

 vered by their own light, though fainter than in the above-mentioned parts. — 

 When all these lucid parts were surveyed at once, they made a very splendid 

 show; so that applying a printed paper to some of the more luminous spots, he 

 could plainly read divers letters of the title. — ^The colour of the Tight was not 

 the same in each, but in those that shone liveliest, it seemed to have such a fine 

 greenish blue as is observed in the tails of glow worms. But notwithstanding^ 

 the vividness of this light, it did not yield the least degree of heat to the touch ; 

 and applying to the most shining places a sealed weather-glass, the tinged spirit 

 of wine was not observed to be sensibly affected; and notwithstanding the great 

 number of lucid parts, not the least degree of stench was perceivable to infer 

 any putrefaction; the meat being judged very fresh and well conditioned, and 

 fit to be dressed. — The floor of the larder where this meat was kept, w^as almost 

 a story lower than the level of the street, and divided from the kitchen by a 

 partition of boards only, and with one small window looking northward. — The 

 wind, as far as could be observed, was then south-west, and pretty high. The 

 air by the thermometer appeared hot for the season, which was March, the 

 moon was past its last quarter; the mercury in the barometer stood at 29 -J^ 

 inches. One of the luminous parts, which proved to be a tender bone, and of 

 the thickness of a half crown piece, appeared to shine on both sides, though not 

 equally ; and the part of the bone whence this had been cut off, was seen to 

 shine, but not near so vividly as the part taken off did before. It yielded no 

 luminous juice, or moist substance, as the tails of glow-worms do; upon com- 

 pressing a piece of the luminous flesh between two pieces of glass, its light was 

 not extinguished: and putting a luminous piece into a crystalline phial, and 

 pouring on it a little pure spirit of wine^ and shaking them together, in about a 



