68 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [anNO 1673. 



rable essence, which being appHed to any artery whatsoever, stops the blood 

 instantly without any need of binding up the wound. We first tried it on dogs, 

 cutting the crural and carotid arteries, and the thigh itself; and the blood stopped 

 in less time than it needs to read this letter. This remedy is not corrosive ; the 

 wound healing without any scar, suppuration, or cicatrice. We have also made 

 trials on men, of whom the temporal arteries were opened, and on others whose 

 hands and face had been cut: and they succeeded equally with them. 



You may judge how useful this essence is likely to prove in armies, where most 

 men die for want of a good remedy to stop the blood. This liquor works not 

 only outwardly, but also being taken inwardly; for it stops the loss of blood in 

 fasminis, inveterate fluxes of blood, open haemorrhoids, and other haemorrhages. 

 Now that this remedy has been well tried in the presence of all the court, and 

 many of our best physicians and surgeons that have admired it; the King has 

 given a privilege to sell it in his armies, and throughout the whole kingdom.* 



Of a Certain Poivder for rendering Metal smooth and close, and of easier Car-' 



riage, &c. N'^ 94, p. 604O. 



This was lately communicated to the editor by a German physician, and is as 

 follows : — 



1 . The powder I speak of, makes the metal so close and smooth, that it leaves 

 not the least pit in the piece, and that a gun so cast needs no boring. 2. One 

 third of the metal may be spared. 3. Such guns remain clean and neat a long 

 while. 



In<the year 1672, July 9, there was cast a demy cannon, weighing 34 cwt. 

 This being tried with a bullet of 34 lbs. weight, there was employed the first 

 time 12 lbs. of powder, the second time as much, the third time 15 lbs., and the 

 fourth time 24 lbs. strong powder; all which trials it indured very well. Besides, 

 not long since there was cast a small petar of only two lbs. of this metal, with 

 which I broke in pieces a beam of a foot square, the petar remaining entire and 

 perfect. 



When there is occasion to carry these pieces over land, there will not need so 

 many horses by far as usual. And in great ships, that are sometimes mounted 

 with 100 guns each, of the matter of 200 you may make 300 guns, performing 

 the same if not a better efFe6l. It is not only easy to make, but also of small 

 expence. 



* Various styptics have at different times been proposed for stopping haemorrhages, both internal 

 and external, but where the latter arise from a puncture or division of a large artery, no remedy can 

 be safely trusted to, but that of passing a ligature round the ruptured or divided vessel. It will be seen, 

 however, in the subsequent pages, that the styptic here mentioned was in great repute for a time. 



