VOL. XII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 437 



III. Lectures and Collections made by Robert Hooke, Secretary of the Royal 

 Society.* 1678. 



This work is divided by the learned author into two parts. The first is called 

 Cometa: containing, besides observations of the comets of 1664, 1665, and 

 1677, a discourse also on comets in general. Also several other astronomical 

 tracts, relating to the spots on the sun, and the transits of the planet Mer- 

 pury, &c. — ^The second part is called Microscopium ; containing a description 

 of microscopes, and their employment in viewing several minute objects. 



Anatomical Observations on the Body of a Woman about 50 Years old, who died 

 Hydropical in her left Testicle, \ovarium~\, Dec. 30, l677. By Dr. Henry 

 Sampson. N° 140, p. 3 000. 



The woman had been married, but had never borne a child. Had been a widow 

 for about 10 years before her death. In which time she was much oppressed 

 with grief; and her belly by degrees began to swell ; yet not much, till about 4 

 years before she died. In the year 1678, at which time she weighed 216 

 pounds, I advised her to the use of cathartic hydragogues, and diuretics, after 

 the use of which for some time, she weighed but 200 pounds. But still the 

 morbific matter was reaccumulated to the diseased part. So that resolving to 

 forbear further medicines, within half a year after she weighed 250 pounds; her 

 belly being at last so distended as to hang down, as she sat, below her knees. 



On opening her, there issued about 20 pounds of a brownish water or serum 

 from one of the vesicles of the left ovarium. Having separated the muscles of 

 the abdomen, I found no serum or hydropic water, but a heap of bladders of 

 several sizes presented themselves. From the largest of which there issued 

 above 20 pounds more of a brown and thickish serum, tinctured with a sedi- 

 ment of the colour of umber. Some of the smaller were about the size of a 

 child's head, and yielded a slimy serum, in consistence and colour like the mu- 

 cilage of quince seeds. Others were much less, from the size of a man's fist, 

 to that of a walnut: most of which contained a serum like the white of an Q^gi 

 in some it was less viscous, like starch newly boiled. 



At length I perceived that all these bladders were parts some way relating 

 to the womb. Wherefore having separated the ossa pubis, I took out the 

 womb with the parts appendant altogether. And then, amongst other parti- 



* Mr. Hooke succeeded Mr. Oldenburg as secretary to the Royal Society in l677. But it was Dr . 

 Grew, elected the other secretary at the same time, who then comuienced the editorship of the Phi- 

 losophical Transactions in the same year, with No. 137 of that work; and published 6 Nos. ending 

 with No. 142. After this, Mr. Hooke published 7 Nos. of what he called Philosophical Collections; 

 and after that Dr. Plot recommenced the Philosophical Transactions in January 1682-3, with No. 143, 

 and continued them till No. 166. 



