VOL. XV.] PHILOSOPHICAX TRANSACTIONS. 241 



of the weight of the atmosphere ; so that this being supposed to be 29 inches 

 of mercury, it can only press the inward part of the bellows with a weight 

 equivalent to 7 perpendicular inches of mercury. From this we may conclude, 

 that the pressure of the atmosphere being weakened within the bellows more 

 than it can be assisted by the mercury contained in the same, as may easily be 

 computed; the bellows standing upright, as fig. 16, must rather shut than 

 open. Thus, without losing any labour and charges in trying, we may be cer- 

 tain that the project can never succeed. 



Account of Books. 

 I. Edvardus Bernardus de Mensuris el Ponderihus xar' ETrtTofAn'i'. Oxoniii Theatro 

 Seldonio, A. D. l685. N° 177, P- 1242. 

 This compendious treatise contains a comparison of the ancient weights and 

 measures with the modern, and deduces the length of several of the former 

 from the measurement of some ancient buildings; as, the pantheon at Rome, 

 Minerva's temple in her own city, the numerous antiquities of Constantinople, 

 the admirable ruin of Chilmenar, and the perpetual pyramids of Egypt. From 

 these and several other monuments is asserted the equality of the English 

 foot to that of the Hebrews, Babylonians, Greeks, Chinese, Castilians, and 

 those of Lisbon and of Lyons. And farther, that dividing the English foot into 

 1000 parts, the Parisian will contain 1066, the universal foot of Sir Jonas 

 Moor IO89, the old Roman 970, that of Villalpandus, derived from Vespasian's 

 Congius, 986, the Rhinland foot of Snellius 1033, the Venetian 1140, the 

 Bononian of Mr. Auzout 1 140, &c. Thus from the foot, passing through the 

 various measures of antiquity, this treatise at last gives for one degree, or the 

 360th part of the circuit of the whole earth, 7Z^ English miles, of 5000 feet 

 in a mile; 67-tV universal miles, 66-|- Arabic miles, exactly according with the 

 old observations of Hasan, Nodham, Masudy, and other Arabs ; and little dif- 

 fering from the late experiments of Mr. Norwood in England, and Mr. Picart 

 in France. As for ancient weights, the true Hebrew sekel, or siclus argenteus, 

 inscribed with Samaritan characters, is equal to 3 shillings English, or to the 

 tetradrachm of Thasus and the Greek islands. The Attic tetradrachm makes 

 2s. 9d. English, or 4 denarii Gordianici. The denarius consularis Romanorum 

 makes 7-i^d. English. The denarius Tiberianus 74d. And lastly, the denarius 

 Vespasianicus 6^d, Hence also is found the value of the Hebrew talent in silver 

 to be 450l. sterling, and that of gold to rise to 54001. sterling. And so for 

 other ancient weights and measures of capacity. 



IL Ant^Nuch* de Ductu Salivali Novo, Saliva, Duciibzis Aquosis, et Humore 

 Aqueo. Ludg. Bat. 8vo. N° 177, ?• 1244. 

 This ingenious anatomist divides this little tract into two parts. The first 



VOL. III. 1 1 



