VOL. XXXIII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 2Q 



and this difference would sometimes amount to upwards of half a degree in the 

 same day, sometimes in a few hours. Mr. G. found it of no consequence, 

 whether the needle was drawn aside or let alone, the shaking of the floor by 

 walking upon it, or the trembling of the house by the coaches in the street, 

 was sufficient to overcome the small friction on the point. 



The box was placed in the room more than 6 feet from the nearest wall, and 

 above 13 feet from the grate in the chimney, and no iron was at any time 

 brought near it. The needles were all touched by that excellent loadstone pre- 

 sented to the Society by the Right Hon. the Lord Paisley. It may not be im- 

 proper to take notice, that the needles were not touched on the naked stone, 

 but with its armour on, generally on that part of the capping nearest the poles; 

 but there was no difference in the direction, by touching on another part. 

 When the needle was observed increasing, or decreasing in its variation, Mr. G. 

 has very frequently, with a key, drawn it the contrary way several degrees, and 

 then, by letting it return very gently, till it has been within a degree, or less, 

 of the place it stood at immediately before, it stopped there for some time, by 

 holding the key at a proper distance ; and withdrawing his hand gradually, tried 

 to make it stand short of its former place, but could never succeed. By this 

 method, and several others made use of, he was well assured these changes in 

 the direction are owing to some other cause than the friction of the needle on 

 the pin; but what that cause is he cannot say, for it seems to depend neither on 

 heat nor cold, a dry or moist air, clear or cloudy, windy or calm weather, nor 

 the height of the barometer. The only thing th;it has any appearance of regu- 

 larity, is, that the variation has been generally greatest, for the same day, be- 

 tween the hours of 12 and 4 in the afternoon, and the least about 6 or 7 in the 

 evening. 



With these needles, and their apparatus, Mr. G. made numerous experi- 

 ments in many days, from Feb. 5, to May 10, ]7'2.2, for many times each day, 

 in all varieties of circumstances. Indeed, from Feb. 6, 1722, to the 10th of 

 May following, he made above 1000 observations in the same place; and the 

 greatest variation westward, was 14° 45', and the least 13° 50'. It was seldom 

 less than 14°, or greater than 14° 35'. 



Observations on Dr. Eaton's Sti/ptir. By Dr. Sprengell, F.R.S. N°3S3, p. 108. 



The method of curing fresh wounds in a few days, witliout suppuration, . 

 where neither nerves, large vessels, bones, nor any of the viscera were con- 

 cerned, has been long ago observed. Purman, a famous surgeon of Breslaw, 

 in his Chirurgia Curiosa, tells us of a mountebank, who gave himself 13 



