10 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1734. 



they drew from the facts they discovered; yet without satisfying us entirefy about 

 many particulars. 



But, as a knowledge of the nature of things can only be acquired from the 

 things themselves, Dr. F. has carefully collected every material fact he could meet 

 with, from those who were best acquainted with the natural history of this subject, 

 and whose industry and accuracy in observing, and good faith in relating their 

 observations, have been generally esteemed unexceptionable. Of these he only 

 mentions Wigandus, Hartman, and Sendelius ; the last who has written pro- 

 fessedly on this subject. 



The evidence which these gentlemen afford, he has endeavoured to throw to 

 gether, in the most natural order he could, without respect to any hypothesis : 

 but as this enumeration of facts admits of no abridgment, his papers would take 

 up too much room in these memoirs : therefore he only refers to the essay itself. 

 On this foundation of facts is built a discussion of the following problems : 



1 . Whether amber is not strictly a marine production ; or is reduced by some 

 quality of the sea-water into the condition we find it in ? Or, 



2. Whether it is not to be considered only as a bituminous body, generated in 

 the bowels of the earth ? Or, lastly, 



3. Whether it is not, in its origin, a vegetable production, a resin; but 

 changed into its present form by a mineral acid ? 



It will only be necessary, in this place, to mention, that after having shown 

 the difficulty of maintaining the first two, he has undertaken to support the last 

 of these opinions. 



He endeavours to make it appear, that amber was originally a vegetable resin ; 

 the product perhaps of the fir or pine kind ; by considering the appearance of the 

 substance itself : and that though it has some distinguishing properties, yet it has 

 many others, which are common to an indurated resin. Its aspect, its texture, its 

 form, are arguments for this. The bodies which it is known to inclose, are urged 

 as proofs, that this inclusion could not happen in the sea, nor in the earth, but on 

 its surface; as the included objects are mostly animals, mostly volatiles too ; very 

 few reptiles, except such as are often found aloft in trees, as ants, spiders, &c. 

 and scarcely ever any aquatics, are found in amber. And, he believes he may 

 challenge all the cabinets of the curious to produce one instance of a marine botiy 

 having been found naturally inclosed in amber. That there are several fictitious 

 ones, is granted. 



That this resin, with the trees which afforded it, were buried in the earth by the 



diligent and close observation of the symptoms of diseases and the changes produced in them by medi- 

 cine. Something too must be attributed to that cautious but placid demeanour, for which those who 

 belong to the society of Quakers are remarkable, and which (to judge from tliis and other examples) 

 is calculated to procure attention and respect to the medical character. To these qualifications were 

 added a truly philanthropic disposition, and an unusual degree of active benevolence. 



