84 The Origin and Development of Museums. (February, 
were known to him only in the Arabian translation, and he ap- 
parently possessed no collection; at least, in going through his 
works, it is evident that the animals were described after living 
or fresh specimens. 
Science, during the next three centuries, did not advance ina 
remarkable way; we find nothing but repetition of the state- 
ments of Albertus and his disciples, Cantipratanus, Bartholomæus 
Anglicus, Roger Bacon, Vincentius from Beauvais, and others. 
The middle of the fifteenth century, and the time immediately 
following, is one of the most striking periods in history. The 
invention of printing, the discovery of America and of the way 
around Africa to the East Indies, the overwhelming amount of 
gold and silver gained by trade or war in those new countries 
and suddenly inundating ali Europe, followed by the momentous 
times of the Reformation, made a change in fashion, in study, and 
in knowledge, never seen before, and perhaps never to be seen 
again. Art and science advanced in the same rapid manner, the 
latter prepared in some way by the large immigration of learned 
Greeks, after the destruction of the Greek empire by the Otto- 
mans. 
The same great time produced some discoveries of the highest 
importance to the existence and preservation of collections; the 
most important, now considered by millions as the greatest calam- 
ity, being that of alcohol. This fluid was known to alchymists 
long before, but the use of it as medicine, as drink, and for the 
preservation of animal substance, certainly not much before 1483. 
A poem printed in that year, in Augsburg, set forth the excellent 
qualities of the fluid, and stated decidedly that it had been 
proved that all meat, fish, and fowl put up in alcohol would be 
well preserved, and would never decay. But ten years later we 
find the same use and abuse of alcohol as at the present time. 
The use of alcohol for the preservation of objects offered the 
additional advantage of their being easily seen and studied. 
Something else was needed, however, namely, good transparent - l 
glass jars or bottles, and the means of closing them as well as 
possible. I have not been able to ascertain the time of the first 
manufacture of transparent glass bottles; I suspect, however, 
that it may belong to some earlier time. The use of cork to 
close bottles dates surely after the middle of the sixteenth cent- 
ury, as in 1550, at least in France, it was known to be used only 
for soles. Before this time, and even a century later, wax or 
resinous stoppers were used. ‘ 
