’ é e , . 
RN a a ee ee | ae ey 
The Hiftory of Life and Death. 
The Inteneration or making tender of that which is dried (whichis the chief Mat- 
ter) affords buta {mallnumber of Experiments. And therefore fome few Experiments 
whichare foundin Living Creatures, and alfoin Afazfhallbe joynedtogether, 
Bands of willow, wherewith thcy ule to binde Trees, laid in Water, grow more 
flexible ; likewife they putBoughs of Birch (the ends 6f them) in Earthen Pots filled 
with Water, to keep them from withering ; and Bowls cleft with drynefs, fteep’d in 
Water, clofe again. iN Sachin, “ols, veiiheed 
Boots grown hard and obftinate with age, by greafing them before the Fire with 
Tallow, wax foft, or being onely held beforetheFire get fomefoftnefs. Bladders and 
Parchments hardned alfo become tender with warm Water, mixed with Tallow or any 
Fat thing ; . but much the better, if they bea little chafed. tye 
Trees grown very old, that have ftood long without any culture, by digging and 
opening the Earth about theRoots of them, feemto gtow young again, and put forth 
| young Branches. ' ila ans aa 
= Old Draught Oxenworn out with labor, being taken from the yoak, and put into 
frefh Pafture, will get young andtender flefh again, infomuch, that they will eat as frefh 
and tender as a Steer. ult, ' 
A ftrié&t Emaciating Diet of Guaracum, Bisket, and the like, (wherewiththey ufe to 
cure the French-Pox, Old catarrhs, and {ome kinde of Dropfies) doth firft bring mento 
great poverty and leannefs , by wafting the Juices and Humors of the Body; which 
4 after they begin to be repairedagain, feem manifeftly more vigorous and young. Nay, 
and I am of opinion, that Emaciating Difeafes afterwards well cured, have adyanced 
| many in the way of long life. 
Obfervations. 
mM: fee clearly, like Owls, tn the Night of their own Notions ; but in Experience, as 
in the Day-light they wink, and are but balf-fighted. They speak much of the Ele- 
mentary quality of Siccity or Drinefs,and of things Deficcating, andof the Natural Periods 
of Bodies, inwhichthey arecorruptedand confumed: But mean while, either in the begin- 
nings, or middle paffages, or lafts a€ts of Deficcation avdConfumption, they obfervene- 
thing that us of moment. % | 
_Deficcation ov Confumption zn the proces thereof, 1 finifhed by three AGtions 5 aad 
all th-fe (as was fated before) have their original from the Native Spirit of Bodies. 
‘The firlt AGionss, the Attenuation of the Moifture énto Spirit ; the fecond 1, the 
Iffuing forth or flight of the Spirit ; che third us, the Contraction of the orofter parts of 
the Body zmmediately after the Spirit 1f[ued forth. nd thus laftis, that Deliccation and 
Induration which we chiefly kandle ; the former two conf{ume onely. 
.. Touching Attenuation, the matter 1s manifeft. For tke Spirit which ts inclofed in every | 
Tangible Body forgers not its nature, but whatfoever it meets withal in thé Body (in which 
it. tnclofed) that 2 can dige/t and mafter, and turn into tt felf, that it plainly alters and 
 fubdues, and multiplesst felf upon rt, and begets new Spirit, dnd thisevitied by one proof, 
inflead of many; for thutthofethings which are throughly dryed are leRened in ther weight, | 
‘and become hollow, porous; and refounding from within. Now st 1s moft certain, that the in- 
ward Spirit of any thing, confers nothing tothe weight, but rather lig'tens it; and there- } 
fore tt muft needs be, that the fame Spirit hath turned into it the moifture and juyce of the 
Body which weighed before, by which means the weight w leffened, And this w the firlt 
Action, the Attenuation of the Moitture, and converting it into Spirit. 
_ Thefecond A&tion, which x the \fluing forth or Flight of the Spirit, tb ak manifeft 
7 For that iffuing forth, when zt 1 in throngs, is apparent even to the fenfe ; sn Vapors to 
the fight, in Odors to the fmelling ; but if it if[ueth forth lowly, (as when a thing is decayed 
by age) thenst 1s not apparent tothe fenfe, but the matter is the fame. Again; where thé 
| compafure of the Body is either (oftreighr or [a tenacious; that the Spirit can finde no pores or. 
Opes by which to depart, then, im the ftriving to get out, st drives before st the groffer parts 
| of the Body, and protrudes them beyond the fuperficies or furface of the Body ; as itis 12 thé 
ruftof Metals, and mouldof all Fat things. end this is she fecond AGtion, rhe tuing 
forth or Flight of the Spirit. bine 7 
i The third AGion #s fomewhat more obfcure, but full dé certain ; that is, the Con- 
| traction of the groffer parts after the Spirit sued forth. end thss appears, firft,in that 
i Bodies After the Spirit sfued forth, do manifeftly fhrink, and fill a lefs room ; aa st i ~ . 
‘ . a aeons phk deracesmcmons the 
Sn Be » 
