Qentury I 



5 



deeper.- So that if you infufe Ritfarb for an hour, andcrufh it well, it will 

 purge better, and bind the Body lefs after the purging, than if it ftood 

 twenty four houres $ This is tried, But I conceive likewife, that by Re- 

 peating the Infuftonof Rubarb, feverall times, (as was faid of Violets) let- 

 ting each ftay in but a fmall time you may make it as ftrong a Purging Me- 

 dicine , as Scammony. And it is not a fmall thing won in Pbyfick, if you can 

 make Rubarb, and other Medicines that are Benedict t as ftrong Purgers, as 

 thofe that are not without fome Malignity. 



Purging Medicines ,for the moft part,have their Purgative Vertue,in a fine 

 Spirit-, As appearethby that they endure not boyling, without muchlofs 

 of vertue. And therefore it is of good ufe in Phyfick, if you can retain the 

 Purging of Vertue, and take away the Unpleafant taft of the Purger ^which it 

 is like you may do, by this Courfeof Infufing oft, with little ftay. For it 

 is probable, that the Horrible and Odious Talr,is in the Grofler part. 



Generally, the working by Infufions ^ grofs and blind, except you firft 

 trie the IfTuing of the feverall Parts of the Body, which of them Iflue more 

 fpeedily,and which more flowly -, And fo by apportioning the time, can 

 take and leave that Quality ,which you defire. This to know, there be two 

 wayes The one to trie what long ftay, and what ftiort ftay worketh, as hath 

 been faid ': The other to trie in Order, the fucceeding Infufions, of one and 

 the fame Body, fuccefllvely, in feverall Liquors. As for example Take 

 Orenge-Pils,o\- Ro]e-Mary,oi Cinnamon^ or what you will And let them In- 

 fufe half an hour in Water: Then take them out; and Infufe them again 

 in other Water ■, And fo the third time : And then talt and consider the Firft 

 Water ,the Second,md the Third : And you will find them differing, not only 

 in Strength and Weaknefs, but otherwife in Taft:, or Odour For it may 

 be the Firft water will have more of the Sent, as more Fragrant-, And the 

 Second more of the Taft, as more bitter or Biting, &c. 



Infufions in Air, Cfor fo we may call odours) have the fame diver- 

 fities with Infufions in Water ; In that the feverall odours (which are in one 

 Flower, or other Body) iftiie at feverall times •, Some earlier, fome later : 

 So we find that Violets, Woodbines, Strawberries, yeeld a pleafing Sent, that 

 cometh forth firft But foon after an ill Sent quite differing from the For- 

 mer. Which is cau fed, not fo much by Mellowing, as by the late Miring 

 of the Grafter Spirit. 



As we may defire to extract the fineft Spirits in fome Cafes ; So we may 

 defire alfo to difclftrge them (as hurtfull) in fome other. So Wine burnt, by 

 reafon of the Evaporating of the finer Spirit, enflameth lefs, and is beft in 

 Agues : Of turn leefeth fome of his poyfonous Quality, if it be vapoured out, 

 mingled with Sprit of Wine, ox the like : Sean leefeth fomewhat of his windi- 

 nefsby Decoding • And f generally) fubtile or windy Spirits are taken 

 off by Incenfton,or Evaporation. And even in Infufions'm things that are of 

 too high a Spirit , you were better pour off the firft Infufton , after a fmall 

 time, and ufe the latter. 



Bubbles are in the forme of an Hemiffhere Air within, and a little Skin 

 of Water without : And it feemeth fomewhat ftrange, that the Air 

 (hould rife fo fwiftly, while it is in the Water •, And when it cometh to the 

 top, fhould be ftayed by fo weak a Cover as that of the Bubble is. But as 

 for the fwift Afcent of the Air, while it is under the Water, that is a Mo- 

 tion of Percuftion from the Water , which it felf defcending , driveth 

 i up the Air •, and no Motion of Levity in the Air. And this Democritus 

 |_ B 3 called 



Experiment 

 Solitary pou- 

 ching the Ap- 

 petite of Conti- 

 nuation in Li- 

 ejuids. 



24 



