Century IX. 



173 



mer Precedent-, and hovering all winter , do portend a great Peftilence in the 

 Summer following; For Putrefaction doth not rife ro his height at once. 



It were good to lay a Piece of RawFlefh, or Fifh, in the Open Aire ; And 

 if it Putrefie quickly, it is a Signe of a Disposition in the to PutrefaBion. 

 And becaufe you cannot be informed,whether the Putrefaciiou be quick or 

 late, except you compare this Experiment with the like Experiment in ano- 

 ther Year, it were not.amiiTc in the fame Year,and at the fame Time, to lay 

 one Piece oiFlejb, or Fifh , in the Open Aire , and another of the fame Kind 

 and Bigneffe,within Doores : For I judge,thatif a general Difpofition, be in 

 the Aire to Putrefie,the Flef}j,or Fiflo,wil\ fooner Putrefie abroad,where the 

 Aire hath more power, than in the Houfe, where it hath letfc, being many 

 waves corrected. And this Experiment would be made about the End of 

 March: For that Seafon is likeft to difcover, what the Winter hath done, 

 And what the Summer following will doe upon the Aire. And becaule the 

 Aire (no doubt) receiveth great Tincture* and Infufion horn the Earth; It 

 were good to try that Expojingoi Flefh , or Fifh, both upon a Stake oi Wood, 

 fome height above the Earth,and upon the Flat of the Earth. 



Take May-Den? , and fee whether it putrefie quickly, or no ? For that 

 likewiiemay difclofe the Quality oi the dire, and Vapour oitheEarth, more 

 or lelTe Corrupted, 



A Drji itftff^ , and a Dry May, portend a wholfome Summer , if there be 

 a Showing April between : But otherwife, it is a Signe of a Pejlilential 

 Year. 



As the Discovery of the Difpofition of the ^4zVf, is good for the Progno'siicks 

 oi iVbdefome, and Un-wholef ome Team , So it is of much more ufe , for the 

 Choice oi Places to dwell in : At the leaft , for Ledges, and Retiring Places 

 for Health-, (for Manjion Houses refpect Provifions, as well as Health;) 

 Wherein the Experiments above-mentioned may ferve. 



But for the Choice oi Places, or Seats, it is good to make Tryal , not onely 

 oiaptnej? of Aire to corrupt, but alfo of the Meifture and DrineJ? of the 

 Aire; and the Temper oi it , in Heat m Cold; For that may concern Health 

 diverfly. We fee that there be fome Heufes , wherein Sweet Meats will re- 

 lent,andMW Meats will mould,more than in others; And Wainfcots will al- 

 fo fweat more fo that they will almoft run with water : All which, (no 

 doubt) are caufed chiefly by the MoiflneJ? of the Aire, in thofe Seats. But 

 becaufe it is better to know it,befoie a Man buildeth his Hou[e,than to find 

 it after,take the Experiments following. 



Lay Wool, or a Sponge^ or Bread, in the Place you would try,comparing it 

 with fome other Places-^nd fee whether it doth not moiften,and make the 

 Wooll,or Sponge, &c. more Ponderous , than the other ? And if it do, you 

 may judge of that Place, as Situate in a, C-roJ? and Mo 7 'f Aire. 



Becauie it is certain,that in fome Places,either by the Nature of the Earth, 

 or by the Situation of mods , and Hitis, the^zYvis more Unequal, than in 

 Others; And Inequality oi Aire is ever an Enemy to Health 5 It were good 

 to take two Weather-Glajjes, Matches in all things,and to fet them , for the 

 fame Hours of One day,in fevcral places , where no Shade is,nor Enclosures: 

 And to mark when you fet them , how farre the water commeth • And to 

 compare them, when you come againe,how the Water ftandeth then.- And 

 if you finde them Unequal, you may befure that the Place where the Water 

 is loweft,is in the Warmer Aire, and the other in the Colder. And the grea- 

 ter the Inequality be, of the Accent, or Decent of the Water, the greater is the 

 Inequality of the Temper of the Aire. 



CL? The 



