A \ B \ C \ D \ E \ F \ G \ H \ I \ J \ K \ L \ M \ N \ O \ P \ R \ S \ T \ U \ V \ W \Z

Micrographia by Robert Hooke

R >> Robert Hooke >> Micrographia




The texture of it is such, that I have not yet met with any other body in
the world that has the like, but onely one of a larger sort of Sponge
(which is preserv'd in the _Museum Harveanum_ belonging to the most
Illustrious and most learned Society of the _Physicians_ of _London_) which
is of a horney, or rather of a _petrify'd_ substance. And of this indeed,
the texture and make is exactly the same with common Sponges, but onely
that both the holes and the _fibres_, or texture of it is exceedingly much
bigger, for some of the holes were above an Inch and half over, and the
_fibres_ and _texture_ of it was bigg enough to be distinguished easily
with ones eye, but conspicuously with an ordinary single _Microscope_. And
these indeed, seem'd to have been the habitation of some Animal; and
examining _Aristotle_, I find a very consonant account hereunto, namely,
that he had known a certain little Animal, call'd _Pinnothera_, like a
Spider, to be bred in those caverns of a Sponge, from within which, by
opening and closing those holes, he insnares and catches the little Fishes;
and in another place he says, That 'tis very confidently reported, that
there are certain Moths or Worms that reside in the cavities of a Sponge,
and are there nourished: Notwithstanding all which Histories, I think it
well worth the enquiring into the History and nature of a Sponge, it
seeming to promise some information of the Vessels in Animal substances,
which (by reason of the solidity of the interserted flesh that is not
easily remov'd, without destroying also those interspers'd Vessels) are
hitherto undiscover'd; whereas here in a Sponge, the _Parenchyma_, it
seems, is but a kind of mucous gelly, which is very easily and cleerly
wash'd away.

The reason that makes me imagine, that there may probably be some such
texture in Animal substances, is, that examining the texture of the
filaments of tann'd Leather, I find it to be much of the same nature and
strength of a Sponge; and with my _Microscope_, I have observ'd many such
joints and knobs, as I have described in Sponges, the _fibres_ also in the
hollow of several sorts of Bones, after the Marrow has been remov'd, I have
found somewhat to resemble this texture, though, I confess, I never yet
found any texture exactly the same, nor any for curiosity comparable to it.

The filaments of it are much smaller then those of Silk, and through the
_Microscope_ appear very neer as transparent, nay, some parts of them I
have observ'd much more.

Having examin'd also several kinds of Mushroms, I finde their texture to be
somewhat of this kind, that is, to consist of an infinite company of small
filaments, every way contex'd and woven together, so as to make a kind of
cloth, and more particularly, examining a piece of Touch-wood (which is a
kind _Jews-ear_, or Mushrom, growing here in _England_ also, on several
sorts of Trees, such as Elders, Maples, Willows, &c. and is commonly call'd
by the name of _Spunk_; but that we meet with to be sold in Shops, is
brought from beyond Seas) I found it to be made of an exceeding delicate
texture: For the substance of it feels, and looks to the naked eye, and may
be stretch'd any way, exactly like a very fine piece of _Chamois_ Leather,
or wash'd Leather, but it is of somewhat a browner hew, and nothing neer so
strong; but examining it with my _Microscope_, I found it of somewhat
another make then any kind of Leather; for whereas both _Chamois_, and all
other kinds of Leather I have yet view'd, consist of an infinite company of
filaments, somewhat like bushes interwoven one within another, that is, of
bigger parts or stems, as it were, and smaller branchings that grow out of
them; or like a heap of Ropes ends, where each of the larger Ropes by
degrees seem to split or untwist, into many smaller Cords, and each of
those Cords into smaller Lines, and those Lines into Threads, &c. and these
strangely intangled, or interwoven one within another: The texture of this
Touch-wood seems more like that of a Lock or a Fleece of Wool, for it
consists of an infinite number of small filaments, all of them, as farr as
I could perceive, of the same bigness like those of a Sponge, but that the
_filaments_ of this were not a twentieth part of the bigness of those of a
Sponge; and I could not so plainly perceive their joints, or their manner
of interweaving, though, as farr as I was able to discern with that
_Microscope_ I had, I suppose it to have some kind of resemblance, but the
joints are nothing neer so thick, nor without much trouble visible.

The filaments I could plainly enough perceive to be even, round,
cylindrical, transparent bodies, and to cross each other every way, that
is, there were not more seem'd to lie _horizontally_ then _perpendicularly_
and thwartway, so that it is somewhat difficult to conceive how they
should grow in that manner. By tearing off a small piece of it, and looking
on the ragged edge, I could among several of those _fibres_ perceive small
joints, that is, one of those hairs split into two, each of the same
bigness with the other out of which they seem'd to grow, but having not
lately had an opportunity of examining their manner of growth, I cannot
positively affirm any thing of them.

But to proceed, The swelling of Sponges upon wetting, and the rising of the
Water in it above the surface of the Water that it touches, are both from
the same cause, of which an account is already given in the sixth
Observation.

The substance of them indeed, has so many excellent properties, scarce to
be met with in any other body in the world, that I have often wondered that
so little use is made of it, and those onely vile and sordid; certainly, if
it were well consider'd, it would afford much greater conveniencies.

That use which the Divers are said to make of it, seems, if true, very
strange, but having made trial of it my self, by dipping a small piece of
it in very good Sallet-oyl, and putting it in my mouth, and then keeping my
mouth and nose under water, I could not find any such thing; for I was as
soon out of breath as if I had had no Sponge, nor could I fetch my breath
without taking in water at my mouth; but I am very apt to think, that were
there a contrivance whereby the expir'd air might be forc'd to pass through
a wet or oyly Sponge before it were again inspir'd, it might much cleanse,
and strain away from the Air divers fuliginous and other noisome steams,
and the dipping of it in certain liquors might, perhaps, so renew that
property in the Air which it loses in the Lungs, by being breath'd, that
one square foot of Air might last a man for respiration much longer,
perhaps, then ten will now serve him of common Air.

* * * * *


Observ. XXIII. _Of the curious texture of _Sea-weeds_._

For curiosity and beauty, I have not among all the Plants or Vegetables I
have yet observ'd, seen any one comparable to this Sea-weed I have here
describ'd, of which I am able to say very little more then what is
represented by the second _Figure_ of the ninth _Scheme_: Namely, that it
is a Plant which grows upon the Rocks under the water, and increases and
spreads it self into a great tuft, which is not onely handsomely branch'd
into several leaves, but the whole surface of the Plant is cover'd over
with a most curious kind of carv'd work, which consists of a texture much
resembling a Honey-comb; for the whole surface on both sides is cover'd
over with a multitude of very small holes, being no bigger then so many
holes made with the point of a small Pinn, and rang'd in the neatest and
most delicate order imaginable, they being plac'd in the manner of a
_Quincunx_, or very much like the rows of the eyes of a Fly, the rows or
orders being very regular, which way soever they are observ'd: what the
texture was, as it appear'd through a pretty bigg Magnifying _Microscope_,
I have here adjoin'd in the first _Figure_ of the 14. _Scheme._ which round
Area ABCD represents a part of the surface about one eighth part of an Inch
in Diameter: Those little holes, which to the eye look'd round, like so
many little spots, here appear'd very regularly shap'd holes, representing
almost the shape of the sole of a round toed shoe, the hinder part of
which, is, as it were, trod on or cover'd by the toe of that next below it;
these holes seem'd wall'd about with a very thin and transparent substance,
looking of a pale straw-colour; from the edge of which, against the middle
of each hole, were sprouted out four small transparent straw-colour'd
Thorns, which seem'd to protect and cover those cavities, from either side
two; neer the root of this Plant, were sprouted out several small branches
of a kind of bastard _Coralline_, curiously branch'd, though small.

And to confirm this, having lately the opportunity of viewing the large
Plant (if I may so call it) of a Sponge _petrify'd>_, of which I made
mention in the last Observation, I found, that each of the Branches or
Figures of it, did, by the range of its pores, exhibit just such a texture,
the rows of pores crossing one another, much after the manner as the rows
of eyes do which are describ'd in the 26. _Scheme_: _Coralline_ also, and
several sorts of white _Coral_, I have with a _Microscope_ observ'd very
curiously shap'd. And I doubt not, but that he that shall observe these
several kinds of Plants that grow upon Rocks, which the Sea sometimes
overflows, and those heaps of others which are vomited out of it upon the
shore, may find multitudes of little Plants, and other bodies, which like
this will afford very beautifull objects for the _Microscope_; and this
_Specimen_ here is adjoin'd onely to excite their curiosities who have
opportunity of observing to examine and collect what they find worthy their
notice; for the Sea, among terrestrial bodies, is also a _prolifick_
mother, and affords as many Instances of _spontaneous_ generations as
either the Air or Earth.

* * * * *


Observ. XXIV. _Of the surfaces of _Rosemary_, and other leaves._

This which is delineated within the circle of the second _Figure_ of the
14. _Scheme_, is a small part of the back or under side of a leaf of
Rosemary, which I did not therefore make choice of because it had any thing
peculiar which was not observable with a _Microscope_ in several other
Plants, but because it exhibits at one view,

First, a smooth and shining surface, namely, AB, which is a part of the
upper side of the leaf, that by a kind of hem or doubling of the leaf
appears on this side. There are multitudes of leaves, which surfaces are
like this smooth, and as it were quilted, which look like a curious quilted
bagg of green Silk, or like a Bladder, or some such pliable transparent
substance, full stuffed out with a green juice or liquor; the surface of
Rue, or Herbgrass, is polish'd, and all over indented, or pitted, like the
Silk-worm's Egg, which I shall anon describe; the smooth surfaces of other
Plants are otherwise quilted, Nature in this, as it were, expressing her
Needle-work, or imbroidery.

Next a downy or bushy surface, such as is all the under side almost,
appearing through the _Microscope_ much like a thicket of bushes, and with
this kind of Down or Hair the leaves and stalks of multitudes of Vegetables
are covered; and there seems to be as great a variety in the shape, bulk,
and manner of the growing of these secundary Plants, as I may call them
(they being, as it were, a Plant growing out of a Plant, or somewhat like
the hairs of Animals) as there is to be found amongst small shrubs that
compose bushes; but for the most part, they consist of small transparent
parts, some of which grow in the shape of small Needles or Bodkins, as on
the Thistle, Cowag-ecod and Nettle; others in the form of Cat's claws, as
in Cliders, the beards of Barley, the edges of several sorts of Grass and
Reeds, &c. in other, as Coltsfoot, Rose-campion, Aps, Poplar, Willow, and
almost all other downy Plants, they grow in the form of bushes very much
diversify'd in each particular Plant, That which I have before in the 19.
Observation noted on Rose-leaves, is of a quite differing kind, and seems
indeed a real Vegetable, distinct from the leaf.

Thirdly, among these small bushes are observable an infinite company of
small round Balls, exactly Globular, and very much resembling Pearls,
namely, CCCC, of these there maybe multitudes observ'd in Sage, and several
other Plants, which I suppose was the reason why _Athanasius Kircher_
supposed them to be all cover'd with Spiders Eggs, or young Spiders, which
indeed is nothing else but some kind of gummous exsudation, which is always
much of the same bigness. At first sight of these, I confess, I imagin'd
that they might have been some kind of _matrices_, or nourishing
receptacles for some small Insect, just as I have found Oak-apples, and
multitudes of such other large excrescencies on the leaves and other parts
of Trees and shrubs to be for Flyes, and divers other Insects, but
observing them to be there all the year, and scarce at all to change their
magnitude, that conjecture seem'd not so probable. But what ever be the use
of it, it affords a very pleasant object through the _Microscope_, and may,
perhaps, upon further examination, prove very luciferous.

* * * * *


Observ. XXV. _Of the stinging points and juice of _Nettles_, and some other
venomous Plants._

A Nettle is a Plant so well known to every one, as to what the appearance
of it is to the naked eye, that it needs no description; and there are very
few that have not felt as well as seen it; and therefore it will be no news
to tell that a gentle and slight touch of the skin by a Nettle, does
oftentime, not onely create very sensible and acute pain, much like that of
a burn or scald, but often also very angry and hard swellings and
inflamations of the parts, such as will presently rise, and continue swoln
divers hours. These observations, I say, are common enough; but how the
pain is so suddenly created, and by what means continued, augmented for a
time, and afterwards diminish'd, and at length quite exstinguish'd, has
not, that I know, been explain'd by any.

And here we must have recourse to our _Microscope_, and that will, if
almost any part of the Plant be looked on, shew us the whole surface of it
very thick set with turn-Pikes, or sharp Needles, of the shape of those
represented in the 15. _Scheme_ and first _Figure_ by AB, which are visible
also to the naked eye; each of which consists of two parts very distinct
for shape, and differing also in quality from one another. For the part A,
is shaped very much like a round Bodkin, from B tapering till it end in a
very sharp point; it is of substance very hard and stiff, exceedingly
transparent and cleer, and, as I by many trials certainly found, is hollow
from top to bottom.

This I found by this Experiment, I had a very convenient _Microscope_ with
a single Glass which drew about half an Inch, this I had fastned into a
little frame, almost like a pair of Spectacles, which I placed before mine
eyes, and so holding the leaf of a Nettle at a convenient distance from my
eye, I did first, with the thrusting of several of these bristles into my
skin, perceive that presently after I had thrust them in I felt the burning
pain begin; next I observ'd in divers of them, that upon thrusting my
finger against their tops, the Bodkin (if I may so call it) did not in the
least bend, but I could perceive moving up and down within it a certain
liquor, which upon thrusting the Bodkin against its basis, or bagg B, I
could perceive to rise towards the top, and upon taking away my hand, I
could see it again subside, and shrink into the bagg; this I did very
often, and saw this _Phaenomenon_ as plain as I could ever see a parcel of
water ascend and descend in a pipe of Glass. But the basis underneath these
Bodkins on which they were fast, were made of a more pliable substance, and
looked almost like a little bagg of green Leather, or rather resembled the
shape and surface of a wilde Cucumber, or _cucumeris asinini_, and I could
plainly perceive them to be certain little baggs, bladders, or receptacles
full of water, or as I ghess, the liquor of the Plant, which was poisonous,
and those small Bodkins were but the Syringe-pipes, or Glyster-pipes, which
first made way into the skin, and then served to convey that poisonous
juice, upon the pressing of those little baggs, into the interior and
sensible parts of the skin, which being so discharg'd, does corrode, or, as
it were, burn that part of the skin it touches; and this pain will
sometimes last very long, according as the impression is made deeper or
stronger.

The other parts of the leaf or surface of the Nettle, have very little
considerable, but what is common to most of these kinds of Plants, as the
ruggedness or indenting, and hairiness, and other roughnesses of the
surface or out-side of the Plant, of which I may say more in another place.
As I shall likewise of certain little pretty cleer Balls or Apples which I
have observed to stick to the sides of these leaves, both on the upper and
under side, very much like the small Apples which I have often observ'd to
grow on the leaves of an Oak call'd _Oak-apples_ which are nothing but the
_Matrices_ of an Infect, as I elsewhere shew.

The chief thing therefore is, how this Plant comes, by so slight a touch,
to create so great a pain; and the reason of this seems to be nothing else,
but the corrosive penetrant liquor contain'd in the small baggs or
bladders, upon which grow out those sharp Syringe-pipes, as I before noted;
and very consonant to this, is the reason of the pain created by the sting
of a Bee, Wasp, &c. as I elsewhere shew: For by the Dart, which is likewise
a pipe, is made a deep passage into the skin, and then by the anger of the
Fly, is his gally poisonous liquor injected; which being admitted among the
sensible parts, and so mix'd with the humours or _stagnating_ juices of
that part, does create an Ebullition perhaps, or _effervescens_, as is
usually observ'd in the mingling of two differing _Chymical saline_
liquors, by which means the parts become swell'd, hard, and very painfull;
for thereby the nervous and sensible parts are not onely stretch'd and
strain'd beyond their natural _tone_, but are also prick'd, perhaps, or
corroded by the pungent and incongruous parts of the intruded liquor.

And this seems to be the reason, why _Aqua fortis_, and other _saline_
liquors, if they come to touch the sensitive parts, as in a cut of the
skin, or the like, do so violently and intollerably _excruciate_ and
torment the Patient. And 'tis not unlikely, but the Inventors of that
Diabolical practice of poisoning the points of Arrows and Ponyards, might
receive their first hint from some such Instance in natural contrivances,
as this of the Nettle: for the ground why such poison'd weapons kill so
infallibly as they do, seems no other then this of our Nettle's stinging;
for the Ponyard or Dart makes a passage or entrance into the sensitive or
vital parts of the body, whereby the contagious substance comes to be
dissolv'd by, and mix'd with the fluid parts or humours of the body, and by
that means spreads it self by degrees into the whole liquid part of the
body, in the same manner, as a few grains of Salt, put into a great
quantity of Water, will by degrees diffuse it self over the whole.

And this I take to be the reason of killing of Toads, Frogs, Effs, and
several Fishes, by strewing Salt on their backs (which Experiment was shewn
to the _Royal Society_ by a very ingenious Gentleman, and a worthy Member
of it) for those creatures having always a continual exsudation, as it
were, of slimy and watry parts, sweating out of the pores of their skin,
the _saline_ particles, by that means obtain a _vehicle_, which conveys
them into the internal and vital parts of the body.

This seems also to be the reason why bathing in Mineral waters are such
soveraign remedies for multitudes of distempers, especially chronical; for
the liquid & warm _vehicles_ of the Mineral particles, which are known to
be in very considerable quantities in those healing baths, by the body's
long stay in them, do by degrees steep and insinuate themselves into the
pores and parts of the skin, and thereby those Mineral particles have their
ways and passages open'd to penetrate into the inner parts, and mingle
themselves with the _stagnant_ juices of the several parts; besides, many
of those offensive parts which were united with those _stagnant_ juices,
and which were contrary to the natural constitution of the parts, and so
become irksome and painfull to the body, but could not be discharged,
because Nature had made no provision for such accidental mischiefs, are, by
means of this soaking, and filling the pores of the skin with a liquor,
afforded a passage through that liquor that fills the pores into the
ambient fluid, and thereby the body comes to be discharged.

So that 'tis very evident, there may be a good as well as an evil
application of this Principle. And the ingenious Invention of that
Excellent person, Doctor _Wren_ of injecting liquors into the veins of an
Animal, seems to be reducible to this head: I cannot stay, nor is this a
fit place, to mention the several Experiments made of this kind by the most
incomparable Mr. _Boyle_, the multitudes made by the lately mention'd
_Physician_ Doctor _Clark_, the History whereof, as he has been pleas'd to
communicate to the _Royal Society_, so he may perhaps be prevail'd with to
make publique himself: But I shall rather hint, that certainly, if this
Principle were well consider'd, there might, besides the further improving
of Bathing and Syringing into the veins, be thought on several ways,
whereby several obstinate distempers of a humane body, such as the Gout,
Dropsie, Stone, &c. might be master'd, and expell'd; and good men might
make as good a use of it, as evil men have made a perverse and Diabolical.

And that the filling of the pores of the skin with some fluid _vehicle_, is
of no small efficacy towards the preparing a passage for several kinds of
penetrant juices, and other dissoluble bodies, to insinuate themselves
within the skin, and into the sensitive parts of the body, may be, I think,
prov'd by an Instance given us by _Bellonius_, in the 26. _Chapter_ of the
second Book of his _Observations_, which containing a very remarkable Story
I have here transcrib'd: _Cum Chamaeleonis nigri radices_ (says he) _apud
Pagum quendam Livadochorio nuncupatum erui curaremus, plurimi Graeci &
Turcae spectatum venerunt quid erueremus, eas vero frustulatim secabamus, &
filo trajiciebamus ut facilius exsiccari possent. Turcae in eo negotio
occupatos nos videntes, similiter eas radices tractare & secare voluerunt:
at cum summus esset aestus, & omnes sudore maderent, quicunque eam radicem
manibus tractaverant sudoremque absterserant, aut faciem digitis
scalpserant, tantam pruriginem iis locis quos attigerant postea senserunt,
ut aduri viderentur. Chamaeleonis enim nigri radix ea virtute pollet, ut
cuti applicata ipsam adeo inflammet, ut nec squillae, nec urticae ullae
centesima parte ita adurent: At prurigo non adeo celeriter sese prodit.
Post unam aut alteram porro horam, singuli variis faciei locis cutem adeo
inflammatam habere caepimus ut tota sanguinea videretur, atque quo magis
eam confricabamus, tanto magis excitabatur prurigo. Fonti assidebamus sub
platano, atque initio pro ludicro habebamus & ridebamus: at tandem illi
plurimum indignati sunt, & nisi asseverassemus nunquam expertos tali
virtute eam plantam pollere, haud dubie male nos multassent, Attamen nostra
excusatio fuit ab illis facilitus accepta, cum eodem incommodo nos affectos
conspicerent. Mirum sane quod in tantillo radice tam ingentem efficaciam
nostro malo experti sumus._

By which observation of his, it seems manifest, that their being all
cover'd with sweat who gather'd and cut this root of the black _Chameleon_
Thistle, was the great reason why they suffer'd that inconvenience, for it
seems the like circumstance had not been before that noted, nor do I find
any mention of such a property belonging to this Vegetable in any of the
Herbals I have at present by me.

I could give very many Observations which I have made of this kind, whereby
I have found that the best way to get a body to be insinuated into the
substance or insensible pores of another, is first, to find a fluid
_vehicle_ that has some congruity, both to the body to be insinuated, and
to the body into whose pores you would have the other convey'd. And in this
Principle lies the great mystery of staining several sorts of bodies, as
Marble, Woods, Bones, &c. and of Dying Silks, Cloaths, Wools, Feathers, &c.
But these being digressions, I shall proceed to:

* * * * *


Observ. XXVI. _Of _Cowage_, and the itching operation of some bodies._

Copyright (c) 2007. bestextbooks.com. All rights reserved.

Moses Grandy - "Narrative of the Life of Moses Grandy, Late a Slave in the United States of America"

Maurice Hewlett - "In a Green Shade"

Robert W. Chambers - "The Younger Set"

Johan M. Snoek - "The Grey Book"

The green room: Carol Ann Duffy, poet
Articles published by guardian.co.uk Books

Audio slideshow: Robert Shaw discusses his production of Sylvia Plath's only play
What is your biggest guilty green secret?

Stephen King fan publishes Shining's Jack Torrance's novel
Three Women was first heard as a radio drama and then published as a poem. Robert Shaw explains his desire to stage the piece as it was intended