_Several Observables in the _six-branched_ Figures form’d on the surface of
Urine by freezing._
1 [11]The Figures were all frozen almost even with the surface of the
_Urine_ in the Vessel; but the bigger stems were a little _prominent_ above
that surface, and the parts of those stems which were nearest the center
(a) were biggest above the surface.
2 I have observ’d several kinds of these Figures, some smaller, no bigger
then a Two-pence, others so bigg, that I have by measure found one of its
stems or branches above four foot long; and of these, some were pretty
round, having all their branches pretty neer alike; other of them were more
extended towards one side, as usually those very large ones were, which I
have observ’d in Ditches which have been full of foul water.
3 None of all these Figures I have yet taken notice of, had any regular
position in respect of one another, or of the sides of the Vessel; nor did
I find any of them equally to exactness extended every way from the center
a.
4 Where ever there was a center, the branchings from it, ab, ac, ad, ae,
af, ag, were never fewer, or more then six, which usually concurr’d, or met
one another very neer in the same point or center, a; though oftentimes not
exactly; and were enclin’d to each other by an angle, of very near sixty
degrees, I say, very neer, because, though having endeavoured to measure
them the most accurately I was able, with the largest Compasses I had, I
could not find any sensible variation from that measure, yet the whole
six-branched Figure seeming to compose a solid angle, they must necessarily
be somewhat less.
5 The middle lines or stems of these branches, ab, ac, ad, ae, af, ag,
seem’d somewhat whiter, and a little higher then any of the _intermediate_
branchings of these Figures; and the center a, was the most _prominent_
part of the whole Figure, seeming the _apex_ of a solid angle or _pyramid_,
each of the six plains being a little enclin’d below the surface of the
_Urin_.
6 The lateral branchings issuing out of the great ones, such as op, mq, &c.
were each of them inclin’d to the great ones, by the same angle of about
sixty degrees, as the great ones were one to another, and always the bigger
branchings were _prominent_ above the less, and the less above the least,
by proportionate _gradations_.
7 The _lateral_ branches shooting out of the great ones, went all of them
from the center, and each of them was parallel to that great branch, next
to which it lay; so that as all the branches on one side were parallel to
one another, so were they all of them to the _approximate_ great branch, as
po, qr, as they were parallel to each other, and shot from the center, so
were they parallel also to the great branch ab.
8 Some of the stems of the six branches proceeded straight, and of a
thickness that gradually grew sharper towards the end, as ag.
9 Others of the stems of those branches grew bigger and knotty towards the
middle, and the branches also as well as stems, from Cylinders grew into
Plates, in a most admirable and curious order, so exceeding regular and
delicate, as nothing could be more, as is visible in ab, ac, ad, ae, af,
but towards the end of some of these stems, they began again to grow
smaller and to recover their former branchings, as about k and n.
10 Many of the _lateral_ branches had _collateral_ branches (if I may so
call them) as qm had many such as st, and most of those again
_subcollateral_, as vw, and these again had others less, which one may call
_laterosubcollateral_, and these again others, and they others, &c. in
greater Figures.
11 The branchings of the main Stems joyn’d not together by any regular
line, nor did one side of the one lie over the other side of the other, but
the small _collateral_ and _subcollateral_ branches did lie at top of one
another according to a certain order or method, which I always observ’d to
be this.
12 That side of a _collateral_ or _subcollateral_, &c. branch, lay over the
side of the _approximate_ (as the feathers in the wing of a Bird) whose
branchings proceeded parallel to the last biggest stem from which it
sprung, and not to the biggest stem of all, unless that were a second stem
backwards.
13 This rule that held in the branchings of the _Sexangular Figure_ held
also in the branchings of any other great or small stem, though it did not
proceed from a center.
14 The exactness and curiosity of the figuration of these branches, was in
every particular so transcendent, that I judge it almost impossible for
humane art to imitate.
15 Tasting several cleer pieces of this _Ice_, I could not find any
_Urinous_ taste in them, but those few I tasted, seem’d as _insipid_ as
water.
16 A figuration somewhat like this, though indeed in some particulars much
more curious, I have several times observ’d in _regulus martis stellatus_,
but with this difference, that all the stems and branchings are bended in a
most excellent and regular order, whereas in _Ice_ the stems and branchings
are streight, but in all other particulars it agrees with this, and seems
indeed nothing but one of these stars, or branched Figures frozen on
_Urine_, distorted, or wreathed a little, with a certain proportion: _Lead_
also that has _Arsenick_ and some other things mixt with it, I have found
to have its surface, when suffer’d to cool, figured somewhat like the
branchings of _Urine_, but much smaller.
17 But there is a _Vegetable_ which does exceedingly imitate these
branches, and that is, _Fearn_, where the main stem may be observ’d to
shoot out branches, and the stems of each of these _lateral_ branches, to
send forth _collateral_, and those _subcollateral_ and those
_laterosubcollateral_, &c. and all those much after the same order with the
branchings, divisions, and subdivisions in the branchings of these Figures
in frozen _Urine_; so that if the Figures of both be well consider’d, one
would ghess that there were not much greater need of a _seminal principle_
for the production of _Fearn_, then for the production of the branches of
_Urine_, or the _Stella martis_, there seeming to be as much form and
beauty in the one as in the other.
And indeed, this Plant of _Fearn_, if all particulars be well consider’d,
will seem of as simple, and uncompounded a form as any _Vegetable_, next to
_Mould_ or _Mushromes_, and would next after the invention of the forms of
those, deserve to be enquir’d into; for notwithstanding several have
affirm’d it to have seed, and to be propagated thereby; yet, though I have
made very diligent enquiry after that particular, I cannot find that there
is any part of it that can be imagin’d to be more seminal then another: But
this onely here by the by:
For the freezing Figures in _Urine_, I found it requisite,
First, that the Superficies be not disturbed with any wind, or other
commotion of the air, or the like.
Secondly, that it be not too long exposed, so as that the whole bulk be
frozen, for oftentimes, in such cases, by reason of the swelling the of
_Ice_, or from some other cause, the curious branched Figures disappear.
Thirdly, an artificial freezing with _Snow_ and _Salt_, apply’d to the
outside of the containing Vessel, succeeds not well, unless there be a very
little quantity in the Vessel.
Fourthly, If you take any cleer and smooth Glass, and wetting all the
inside of it with _Urine_, you expose it to a very sharp freezing, you will
find it cover’d with a very regular and curious Figure.