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, whose 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 _Phænomenon_ 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 outside 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 Chamæleonis nigri radices_ (says he) _apud
Pagum quendam Livadochorio nuncupatum erui curaremus, plurimi Græci & Turcæ
spectatum venerunt quid erueremus, eas vero frustulatim secabamus, & filo
trajiciebamus ut facilius exsiccari possent. Turcæ in eo negotio occupatos
nos videntes, similiter eas radices tractare & secare voluerunt: at cum
summus esset æstus, & 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. Chamæleonis enim nigri radix ea virtute pollet, ut cuti
applicata ipsam adeo inflammet, ut nec squillæ, nec urticæ ullæ 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 cæpimus 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:
* * * * *