Page:Micrographia - or some physiological descriptions of minute bodies made by magnifying glasses with observations and inquiries thereupon.djvu/162

Rh that is from the even breaking off of the stick, the solid interstitia having a regular termination or surface, and having a pretty strong reflecting quality, the many small reflections become united to the naked eye, and make a very pretty shining surface.

Thirdly, the reason of its hardness and brittleness seems evident, for since all the watery or liquid substance that moistn'd and toughn'd those Interstitia of the more solid parts, are evaporated and remov'd, that which is left behind becomes of the nature almost of a stone, which will not at all, or very little, bend without a divulsion or solution of its continuity.

It is not my design at present, to examine the use and Mechanisme of these parts of Wood, that being more proper to another Enquiry; but rather to hint, that from this Experiment we may learn,

First, what is the cause of the blackness of many burnt bodies, which we may find to be nothing else but this; that the heat of the fire agitating and rarifying the waterish, transparent, and volatile water that is contain'd in them, by the continuation of that action, does so totally expel and drive away all that which before fill'd the pores, and was dispers'd also through the solid mass of it, and thereby caus'd an universal kind of transparency, that it not onely leaves all the pores empty, but all the Interstitia also so dry and opacous, and perhaps also yet further perforated, that that light onely is reflected back which falls upon the very outward edges of the pores, all they that enter into the pores of the body, never returning, but being lost in it.

Now, that the Charring or coaling of a body is nothing else, may be easily believ'd by one that shall consider the means of its production, which may be done after this, or any such manner. The body to be charr'd or coal'd, may be put into a Crucible, Pot, or any other Vessel that will endure to be made red-hot in the fire without breaking, and then cover'd over with Sand, so as no part of it be suffer'd to be open to the Air, then set into a good fire, and there kept till the Sand has continu'd red hot for a quarter, half, an hour or two, or more, according to the nature and bigness of the body to be coal'd or charr'd, then taking it out of the fire, and letting it stand till it be quite cold, the body may be taken out of the Sand well charr'd and cleans'd of its waterish parts; but in the taking of it out, care must be had that the Sand be very neer cold, for else, when it comes into the free air, it will take fire, and readily burn away.

This may be done also in any close Vessel of Glass, as a Retort, or the like, and the several fluid substances that come over may be receiv'd in a fit Recipient, which will yet further countenance this Hypothesis: And their manner of charring Wood in great quantity comes much to the same thing, namely, an application of a great heat to the body, and preserving it from the free access of the devouring air; this may be easily learn'd from the History of Charring of Coal, most excellently describ'd and publish'd by that most accomplish'd Gentleman, Mr. John Evelin, in the 100, 101, 103, pages of his Sylva, to which I shall therefore refer the curious Reader that desires a full information of it. Rh