Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 001.djvu/381

 He is of opinion, that the Air, which is commonly believed to corrupt easily, is incorruptible; alledging among other reasons, this for one, that experience shews, that if a Botle be exactly stop'd, there is never any mixt Body form'd in it; wherefore, saith he, the Air is not corrupted there.

He maintains, that 'tis not the Magnet that draws the Iron, but rather the Iron that attracts the Magnet. To explain which he affirms, that the Load-stone spreads abroad out of it self many Corpuscles which the substance of the Iron imbibes; and that, as dry things attract those that are moist, by the same reason Iron draws the Load-stone.

He rejects the species Intentionales, Vital and Animal Spirits and holds many other uncommon opinions, touching Light, the Iris, the Flux and Re-flux of the Sea, &c.

III. GUSTUS ORGANUM per Laurentium Bellini novissim è deprehensum.

This Author propelling to himself to discover both the principal Organ of the Taste, and the nature of its object, begins with the latter, and examines first, what is Taste? He judges that it is caused by nothing but Salts, which being variously figured, affects the tongue variously: alledging this for his chief reason, that the Salt which is extracted by Chymists out of any mixt body whatever it be, carries away with it all its taste, and that the rest remains taste-less. He adds that the Teeth in grinding the Food, serve much to extract this Salt: And he notes by the by, that the Teeth are so necessary for preparing the aliment, that certain Animals which seem to have none, have them in their stomach; and that nature has put at the entry of the palat of those that are altogether destitute of them, certain moveable inequalities, which are to them instead of Teeth.

But then secondly, concerning the Organ of Taste, he esteems, that 'tis neither the Flesh, nor the Tongue, nor the Membrans, nor the Nerves found there, nor the Glanduls, called Amygdalinæ; but those little eminences, that are found upon the tongue of all Animals. To obtain which, he observes,

1. That from the middle of the Tongue to the root, as also towards the tip, there are found innumerable little Risings Rh