lesser at this time the meat was nevertheless much more burnt than the other because I believe I had blown the fire more briskly EXPERIM. III. June 6. I repeated the same Experiment and took but five ounces of coals and gave just heat enough to dry up the drop of water in 4 seconds the inward pressure as before then the Mutton was very well done the bones soft and the juyce a strong Gelly so that having had occasion to boil Mutton several times since I have always observed the same rule and never missed to have it in the same condition which I take to be the best of all because if the coction was lesser the bones could not be soft and if it was stronger the Gelly being softer could not be so nourishing Yet I do not think that the perfection in this case is limited to a little more or less but I believe rather that Mutton may be considerably more boiled and be very good still yet I had always rather to under-do it a little than over-do it because when it is over-done there is no remedy and if some pieces of bone be not soft enough it is very easie to put them again with new meat EXPERIM. IV. June 9. I made the Experiment with a Breast of Beef and took seven ounces of coals I urged the fire till one drop of water would dry up in 3 seconds and the inward pressure about nine times as strong as the ordinary pressure of the Air the coals that were not consumed did weigh about three quarters of an ounce and the Beef was very well boiled although there were some parts of the bones not quite softned yet I would not advise people to bestow any more fire to boil Beef because it is always very easie to boil the bones again and I had rather several times boil the meat but as much as may be necessary to take it off from the bones because afterwards the bones may without any danger be boiled asunder as you may see by the following Experiments EXPERIM. V. June 12. I did put Mutton and Beef together into my pot and made the fire but with three ounces of coals and though I prest the fire pretty briskly I could not make the inward pressure above three times stronger than the ordinary pressure of the Air and the heat but such as to make a drop of water to evaporate in 90 seconds The Vessels being cooled I found the Mutton ready enough to please most people but the Beef was undoubtedly too raw for any body the Juyce did not turn to a Gelly though I had put no water to it I believe that the pressure and the heat in this case were so little rather for want of having well fitted the Engine than for want of coals for I have observed since that time That the better the Engine is closed the more heat it acquireth with the same quantity of coals June 13. I repeated the same Experiment and filled the Pot partly with raw flesh and partly with some of the flesh boiled the day before I took but four ounces of coals and having increased the fire as briskly as I could I made the inward pressure but five times stronger than the ordinary pressure of the Air and the heat but such as to make a drop of water to evaporate in 40 seconds the coals that remained not consumed did not weigh above two drams the meat was very well done and tender but the bones did not at all seem softer than before although those of the day before had already endured the fire of seven ounces of coals three the first day and four the second June 15. I repeated the same Experiment and did put into the Pot the meat that had already been boiled twice and also raw flesh at which time I imployed five ounces of coals but I prest the fire so gently that the heat could never make a drop of water to evaporate in less than two minutes or 120 seconds The fire being gone out of it self I found the meat done enough and that which had endured the fire of twelve ounces of coals was very good still without Empyreume and the bones not at all softned So I found that it was very easie to dress flesh without bones since it may be left upon the fire three times as long as is necessary and yet it will not at all be spoiled EXPERIM. VI. June 16. I made the same tryal with bones and took those very bones that had been thrice boiled with the meat of the last Experiment these being put into a glass-pot with fat of Mutton alone that had been already boiled I shut them into the Engine then having made such a heat as to dry a drop of water in 4 seconds and the inward pressure nine times stronger than the ordinary pressure of the Air I did quickly put out all the fire and the bones were found very well softned I did again inclose the same bones in the same pot with the same fat of Mutton and added to them a new piece of bone that had never been boiled and having given the fire as before I found the new piece of bone well softned and all the rest still very good June 17. I did for the third time inclose the same bones in the same pot and again a new piece of bone quite raw and having given again the same heat I found the new piece of bone well softned and all the rest not at all impaired I repeated again the same Experiment with the same bones and the same fat of Mutton but at this time I made a stronger and longer fire and it fell out that the first bones were almost brought quite to a powder and smelt of burning yet the taste did not seem so unpleasing as when flesh is so burnt As for the fat it had no ill taste at all only it seemed to be a little softer than some of the same fat that had been boiled but once so I cannot tell whether by much boiling one may not make it change its nature but I am sure it would require more time than I can bestow The three first Coctions mentioned in this Experiment are sufficient to shew that bones as well as flesh may be boiled at least three times as long as there is need and yet they will be in no danger of burning so it is plain that the most careless and unexact persons will be able enough to boil them asunder Proprieties Before I proceed I must take notice that in the fifth Experiment some bones that had endured the fire of twelve ounces of coals were not at all softned to sense although five ounces of coals may be enough to produce that effect from whence it appears that the weighing of coals would signifie but little unless we did at the same time observe how briskly we augment the fire for there would be always danger of doing the meat more or less than we intend and we may
Pigeons into two little Glass-pots weighing them one after another before I inclosed them in their frame I prest the fire till the drop of water would dry away in 5 seconds and the inward pressure was ten times as strong as the ordinary pressure of the Air. The Vessels being cooled I found both the covers sticking pretty fast to their Pots so that it was apparent that the Air within the said Pots was rarified and that something had got out of them I weighed them one after the other being well dried as I had done before the boiling and I found that one of them wherein I had put by weight an eighth part less of meat than the Vessel could contain of water was exactly the same weight as before and the bones were very tender and the Juyce a strong Gelly without Empyreume The other Pot wherein I had put a greater weight of meat than it could hold of water was grown heavier and the Juyce in it was not so well congealed as in the other It is very like that the great quantity of meat being too much rarified in this Pot had opened the cover so as to admit some of the water from the Balneum Mariae which had increased the weight and diluted the Gelly but in the first Pot the rarefaction of the meat was able only to drive out a little Air without any sensible opening of the cover From this Experiment I think we may conclude that one Propriety of this Engine is That if we boil Pigeons so as to make the drop of water dry away in 5 seconds with an inward pressure ten times as strong as the ordinary pressure of the Air the weight of the meat in the Pot must be but 〈◊〉 of that which the Pot can hold seven pounds of meat for example in a Pot that can hold eight pounds of water for by that means the pressure in the Pot is as strong as in the Engine and yet nothing is lost In the sixteenth Experiment you may see that the water being taken in the same weight would do the same effect so that some people would think that all other bodies should be also taken in the same weight because those that would take up less room upon the score of their specifick gravity will by the same reason expand themselves so much the more but this would be a great mistake for I have tryed Chap. 6. Exper. 3. that Spirit of Wine though of a lesser specifick gravity than Vinegar will nevertheless rarifie a great deal more by heat Therefore if we will be very exact not to lose any thing and to have the intended pressure in the Pot we must find by experience how far and how powerfully other bodies will rarifie as in this Experiment I have found it for Pigeons to fill afterwards the Pot accordingly At the same time I had in another Engine some of the same Pigeons a boiling the heat was such that it dryed a drop of water in 3 seconds but the inward pressure was but five times as strong as the ordinary pressure of the Air. The Vessels being cooled I found the bones not quite so soft as in the other Engine though they had been in a greater heat yet they were almost all fit to be eaten This Experiment makes me believe that we may reckon this amongst the Proprieties of this Engine That it is almost the same thing to have the drop of water dry away in 3 seconds and five pressures as to have it dry away in 5 seconds and ten pressures in the Engine So people may find out by experience in any other case what quantity of pressure may do instead of a certain quantity of heat and if one had an exact Thermometer as I have said in Chap. 2. one might perhaps draw from thence great lights for other things I say besides that this Experiment shews that good Balnea Mariae fitted to hold great pressures would save a great deal of fire for we have seen Exper. 10. that the greater the inward pressure is the less coals will serve to bring the Engine to a certain heat and now we see that such a degree of heat raised with less coals may produce a greater effect than if we had been forced to bestow more coals for it where this pressure is wanting FISH EXPERIM. XIII June 15. I took a Macquerel and put it in a Glass-pot with green Goosberries I included the Pot in the Engine and with four ounces and two drams of coals I brought the heat to dry away the drop of water in 10 seconds and the inward pressure was seven times as strong as the ordinary pressure of the Air. The fire being gone out by little and little I found that the remaining coals weighed about two drams the fish was very ready and firm though the bones were so soft as not to be felt in eating the fish before it was boiled did weigh nine ounces and after boiling not above seven so that I had two ounces of good Juyce which would have been thrown away if the fish had been boiled after the ordinary way and moreover the taste was a great deal better the volatile Salts not having got away or been dissolved in water the Goose-berries had a very good taste and nothing of burning EXPERIM. XIV June 19. I made the same tryal with a Pike and I gave the fire as in the former Experiment the fish was found very ready and its flesh firm and the bones soft though they seemed somewhat harder than those of the Macquerel A Gentleman having tasted of this inquired whether it was the dissolving of the bones that made the fish so savoury this perswaded me that my thinking such fish better than ordinary was not out of preoccupation The Juyce of the Pike came to a strong Gelly which did not happen to that of the Macquerel I cannot tell whether this difference proceeded from the nature of the fish or from the temperature of the Air. EXPERIM. XV. June 20. I took a great Eel and having shut it up as I use I kindled four ounces and half of coals so that the drop of water did dry away in 6 seconds and the inward pressure was seven times stronger than the ordinary pressure of the Air the fire being gone out of it self the Eel was found very ready so was the skin and bones and all without Empyreume but its flesh was not so firm as that of other fishes the juyce did not congeal which I think did proceed from the excess of fire rather than from the nature of this fish since its skin seems very fit to make Gelly All these Experiments make me believe that all fishes may be made ready almost with the same degree of heat PULSES EXPERIM. XVI July 2. I put Beans in a Glass-pot some of which were raw and the other had been boiled already with Harts-horn I poured a little water into the pot to see the difference between those Beans that would
of the glass and then joyn them as before as exactly as we can the same may be applied to China-dishes Ivory Amber and such other brittle bodies EXPERIM. VI. July 1. I filled two glass-pots the one with one ounce of shavings of Harts horn and two ounces of water the other with an ounce of Whitings bones and two ounces of water Having continued the fire till the drop of water would dry away in 7 seconds with the inward pressure twelve times stronger than the ordinary pressure of the Air I took off the fire presently and the Vessels being cooled I found a very strong gelly in the Pot with Harts-horn I gave some of it to a person that makes such Gellies pretty often and she said that there must be something more in this than in hers because this had both smell and taste pretty strong but in hers there was neither of them I think this difference did proceed only from the Spirits and volatile Salts that are kept in by means of the Engine fastned with Screws and that fly away in the ordinary boiling and from thence it is very probable that this new gelly hath much more virtue in it The Harts-horn also was all very soft but in the ordinary way it is brought but to a powder that feels hard between the fingers In the other Pot the fish-bones were quite soft but the liquor would not congeal yet being dryed there was found some glue remaining but in small quantity and not so strong as that of Beef bones EXPERIM. VII July 2. I filled two glass-pots the one with half an ounce of Harts-horn and two ounces and half of water the other with bones and water in the same proportion as five to one and the bones were shaved as well as the Harts-horn Having augmented the fire till the drop of water would dry away in 5 seconds with ten pressures I took it off quickly the next day I opened the Vessels and found that in the pot with bones the liquor was but little thicker than water in the other there was a good gelly but not so strong as that in the foregoing Experiment I heated it again and as soon as it was melted I filtrated it and squeezed it as well as I could and I set the remainder a drying that remainder being dryed after a weeks time was found to weigh 2 ¾ drams so that all the congealing parts drawn from the Harts-horn did weigh but 1 ¼ dram and that had been enough to congeal 2 ½ ounces of liquor which is 16 times as much weight the liquor that had been filtrated did in a short time turn to a gelly much stronger than Harts-horn gelly uses to be therefore I believe I may be confident that a certain quantity of Harts-horn will congeal five times its weight of water and it may be by practising there will be found some degree of heat that will make more but though we could do no more yet this would be a considerable thing since in the ordinary ways the quantity of gelly is less by half and not so good and it requires much more fire and time and fresh water which is of consequence at Sea For although I must needs have water to make gelly after my way that water is not lost since it remains all in the gelly but if you make it after the ordinary way above three quarters of the water will evaporate away EXPERIM. VIII Having found by the last Experiment that Harts-horn doth yield so much gelly more than the bones do I had a mind to try whether the reason of it was not because the degree of heat was fit for Harts-horn but not strong enough for bones Therefore I repeated the same Experiment with the same circumstances but at this time I increased the fire till the drop of water would dry away in 4 seconds and the Vessels being cooled I found the gelly of Harts-horn pretty good still but the liquor upon the bones was not very thick yet I found some gelly after I had poured out gently the over-swimming liquor but that liquor weighed above an ounce so I thought that truly the bones do not contain so much congealing parts as Harts-horn doth Having filtrated and squeezed the matters of both my Pots I kept the remainders of them asunder each in a glass well stopt for fear they should dry and about two weeks after I found them fermented and of the same smell and taste as Parmezan Cheese and very fit to be eaten with bread When I had shewn such Harts-horn to the Royal Society they judged that in all likelihood being in that condition it would yield more Spirits and more easily than usually it doth The bones were in all things very like the Harts-horn and some time after worms were generated in them which did not happen to the Harts-horn so that it being usual to see worms generated in good rather than in bad Cheese it seems that in this the bones have some advantage above the Harts-horn as well as the Harts-horn is to be preferred to them for the quantity of gelly it yields Having found some difference both for the quantity and for the readiness in drawing Gellies from several Bodies as also for the strength of that kind of glue I believe there might be found a difference in several other Proprieties of them and seeing our bodies are but congealed liquors it is likely that if people would go on with this tryal and draw Gellies from several parts of the same Animal and from several Animals of the same kind but of different ages and from several kinds of Animals that live a great deal longer one than the other as from Harts and Rabbets and then if they would compare all the several proprieties of these Gellies with one another it is likely I say that it would be a great help towards making a better Theory than hitherto we have about the causes of the lastingness of our life and such a Theory would it may be prove of more consequence than many people are apt to believe From all the Experiments contained in this Chapter I think it very likely that if people would be perswaded to lay by Bones Gristles Tendons Feet and other parts of Animals that are solid enough to be kept without Salt whereof people throw away more than would be necessary to supply all the Ships that England hath at Sea the Ships might always be furnisht with better and cheaper Victuals than they use to have And I may say that such Victuals would take up less room too because they have a great deal more nourishment in them in proportion to their weight This is plain in Harts-horn which will make five times its weight of gelly which is accounted to be of a great nourishment and yet afterwards it will turn to a substance very like Cheese which cannot be eaten in great quantity EXPERIM. IX June 20. I boiled two Macquerels in the same manner as hath been described
Chap. 2. Exper. 13. so that their bones were soft then I left one dry in the open Air and having kept it for eight days though in very hot weather it was not corrupted at all but another piece which I kept in the sauce was corrupted before three days I had a mind to try afterwards whether an ordinary boiling would have the same effect and to that end June 26. I boiled a Macquerel after the ordinary way and having set it to dry as I had done with the other I found that it would stink in less than four days From this Experiment I believe it appears that this Engine would be useful to dry Victuals so as to keep them without Salt and without losing their juyce and it may be such Victuals will prove much more wholesom than salt Victuals that are so much used at Sea EXPERIM. X. This Engine being so useful to hinder the wasting of fresh water by evaporation I thought it might also in some cases make Sea-water serve instead of fresh water Having therefore dissolved one dram of Salt in forty drams of water which I have heard from Mr. Boyle to be much the same proportion of Salt as is in Sea-water I took an ounce of dry Pease and having put them in a glass-pot with double their weight of the said salt water I included them in the Engine I blew up the fire till the drop of water would evaporate in 4 seconds with an inward pressure ten times stronger than the ordinary pressure of the Air. The Vessels being cooled I found that the Pease had imbibed all the water and were very well softned and Dr. King having tasted the same found them very savoury and not too much salted it is very likely that Beans and all other Pulse will do the same I think therefore that in supplying a Ship with Victuals we may reckon that the Pulse will change double their weight of Sea-water into fresh water or at least make it serve for nourishment as well as if it had been fresh and this may diminish very much the quantity of fresh water Ships must be incumbred with If people should use Sea-water to boil Pease in after the ordinary way it would come to pass that the evaporation wasting but the watry parts would make the Pease exceeding salt and besides that they could never be well softned I did also try whether Sea-water could be used to make Gellies therefore I put some of the same salt water into a pot with an equal weight of Mutton-bones and having increased the fire as I use to make Mutton-bones gelly I found a very strong gelly indeed but it was too salt by a great deal the quantity of congealing parts being so little that it cannot much contemperate the saltness of the water I think therefore that Sea-water should be mingled with double its weight of fresh water to make gelly withal CHAP. IV. Experiments for Confectioners EXPERIM. I. JVne 27. I put Cherries into two Pots in one of them there was water enough to cover the Fruit to the other I added nothing at all having forced the fire till the drop of water would dry away in 40 seconds with the inward pressure 3 times stronger than the ordinary pressure of the Air I found the Cherries very well boiled and those had much juyce where I had added no water those with water had much more liquor but their taste was more waterish The next day I put some of these Cherries to dry in the open Air and I put some also to boil again with Goose-berries to see whether a new boiling would spoil them I blew up the sire till the drop of water would dry away in 10 seconds with the inward pressure eight times stronger than the ordinary pressure of the Air and after that I did not find the Cherries at all altered but were still as big and as entire as before they had been boiled I put some of these also to dry in the open Air. The next day I found that all these Cherries would dry very well and not corrupt but those that had been boiled but once without water were bigger than all the rest and those that had been boiled twice were very wrinkled and grown smaller than the others that had been as long again a drying This Experiment shews that some Fruit may without danger remain a great while upon the fire in this Engine after they have been boiled enough and that makes them to be not so fit to corrupt as they were before therefore I believe if those who are skilful that way would make a Syrup to keep such Fruit in without drying they might have Sweet-meats which not having been boiled in Sugar would keep much better the taste of the Fruit but I think the Syrup should be thicker than usual because the moisture of the Fruit is apt in a little time to mingle with it and make it more liquid Experience must teach us what degree of heat will be the best to preserve Fruit without much altering its taste EXPERIM. II. July 6. I put into a pot sive ounces of Goose-berries and having continued the fire till the drop of water would dry away in 15 seconds I presently put it out The Vessels being cooled I found that the Goose-berries had yielded an ounce and half of liquor pretty thick I put some of these Goose-berries to dry in the open Air and they did dry very well and not corrupt This Experiment made me the more apt to believe that Sweet-meats might be so ordered as to keep much of the taste of the Fruit and I believe at the same time one might have a great conveniency to make clear Cakes because the juyce sit for that purpose is all kept in this Engine and may be drawn a great deal sooner than after the ordinary ways EXPERIM. III. July 22. Three weeks ago I shut up ripe Goose-berries in a great glass and put to them water satiated with Sugar to sill up the interstices to day seeing these Goose-berries ferment apace and make abundance of bubbles I put some of them in a glass-pot with some of their liquor and having inclosed it in the Engine I continued the fire till the drop of water did dry away in 6 seconds with an inward pressure five times stronger than the ordinary pressure of the Air. I took off the fire and the Vessels being cooled I found the Goose-berries very well boiled soft and of a good taste though the Fermentation had made them hard and unpleasant to the palate I included at the same time another pot full with fresh Goose-berries to which I added one part of Sugar to five parts of Fruit I found them also very ready and of a very pleasing taste but much more sweet than those that had been fermented After I had left these two glass-pots for ten days together well covered but not above â…“ full I saw no Fermentation in them but the Fruit grew a little musty