( * 97) Numb.

14J

PHILOSOPHICAL
TRANS ACTI ONS .
June 10, 1683.

The C O N T E N T S .

I. A n AbftraU o f a L e tte rfro m Anthony Leewenhoeck

of Delft to M r* R . H. concerning
r a l Woods and their Veffels as in a Microfcope.
2 A T heory of the Variation o f the Magnetical Compafs
by the moftIngenious M r , Edmund Halley Fellow o f the
Royal Society. 3. A n Account iz. Wilhelmi ten
Rhyne M. D . &c. Tranlifalano-Daventrienfis a -
tio de j K T H F J l'T ID
. Mantiffa Schematica.* de
E
A CVVVN CT I f J ^ A . E t Orationes . 1. D e Chymia
C3 Botanic# antiquit ate & dignitate. 2, D e Phyfiognomia.
3.DtfMonfiris» L ondinim 8°. 1683.

An AbfiraBof a Letter from Air. Antho­

ny Leewenhoeck of Delft to M r. R.
H. concerning the appea
Woods^nd their Ftffels.
The Preface to the L etter,
T am not ignorant that the prefent fubjefl has been learn*
* edly treated of> by the judicious M alpightusm dD r.*
Dd 2V.
 (i? 8 ; I - , . |
N . Grew:, I have ventured notwithftanding torepiefent
the Veffels in W ood after fach manner as they offerd
themfelves to me. B. C D . Fig. i. is a part of the circum­
ference of an Oak or Afh Tree &c. being of 18 years growth
and therefore having 18 Rings for every year one, that
which is made the Jaft year being alwayes the greateft* th a
not aiwaies proportionably g^eat j but according as the
year is more orlefs fruitful.,
1 a Pjeces dtfcribed in my following Figures are
uch as E in the 15—Ring>and fometimes not fo big ,*yet
from fuch a part [ doubt not but the Conftitution of the
whole Tree may fufficiently be underftood.
When a T reeis fawed a^crofs-* and afterwards plaind
very fmooth, webfeelines as it were drawnfrom the Cen*
ter/A. and reaching to.the Circumference B. thefe are
Veflels which carry the Sap tp the Bark; as by the ad-
joyned Figures will appear.
*1 x'-i: . V: .r
Tie L E T T E R j

_ . ... - * hc pe you have received, m u

ommend to me^in yours of the 17^ toexamin
rui u and unfruitful Eggs. I have examined the Spots
1 tn-nVeri j hut have found nothing notable therein.
11 endeavour tp know whether the Egg be fruitful be*
fore I examin it..

a The fam e noted byDr. Grew Anatomy o f Trunks p. 24.

M t U m h l t i Fr F 'V ** t t y are here graved
M 'd J " n L ) °f * * kni,i' “,df°

V- , . The
 <199 )
The Grasshoppers hereabout are fmall and few* a-
bout the length of the Nail of oneshand »* poflibly in your
C ountry theyjare more and greater.
W e are very fhy here of cutting open bodies, even of
thofe that are dead in the Hofpital; fo that I have no op­
portunity of knowing whether the Chalky matter be in the
Veins or no.
f fend you herewith fome Obfervations of W ood. Fig.
a . A B C D fhews a piece o f Oak, which obferved in
a Microfcope was thus drawn from a piece of Wood as big
asH.
F F - f F where the brown flroaks appear, are the
Separations of the growth of one year- For when the
growth doth flop, the Wood becomes firm* and thick ^ and
is fupplied with many Small Veffels, fuch as are hardly
to be diftinguifhed, and therefore appear as brown Rays
or ftreaks. between the faid F F. F F is comprehended
that thicknefs of Wood which has been added to the C ir­
cumference of a Tree by a years growth. The W ood
hath fivecforts o f Veffels, vk{. Three forts going upwards,
two lying Horizontally, E E E denote,large afcending
Veffels made every year in the W ood in the Spring, when
it begins to grow. Thefe are filled within withSmall
Bladders, which have very thin Skins* here expreffed in
one ©f the.greater Veffels, cut long ways in the third F i­
gure by I K. L M.J
The fecond fort of rifing Vefiels are much fmaHer* which
alfo are made of very thin Skins, and are alfo fpeck’t with
parts which by a^ommon Microfcope appear like Globu­
les, as Fig. 4 .0 N where one of the faid Veffels is cut long­
ways.

c See aFigure o f the fame w ood w ith all the fam e five parts* D r. G teW s
of P lants begun.A nd the Partitions sfth e Great Horizontal fa rtS t hereafter
to n ed , fee i t b i s A M , o f Roots, Tab.7. - -
Dd * The
 C t 'o a j i
The third fort of rifing Veffete are very fmall and in,
great number, being* made alfo o f very thin Skins, as Fig*
4. P where they are drawn long ways.
All thefe afcending VelTels in the aforefaid piece of
Wood* which is about of a Square Inch* are I guefs a-
bout 2 0000 Veffeis. Hence in an Oak Tree of four foot
Diameter are 3 200 Millions of afcending Veffete, and in-
one of 1 foot, there are 200 Millions of Veffete. If we
fuppofe 10 of thefe great and finall Veffels i n a day to carry
up 1 drop of W ater, and that 100 of thefe drops make one
Cubick Inch? there will be 200000 Cubick Inches. Thefe
Inches reduced to feet, amount to full 115 Cubick feet o f
J^hinlmd meafure, o f 12 Inches to the foot 5 and one Cu­
bick foot weighing 65 lib. o f our D e w a te r * the whole
will amount to 7475 lib. or 14 Bordeaux Hogflieads o f
water* which a Tree of one foot Diameter in one day can
bring up.. W hereby it appears, that how fmall foever
the Q uantity of water is which a Pipe or Veffel may he
fiippofed to carry up* yet if all the Veffels were imployed
to that ufe, how much the Total would amount t o • But
I conceive that feveral of thefe Veffels convey o f the fame
moi fture downwards again to the Root* and fb caufe a C ir­
culation .* as I have formerly {aid.
Thefe forementioned uprifing Veffels empty conftantly
their Sap into an incredible number of Veffels, which lye
Horizontally iiy the body of the Tree* to caufe a continual
growth in thicknefs. Fig. 2. G G G are a fort of Veffels
which run Horizontal* beginning from the Pith of thfc
T r e e ,8 but afterwards in great numbers taking their rife *1
ftom the afcending Veffels. Thefe Veffels appeared to
me like dark Breaks running crooked, and winding for the
moft part along the fides of the great Veffels. T o obferve
thefeVeffcls better* Icaufed the Wood to be cut in length
in fuch manner that I came to divide the faid Veflels a-crofs.
very neatly. The fame Vefsels lye not above 5, 6, or 7
 ( 201 )

one above another* as they are here drawn bet ween the up*
riling Vefsels P Q O N . Fig. 4.
Thefecond fort o f Horizontal Vefsels which lye in great
numbers together* but in fome places much more theno-
thers, are defcribed Fig. 2. A B o r C D : but when we cut
the Wood in pieces longways, and thereby cut crofs thefe
Vefsels* then they appear to our naked Eye as Fig.
I have alfo drawn the fame in many places at their length,
with crooked Partitions, d which I judged to be Valves
t h o l have not been able to fee them always fo clearly as
they are here exprefsed, but after I had found them fome
times, I concluded them to be generally fov both becaufe
l have feen them in Elm Wood* as alfo that I concluded
without thefe Valves it were impoffible the Tree fhould
increafe in thicknefs, becaufe o f the force that is necefsary
not only t o c feparate the Bark in theSpringfrom the wood,
and keep it loofe* but alfo to cleave and open the Bark a ll
the time the Tree is growing* and thereby make place
for its increafe in thicknefs. Now if there were none o f
thefe Valves, then the Sap which was impelled by the heat
o f the Sun againft the B ark , with the letting of the Sun
(when I conceive the Sap ceafes e to rife) would fall back
again, and caufe a labour in vain. In this final! piece of
W ood Fig. 4. T , V. (defcribed by a magnifying Glafs
which augmenteth more then that by which the Uprifing
Veffels are drawn* that fo the Vefsels might appear more
diftinft) there are more then 2coo Vefsels, each of which
if it be allowed but J of a Grain of force in the protruding

d Sig. Malpighi. and D r.<?rew do both ma

t m s o f t h e bladders o f which thefe R adiated parts eonfifo a n d n o tV a lv's, 'S e eth e
forem entiotfd Anatomy o f 7V, F ig. 11 p. ai, aa. and , Tab, 7.
c Dr, Cr
ev* thinks that the B arkis nevethe weed* See A nat,
ofTr, p,&e.
f Tel Winds aniother Plants dobleeddayandnighk
 ( 202 )
^sm oifture, the force^all thefe Horizontal Vefsels together
ntiuft ufe towards the reparation of the Bark from the
W o o d , will appear by this Calculation. Suppofe then
th a t Fig- 4. is ?to of a Square Inch* and that in the whole
piece are but 2000 Vefsels, M ich make in a Square inch
1400000 Vefsels, that is 350000 Grains* this number
divided by 10240 * which is as many Grains as make a
Found, makes full 34 P ound, for the force which the
Vefsels in fo fmallapiece ofW ood come to exercife upon
the Bark. Wjien we examin the Bark thus torn from the
Tree, we ftiall fee the Oprifing Vefsels o f which the Bark
is for the moft part conftituted, and which from thefirit
formation went up ftreight* and were placed regularly one
by another, now in fome places iye wide from one another,
'and in lome clofer* but this is not the Natural Confutation.
W e know that there is great difference between O ak
wood growing in high*and low ground* or in cold3or warmer
Countries; or offloviror quick growth: but this piece here
draw n was a clofe good wood, and therewith of a full
grow th/ When we cut any wood through* in its length,
fo that the cutting of the Knife cleaves the Horizontal
^ reflels afunder* it will feldom' happen that the cutting of
the Knife will handfomely cleave the vefsels.' Bu* the Knife
for the moft partcuts the Riling and Horizontal vefsels a -
flant,-w hidi caufeth a falfe appearance * as if the Riling
and Horizontal vefsels were knit one into t anoth'ersas Lin- *
nen or Bafket-work: and to cut the Horizontal' vefsels
crofs, we muft conceive the firft time, that the Knife is
gone through the Center of the Tree or Bough, and the
fecond time that the Rnife is drawn parallel w* tb elirft cut.
In Figure Sixth A B C D is /represented a piece of
Elm-wood f which to the naked Eye is as big as Figure E )
and is what this Tree increafed in one year in thicknels*

J£ Grew And MJpigHi do both Ycptcfetit them iittsfw tvttt*

'A
 (20.3;
A D a n d B C fhow the ceafing of the growth in the years
endv C i} 1
The fmill Riling veftels which lye together between
the great vcfsels, are in this wood fmaller then inOak*
and therewithal each Pipe confifts of a thicker Film, then*
the Pipes of the Oak do,
A B and C D (hew the Horizontal vefiels at full length.
Fig; 7 F F F F fhew the Horizontal Veffels cuta-crofs;
thofe of them which lye but few together, I conceive to
be Veffels lately proceeding out o f the rifeing Veffels:
whereas on the contrary the other Veffels which lye ma*
ny together, haveTubfifted many years, and are as ma­
ny in number as they ever will be* G G G G. fhew th e
fin a 11 rifeing Veffels at length,
H H Shews one of *the great rifeing Veffels in length ,
cut crofs in the m idft; yet when we obferve the fame more
exa&ly w?e feethat they confift o f very thin Films* befec
with Helical Threds* exhibiting obfcure fpots Upon the
hoops or bows as Fig. 3.
Among thefe Trees there are feveral which upon tap­
ping y ield a Sap. This Sap 1 have feveral times, and fe—
Veral years oblerved, and taken notice i» it ofjdivers fmall
Animalsj which i could not imagine (hould have come out
of the W(ood^ but rather that they might have come from
rain-water or Dew*
Figure 8, A B C D . is a piece o f Beech (as big as
Fig. F to the naked Eye) the thicknefsof one years growth,
wherein one may plainly fee at A D or "B C the beginning*
and end o f the years growth. In this W oodthere arere-
reprefcnted* two forts of rifeing vefiels. vij. gre ater and
fm aller; and I imagine that there are alfo two forts of Ho­
rizontal Vefsels> which are very fmall: one o f which vi%.
E E E lyes but I,; >, o r more together, as Fig. 9. which '
fhows thofe Veffels cut through and marked by T i l
HHfr i , V ' ■— -• ' • :
the:
 ( 204 J
1 T he id fort> which lye far afunder J S$ in proportion
D from G and are marked out in their length by D C; thefe
veffels are likewife very fmall, and accordingly therife-
ing Vefsels lye very clofe one to another, they are likewife
cm afunder overthwart as Fig. 9, L I.
KK K Are the great rifeing vefsels cut afunder long-
w aies: which I generally obferved to be befet with fmall
f a r t s , that through a Common Magnifying Glafs feemed
to be Globules.
Fig. io , A B C D. Reprefents a little piece o f Wil­
low wood* as big to the naked Eye as Fig. F. the fame con-
fifts alfo of two forts of rifeing V efsels, fmall and g re a t,
the great ones befet with little parts, feeming Globules.
In the fame I faw bending line* which hetetofore l imagined
to have been valves, as is reprefented Fig* i f , in one o f the
fame rifeing vefsels marked by G. Thefe fmall rifeing Vef-
lelshave exceeding thin Films, which twas impoffible for
me to delineate with red C halk, fo finely as was requi-
fice.
In this Wood I faw but one fort o f Horizontal vefsels
marked Fig. 10. by E E E. Thefe vefsels are but few in
comparifon of the*Horizantal vefsels, which I hitherto have
obferved m other Woods. The fame are not far extended
in length* and for breadth they He fingle.
Fig. 11. H H H. the fame vefsels cut a-thwart are repre-
lented between the rifeing vefsels being at their length.
In one of the great rifeing vefsels fig. x i. G G. I likewife
Slewed that they are befet with little parts feeming Glo­
bules, but they are exceeding fmall.
Fig. 12. Is a piece o f Aider-wood the breadth
whereof is about the bignefs of the brittle of a Hog to the
naked Eye. It confitts likewife of tw o forts o f rifeing
vefsels; whereof the fmalleft confifts of exceeding thin
films, and the greateft fort of [films befet with little parts
extreamly fmall, to which you can give no other names
then Globules, Between
;r r ' (ao$J
, • 'Between A B. and C D- is tfie incfeafe ofthe Tre«:; in a

E," Are the;vefseis "which run-H orizontal.'

Fig. i j " F F Ate the great rifeing vefsels cut through
.longwaies. - < l*mv 2 - fa 1 v m h Ip ahutfe
* MH ; A K iffe:foal[ .riieiog . ;
G G The: Horizon cal vetsels caca^ro fs ,
Fig. 1:4.; A B C i l l : is a little piece of black
ru in s Ebeny >Wood , .exhibited by a Microfcope.magni-r
Tying more then any of the former *, becaufe thefe v.els^ls
could not well be obferyed by the .ppdmary G lares,^ and
this little piece of ffop
rifeing vefsels , is no bigger than to be covered by an Ordi­
nary grain o f Sand- .... v .. ; : :^r .. ,,
1 purpofed at firffc to have drawn this W ood more at
large, having intended .to h a v e fhewo its ,decreafe. in the
litte r end of theyear> and increase at^the beginwpgof the
year or Spring * j5ut in my attempting. 1 found that rny la*
bor would be fruftrated, becaufe -that wppji /grj&ws.ma
Climate where it increafes always: for thelfland
us lies in a few decrees Worth of the Tropick >of ,Cnt^vi^or^.
Z t e waod larnperfwaded

G G G Are great rifeitig Veftels, .whereof ap p e ar

to have £contained a fluid matter, which in drying Items to
have clofed them together in feveral places ®
•where One o f the Vefsets is, plainly e^h ib i^d .aj Ifngfh. *
‘ Fig. 16 Is likewifeoneiof the .greyer^ye^^fm agnifi^l
more by a yet greater Glafs) which'was much more p erlp t-
cuousthan the formerdaefet alfptwithexceedinig linall parts
The a*1fort of rifeing vefsels
!f e tw ee n iH ieiH o ri^ h ^ l F.ejsels, A % G) ah 3 H f l afelike-
^wMedit many places^partly fii^d 1
t& cgA iort
Tetekeof^heTiiee.^
iu n Ee The
 (20$ )
T he 4$ fort of riling vefsels are thofe which go Check­
er-wife btween the great rifing vefsels. Thefe vefsels are
of a firm W ood, in proportion to the vefsels of other
W o o d ; for the fmali round which is placed in the white
isonly the opennefs of every rifing vefsely, and the white
wherein the round is placed is the wood, that formeth
thevefsel; and thefe vefsels arefo clofe andfinp joyned
to one another, that they feem to be but one; as if we
fhould imagine that fmali holes were bored regularly in
firm wood.
Fig. 15. KKK. are the Horizontal vefsels cut crofs
thro u g h : of which I have reprefented two in their length*
fig. 14. A BG. and HH. * ^
Fig 15.L L are fmall rifing vefsels in their length cut one
from another.
Fig. 17. Is a piece of Palm wood, drawn by the fame
Magnifying Glafs that the M au ritiu s Ebony wood was*
This W ood tho I examined a great deal of ifc I could find
little difference in the feveral parts; and therefore I have
here contented my felf with defcribing a fmaller portion.
I t confifts (for ought Tcan findj of two,forts of attending
vefsels ^ .G r e a t vefsels> and fmailer vefsels lying amongft
the great. The great Veffels confift alfo o f Skins being
befet with fmall rifeing particles , as in fig. 18. where the
Veffels are opened longwaies* and reprefented by E E E R
The fmall Veffels have their cavities'very like thofe o f
the '(mail veffels in M au ritiu s Ebony Wood
foibecTtut the: loiigwaies in fig. 18. F F.. hi sp |
A B ok C a"fl re theH orizontal Vefsels which
tength ihew themfclves thus 5 but being cut overthwart
a re a s ^ G in fig . 18.
Frg. i p t 1A B G I s U^defGription1 o f r a: vsery
fmall pitire o f Straw, cut crofl In which tfiepartiof th e
Gircumference (A F) may be difcefiieff hriw g re a td tfc
A B E F Is the rind of the Straw, which tooutward Ap*
ilpeat,.
 ( 207
pearance is fmooth>and fhineing; thofor the moft part ’tis
made of extream fmall vefsels, and offome greater, which
I have reprefen ted as near as poffible.
G G G G A re the Veffelso f which the innermoffcpart
o f the Straw arc m ade; thefe vefsels are 4, 5* and 6. fided
according as they come to fit themfelves*
H H H Are vefsels which run in between the forementi -
oned vefsels and are befet round with fmall vefsels. In
thefe vefsels I have feen the fap fink down fuddenly at the
time of the growing o f the Straw, when at the fame time
I faw the Sap rife up in the veffels G G . which Sap was
made moft of Globules *, and when the Globules came to
pafs the valves where the vefsels were narroweft,; thefe
Globules then changed into the form of C ones, till they
obtained a larger Room, and then they retook th e k former
Globoufnefs
Fig. 20. are the rifeing veffels defcribed in their length,
being the fame with thefe reprefented fig. ip . G G.
I l f I. Are the places where thefe Valves are, and where
the veffels are narroweft.
I have in mine of the 23 of J fr il mentioned the great
number of fmall creatures in the M elt of a CW or l
have profecuted my {peculation, an d o b fervedtheM eltcf
a Perch $alfb of a Breem and a Vooren, as alfo o fa 7 m 7;,
at the time when they caft their S eed : and have feen in
the fa^ne an incredible number of fmall Animals> as 1men­
tioned in my former* But becaufe the forementioned filli­
es do not fhoot their Seed at once 5 I have not been able c6
compare them together th at I might if poffible havedifco-
vered whether there were any difference in their fhape or
bignefs: but fo far as I could remember, I conceive there
Was'no difference. And ’ifany perfons are inclined to make
the fame obfervations > they muft be fiire to take the time
when the laid fillies fhoot their Seed: for at diat time the
Melt, which is ready to come out, is thin and w atery; and
E a then
 f

C1268))
then thefe;animals in it live te iiM f *
whereas on the contrary the Melfi beirfg fu^ ttp© > jwc
mud with force prefs the
cult to fee thefe Animalcules alive,

;v * *]I '$ ( i 1 1 i i21 m */ H fli i l ' i f l w •* y&i &yj ■%fti ?tpcf • >21

txf Theory of the Variation cf theMAZ*

netical C O M PAS S ,
Hailey Fellow of the % S. •

V H e Variation o f the Compafs (by which I mean th e

**“ defle&ion of the A|agnetrcal Needle from t he : true
Meridian^ is' of th ^ t great cont^rrimetit!in th e A ft of Na­
vigation ;■ that the neglt& thereof, ‘doeslittle lefs than *■•
render ufeiefs one of the nobleft Inven tions mankind evef
yet attained £o.*! And for this cahfe all Ships ofOqnfe*
quence (efpeeially thofe bcmnd beyond the Equator feat*
ry with them lnffrum enh oh purpofe to obferve this V ari­
ation .* that fo the courfe fteared by the C ompels a- may be
reduced to the true courfe in refpetff of the Meridian"1.1* 5?*I-’:°
Now altho the great utility that a perfeft knowledge of
the Theory of the Magnetical dire&ion would afford to
mankind ip general, and efpecially to thofe concerned In
Sea affairs /-leefri a fnffiderit incitement to all Phifcfophical
andMathematicaliheads,to take under ferious confideration
thefeveral Phenomena ,and fo endeavour to reconcile th